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From The Times
June 21, 2006

Men behaving badly (or is it just a gene?)

By Sam Lister
Some men are predisposed to more belligerent and macho behaviour than others because of the presence of an aggression gene, researchers in America suggest.

A study of more than 500 European men has shown that a tendency to be intemperate and confrontational may be linked to the presence of one of two genes involved in the activity of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

The research, by a team at the University of Pittsburgh, suggested that people who had a “low-activity” MAOA (monoamine oxidase A) gene were more prone to violence.

MAOA is an enzyme that keeps in check levels of serotonin, a chemical that affects and regulates mood. Variation in another serotonin gene, the serotonin 2A receptor, which is necessary for the neurotransmitter to act, also was predictive of antagonistic behaviour.

However, Professor Stephen Manuck said that genetics appeared to be predictive of aggression only if men also had more cynical and hostile attitudes toward others.

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Camila Batmanghelidjh

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