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A huge number of parasites can change the behavior of the organisms they infect. In some cases, parasites can even make their hosts display completely new behaviors. We understand very little about the mechanisms and pathways behind this interaction. To learn more, we investigated how a specific fungus changes the behavior of ants, by turning them into "zombie ants". The infected zombies climb high and latch onto twigs just before they die, which helps the fungus to spread its spores a further distance.
Our results suggest that the fungus takes over the brain, secreting LSD-like compounds, expressing proteins that change serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain, and altering the ability to communicate with nearby ants. Our genome and transcriptome dataset, obtained using both field and lab techniques, allowed us for the first time to dive a bit deeper into the mechanisms used to regulate behavior. In the long run this work might even lead to discoveries related to human brain health.
Is this avenue of inquiry really advisable?
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday November 12 2015, @01:20PM
I expect that's why they remain unsure as to why children who have cats become adult schizophrenics.
It's a correllation, not a sure thing. I expect one could take fecal samples from all the cats that are around children, then track the children through adulthood but to the best of my knowledge that has yet to be done.
Also there are many people who carry that parasite in their brains who are not schizophrenic.
Maybe one becomes schizophrenic because one dislikes mice.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]