A Brain Mechanism Underlying Evolution of Anxiety; Creating Mouse Models with Human-Type Mutations in Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 1 (VMAT1) Enables Assessment of Their Roles in Genetic, Neuronal, and Behavioral Mechanisms

Monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine play important roles in our cognitive and emotional functions. Their evolutionary origins date back to metazoans, and while the function of related genes is strongly evolutionarily conserved, genetic variation within and between species has been reported to have a significant impact on animal mental characteristics such as sociality, aggression, anxiety, and depression.