A world study led by the UGR using artificial intelligence has shown that our personalities alter the expression of our genes. The findings shed latest light on the long-standing mystery of how the mind and body interact.
The study, published within the journal Molecular Psychiatry (Nature), examines how a person’s personality and underlying outlook on life regulate their gene expression, and thus affect their health and well-being. It’s the primary study to measure the transcription of your entire genome in relation to human personality.
The multi- and interdisciplinary study was led by researchers from the Andalusian Interuniversity Research Institute in Data Science and Computational Intelligence (DaSCI), the UGR’s Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, and the Biohealth Research Institute in Granada (ibs.GRANADA). It was carried out in collaboration with Professor Robert Cloninger (Washington University in St. Louis), researchers from Baylor College of Medicine (Texas, USA) and the Young Finns Study (Finland).
The international research team (made up of specialists in genetics, medicine, psychology and computer science) used data from the Young Finns Study, an in depth study conducted in the overall population of Finland over 4 many years during which relevant information was collected on participants’ health, physical condition and lifestyle. As well as, participants were subjected to extensive personality assessments that addressed each temperament (habits and emotional reactivity) and character (conscious goals and values). The outcomes showed that certain outlooks on life are conducive to a healthy, fulfilling and long life, while others result in a stressful, unhealthy and short life.
The study analysed the regulation of gene expression in these individuals, considering three levels of self-awareness that were measured through their combined temperament and character profiles. These levels were designated “unregulated” — individuals dominated by irrational emotions and habits related to their traditions and obedience to authority, “organised” — self-sufficient individuals able to intentionally regulating their habits and cooperating with others for mutual profit, and lastly, “creative” — self-transcendent individuals who adapt their habits to live in harmony with others, with nature or with the universe, even when this requires occasional personal sacrifices.
Two key findings
As UGR researcher and co-lead writer of the study Coral del Val explains: “In our research we made two key discoveries concerning the expression and organisation of genes based on the personality profiles of those individuals. First, we discovered a network of 4,000 genes that clustered into multiple modules that were expressed in specific regions of the brain. A few of these genes had already been linked in previous studies to the inheritance of human personality. Second, we discovered that the modules formed a functional interaction network able to orchestrating changes in gene expression with a view to adapt to various internal and external conditions. The modules turned on and off in a versatile manner, facilitating adaptation to the on a regular basis challenges all of us face, and choreographing our development.”
The researchers showed that the changes within the patterns of interaction between these modules were orchestrated by two sub-networks. One network regulated emotional reactivity (anxiety, fear, etc.), while the opposite regulated what an individual perceives as meaningful (e.g. production of concepts and language). “What’s most remarkable is the indisputable fact that the networks for emotion and meaning are coordinated by a control centre made up of six genes,” notes Elisa DÃaz de la Guardia-BolÃvar, the opposite co-lead writer of the study. “It is especially interesting that we found that the six genes of the control hub are highly preserved throughout evolution, from single-celled organisms to modern humans. This finding confirms their useful role in regulating the functioning of all types of life on Earth,” she adds.
Identifying these gene networks and the control hub regulating gene expression in humans has practical value since it shows how people can improve the standard of their health, happiness and overall quality of each day life, despite the challenges and stresses all of us face.
The UGR’s Igor Zwir explains: “In previous research, we found significant differences in well-being between people within the three personality groups, depending on their level of self-awareness. Specifically, those with greater self-awareness (the creative group) reported greater well-being in comparison with the organised and unregulated groups. We have now now shown that these levels of self-awareness are also strongly related to the regulation of gene expression in the identical order (creative > organised > unregulated). This implies that an individual can improve their health and well-being by cultivating a more self-transcendent and inventive outlook on life.”
Nonetheless, he cautions that it stays to be confirmed whether the regulation of gene expression through interventions that enhance self-awareness is the mediating consider the association between self-awareness and well-being. Nevertheless, treatments that promote greater self-transcendence and mindfulness have also been shown to contribute to improvements in all elements of health, including physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being. It’s due to this fact plausible that the regulation of gene expression is the true mediator on this association.
Because the researchers predicted, certain sorts of genes, akin to transcription aspects, microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, showed extensive enrichment within the 4000-gene integrated molecular network. Nonetheless, probably the most significant enrichment was observed in a bunch of RNAs which can be thought to have played a vital role within the origin of cellular life. These RNAs have the flexibility to form membraneless compartments and perform chemical reactions, allowing them to adapt rapidly to emphasize. This process, often known as liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), creates a comprehensive bioreactor wherein the chemicals which can be essential for all times may be synthesised.
“We’re delighted to find the essential roles of various kinds of genes in health and personality. It’s amazing to see that evolution has preserved genes which can be thought to have been essential within the origin of life, allowing for the increasing plasticity, complexity and consciousness that we observe in humans. The revolutionary computational methods utilized in this project enable us to check complex biological systems in humans in an ethical, non-intrusive and useful way, with the aim of understanding methods to live healthily,” says Professor Cloninger. He adds: “These findings clearly show that an individual’s mind and body are deeply interconnected. Each influences the opposite, in order that they aren’t separate. It is vital to recognise that our future well-being is just not entirely determined by our past or present conditions; quite, we will cultivate our own well-being in a creative process stuffed with open-ended possibilities.”
