Arthur M. Sackler Colloquium of the National Academy of Sciences,

“Epigenetic Changes in the Developing Brain: Effects on Behavior,”

held March 28–29, 2014, at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. The complete program and video recordings of most presentations are available on the NAS website.

I reiterate: the title is: Epigenetic changes in the developing brain: Effects on behavior

I was taught that the epigenetic landscape must be linked to physical landscape of DNA in organized genomes of invertebrates and vertebrates via gene activation in hormone-secreting nerve cells of tissue in the brain.

I was taught that nothing but the gene, cell, tissue, organ, organ system pathway could link hormone-organization and hormone-activation from the sensory environment to AFFECTS on behavior.

The title of the Sackler Collogquia seems to suggest that experts on DNA methylation, histone chemistry, and the emerging field of non-coding RNAs may not know the difference between EFFECTS of sensory input on hormones and the AFFECTS of hormones on behavior.

That may be why some researchers still don’t understand the fact that “Feedback loops link odor and pheromone signaling with reproduction”

Evolutionary theorists skip the feedback loops and claim that mutations somehow lead to evolved biodiversity. I find it impossible to believe in their theories.

I know that food odors epigenetically effect GnRH secretion and so do species-specific pheromones. The epigenetic effects on GnRH link the sensory environment to behavior in all vertebrates. Behavior is nutrient-dependent.

RNA-directed DNA methylation and RNA-mediated events link nutrient uptake to amino acid substitutions that differentiate cell types via changes in GnRH secretion and its downstream affects on species-specific behaviors and morphologies.

Was I taught to believe in pseudoscientific nonsense about the bio-physically constrained chemistry of protein folding and conserved molecular mechanisms that link epigenetic effects on hormones to affects on behavior? Alternatively, were you taught to believe in pseudoscientic nonsense that links mutations to morphological and behavioral phenotypes via evolution.

Addendum:

Bruce McEwen presented this talk as part of the National Academy of Sciences Sackler Colloquium Biological Embedding of Early Social Adversity: From Fruit Flies to Kindergartners held December 9-10, 2011 in Irvine, California.

See also with my emphasis: Thus, a future research goal should be to provide a neurobiological framework for understanding positive health, positive effect, and self-efficacy and self-esteem and how these components are biologically embedded in a nurturing environment by epigenetic influences, including effects on reactive alleles in the genome. CORRECTION: The authors note that on page 17184, right column, first paragraph, line 4, “effect” should instead appear as “affect.”

Gene Robinson presented this talk as part of the National Academy of Sciences Sackler Colloquium Biological Embedding of Early Social Adversity: From Fruit Flies to Kindergartners held December 9-10, 2011 in Irvine, California.

Other Sackler Colloquium videos: SacklerColloquia