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Kravchenko LB. Influence of Social Conditions on Humoral Adaptive Immunity in Bank (Clethrionomys glareolus) and Gray-Sided (Clethrionomys rufocanus) Voles: An Experimental Study. BIOL BULL+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359021090120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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2
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Harrison LM, Noble DWA, Jennions MD. A meta-analysis of sex differences in animal personality: no evidence for the greater male variability hypothesis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:679-707. [PMID: 34908228 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The notion that men are more variable than women has become embedded into scientific thinking. For mental traits like personality, greater male variability has been partly attributed to biology, underpinned by claims that there is generally greater variation among males than females in non-human animals due to stronger sexual selection on males. However, evidence for greater male variability is limited to morphological traits, and there is little information regarding sex differences in personality-like behaviours for non-human animals. Here, we meta-analysed sex differences in means and variances for over 2100 effects (204 studies) from 220 species (covering five broad taxonomic groups) across five personality traits: boldness, aggression, activity, sociality and exploration. We also tested if sexual size dimorphism, a proxy for sex-specific sexual selection, explains variation in the magnitude of sex differences in personality. We found no significant differences in personality between the sexes. In addition, sexual size dimorphism did not explain variation in the magnitude of the observed sex differences in the mean or variance in personality for any taxonomic group. In sum, we find no evidence for widespread sex differences in variability in non-human animal personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Harrison
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Daniel W A Noble
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
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3
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Social and sexual behaviors predict immune system activation, but not adrenocortical activation, in male rhesus macaques. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03083-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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4
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Pinto JA, Araujo JM, Gómez HL. Sex, immunity, and cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1877:188647. [PMID: 34767966 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The composition of the tumor microenvironment is the complex result of the interaction between tumoral and host factors. Since there are several differences in the regulation of gene circuits between sexes, mainly influenced by sex hormones, the tumor-host interaction presents some differences, leading tumors to evolve under different conditions. Nowadays, it is well known the existence of sexual dimorphism in the regulation of the immune system, where women present an improved immunity to various infectious agents and, on the other hand, a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases than men. In oncology, differences in cancer susceptibility, response to treatment, and clinical outcomes between men and women patients are well known. Recently, sex-specific differences have also been reported in mutations in driver genes and the prognostic value of several biomarkers. Sex has been a widely forgotten biomarker in cancer therapy, but it has recently acquired great relevance due to the different results seen in immunotherapy treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Pinto
- Escuela de Medicina Humana-Filial Ica, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Panamericana Sur Km. 305, 11004 Ica, Peru.
| | - Jhajaira M Araujo
- Centro de Investigación Básica y Traslacional, AUNA-Ideas, Guardia Civil 571, San Borja, Lima 41, Peru
| | - Henry L Gómez
- Departamento de Medicina Oncológica, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas, Av. Angamos Este 2520, Surquillo, Lima 34, Peru
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5
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Tian J, Courtiol A, Schneeberger K, Greenwood AD, Czirják GÁ. Circulating white blood cell counts in captive and wild rodents are influenced by body mass rather than testes mass, a correlate of mating promiscuity. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jundong Tian
- Department of Wildlife Diseases Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research 10315 Berlin Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine Freie Universität Berlin 14163 Berlin Germany
| | - Alexandre Courtiol
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research 10315 Berlin Germany
| | - Karin Schneeberger
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research 10315 Berlin Germany
| | - Alex D. Greenwood
- Department of Wildlife Diseases Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research 10315 Berlin Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine Freie Universität Berlin 14163 Berlin Germany
| | - Gábor Á. Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research 10315 Berlin Germany
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6
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Nunn CL, Scully EJ, Kutsukake N, Ostner J, Schülke O, Thrall PH. Mating Competition, Promiscuity, and Life History Traits as Predictors of Sexually Transmitted Disease Risk in Primates. INT J PRIMATOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-014-9781-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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7
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Ferreira Z, Hurle B, Andrés AM, Kretzschmar WW, Mullikin JC, Cherukuri PF, Cruz P, Gonder MK, Stone AC, Tishkoff S, Swanson WJ, Green ED, Clark AG, Seixas S. Sequence diversity of Pan troglodytes subspecies and the impact of WFDC6 selective constraints in reproductive immunity. Genome Biol Evol 2013; 5:2512-23. [PMID: 24356879 PMCID: PMC3879984 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evt198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent efforts have attempted to describe the population structure of common chimpanzee, focusing on four subspecies: Pan troglodytes verus, P. t. ellioti, P. t. troglodytes, and P. t. schweinfurthii. However, few studies have pursued the effects of natural selection in shaping their response to pathogens and reproduction. Whey acidic protein (WAP) four-disulfide core domain (WFDC) genes and neighboring semenogelin (SEMG) genes encode proteins with combined roles in immunity and fertility. They display a strikingly high rate of amino acid replacement (dN/dS), indicative of adaptive pressures during primate evolution. In human populations, three signals of selection at the WFDC locus were described, possibly influencing the proteolytic profile and antimicrobial activities of the male reproductive tract. To evaluate the patterns of genomic variation and selection at the WFDC locus in chimpanzees, we sequenced 17 WFDC genes and 47 autosomal pseudogenes in 68 chimpanzees (15 P. t. troglodytes, 22 P. t. verus, and 31 P. t. ellioti). We found a clear differentiation of P. t. verus and estimated the divergence of P. t. troglodytes and P. t. ellioti subspecies in 0.173 Myr; further, at the WFDC locus we identified a signature of strong selective constraints common to the three subspecies in WFDC6—a recent paralog of the epididymal protease inhibitor EPPIN. Overall, chimpanzees and humans do not display similar footprints of selection across the WFDC locus, possibly due to different selective pressures between the two species related to immune response and reproductive biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zélia Ferreira
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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8
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Polyandry Has No Detectable Mortality Cost in Female Mammals. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66670. [PMID: 23825000 PMCID: PMC3688942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2012] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In several taxonomic groups, females mate with several males during a single reproductive cycle. Although there is evidence that polyandry provides some benefits to females, it often involves mortality costs. However, empirical evidences of mortality costs of polyandry have so far been reported only in invertebrates. Whether polyandry has mortality costs in vertebrates is currently unknown. In the present study, we aimed to fill the gap by investigating the relationships between the level of polyandry (measured either by male relative testes mass or the percentage of multiple paternities) and female patterns of mortality across mammals. While we found that the two metrics of female mortality co-varied with pace of life, we did not find any evidence that polyandry leads to either decreased median lifespan or increased aging rate in mammals. We discuss such an absence of detectable mortality costs of polyandry in female mammals in light of recent advances in the study of mammalian reproductive biology and life-history tactics.
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9
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Marques PI, Bernardino R, Fernandes T, Green ED, Hurle B, Quesada V, Seixas S. Birth-and-death of KLK3 and KLK2 in primates: evolution driven by reproductive biology. Genome Biol Evol 2013. [PMID: 23204305 PMCID: PMC3542562 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evs111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The kallikrein (KLK) gene family comprises the largest uninterrupted locus of serine proteases in the human genome and represents a notable case for studying the evolutionary fate of duplicated genes. In primates, a recent duplication event gave rise to KLK2 and KLK3, both encoding essential proteins for the cascade of seminal plasma liquefaction. We reconstructed the evolutionary history of KLK2 and KLK3 by comparative analysis of the orthologous sequences from 22 primate species, calculated d(N)/d(S) ratios, and addressed the hypothesis of coevolution with their substrates, the semenogelins (SEMG1 and SEMG2). Our findings support the placement of the KLK2-KLK3 duplication in the Catarrhini ancestor and unveil the frequent loss of KLK2 throughout primate evolution by different genomic mechanisms, including unequal crossing-over, deletions, and pseudogenization. We provide evidences for an adaptive evolution of KLK3 toward an expanded enzymatic spectrum, with an effect on the hydrolysis of semen coagulum. Furthermore, we found associations between mating system, the number of SEMG repeat units, and the number of functional KLK2 and KLK3, suggesting complex evolutionary dynamics shaped by reproductive biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Isabel Marques
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-IUOPA, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | | | - NISC Comparative Sequencing Program
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland
- NIH Intramural Sequencing Center (NISC), National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Eric D. Green
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Belen Hurle
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Victor Quesada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-IUOPA, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- *Corresponding author: E-mail: ;
| | - Susana Seixas
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- *Corresponding author: E-mail: ;
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10
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Edwards DB. Immune investment is explained by sexual selection and pace-of-life, but not longevity in parrots (Psittaciformes). PLoS One 2012; 7:e53066. [PMID: 23300862 PMCID: PMC3531452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 11/28/2012] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Investment in current reproduction should come at the expense of traits promoting future reproduction, such as immunity and longevity. To date, comparative studies of pace-of-life traits have provided some support for this, with slower paced species having greater immune function. Another means of investment in current reproduction is through secondary sexual characters (SSC). Investment in SSC's is considered costly, both in terms of immunity and longevity, with greater costs being borne by species with more elaborate traits. Yet within species, females prefer more ornate males and those males are typically immunologically superior. Because of this, predictions about the relationship between immunity and SSC's across species are not clear. If traits are costly, brighter species should have reduced immune function, but the opposite is true if SSC's arise from selection for more immunocompetent individuals. My approach was to investigate immune investment in relation to SSC's, pace-of-life and longevity while considering potentially confounding ecological factors. To do so I assessed leukocyte counts from in a novel group, the Psittaciformes. Investment in SSC's best explained investment in immunity: species with brighter plumage had higher leukocyte counts and those with a greater degree of sexual dichromatism had fewer. Ecological variables and pace-of-life models tended to be poor predictors of immune investment. However, shorter incubation periods were associated with lower leukocyte counts supporting the notion that species with a fast pace-of-life invest less in immunity. These results suggest that investment in reproduction in terms of fast pace-of-life and sexual dichromatism results in reduced immunity; however, investment in plumage colour per se does not impose a cost on immunity across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darryl B Edwards
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
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11
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Cooper N, Kamilar JM, Nunn CL. Host longevity and parasite species richness in mammals. PLoS One 2012; 7:e42190. [PMID: 22879916 PMCID: PMC3413396 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hosts and parasites co-evolve, with each lineage exerting selective pressures on
the other. Thus, parasites may influence host life-history characteristics, such
as longevity, and simultaneously host life-history may influence parasite
diversity. If parasite burden causes increased mortality, we expect a negative
association between host longevity and parasite species richness. Alternatively,
if long-lived species represent a more stable environment for parasite
establishment, host longevity and parasite species richness may show a positive
association. We tested these two opposing predictions in carnivores, primates
and terrestrial ungulates using phylogenetic comparative methods and controlling
for the potentially confounding effects of sampling effort and body mass. We
also tested whether increased host longevity is associated with increased
immunity, using white blood cell counts as a proxy for immune investment. Our
analyses revealed weak relationships between parasite species richness and
longevity. We found a significant negative relationship between longevity and
parasite species richness for ungulates, but no significant associations in
carnivores or primates. We also found no evidence for a relationship between
immune investment and host longevity in any of our three groups. Our results
suggest that greater parasite burden is linked to higher host mortality in
ungulates. Thus, shorter-lived ungulates may be more vulnerable to disease
outbreaks, which has implications for ungulate conservation, and may be
applicable to other short-lived mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Cooper
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
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12
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Motsch P, Gonzalez JP, Verrier D. Clinical biochemistry and hematology of the elusive sun-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus solatus) in Gabon: inaugural data from the only semifree ranging colony in the world. Am J Primatol 2012; 74:236-46. [PMID: 24006542 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.21993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Clinical blood biochemistry and hematology are valuable tools to evaluate health and welfare in many animal species. In order to document the general biology of one of the most poorly known nonhuman primate species, and contribute to its conservation, the clinical blood biochemistry and hematology of the sun-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus solatus Harrisson) was investigated in its range of endemicity in Gabon. Data derived from 26 years of clinical monitoring of the only semicaptive colony of this species in the world, housed at CIRMF (Franceville, Gabon), were analyzed in order to establish reference values of age-sex classes. Consistent with previous reports in other primate species, age and sex significantly affected a number of biochemical and hematological parameters in C. solatus. Hematological analyses demonstrated significant differences in red blood cells, hemoglobin (HB), and hematocrit (HT), with males showing significantly greater values than females. In contrast, neutrophil counts were greater in females. An ontogenetic effect was detected for HB, HT, eosinophil, and monocyte counts, while lymphocytes significantly decreased with age. Biochemical analyses also showed significant differences, with females displaying greater cholesterol and alanine aminotransferase levels. Increase in levels of blood urea and aspartate aminotransferase coupled with decrease in albumin in old individuals suggested declining kidney, liver, and muscle functions with age. Interspecific comparisons were conducted and the effects of the unique semifree-ranging setting on the validity and value of the results presented are discussed. The reference values established will be useful in further ecological, parasitological, and virological studies of the sun-tailed monkey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peggy Motsch
- Equipe 'Primatologie et Santé, Unité de Recherche en Ecologie et Santé, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon.
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13
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Nelson E, Shultz S. Finger length ratios (2D:4D) in anthropoids implicate reduced prenatal androgens in social bonding. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2010; 141:395-405. [PMID: 19862809 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) has been proposed as a biomarker reflecting prenatal androgen effects (PAE), such that individuals with lower ratios have experienced higher PAE than those with higher ratios. 2D:4D has been correlated with a number of sex-linked traits in humans such as aggression, promiscuity, and competitiveness. In addition, polygynous societies reportedly have lower 2D:4D (higher PAE) than more monogamous populations. This evidence suggests that PAE may be implicated in the development of sexually selected behaviors in humans. To place 2D:4D research into a broader context, we test the relationship between digit ratios and behavior across nonhuman anthropoids; polygynous species, with higher levels of intrasexual competition, should have more pronounced markers of PAE (lower 2D:4D) than pair-bonded species. Our results accord with those found in humans: 2D:4D is lower in polygynous species and higher (lower PAE) in pair-bonded species. Old World monkeys have low, and relatively invariant 2D:4D (high PAE), which is coupled with high levels of intrasexual competition. This contrasts with higher and more variable ratios in both great apes and New World monkeys. In addition, both male and female ratios decrease with increasing levels of intrasexual competition. Human ratios are intermediate between pair-bonded and more promiscuous hominoids. We propose that PAE may be involved in promoting species characteristic social behavior in anthropoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Nelson
- School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GS, United Kingdom.
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14
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Lindenfors P, Revell LJ, Nunn CL. Sexual dimorphism in primate aerobic capacity: a phylogenetic test. J Evol Biol 2010; 23:1183-94. [PMID: 20406346 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.01983.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Male intrasexual competition should favour increased male physical prowess. This should in turn result in greater aerobic capacity in males than in females (i.e. sexual dimorphism) and a correlation between sexual dimorphism in aerobic capacity and the strength of sexual selection among species. However, physiological scaling laws predict that aerobic capacity should be lower per unit body mass in larger than in smaller animals, potentially reducing or reversing the sex difference and its association with measures of sexual selection. We used measures of haematocrit and red blood cell (RBC) counts from 45 species of primates to test four predictions related to sexual selection and body mass: (i) on average, males should have higher aerobic capacity than females, (ii) aerobic capacity should be higher in adult than juvenile males, (iii) aerobic capacity should increase with increasing sexual selection, but also that (iv) measures of aerobic capacity should co-vary negatively with body mass. For the first two predictions, we used a phylogenetic paired t-test developed for this study. We found support for predictions (i) and (ii). For prediction (iii), however, we found a negative correlation between the degree of sexual selection and aerobic capacity, which was opposite to our prediction. Prediction (iv) was generally supported. We also investigated whether substrate use, basal metabolic rate and agility influenced physiological measures of oxygen transport, but we found only weak evidence for a correlation between RBC count and agility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Lindenfors
- Department of Zoology & Centre for the Study of Cultural Evolution, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
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15
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Wlasiuk G, Nachman MW. Promiscuity and the rate of molecular evolution at primate immunity genes. Evolution 2010; 64:2204-20. [PMID: 20298430 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.00989.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Recently, a positive correlation between basal leukocyte counts and mating system across primates suggested that sexual promiscuity could be an important determinant of the evolution of the immune system. Motivated by this idea, we examined the patterns of molecular evolution of 15 immune defense genes in primates in relation to promiscuity and other variables expected to affect disease risk. We obtained maximum likelihood estimates of the rate of protein evolution for terminal branches of the primate phylogeny at these genes. Using phylogenetically independent contrasts, we found that immunity genes evolve faster in more promiscuous species, but only for a subset of genes that interact closely with pathogens. We also observed a significantly greater proportion of branches under positive selection in the more promiscuous species. Analyses of independent contrasts also showed a positive effect of group size. However, this effect was not restricted to genes that interact closely with pathogens, and no differences were observed in the proportion of branches under positive selection in species with small and large groups. Together, these results suggest that mating system has influenced the evolution of some immunity genes in primates, possibly due to increased risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases in species with higher levels of promiscuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Wlasiuk
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Biosciences West Building, 1041 East Lowell Street, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.
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16
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Nunn CL, Lindenfors P, Pursall ER, Rolff J. On sexual dimorphism in immune function. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2009; 364:61-9. [PMID: 18926977 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in immune function is a common pattern in vertebrates and also in a number of invertebrates. Most often, females are more 'immunocompetent' than males. The underlying causes are explained by either the role of immunosuppressive substances, such as testosterone, or by fundamental differences in male and female life histories. Here, we investigate some of the main predictions of the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) in a comparative framework using mammals. We focus specifically on the prediction that measures of sexual competition across species explain the observed patterns of variation in sex-specific immunocompetence within species. Our results are not consistent with the ICHH, but we do find that female mammals tend to have higher white blood cell counts (WBC), with some further associations between cell counts and longevity in females. We also document positive covariance between sexual dimorphism in immunity, as measured by a subset of WBC, and dimorphism in the duration of effective breeding. This is consistent with the application of 'Bateman's principle' to immunity, with females maximizing fitness by lengthening lifespan through greater investment in immune defences. Moreover, we present a meta-analysis of insect immunity, as the lack of testosterone in insects provides a means to investigate Bateman's principle for immunity independently of the ICHH. Here, we also find a systematic female bias in the expression of one of the two components of insect immune function that we investigated (phenoloxidase). From these analyses, we conclude that the mechanistic explanations of the ICHH lack empirical support. Instead, fitness-related differences between the sexes are potentially sufficient to explain many natural patterns in immunocompetence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles L Nunn
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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17
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Dean MD, Good JM, Nachman MW. Adaptive evolution of proteins secreted during sperm maturation: an analysis of the mouse epididymal transcriptome. Mol Biol Evol 2007; 25:383-92. [PMID: 18056076 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msm265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A common pattern observed in molecular evolution is that reproductive genes tend to evolve rapidly. However, most previous studies documenting this rapid evolution are based on genes expressed in just a few male reproductive organs. In mammals, sperm become motile and capable of fertilization only after leaving the testis, during their transit through the epididymis. Thus, genes expressed in the epididymis are expected to play important roles in male fertility. Here, we performed evolutionary genetic analyses on the epididymal transcriptome of mice. Overall, epididymis-expressed genes showed evidence of strong evolutionary constraint, a finding that contrasts with most previous analyses of genes expressed in other male reproductive organs. However, a subset of epididymis-specialized, secreted genes showed several signatures of adaptive evolution, including an increased rate of nonsynonymous evolution. Furthermore, this subset of genes was overrepresented on the X chromosome. Immunity and protein modification functions were significantly overrepresented among epididymis-specialized, secreted genes. These analyses identified a group of genes likely to be important in male reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Dean
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, USA.
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18
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Fernandez AA, Morris MR. Sexual selection and trichromatic color vision in primates: statistical support for the preexisting-bias hypothesis. Am Nat 2007; 170:10-20. [PMID: 17853988 DOI: 10.1086/518566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2006] [Accepted: 12/20/2006] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of trichromatic color vision in primates may improve foraging performance as well as intraspecific communication; however, the context in which color vision initially evolved is unknown. We statistically examined the hypothesis that trichromatic color vision in primates represents a preexisting bias for the evolution of red coloration (pelage and/or skin) through sexual selection. Our analyses show that trichromatic color vision evolved before red pelage and red skin, as well as before gregarious mating systems that would promote sexual selection for visual traits and other forms of intraspecific communication via red traits. We also determined that both red pelage and red skin were more likely to evolve in the presence of color vision and mating systems that promote sexual selection. These results provide statistical support for the hypothesis that trichromatic color vision in primates evolved in a context other than intraspecific communication with red traits, most likely foraging performance, but, once evolved, represented a preexisting bias that promoted the evolution of red traits through sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre A Fernandez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA.
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Hurle B, Swanson W, Green ED. Comparative sequence analyses reveal rapid and divergent evolutionary changes of the WFDC locus in the primate lineage. Genome Res 2007; 17:276-86. [PMID: 17267810 PMCID: PMC1800918 DOI: 10.1101/gr.6004607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The initial comparison of the human and chimpanzee genome sequences revealed 16 genomic regions with an unusually high density of rapidly evolving genes. One such region is the whey acidic protein (WAP) four-disulfide core domain locus (or WFDC locus), which contains 14 WFDC genes organized in two subloci on human chromosome 20q13. WAP protease inhibitors have roles in innate immunity and/or the regulation of a group of endogenous proteolytic enzymes called kallikreins. In human, the centromeric WFDC sublocus also contains the rapidly evolving seminal genes, semenogelin 1 and 2 (SEMG1 and SEMG2). The rate of SEMG2 evolution in primates has been proposed to correlate with female promiscuity and semen coagulation, perhaps related to post-copulatory sperm competition. We mapped and sequenced the centromeric WFDC sublocus in 12 primate species that collectively represent four different mating systems. Our analyses reveal a 130-kb region with a notably complex evolutionary history that has included nested duplications, deletions, and significant interspecies divergence of both coding and noncoding sequences; together, this has led to striking differences of this region among primates and between primates and rodents. Further, this region contains six closely linked genes (WFDC12, PI3, SEMG1, SEMG2, SLPI, and MATN4) that show strong patterns of adaptive selection, although an unambiguous correlation between gene mutation rates and mating systems could not be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belen Hurle
- Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Willie Swanson
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - NISC Comparative Sequencing Program
- Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
- NIH Intramural Sequencing Center, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA
| | - Eric D. Green
- Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
- NIH Intramural Sequencing Center, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA
- Corresponding author.E-mail ; fax (301) 402-2040
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