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Kuroda KO, Fukumitsu K, Kurachi T, Ohmura N, Shiraishi Y, Yoshihara C. Parental brain through time: The origin and development of the neural circuit of mammalian parenting. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1534:24-44. [PMID: 38426943 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
This review consolidates current knowledge on mammalian parental care, focusing on its neural mechanisms, evolutionary origins, and derivatives. Neurobiological studies have identified specific neurons in the medial preoptic area as crucial for parental care. Unexpectedly, these neurons are characterized by the expression of molecules signaling satiety, such as calcitonin receptor and BRS3, and overlap with neurons involved in the reproductive behaviors of males but not females. A synthesis of comparative ecology and paleontology suggests an evolutionary scenario for mammalian parental care, possibly stemming from male-biased guarding of offspring in basal vertebrates. The terrestrial transition of tetrapods led to prolonged egg retention in females and the emergence of amniotes, skewing care toward females. The nocturnal adaptation of Mesozoic mammalian ancestors reinforced maternal care for lactation and thermal regulation via endothermy, potentially introducing metabolic gate control in parenting neurons. The established maternal care may have served as the precursor for paternal and cooperative care in mammals and also fostered the development of group living, which may have further contributed to the emergence of empathy and altruism. These evolution-informed working hypotheses require empirical validation, yet they offer promising avenues to investigate the neural underpinnings of mammalian social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi O Kuroda
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kansai Fukumitsu
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Takuma Kurachi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nami Ohmura
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Center for Brain, Mind and Kansei Sciences Research, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuko Shiraishi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshihara
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
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2
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Sullivan LF, Barker MS, Felix PC, Vuong RQ, White BH. Neuromodulation and the toolkit for behavioural evolution: can ecdysis shed light on an old problem? FEBS J 2024; 291:1049-1079. [PMID: 36223183 PMCID: PMC10166064 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The geneticist Thomas Dobzhansky famously declared: 'Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution'. A key evolutionary adaptation of Metazoa is directed movement, which has been elaborated into a spectacularly varied number of behaviours in animal clades. The mechanisms by which animal behaviours have evolved, however, remain unresolved. This is due, in part, to the indirect control of behaviour by the genome, which provides the components for both building and operating the brain circuits that generate behaviour. These brain circuits are adapted to respond flexibly to environmental contingencies and physiological needs and can change as a function of experience. The resulting plasticity of behavioural expression makes it difficult to characterize homologous elements of behaviour and to track their evolution. Here, we evaluate progress in identifying the genetic substrates of behavioural evolution and suggest that examining adaptive changes in neuromodulatory signalling may be a particularly productive focus for future studies. We propose that the behavioural sequences used by ecdysozoans to moult are an attractive model for studying the role of neuromodulation in behavioural evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F Sullivan
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Matthew S Barker
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Princess C Felix
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Richard Q Vuong
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin H White
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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3
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Alvarez-Buylla A, Fischer MT, Moya Garzon MD, Rangel AE, Tapia EE, Tanzo JT, Soh HT, Coloma LA, Long JZ, O'Connell LA. Binding and sequestration of poison frog alkaloids by a plasma globulin. eLife 2023; 12:e85096. [PMID: 38206862 PMCID: PMC10783871 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Alkaloids are important bioactive molecules throughout the natural world, and in many animals they serve as a source of chemical defense against predation. Dendrobatid poison frogs bioaccumulate alkaloids from their diet to make themselves toxic or unpalatable to predators. Despite the proposed roles of plasma proteins as mediators of alkaloid trafficking and bioavailability, the responsible proteins have not been identified. We use chemical approaches to show that a ~50 kDa plasma protein is the principal alkaloid-binding molecule in blood of poison frogs. Proteomic and biochemical studies establish this plasma protein to be a liver-derived alkaloid-binding globulin (ABG) that is a member of the serine-protease inhibitor (serpin) family. In addition to alkaloid-binding activity, ABG sequesters and regulates the bioavailability of 'free' plasma alkaloids in vitro. Unexpectedly, ABG is not related to saxiphilin, albumin, or other known vitamin carriers, but instead exhibits sequence and structural homology to mammalian hormone carriers and amphibian biliverdin-binding proteins. ABG represents a new small molecule binding functionality in serpin proteins, a novel mechanism of plasma alkaloid transport in poison frogs, and more broadly points toward serpins acting as tunable scaffolds for small molecule binding and transport across different organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maria Dolores Moya Garzon
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Wu Tsai Institute for Neuroscience, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Pathology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Alexandra E Rangel
- Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Elicio E Tapia
- Department of Radiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Julia T Tanzo
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Wu Tsai Institute for Neuroscience, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - H Tom Soh
- Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Center for Taxonomy and Morphology, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity ChangeHamburgGermany
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | | | - Jonathan Z Long
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Wu Tsai Institute for Neuroscience, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Pathology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación JambatuSan RafaelEcuador
| | - Lauren A O'Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Wu Tsai Institute for Neuroscience, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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4
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Ringler E, Rojas B, Stynoski JL, Schulte LM. What Amphibians Can Teach Us About the Evolution of Parental Care. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2023; 54:43-62. [PMID: 38989250 PMCID: PMC7616154 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102221-050519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Parenting is considered a key evolutionary innovation that contributed to the diversification and expansion of vertebrates. However, we know little about how such diversity evolved. Amphibians are an ideal group in which to identify the ecological factors that have facilitated or constrained the evolution of different forms of parental care. Among, but also within, the three amphibian orders-Anura, Caudata, and Gymnophiona-there is a high level of variation in habitat use, fertilization mode, mating systems, and parental sex roles. Recent work using broad phylogenetic, experimental, and physiological approaches has helped to uncover the factors that have selected for the evolution of care and transitions between different forms of parenting. Here, we highlight the exceptional diversity of amphibian parental care, emphasize the unique opportunities this group offers for addressing key questions about the evolution of parenting, and give insights into promising novel directions of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Ringler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | - Lisa M Schulte
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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5
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Fischer EK. Form, function, foam: evolutionary ecology of anuran nests and nesting behaviour. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220141. [PMID: 37427468 PMCID: PMC10331914 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibians exhibit an incredible diversity of reproductive and life-history strategies, including various forms of nest construction and nesting behaviour. Although anuran amphibians (frogs and toads) are not known for their nests, nesting behaviour in this clade-broadly defined as a location chosen or constructed for eggs and young-is tightly linked to the amphibious lifestyle of this group. Transitions to increasingly terrestrial living have driven reproductive diversity in anurans, including the repeated, independent evolution of nests and nesting. Indeed, a core feature of many notable anuran adaptations-including nesting behaviour-is the maintenance of an aquatic environment for developing offspring. The tight link between increasingly terrestrial reproduction and morphological, physiological and behavioural diversity in anurans provides inroads for studying the evolutionary ecology of nests, their architects and their contents. This review provides an overview of nests and nesting behaviour in anurans, highlighting areas where additional work may be particularly fruitful. I take an intentionally broad view of what constitutes nesting to highlight what we can learn from thinking and researching comparatively across anurans and vertebrates more broadly. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K. Fischer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
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6
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Brooks OL, James JJ, Saporito RA. Maternal chemical defenses predict offspring defenses in a dendrobatid poison frog. Oecologia 2023; 201:385-396. [PMID: 36637523 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05314-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Within and among populations, alkaloid defenses of the strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) vary spatially, temporally, and with life history stage. Natural variation in defense has been implicated as a critical factor in determining the level of protection afforded against predators and pathogens. Oophaga pumilio tadpoles sequester alkaloids from nutritive eggs and are, thus, entirely dependent on their mothers for their defense. However, it remains unclear how tadpole alkaloid composition relates to that of its mother and how variation in maternally provisioned defenses might result in varying levels of protection against predators. Here, we demonstrate that natural variation in the alkaloid composition of a mother frog is reflected as variation in her tadpole's alkaloid composition. Tadpoles, like mother frogs, varied in their alkaloid composition but always contained the identical alkaloids found in their mother. Alkaloid quantity in tadpoles was highly correlated with alkaloid quantity in their mothers. Additionally, alkaloid quantity was the best predictor of tadpole palatability, wherein tadpoles with higher alkaloid quantities were less palatable. Mother frogs with greater quantities of alkaloids are, thus, providing better protection for their offspring by provisioning chemical defenses during one of the most vulnerable periods of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia L Brooks
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61701, USA.,Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA
| | - Jessie J James
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, 44118, USA.
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7
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Maternal Provisioning of Alkaloid Defenses are Present in Obligate but not Facultative Egg Feeding Dendrobatids. J Chem Ecol 2022; 48:900-909. [PMID: 36564635 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-022-01394-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Poison frogs sequester alkaloid defenses from a diet of largely mites and ants. As a result, frogs are defended against certain predators and microbial infections. Frogs in the genus Oophaga exhibit complex maternal care, wherein mothers transport recently hatched tadpoles to nursery pools and return regularly to supply developing tadpoles with unfertilized (nutritive) eggs. Developing tadpoles are obligate egg feeders. Further, female O. pumilio and O. sylvatica maternally provision their nutritive eggs with alkaloid defenses, providing protection to their developing tadpoles at a vulnerable life-stage. In another genus of poison frog, Ranitomeya, tadpoles only receive and consume eggs facultatively, and it is currently unknown if mothers also provision these eggs (and thus their tadpoles) with alkaloid defenses. Here, we provide evidence that mother frogs of another species in the genus Oophaga (Oophaga granulifera) also provision alkaloid defenses to their tadpoles. We also provide evidence that Ranitomeya imitator and R. variabilis eggs and tadpoles do not contain alkaloids, suggesting that mother frogs in this genus do not provision alkaloid defenses to their offspring. Our findings suggest that among dendrobatid poison frogs, maternal provisioning of alkaloids may be restricted to the obligate egg-feeding members of Oophaga.
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8
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Roberts RJV, Pop S, Prieto-Godino LL. Evolution of central neural circuits: state of the art and perspectives. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:725-743. [DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00644-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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9
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Meta-analysis of tadpole taste tests: consumption of anuran prey across development and predator strategies. Oecologia 2022; 199:845-857. [PMID: 35857113 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05221-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The risk of predation and the costs and benefits of diverse anti-predator strategies can shift across the life stages of an organism. Yet, empirical examples of ontogenetic switches in defense mechanisms are scarce. Anurans represent an alleged exception; previous meta-analytic work suggests that unpalatability of developing anurans is "rare", whereas adult anurans in many lineages are well defended by toxic and/or unpalatable skin secretions. Here, we revisit the question of the unpalatability of anuran young in a meta-analysis of the relative proportion of prey consumed within 922 predation tests, including 135 anuran species. We tested the hypotheses that a predator's propensity to consume anuran young depends on (1) prey family, (2) predator manipulation strategy, and (3) prey ontogenetic stage. We used a binomial mixed model approach with considerations for multiple effect sizes within studies to evaluate the log odds ratio of the proportion of prey consumed by individual predators. Prey consumption was highly variable, but toads (Bufonidae) were consumed in lower proportions. Chewing invertebrates consumed more anuran prey than biting vertebrates. Late stage tadpoles were more vulnerable to predation than other stages of anuran ontogeny. However, more studies are needed to unravel the roles of development and evolutionary history in the chemical ecology of anuran young. This synthesis provides clear meta-analytic evidence that relative unpalatability is an important component in the anti-predator defenses of young in some anuran families, calling into question the degree to which chemically defended anuran families undergo ontogenetic switches in anti-predator strategies.
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10
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Jeckel AM, Bolton SK, Waters KR, Antoniazzi MM, Jared C, Matsumura K, Nishikawa K, Morimoto Y, Grant T, Saporito RA. Dose-dependent alkaloid sequestration and N-methylation of decahydroquinoline in poison frogs. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:537-546. [PMID: 35201668 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Sequestration of chemical defenses from dietary sources is dependent on the availability of compounds in the environment and the mechanism of sequestration. Previous experiments have shown that sequestration efficiency varies among alkaloids in poison frogs, but little is known about the underlying mechanism. The aim of this study was to quantify the extent to which alkaloid sequestration and modification are dependent on alkaloid availability and/or sequestration mechanism. To do this, we administered different doses of histrionicotoxin (HTX) 235A and decahydroquinoline (DHQ) to captive-bred Adelphobates galactonotus and measured alkaloid quantity in muscle, kidney, liver, and feces. HTX 235A and DHQ were detected in all organs, whereas only DHQ was present in trace amounts in feces. For both liver and skin, the quantity of alkaloid accumulated increased at higher doses for both alkaloids. Accumulation efficiency in the skin increased at higher doses for HTX 235A but remained constant for DHQ. In contrast, the efficiency of HTX 235A accumulation in the liver was inversely related to dose and a similar, albeit statistically nonsignificant, pattern was observed for DHQ. We identified and quantified the N-methylation of DHQ in A. galactonotus, which represents a previously unknown example of alkaloid modification in poison frogs. Our study suggests that variation in alkaloid composition among individuals and species can result from differences in sequestration efficiency related to the type and amount of alkaloids available in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana M Jeckel
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sarah K Bolton
- Department of Biology, Notre Dame College, South Euclid, Ohio, USA
| | - Katherine R Waters
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
| | - Marta M Antoniazzi
- Structural Biology Lab, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Jared
- Structural Biology Lab, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Kunihiro Matsumura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Keisuke Nishikawa
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Morimoto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Taran Grant
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ralph A Saporito
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
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Alvarez-Buylla A, Payne CY, Vidoudez C, Trauger SA, O’Connell LA. Molecular physiology of pumiliotoxin sequestration in a poison frog. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264540. [PMID: 35275922 PMCID: PMC8916643 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Poison frogs bioaccumulate alkaloids for chemical defense from their arthropod diet. Although many alkaloids are accumulated without modification, some poison frog species can metabolize pumiliotoxin (PTX 251D) into the more potent allopumiliotoxin (aPTX 267A). Despite extensive research characterizing the chemical arsenal of poison frogs, the physiological mechanisms involved in the sequestration and metabolism of individual alkaloids remain unclear. We first performed a feeding experiment with the Dyeing poison frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) to ask if this species can metabolize PTX 251D into aPTX 267A and what gene expression changes are associated with PTX 251D exposure in the intestines, liver, and skin. We found that D. tinctorius can metabolize PTX 251D into aPTX 267A, and that PTX 251D exposure changed the expression level of genes involved in immune system function and small molecule metabolism and transport. To better understand the functional significance of these changes in gene expression, we then conducted a series of high-throughput screens to determine the molecular targets of PTX 251D and identify potential proteins responsible for metabolism of PTX 251D into aPTX 267A. Although screens of PTX 251D binding human voltage-gated ion channels and G-protein coupled receptors were inconclusive, we identified human CYP2D6 as a rapid metabolizer of PTX 251D in a cytochrome P450 screen. Furthermore, a CYP2D6-like gene had increased expression in the intestines of animals fed PTX, suggesting this protein may be involved in PTX metabolism. These results show that individual alkaloids can modify gene expression across tissues, including genes involved in alkaloid metabolism. More broadly, this work suggests that specific alkaloid classes in wild diets may induce physiological changes for targeted accumulation and metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Alvarez-Buylla
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Cheyenne Y. Payne
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Charles Vidoudez
- Harvard Center for Mass Spectrometry, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sunia A. Trauger
- Harvard Center for Mass Spectrometry, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lauren A. O’Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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12
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Barker AJ. Brains and speciation: Control of behavior. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:158-163. [PMID: 34847485 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
As organisms invade new ecological niches, new species are formed. Simultaneously, behavioral repertoires diverge to adapt to new environments and reproductive partners. Such behavioral modifications require changes in underlying neural circuitry and thus speciation events provide a unique advantage for studying brain evolution: allowing for direct comparisons between homologous neural circuits with distinct functional outputs. Here, I will consider how speciation events can reveal common motifs within brain evolution focusing on recent research across a wide range of phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison J Barker
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Max-Planck-Institut fur Hirnforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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13
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Anderson NK, Gururaja KV, Mangiamele LA, Netoskie EC, Smith S, Fuxjager MJ, Preininger D. Insight into the Evolution of Anuran Foot Flag Displays: A Comparative Study of Color and Kinematics. ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1643/h2020160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nigel K. Anderson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912; (NKA) ; and (MJF) . Send reprint requests to NKA
| | - K. V. Gururaja
- Research and Development Center and Science Media Center, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Gubbi Labs, Bengaluru 560012, India;
| | - Lisa A. Mangiamele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts 01063; (LAM) ; and (SS)
| | - Erin C. Netoskie
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania 16652;
| | - Sarah Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts 01063; (LAM) ; and (SS)
| | - Matthew J. Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912; (NKA) ; and (MJF) . Send reprint requests to NKA
| | - Doris Preininger
- Vienna Zoo, 1130 Vienna, Austria; Department of Evolutionary Biology, University Vienna, Austria;
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14
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Ospina OE, Lemmon AR, Dye M, Zdyrski C, Holland S, Stribling D, Kortyna ML, Lemmon EM. Neurogenomic divergence during speciation by reinforcement of mating behaviors in chorus frogs (Pseudacris). BMC Genomics 2021; 22:711. [PMID: 34600496 PMCID: PMC8487493 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07995-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Species interactions can promote mating behavior divergence, particularly when these interactions are costly due to maladaptive hybridization. Selection against hybridization can indirectly cause evolution of reproductive isolation within species, a process termed cascade reinforcement. This process can drive incipient speciation by generating divergent selection pressures among populations that interact with different species assemblages. Theoretical and empirical studies indicate that divergent selection on gene expression networks has the potential to increase reproductive isolation among populations. After identifying candidate synaptic transmission genes derived from neurophysiological studies in anurans, we test for divergence of gene expression in a system undergoing cascade reinforcement, the Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum). RESULTS Our analyses identified seven candidate synaptic transmission genes that have diverged between ancestral and reinforced populations of P. feriarum, including five that encode synaptic vesicle proteins. Our gene correlation network analyses revealed four genetic modules that have diverged between these populations, two possessing a significant concentration of neurotransmission enrichment terms: one for synaptic membrane components and the other for metabolism of the neurotransmitter nitric oxide. We also ascertained that a greater number of genes have diverged in expression by geography than by sex. Moreover, we found that more genes have diverged within females as compared to males between populations. Conversely, we observed no difference in the number of differentially-expressed genes within the ancestral compared to the reinforced population between the sexes. CONCLUSIONS This work is consistent with the idea that divergent selection on mating behaviors via cascade reinforcement contributed to evolution of gene expression in P. feriarum. Although our study design does not allow us to fully rule out the influence of environment and demography, the fact that more genes diverged in females than males points to a role for cascade reinforcement. Our discoveries of divergent candidate genes and gene networks related to neurotransmission support the idea that neural mechanisms of acoustic mating behaviors have diverged between populations, and agree with previous neurophysiological studies in frogs. Increasing support for this hypothesis, however, will require additional experiments under common garden conditions. Our work points to the importance of future replicated and tissue-specific studies to elucidate the relative contribution of gene expression divergence to the evolution of reproductive isolation during incipient speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar E Ospina
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 1800 Christensen Drive, 50011, Ames, IA, USA
- Present address: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Moffitt Cancer Center, 13131 USF Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Alan R Lemmon
- Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, 400 Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Mysia Dye
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 1800 Christensen Drive, 50011, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Christopher Zdyrski
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 1800 Christensen Drive, 50011, Ames, IA, USA
- Present address: Genetics and Genomics Program, Iowa State University, 2437 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Sean Holland
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 1800 Christensen Drive, 50011, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Daniel Stribling
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 1800 Christensen Drive, 50011, Ames, IA, USA
- Present address: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Michelle L Kortyna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 1800 Christensen Drive, 50011, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Emily Moriarty Lemmon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 1800 Christensen Drive, 50011, Ames, IA, USA.
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15
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Iyer AA, Briggman KL. Amphibian behavioral diversity offers insights into evolutionary neurobiology. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:19-28. [PMID: 34481981 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have served to emphasize the unique placement of amphibians, composed of more than 8000 species, in the evolution of the brain. We provide an overview of the three amphibian orders and their respective ecologies, behaviors, and brain anatomy. Studies have probed the origins of independently evolved parental care strategies in frogs and the biophysical principles driving species-specific differences in courtship vocalization patterns. Amphibians are also important models for studying the central control of movement, especially in the context of the vertebrate origin of limb-based locomotion. By highlighting the versatility of amphibians, we hope to see a further adoption of anurans, urodeles, and gymnophionans as model systems for the evolution and neural basis of behavior across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya A Iyer
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (Caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kevin L Briggman
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (Caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn, Germany.
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16
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Traniello IM, Robinson GE. Neural and Molecular Mechanisms of Biological Embedding of Social Interactions. Annu Rev Neurosci 2021; 44:109-128. [PMID: 34236891 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-092820-012959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Animals operate in complex environments, and salient social information is encoded in the nervous system and then processed to initiate adaptive behavior. This encoding involves biological embedding, the process by which social experience affects the brain to influence future behavior. Biological embedding is an important conceptual framework for understanding social decision-making in the brain, as it encompasses multiple levels of organization that regulate how information is encoded and used to modify behavior. The framework we emphasize here is that social stimuli provoke short-term changes in neural activity that lead to changes in gene expression on longer timescales. This process, simplified-neurons are for today and genes are for tomorrow-enables the assessment of the valence of a social interaction, an appropriate and rapid response, and subsequent modification of neural circuitry to change future behavioral inclinations in anticipation of environmental changes. We review recent research on the neural and molecular basis of biological embedding in the context of social interactions, with a special focus on the honeybee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Traniello
- Neuroscience Program and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA;
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Neuroscience Program and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA; .,Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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17
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Barkan CL, Leininger EC, Zornik E. Everything in modulation: neuromodulators as keys to understanding communication dynamics. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:854-866. [PMID: 34038510 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, the ability to produce communication signals appropriate to social encounters is essential, but how these behaviors are selected and adjusted in a context-dependent manner is poorly understood. This question can be addressed on many levels, including sensory processing by peripheral organs and the CNS, sensorimotor integration in decision-making brain regions, and motor circuit activation and modulation. Because neuromodulator systems act at each of these levels, they are a useful lens through which to explore the mechanisms underlying complex patterns of communication. It has been clear for decades that understanding the logic of input-output decision making by the nervous system requires far more than simply identifying the connections linking sensory organs to motor circuits; this is due in part to the fact that neuromodulators can promote distinct and temporally dynamic responses to similar signals. We focus on the vocal circuit dynamics of Xenopus frogs, and describe complementary examples from diverse vertebrate communication systems. While much remains to be discovered about how neuromodulators direct flexibility in communication behaviors, these examples illustrate that several neuromodulators can act upon the same circuit at multiple levels of control, and that the functional consequence of neuromodulation can depend on species-specific factors as well as dynamic organismal characteristics like internal state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Erik Zornik
- Reed College, Biology Department, Portland, OR
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18
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Expanding evolutionary neuroscience: insights from comparing variation in behavior. Neuron 2021; 109:1084-1099. [PMID: 33609484 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Neuroscientists have long studied species with convenient biological features to discover how behavior emerges from conserved molecular, neural, and circuit level processes. With the advent of new tools, from viral vectors and gene editing to automated behavioral analyses, there has been a recent wave of interest in developing new, "nontraditional" model species. Here, we advocate for a complementary approach to model species development, that is, model clade development, as a way to integrate an evolutionary comparative approach with neurobiological and behavioral experiments. Capitalizing on natural behavioral variation in and investing in experimental tools for model clades will be a valuable strategy for the next generation of neuroscience discovery.
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19
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O'Connell LA. Frank Beach Award Winner: Lessons from poison frogs on ecological drivers of behavioral diversification. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104869. [PMID: 33039350 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Variation in natural behavior is tightly linked to the ecological resources with which they co-evolved. This review discusses poison frog behavior and neuroendocrinology to illustrate how ecological factors drive diversification of behavior and its underlying neural mechanisms. Poison frogs show tremendous diversity in reproductive strategies that are tightly linked to water resources in their environment. Different species utilize particular pool sizes to rear their offspring, which has selected for sex differences in parental behavior among poison frog species. Tadpole behavior reflects the behavioral diversity of adults, where tadpoles can display social group living or violent aggression and begging behavior, which are all associated with pool size and occupancy. Using this behavioral diversity among poison frog species, we have identified core brain regions, like the hippocampus and preoptic area, as being involved in regulating different aspects of amphibian parental behavior. In contrast to core brain regions, the neuromodulators governing these behaviors seem to be more labile across species. This work exemplifies how comparative studies are a prime experimental system to study how evolution tunes neural circuits that give rise to the diversity of behaviors we observe in the natural world. Finally, this review ends on a more important form of diversity - that of our scientific community - and how community outreach, decolonization of field based science, and inclusion of groups historically excluded from conducting research are needed for the scientific enterprise to transform into something truly beneficial for all members of our society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A O'Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States of America.
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20
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Termignoni-Garcia F, Louder MIM, Balakrishnan CN, O’Connell L, Edwards SV. Prospects for sociogenomics in avian cooperative breeding and parental care. Curr Zool 2020; 66:293-306. [PMID: 32440290 PMCID: PMC7233861 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
For the last 40 years, the study of cooperative breeding (CB) in birds has proceeded primarily in the context of discovering the ecological, geographical, and behavioral drivers of helping. The advent of molecular tools in the early 1990s assisted in clarifying the relatedness of helpers to those helped, in some cases, confirming predictions of kin selection theory. Methods for genome-wide analysis of sequence variation, gene expression, and epigenetics promise to add new dimensions to our understanding of avian CB, primarily in the area of molecular and developmental correlates of delayed breeding and dispersal, as well as the ontogeny of achieving parental status in nature. Here, we outline key ways in which modern -omics approaches, in particular genome sequencing, transcriptomics, and epigenetic profiling such as ATAC-seq, can be used to add a new level of analysis of avian CB. Building on recent and ongoing studies of avian social behavior and sociogenomics, we review how high-throughput sequencing of a focal species or clade can provide a robust foundation for downstream, context-dependent destructive and non-destructive sampling of specific tissues or physiological states in the field for analysis of gene expression and epigenetics. -Omics approaches have the potential to inform not only studies of the diversification of CB over evolutionary time, but real-time analyses of behavioral interactions in the field or lab. Sociogenomics of birds represents a new branch in the network of methods used to study CB, and can help clarify ways in which the different levels of analysis of CB ultimately interact in novel and unexpected ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Termignoni-Garcia
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Matthew I M Louder
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | | | - Lauren O’Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Scott V Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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21
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Baran NM, Streelman JT. Ecotype differences in aggression, neural activity and behaviorally relevant gene expression in cichlid fish. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 19:e12657. [PMID: 32323443 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In Lake Malawi, two ecologically distinct lineages of cichlid fishes (rock- vs sand-dwelling ecotypes, each comprised of over 200 species) evolved within the last million years. The rock-dwelling species (Mbuna) are aggressively territorial year-round and males court and spawn with females over rocky substrate. In contrast, males of sand-dwelling species are not territorial and instead aggregate on seasonal breeding leks in which males construct courtship "bowers" in the sand. However, little is known about how phenotypic variation in aggression is produced by the genome. In this study, we first quantify and compare behavior in seven cichlid species, demonstrating substantial ecotype and species differences in unconditioned mirror-elicited aggression. Second, we compare neural activity in mirror-elicited aggression in two representative species, Mchenga conophoros (sand-dwelling) and Petrotilapia chitimba (rock-dwelling). Finally, we compare gene expression patterns between these two species, specifically within neurons activated during mirror aggression. We identified a large number of genes showing differential expression in mirror-elicited aggression, as well as many genes that differ between ecotypes. These genes, which may underly species differences in behavior, include several neuropeptides, genes involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones and neurotransmitter activity. This work lays the foundation for future experiments using this emerging genetic model system to investigate the genomic basis of evolved species differences in both brain and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Baran
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - J Todd Streelman
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,The Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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22
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Moskowitz NA, Dorritie B, Fay T, Nieves OC, Vidoudez C, 2017 Biology Class CRL, 2017 Biotechnology Class M, Fischer EK, Trauger SA, Coloma LA, Donoso DA, O’Connell LA. Land use impacts poison frog chemical defenses through changes in leaf litter ant communities. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2020.1744957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tammy Fay
- Masconomet Regional High School, Boxford, MA USA
| | | | - Charles Vidoudez
- Small Molecule Mass Spectrometry Facility, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Eva K. Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sunia A. Trauger
- Small Molecule Mass Spectrometry Facility, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Luis A. Coloma
- Centro Jambatu De Investigación Y Conservación De Anfibios, Fundación Jambatu, San Rafael, Quito, Ecuador
| | - David A. Donoso
- Departamento De Biología, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
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23
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Abstract
Neuroscience has a long, rich history in embracing unusual animals for research. Over the past several decades, there has been a technology-driven bottleneck in the species used for neuroscience research. However, an oncoming wave of technologies applicable to many animals hold promise for enabling researchers to address challenging scientific questions that cannot be solved using traditional laboratory animals. Here, we discuss how leveraging the convergent evolution of physiological or behavioral phenotypes can empower research mapping genotype to phenotype interactions. We present two case studies using electric fish and poison frogs and discuss how comparative work can teach us about evolutionary constraint and flexibility at various levels of biological organization. We also offer advice on the potential and pitfalls of establishing novel model systems in neuroscience research. Finally, we end with a discussion on the use of charismatic animals in neuroscience research and their utility in public outreach. Overall, we argue that convergent evolution frameworks can help identify generalizable principles of neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Gallant
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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