1
|
Frank CE, Sadeghi J, Heath DD, Semeniuk CAD. Behavioral transcriptomic effects of triploidy and probiotic therapy (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Lactococcus mixture) on juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2024; 23:e12898. [PMID: 38817102 PMCID: PMC11140169 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Aquaculturists use polyploid fish to maximize production albeit with some unintended consequences including compromised behaviors and physiological function. Given benefits of probiotic therapies (e.g., improved immune response, growth, and metabolism), we explored probiotic supplementation (mixture of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Lactococcus), to overcome drawbacks. We first examined fish gut bacterial community composition using 16S metabarcoding (via principal coordinate analyses and PERMANOVA) and determined probiotics significantly impacted gut bacteria composition (p = 0.001). Secondly, we examined how a genomic disruptor (triploidy) and diet supplements (probiotics) impact gene transcription and behavioral profiles of hatchery-reared Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Juveniles from four treatment groups (diploid-regular feed, diploid-probiotic feed, triploid-regular feed, and triploid-probiotic feed; n = 360) underwent behavioral assays to test activity, exploration, neophobia, predator evasion, aggression/sociality, behavioral sensitivity, and flexibility. In these fish, transcriptional profiles for genes associated with neural functions (neurogenesis/synaptic plasticity) and biomarkers for stress response and development (growth/appetite) were (i) examined across treatments and (ii) used to describe behavioral phenotypes via principal component analyses and general linear mixed models. Triploids exhibited a more active behavioral profile (p = 0.002), and those on a regular diet had greater Neuropeptide Y transcription (p = 0.02). A growth gene (early growth response protein 1, p = 0.02) and long-term neural development genes (neurogenic differentiation factor, p = 0.003 and synaptysomal-associated protein 25-a, p = 0.005) impacted activity and reactionary profiles, respectively. Overall, our probiotic treatment did not compensate for triploidy. Our research highlights novel applications of behavioral transcriptomics for identifying candidate genes and dynamic, mechanistic associations with complex behavioral repertoires.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea E. Frank
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of WindsorWindsorOntarioCanada
| | - Javad Sadeghi
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental ResearchUniversity of WindsorWindsorOntarioCanada
| | - Daniel D. Heath
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of WindsorWindsorOntarioCanada
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental ResearchUniversity of WindsorWindsorOntarioCanada
| | - Christina A. D. Semeniuk
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of WindsorWindsorOntarioCanada
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental ResearchUniversity of WindsorWindsorOntarioCanada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Van Cleve J. Evolutionarily stable strategy analysis and its links to demography and genetics through invasion fitness. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210496. [PMID: 36934754 PMCID: PMC10024993 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) analysis pioneered by Maynard Smith and Price took off in part because it often does not require explicit assumptions about the genetics and demography of a population in contrast to population genetic models. Though this simplicity is useful, it obscures the degree to which ESS analysis applies to populations with more realistic genetics and demography: for example, how does ESS analysis handle complexities such as kin selection, group selection and variable environments when phenotypes are affected by multiple genes? In this paper, I review the history of the ESS concept and show how early uncertainty about the method lead to important mathematical theory linking ESS analysis to general population genetic models. I use this theory to emphasize the link between ESS analysis and the concept of invasion fitness. I give examples of how invasion fitness can measure kin selection, group selection and the evolution of linked modifier genes in response to variable environments. The ESSs in these examples depend crucially on demographic and genetic parameters, which highlights how ESS analysis will continue to be an important tool in understanding evolutionary patterns as new models address the increasing abundance of genetic and long-term demographic data in natural populations. This article is part of the theme issue 'Half a century of evolutionary games: a synthesis of theory, application and future directions'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Van Cleve
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506 USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yadav C, Yack JE, Smith ML. Octopamine receptor gene influences social grouping in the masked birch caterpillar. BMC Res Notes 2022; 15:211. [PMID: 35725629 PMCID: PMC9208175 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-022-06102-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Group-living plays a key role in the success of many insects, but the mechanisms underlying group formation and maintenance are poorly understood. Here we use the masked birch caterpillar, Drepana arcuata, to explore genetic influences on social grouping. These larvae predictably transition from living in social groups to living solitarily during the 3rd instar of development. Our previous study showed a notable shift in the D. arcuata transcriptome that correlates with the transition from grouping to solitary behavior. We noted that one differentially regulated gene, octopamine receptor gene (DaOAR), is a prominent ‘social’ gene in other insect species, prompting us to test the hypothesis that DaOAR influences grouping behavior in D. arcuata. This was done using RNA interference (RNAi) methods by feeding second instar larvae synthetic dsRNAs. Results RT–qPCR analysis confirmed a significant reduction in DaOAR transcript abundance in dsRNA-fed larvae compared to controls. Behavioral trials showed that caterpillars with reduced transcript abundance of DaOAR remained solitary throughout the observation period compared to controls. These results provide evidence that regulation of the octopamine receptor gene influences social grouping in D. arcuata, and that specifically, a decrease in octopamine receptor expression triggers the larval transition from social to solitary. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13104-022-06102-3.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chanchal Yadav
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jayne E Yack
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Myron L Smith
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Honey robbing causes coordinated changes in foraging and nest defence in the honey bee, Apis mellifera. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
5
|
Taylor BA, Cini A, Wyatt CDR, Reuter M, Sumner S. The molecular basis of socially mediated phenotypic plasticity in a eusocial paper wasp. Nat Commun 2021; 12:775. [PMID: 33536437 PMCID: PMC7859208 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21095-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity, the ability to produce multiple phenotypes from a single genotype, represents an excellent model with which to examine the relationship between gene expression and phenotypes. Analyses of the molecular foundations of phenotypic plasticity are challenging, however, especially in the case of complex social phenotypes. Here we apply a machine learning approach to tackle this challenge by analyzing individual-level gene expression profiles of Polistes dominula paper wasps following the loss of a queen. We find that caste-associated gene expression profiles respond strongly to queen loss, and that this change is partly explained by attributes such as age but occurs even in individuals that appear phenotypically unaffected. These results demonstrate that large changes in gene expression may occur in the absence of outwardly detectable phenotypic changes, resulting here in a socially mediated de-differentiation of individuals at the transcriptomic level but not at the levels of ovarian development or behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A Taylor
- Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Alessandro Cini
- Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Christopher D R Wyatt
- Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Max Reuter
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, UK
| | - Seirian Sumner
- Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rey S, Jin X, Damsgård B, Bégout ML, Mackenzie S. Analysis across diverse fish species highlights no conserved transcriptome signature for proactive behaviour. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:33. [PMID: 33413108 PMCID: PMC7792025 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07317-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Consistent individual differences in behaviour, known as animal personalities, have been demonstrated within and across species. In fish, studies applying an animal personality approach have been used to resolve variation in physiological and molecular data suggesting a linkage, genotype-phenotype, between behaviour and transcriptome regulation. In this study, using three fish species (zebrafish; Danio rerio, Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar and European sea bass; Dicentrarchus labrax), we firstly address whether personality-specific mRNA transcript abundances are transferrable across distantly-related fish species and secondly whether a proactive transcriptome signature is conserved across all three species. Results Previous zebrafish transcriptome data was used as a foundation to produce a curated list of mRNA transcripts related to animal personality across all three species. mRNA transcript copy numbers for selected gene targets show that differential mRNA transcript abundance in the brain appears to be partially conserved across species relative to personality type. Secondly, we performed RNA-Seq using whole brains from S. salar and D. labrax scoring positively for both behavioural and molecular assays for proactive behaviour. We further enriched this dataset by incorporating a zebrafish brain transcriptome dataset specific to the proactive phenotype. Our results indicate that cross-species molecular signatures related to proactive behaviour are functionally conserved where shared functional pathways suggest that evolutionary convergence may be more important than individual mRNAs. Conclusions Our data supports the proposition that highly polygenic clusters of genes, with small additive effects, likely support the underpinning molecular variation related to the animal personalities in the fish used in this study. The polygenic nature of the proactive brain transcriptome across all three species questions the existence of specific molecular signatures for proactive behaviour, at least at the granularity of specific regulatory gene modules, level of genes, gene networks and molecular functions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-020-07317-z.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Rey
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirlingshire, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Xingkun Jin
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirlingshire, FK9 4LA, UK.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, NO-0316, Oslo, Norway.,Institute of Marine Biology, College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
| | - Børge Damsgård
- Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Simon Mackenzie
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirlingshire, FK9 4LA, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Walton A, Sheehan MJ, Toth AL. Going wild for functional genomics: RNA interference as a tool to study gene-behavior associations in diverse species and ecological contexts. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104774. [PMID: 32422196 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Identifying the genetic basis of behavior has remained a challenge for biologists. A major obstacle to this goal is the difficulty of examining gene function in an ecologically relevant context. New tools such as CRISPR/Cas9, which alter the germline of an organism, have taken center stage in functional genomics in non-model organisms. However, germline modifications of this nature cannot be ethically implemented in the wild as a part of field experiments. This impediment is more than technical. Gene function is intimately tied to the environment in which the gene is expressed, especially for behavior. Most lab-based studies fail to recapitulate an organism's ecological niche, thus most published functional genomics studies of gene-behavior relationships may provide an incomplete or even inaccurate assessment of gene function. In this review, we highlight RNA interference as an especially effective experimental method to deepen our understanding of the interplay between genes, behavior, and the environment. We highlight the utility of RNAi for researchers investigating behavioral genetics, noting unique attributes of RNAi including transience of effect and the feasibility of releasing treated animals into the wild, that make it especially useful for studying the function of behavior-related genes. Furthermore, we provide guidelines for planning and executing an RNAi experiment to study behavior, including challenges to consider. We urge behavioral ecologists and functional genomicists to adopt a more fully integrated approach which we call "ethological genomics". We advocate this approach, utilizing tools such as RNAi, to study gene-behavior relationships in their natural context, arguing that such studies can provide a deeper understanding of how genes can influence behavior, as well as ecological aspects beyond the organism that houses them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Walton
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
| | - Michael J Sheehan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Cunningham CB. Functional genomics of parental care of insects. Horm Behav 2020; 122:104756. [PMID: 32353447 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Parental care was likely the first step most lineages made towards sociality. However, the molecular mechanisms that generate parental care are not broadly characterized. Insects are important as an evolutionary independent group from classic models of parental care, such as, house mice. They provide an opportunity to test the generality of our understanding. With this review, I survey the functional genomics of parental care of insects, summarize several recent advances in the broader framework for studying and understanding parental care, and finish with suggested priorities for further research. Although there are too few studies to draw definitive conclusions, I argue that natural selection appears to be rewiring existing gene networks to produce parental care, that the epigenetic mechanisms influencing parental care are not well understood, and, as an interesting early consensus, that genes strongly associated with carer/offspring interactions appear biased towards proteins that are secreted. I summarize the studies that have functionally validate candidate genes and highlight the increasing need to perform this work. I finish with arguments for both conceptual and practical changes moving forward. I argue that future work can increase the use of predictive frameworks, broaden its definition of conservation of mechanism to gene networks rather than single genes, and increase the use of more established comparative methods. I further highlight the practical considerations of standardizing analyses and reporting, increasing the sampling of both carers and offspring, better characterizing gene regulatory networks, better characterizing taxonomically restricted genes and any consistent role they have underpinning parental care, and using factorial designs to disentangle the influence of multiple variables on the expression of parental care.
Collapse
|
9
|
Benowitz KM, McKinney EC, Cunningham CB, Moore AJ. Predictable gene expression related to behavioral variation in parenting. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractDifferential gene expression has been associated with transitions between behavioral states for a wide variety of organisms and behaviors. Heterochrony, genetic toolkits, and predictable pathways underlying behavioral transitions have been hypothesized to explain the relationship between transcription and behavioral changes. Less studied is how variation in transcription is related to variation within a behavior, and if the genes that are associated with this variation are predictable. Here, we adopt an evolutionary systems biology perspective to address 2 hypotheses relating differential expression to changes within and between behavior. We predicted fewer genes will be associated with variation within a behavior than with transitions between states, and the genes underlying variation within a behavior will represent a narrower set of biological functions. We tested for associations with parenting variation within a state with a set of genes known a priori to be differentially expressed (DE) between parenting states in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. As predicted, we found that far fewer genes are DE related to variation within parenting. Moreover, these were not randomly distributed among categories or pathways in the gene set we tested and primarily involved genes associated with neurotransmission. We suggest that this means candidate genes will be easier to identify for associations within a behavior, as descriptions of behavioral state may include more than a single phenotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Benowitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Forbes, Tucson, USA
| | | | | | - Allen J Moore
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Kasper C, Hebert FO, Aubin-Horth N, Taborsky B. Divergent brain gene expression profiles between alternative behavioural helper types in a cooperative breeder. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:4136-4151. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Kasper
- Behavioural Ecology; University of Bern; Hinterkappelen Switzerland
| | - Francois Olivier Hebert
- Département de Biologie et Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes; Université Laval; Québec Québec Canada
| | - Nadia Aubin-Horth
- Département de Biologie et Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes; Université Laval; Québec Québec Canada
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology; University of Bern; Hinterkappelen Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
San-Jose LM, Roulin A. Toward Understanding the Repeated Occurrence of Associations between Melanin-Based Coloration and Multiple Phenotypes. Am Nat 2018; 192:111-130. [PMID: 30016163 DOI: 10.1086/698010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Melanin is the most widespread pigment in organisms. Melanin-based coloration has been repeatedly observed to be associated with the same traits and in the same direction in different vertebrate and insect species. However, whether any factors that are common to different taxa account for the repeated evolution of melanin-phenotype associations remains unclear. We propose to approach this question from the perspective of convergent and parallel evolution to clarify to what extent different species have evolved the same associations owing to a shared genetic basis and being subjected to similar selective pressures. Our current understanding of the genetic basis of melanin-phenotype associations allows for both convergent and parallel evolution, but this understanding is still limited. Further research is needed to clarify the generality and interdependencies of the different proposed mechanisms (supergenes, pleiotropy based on hormones, or neural crest cells). The general ecological scenarios whereby melanin-based coloration is under selection-protection from ultraviolet radiation, thermoregulation in cold environments, or as a signal of social status-offer a good opportunity to study how melanin-phenotype associations evolve. Reviewing these scenarios shows that some traits associated with melanin-based coloration might be selected together with coloration by also favoring adaptation but that other associated traits might impede adaptation, which may be indicative of genetic constraints. We therefore encourage further research on the relative roles that selection and genetic constraints play in shaping multiple melanin-phenotype associations. Placed into a phylogenetic context, this will help clarify to what extent these associations result from convergent or parallel evolutionary processes and why melanin-phenotype associations are so common across the tree of life.
Collapse
|
12
|
Genomic tools for behavioural ecologists to understand repeatable individual differences in behaviour. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:944-955. [PMID: 29434349 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0411-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Behaviour is a key interface between an animal's genome and its environment. Repeatable individual differences in behaviour have been extensively documented in animals, but the molecular underpinnings of behavioural variation among individuals within natural populations remain largely unknown. Here, we offer a critical review of when molecular techniques may yield new insights, and we provide specific guidance on how and whether the latest tools available are appropriate given different resources, system and organismal constraints, and experimental designs. Integrating molecular genetic techniques with other strategies to study the proximal causes of behaviour provides opportunities to expand rapidly into new avenues of exploration. Such endeavours will enable us to better understand how repeatable individual differences in behaviour have evolved, how they are expressed and how they can be maintained within natural populations of animals.
Collapse
|
13
|
Rittschof CC, Hughes KA. Advancing behavioural genomics by considering timescale. Nat Commun 2018; 9:489. [PMID: 29434301 PMCID: PMC5809431 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-02971-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behavioural traits often covary with gene expression, pointing towards a genomic constraint on organismal responses to environmental cues. This pattern highlights a gap in our understanding of the time course of environmentally responsive gene expression, and moreover, how these dynamics are regulated. Advances in behavioural genomics explore how gene expression dynamics are correlated with behavioural traits that range from stable to highly labile. We consider the idea that certain genomic regulatory mechanisms may predict the timescale of an environmental effect on behaviour. This temporally minded approach could inform both organismal and evolutionary questions ranging from the remediation of early life social trauma to understanding the evolution of trait plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
| | - Kimberly A Hughes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
The Reproductive Ecology of Industrial Societies, Part I : Why Measuring Fertility Matters. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2017; 27:422-444. [PMID: 27670436 PMCID: PMC5107203 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-016-9269-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Is fertility relevant to evolutionary analyses conducted in modern industrial societies? This question has been the subject of a highly contentious debate, beginning in the late 1980s and continuing to this day. Researchers in both evolutionary and social sciences have argued that the measurement of fitness-related traits (e.g., fertility) offers little insight into evolutionary processes, on the grounds that modern industrial environments differ so greatly from those of our ancestral past that our behavior can no longer be expected to be adaptive. In contrast, we argue that fertility measurements in industrial society are essential for a complete evolutionary analysis: in particular, such data can provide evidence for any putative adaptive mismatch between ancestral environments and those of the present day, and they can provide insight into the selection pressures currently operating on contemporary populations. Having made this positive case, we then go on to discuss some challenges of fertility-related analyses among industrialized populations, particularly those that involve large-scale databases. These include “researcher degrees of freedom” (i.e., the choices made about which variables to analyze and how) and the different biases that may exist in such data. Despite these concerns, large datasets from multiple populations represent an excellent opportunity to test evolutionary hypotheses in great detail, enriching the evolutionary understanding of human behavior.
Collapse
|
15
|
Rittschof CC. Sequential social experiences interact to modulate aggression but not brain gene expression in the honey bee ( Apis mellifera). Front Zool 2017; 14:16. [PMID: 28270855 PMCID: PMC5335736 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0199-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In highly structured societies, individuals behave flexibly and cooperatively in order to achieve a particular group-level outcome. However, even in social species, environmental inputs can have long lasting effects on individual behavior, and variable experiences can even result in consistent individual differences and constrained behavioral flexibility. Despite the fact that such constraints on behavior could have implications for behavioral optimization at the social group level, few studies have explored how social experiences accumulate over time, and the mechanistic basis of these effects. In the current study, I evaluate how sequential social experiences affect individual and group level aggressive phenotypes, and individual brain gene expression, in the highly social honey bee (Apis mellifera). To do this, I combine a whole colony chronic predator disturbance treatment with a lab-based manipulation of social group composition. RESULTS Compared to the undisturbed control, chronically disturbed individuals show lower aggression levels overall, but also enhanced behavioral flexibility in the second, lab-based social context. Disturbed bees display aggression levels that decline with increasing numbers of more aggressive, undisturbed group members. However, group level aggressive phenotypes are similar regardless of the behavioral tendencies of the individuals that make up the group, suggesting a combination of underlying behavioral tendency and negative social feedback influences the aggressive behaviors displayed, particularly in the case of disturbed individuals. An analysis of brain gene expression showed that aggression related biomarker genes reflect an individual's disturbance history, but not subsequent social group experience or behavioral outcomes. CONCLUSIONS In highly social animals with collective behavioral phenotypes, social context may mask underlying variation in individual behavioral tendencies. Moreover, gene expression patterns may reflect behavioral tendency, while behavioral outcomes are further regulated by social cues perceived in real-time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Ag. Science Center North, Lexington, KY 40546 USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Kudo A, Shigenobu S, Kadota K, Nozawa M, Shibata TF, Ishikawa Y, Matsuo T. Comparative analysis of the brain transcriptome in a hyper-aggressive fruit fly, Drosophila prolongata. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 82:11-20. [PMID: 28115271 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is observed in many animals, but its intensity differs between species. In a model animal of genetics, Drosophila melanogaster, genetic basis of aggressive behavior has been studied intensively, including transcriptome analyses to identify genes whose expression level was associated with intra-species variation in aggressiveness. However, whether these genes are also involved in the evolution of aggressiveness among different species has not been examined. In this study, we performed de novo transcriptome analysis in the brain of Drosophila prolongata to identify genes associated with the evolution of aggressiveness. Males of D. prolongata were hyper-aggressive compared with closely related species. Comparison of the brain transcriptomes identified 21 differentially expressed genes in males of D. prolongata. They did not overlap with the list of aggression-related genes identified in D. melanogaster, suggesting that genes involved in the evolution of aggressiveness were independent of those associated with the intra-species variation in aggressiveness in Drosophila. Although females of D. prolongata were not aggressive as the males, expression levels of the 21 genes identified in this study were more similar between sexes than between species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayumi Kudo
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, Faculty of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Koji Kadota
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Yukio Ishikawa
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsuo
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kershaw F, Carvalho I, Loo J, Pomilla C, Best PB, Findlay KP, Cerchio S, Collins T, Engel MH, Minton G, Ersts P, Barendse J, Kotze PGH, Razafindrakoto Y, Ngouessono S, Meÿer M, Thornton M, Rosenbaum HC. Multiple processes drive genetic structure of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) populations across spatial scales. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:977-994. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Francine Kershaw
- Columbia University; 116th Street and Broadway New York NY 10027 USA
| | - Inês Carvalho
- Population and Conservation Genetics Group; Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência; Rua da Quinta Grande, 6 2780-156 Oeiras Portugal
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM); Universidade de Aveiro; Campus Universitário de Santiago 3810-193 Aveiro Portugal
| | - Jacqueline Loo
- Department of Biology; New York University; 100 Washington Square New York NY 10012 USA
| | - Cristina Pomilla
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; Wellcome Trust Genome Campus Hinxton Cambridge CB10 1SA UK
| | - Peter B. Best
- Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; c/o Iziko South African Museum, P.O. Box 61 Cape Town 8000 South Africa
| | - Ken P. Findlay
- Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; c/o Iziko South African Museum, P.O. Box 61 Cape Town 8000 South Africa
| | - Salvatore Cerchio
- Wildlife Conservation Society; Ocean Giants Program; 2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx NY 10460-1099 USA
| | - Tim Collins
- Wildlife Conservation Society; Ocean Giants Program; 2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx NY 10460-1099 USA
- Environment Society of Oman; P.O. Box 3955 PC 112 Ruwi Sultanate of Oman
| | - Marcia H. Engel
- Humpback Whale Project/Humpback Whale Institute; Rua Barão do Rio Branco, 125 Caravelas Bahia Brazil
| | - Gianna Minton
- Environment Society of Oman; P.O. Box 3955 PC 112 Ruwi Sultanate of Oman
| | - Peter Ersts
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation; American Museum of Natural History; Central Park West at 79th Street New York NY 10024 USA
| | - Jaco Barendse
- Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; c/o Iziko South African Museum, P.O. Box 61 Cape Town 8000 South Africa
| | - P. G. H. Kotze
- Department of Environmental Affairs; Branch Oceans and Coasts; Private Bag x2, Roggebaai 8012 Cape Town South Africa
| | - Yvette Razafindrakoto
- Wildlife Conservation Society-Madagascar Program; 2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx NY 10460-1099 USA
| | - Solange Ngouessono
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux; Batterie 4 BP 20379 Libreville Gabon
| | - Michael Meÿer
- Department of Environmental Affairs; Branch Oceans and Coasts; Private Bag x2, Roggebaai 8012 Cape Town South Africa
| | - Meredith Thornton
- Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; c/o Iziko South African Museum, P.O. Box 61 Cape Town 8000 South Africa
| | - Howard C. Rosenbaum
- Wildlife Conservation Society; Ocean Giants Program; 2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx NY 10460-1099 USA
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics; American Museum of Natural History; Central Park West at 79th Street New York NY 10024 USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Bybee S, Córdoba-Aguilar A, Duryea MC, Futahashi R, Hansson B, Lorenzo-Carballa MO, Schilder R, Stoks R, Suvorov A, Svensson EI, Swaegers J, Takahashi Y, Watts PC, Wellenreuther M. Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) as a bridge between ecology and evolutionary genomics. Front Zool 2016; 13:46. [PMID: 27766110 PMCID: PMC5057408 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0176-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) present an unparalleled insect model to integrate evolutionary genomics with ecology for the study of insect evolution. Key features of Odonata include their ancient phylogenetic position, extensive phenotypic and ecological diversity, several unique evolutionary innovations, ease of study in the wild and usefulness as bioindicators for freshwater ecosystems worldwide. In this review, we synthesize studies on the evolution, ecology and physiology of odonates, highlighting those areas where the integration of ecology with genomics would yield significant insights into the evolutionary processes that would not be gained easily by working on other animal groups. We argue that the unique features of this group combined with their complex life cycle, flight behaviour, diversity in ecological niches and their sensitivity to anthropogenic change make odonates a promising and fruitful taxon for genomics focused research. Future areas of research that deserve increased attention are also briefly outlined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seth Bybee
- Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84606 USA
| | - Alex Córdoba-Aguilar
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo, Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - M. Catherine Duryea
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ryo Futahashi
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 6, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566 Japan
| | - Bengt Hansson
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - M. Olalla Lorenzo-Carballa
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB UK
| | - Ruud Schilder
- Departments of Entomology and Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Robby Stoks
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anton Suvorov
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, LSB 4102, Provo, UT 84602 USA
| | - Erik I. Svensson
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Janne Swaegers
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Department of Biology, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yuma Takahashi
- Division of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578 Japan
| | | | - Maren Wellenreuther
- Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Plant and Food Research Limited, Nelson, 7010 New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
Many exciting studies have begun to elucidate the genetics of the morphological and physiological diversity of ants, but as yet few studies have investigated the genetics of ant behavior directly. Ant genomes are marked by extreme rates of gene turnover, especially in gene families related to olfactory communication, such as the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons and the perception of environmental semiochemicals. Transcriptomic and epigenetic differences are apparent between reproductive and sterile females, males and females, and workers that differ in body size. Quantitative genetic approaches suggest heritability of task performance, and population genetic studies indicate a genetic association with reproductive status in some species. Gene expression is associated with behavior including foraging, response to queens attempting to join a colony, circadian patterns of task performance, and age-related changes of task. Ant behavioral genetics needs further investigation of the feedback between individual-level physiological changes and socially mediated responses to environmental conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D A Friedman
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5020;
| | - D M Gordon
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5020;
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
|
21
|
Canestrelli D, Bisconti R, Carere C. Bolder Takes All? The Behavioral Dimension of Biogeography. Trends Ecol Evol 2015; 31:35-43. [PMID: 26688444 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Animal personality can be seen as behavioral polymorphism that could play a direct and active role in driving evolutionary pathways. We argue here that consistent individual differences in key personality traits affecting dispersal and other density-dependent processes have provided substantial contributions to molding biogeographic patterns. Building upon opportunities recently opened by genomics and other novel approaches, we explore the hypothesis that Pleistocene range expansions, island colonizations, and other historical biogeographic processes could have been promoted by non-random samples of behavioral types of the founder populations. We provide context and testable hypotheses, based on case studies, that could bring new implications to our understanding of the processes shaping spatial and temporal patterns of variation in animal biodiversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Canestrelli
- Department of Ecological and Biological Science, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Roberta Bisconti
- Department of Ecological and Biological Science, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Claudio Carere
- Department of Ecological and Biological Science, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, University of Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Alonzo SH. Integrating the how and why of within-individual and among-individual variation and plasticity in behavior. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
23
|
|
24
|
|
25
|
|
26
|
McNeil AR, Jolley SN, Akinleye AA, Nurilov M, Rouzyi Z, Milunovich AJ, Chambers MC, Simon AF. Conditions Affecting Social Space in Drosophila melanogaster. J Vis Exp 2015:e53242. [PMID: 26575105 PMCID: PMC4692698 DOI: 10.3791/53242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The social space assay described here can be used to quantify social interactions of Drosophila melanogaster - or other small insects - in a straightforward manner. As we previously demonstrated (1), in a two-dimensional chamber, we first force the flies to form a tight group, subsequently allowing them to take their preferred distance from each other. After the flies have settled, we measure the distance to the closest neighbor (or social space), processing a static picture with free online software (ImageJ). The analysis of the distance to the closest neighbor allows researchers to determine the effects of genetic and environmental factors on social interaction, while controlling for potential confounding factors. Diverse factors such as climbing ability, time of day, sex, and number of flies, can modify social spacing of flies. We thus propose a series of experimental controls to mitigate these confounding effects. This assay can be used for at least two purposes. First, researchers can determine how their favorite environmental shift (such as isolation, temperature, stress or toxins) will impact social spacing (1,2). Second, researchers can dissect the genetic and neural underpinnings of this basic form of social behavior (1,3). Specifically, we used it as a diagnostic tool to study the role of orthologous genes thought to be involved in social behavior in other organisms, such as candidate genes for autism in humans (4).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sam N Jolley
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Anne F Simon
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario;
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Transcriptomes of parents identify parenting strategies and sexual conflict in a subsocial beetle. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8449. [PMID: 26416581 PMCID: PMC4598741 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Parenting in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides is complex and, unusually, the sex and number of parents that can be present is flexible. Such flexibility is expected to involve specialized behaviour by the two sexes under biparental conditions. Here, we show that offspring fare equally well regardless of the sex or number of parents present. Comparing transcriptomes, we find a largely overlapping set of differentially expressed genes in both uniparental and biparental females and in uniparental males including vitellogenin, associated with reproduction, and takeout, influencing sex-specific mating and feeding behaviour. Gene expression in biparental males is similar to that in non-caring states. Thus, being ‘biparental’ in N. vespilloides describes the family social organization rather than the number of directly parenting individuals. There was no specialization; instead, in biparental families, direct male parental care appears to be limited with female behaviour unchanged. This should lead to strong sexual conflict. The burying beetle shows flexible parenting behaviour. Here, the authors show that offspring fare equally well regardless of the sex or number of parents present and find similar gene expression profiles in uniparental and biparental females and in uniparental males, which suggests no specialization in parenting.
Collapse
|
28
|
Wilkinson GS, Breden F, Mank JE, Ritchie MG, Higginson AD, Radwan J, Jaquiery J, Salzburger W, Arriero E, Barribeau SM, Phillips PC, Renn SCP, Rowe L. The locus of sexual selection: moving sexual selection studies into the post-genomics era. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:739-55. [PMID: 25789690 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection drives fundamental evolutionary processes such as trait elaboration and speciation. Despite this importance, there are surprisingly few examples of genes unequivocally responsible for variation in sexually selected phenotypes. This lack of information inhibits our ability to predict phenotypic change due to universal behaviours, such as fighting over mates and mate choice. Here, we discuss reasons for this apparent gap and provide recommendations for how it can be overcome by adopting contemporary genomic methods, exploiting underutilized taxa that may be ideal for detecting the effects of sexual selection and adopting appropriate experimental paradigms. Identifying genes that determine variation in sexually selected traits has the potential to improve theoretical models and reveal whether the genetic changes underlying phenotypic novelty utilize common or unique molecular mechanisms. Such a genomic approach to sexual selection will help answer questions in the evolution of sexually selected phenotypes that were first asked by Darwin and can furthermore serve as a model for the application of genomics in all areas of evolutionary biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G S Wilkinson
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Hofmann HA, Beery AK, Blumstein DT, Couzin ID, Earley RL, Hayes LD, Hurd PL, Lacey EA, Phelps SM, Solomon NG, Taborsky M, Young LJ, Rubenstein DR. An evolutionary framework for studying mechanisms of social behavior. Trends Ecol Evol 2014; 29:581-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2013] [Revised: 07/13/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
30
|
|