Brain neuron gene expression in the organization of innate and acquired behaviors.

In a series of experiments using rats and rabbits, it was determined that regulatory peptides played a role in the mechanisms of learned behavior. Learning a new habit as a conditional avoidance response was accompanied by a considerable increase in brain DNA synthesis, which in turn could result in RNA and protein synthesis activation. The results suggest the following interdependent molecular phenomena: 1) DNA synthesis activation; 2) genome expression of a certain type of oligopeptides; 3) regulation of genome expression of proteins by chromatin nonhistone proteins; 4) regulation of gene expression mechanisms by brain regulatory peptides.