People think he couldn't act because he played very similar roles, either as a soldier or as a cowboy. But he was a very strong actor — within a narrow range.

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All of this matches very well with previous observations that the amygdala is responsible for fear, anxiety and aggression. Now we're seeing that the neuroD2-deficient mice, when compared to normal littermates, show a profound difference in unconditioned anxiety levels as well as their ability to form emotional memories.

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The contribution we have made is showing that neuroD2 is related to the development of the amygdala. This is the first time that a specific neurodevelopment gene has been related to these emotional activities in the brain.

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The question is, are there differences in the neuroD2 gene-coding sequence or differences downstream of the neuroD2 pathway during brain development that could affect either psychiatric or emotional functions in humans? It's a completely unexplored question; it is the immediate next question you would go to if you want to understand how this gene impacts human behavior.

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Most of us are familiar with the fact that we can remember things better if those memories are formed at a time when there is a strong emotional impact -- times when we are frightened, angry, or falling in love. That's called emotional-memory formation. The amygdala is the part of the brain that is responsible for formation of emotional memory.

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These findings are new to science. The contribution we have made is showing that neuroD2 is related to the development of the amygdala. This is the first time that a specific neurodevelopmental gene has been related to these emotional activities in the brain.

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