Humans owe a great deal to mice. Despite their seemingly vast differences, these small creatures share 85% of their genes with us, many of which perfo

All mice prefer the company of females until they sense imminent danger

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2025-01-24 19:30:03

Humans owe a great deal to mice. Despite their seemingly vast differences, these small creatures share 85% of their genes with us, many of which perform essential functions inherited from a common ancestor that lived 125 million years ago. This genetic connection has enabled drugs for conditions like cancer and diabetes to be tested on rodents before going on to cure millions of people. However, their use as models for understanding neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s or autism has been more controversial, as these conditions manifest quite differently in mice compared to humans. Similarly, using rodents to investigate the genetic foundations of human behavior has also been questioned.

On Thursday, the prestigious journal Science published a study on this type of research, which explored the social preferences of mice depending on the situation. Led by Changhe Wang from Jiaotong University in Xi’an, China, the study observed mice in normal conditions before putting them on alert by spraying their cages with trimethylthiazoline, a compound found in the feces and urine of predators such as foxes. Under normal circumstances, mice — both male and female — typically seek out the company of female mice. However, when they sensed danger, both sexes gravitated toward the males.

In addition to observing the change in social preferences, the researchers identified the neural circuits that underlie these shifts and found that they function differently in males and females. In both sexes, dopaminergic neurons — which regulate learning, pleasure, and emotions — activate in distinct ways depending on the priorities of the moment.