From Breakdown to Compensation: Brain Gene Networks in Chernobyl Rodents

Brain size and cognition are complex traits determined by many genes. Recent, potentially adaptive, brain size differences have been observed in rodents and other species inhabiting the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, which has been radioactively contaminated almost 40 years ago. Comparing the transcriptomes of several brain regions between individuals from contaminated versus uncontaminated areas, we identified genes with differential gene expression. Interestingly, we revealed a severe breakdown of the molecular networks of genes involved in brain size development and cognition in individuals from the contaminated areas. Depending on the brain region, however, we also observed compensatory network changes that might have evolved to cope with the stressful environmental conditions.