Epigenetics of Aggression: Recent Advances and Perspectives on Animal Models

Aggressive behavior is a complex trait with numerous variations. This review outlines the findings from epigenetic research conducted in recent years on different model organisms, highlighting traditional model species like Drosophila melanogaster, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, and Danio rerio, in addition to natural model organisms with “supergenes” linked to aggressive behavior, such as Zonotrichia albicollis and Tachycineta bicolor. Specifically, the impact of alterations in the methylation levels of VIPR1 and ACLY gene promoters, posttranslational histone modifications through enhanced acetyltransferase activity of the ncoa-1 gene, and ncRNA-driven silencing of the Maoa gene by MAALIN ncRNA was illustrated, alongside the influence of stress and medicinal plants on the epigenetic regulation of aggressive behavior. In summary, the data indicate that epigenetic alterations affecting the regulation of aggressive behavior involve multiple genes. In this context, promising research directions in the epigenetics of aggressive behavior may encompass the utilization of comprehensive genomic and omics technologies, as well as studies utilizing animal models derived from longitudinal research and specific behavioral breeding paradigms.