Music Gene

A Genetic Basis for Music?
A QUANTUM OF SCIENCE

Musical legacy found in a gene associated with social interaction traits – including love

Researchers in Finland recently reported a study in which 19 Finnish familes (343 individuals) with many professional or active amateur musicians among them were studied for genetic similarities. The study found that a single gene, AVPR1A (for arginine vasopressin receptor 1A), held a strong statistical correlation to creative musical abilities such as pitch, tempo and composition, especially when members of multiple generations all shared musical ability. So what is arginine vasopressin?

Peptide hormones, of which the vasopressins are a subfamily, are composed of short cyclic chains of amino acids (nine, in this case) and regulate a number of physiological functions. Arginine vasopression (abbreviated AVP) controls hydration through kidney function, including the stimulation of urine dilution and concentration in balance with the body’s need for extra water. For this activity it is secreted into the bloodstream, but some AVP is also found in the brain, where it binds to a specialized receptor – the one encoded by the gene AVPR1A. Binding of AVP to AVPR1A stimulates the brain to release neurotransmitters that play into "social behavior" responses, including the mate bonding behavior found in voles and, to a greater or lesser extent, in humans. Some studies have even suggested that these same neurotransmitters play a role in feelings of altruism, or love.

Is there a single gene that determines who is musical and who is not? These findings are preliminary and far from exhaustive, but they point to a biological function encouraging the spread and preservation of the AVPR1A gene. If, as suggested, the AVP/AVPR1A peptide hormone receptor plays a role in social behavior and other emotional attachment activities in higher mammals, it could easily be linked to the development of early human societies via the universal language: music.

For more information:

Original PLOS article


© A Quantum of Science / P. Smalley
Reproduction with attribution is appreciation