Delete one gene, and turn from timid to daring, if you are a mouse

Can efforts to dial down overly fearful humans be far behind?

Shumyatsky et al. show that deleting a gene that is expressed in the amygdala (required for fear conditioning) generates mice that are less aversive to risk and less intimidated by dangerous sights and sounds. Curiously, the gene is for a protein, stathmin, that inhibits microtubule formation. With it gone, the electrical signals associated with fear conditioning are deficient.