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Ranathunge C, Wheeler GL, Chimahusky ME, Perkins AD, Pramod S, Welch ME. Transcribed microsatellite allele lengths are often correlated with gene expression in natural sunflower populations. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1704-1716. [PMID: 32285554 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Microsatellites are common in genomes of most eukaryotic species. Due to their high mutability, an adaptive role for microsatellites has been considered. However, little is known concerning the contribution of microsatellites towards phenotypic variation. We used populations of the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) at two latitudes to quantify the effect of microsatellite allele length on phenotype at the level of gene expression. We conducted a common garden experiment with seed collected from sunflower populations in Kansas and Oklahoma followed by an RNA-Seq experiment on 95 individuals. The effect of microsatellite allele length on gene expression was assessed across 3,325 microsatellites that could be consistently scored. Our study revealed 479 microsatellites at which allele length significantly correlates with gene expression (eSTRs). When irregular allele sizes not conforming to the motif length were removed, the number of eSTRs rose to 2,379. The percentage of variation in gene expression explained by eSTRs ranged from 1%-86% when controlling for population and allele-by-population interaction effects at the 479 eSTRs. Of these eSTRs, 70.4% are in untranslated regions (UTRs). A gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that eSTRs are significantly enriched for GO terms associated with cis- and trans-regulatory processes. Our findings suggest that a substantial number of transcribed microsatellites can influence gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chathurani Ranathunge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
| | - Gregory L Wheeler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
| | - Melody E Chimahusky
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
| | - Andy D Perkins
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
| | - Sreepriya Pramod
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
| | - Mark E Welch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
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2
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Tchabovsky AV, Savinetskaya LE, Ovchinnikova NL, Safonova A, Ilchenko ON, Sapozhnikova SR, Vasilieva NA. Sociability and pair-bonding in gerbils: a comparative experimental study. Curr Zool 2019; 65:363-373. [PMID: 31413709 PMCID: PMC6688578 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In a study of gerbils with contrasting social and mating systems (group-living monogamous Mongolian gerbil Meriones unguiculatus, solitary nonterritorial promiscuous midday jird M. meridianus, and solitary territorial promiscuous pale gerbil Gerbillus perpallidus), we employed partner preference tests (PPTs) to assess among-species variation in sociability and pair-bonding patterns and tested whether the nature of contact between individuals: direct contact (DC) versus nondirect contact (NDC) affected our results. We measured male preferences as the time: 1) spent alone, 2) with familiar (partner), and 3) unfamiliar (stranger) female in the 3-chambered apparatus. Gerbil species differed strongly in sociability and male partner preferences. The time spent alone was a reliable indicator of species sociability independent of the nature of contact, whereas the pattern and level of between-species differences in male partner preferences depended on contact type: DC PPTs, unlike NDC-tests, discriminated well between monogamous and promiscuous species. In the DC-tests, stranger-directed aggression and stranger avoidance were observed both in the highly social monogamous M. unguiculatus and the solitary territorial promiscuous G. perpallidus, but not in the nonterritorial promiscuous M. meridianus. In M. unguiculatus, stranger avoidance in the DC-tests increased the time spent with the partner, thus providing evidence of a partner preference that was not found in the NDC-tests, whereas in G. perpallidus, stranger avoidance increased the time spent alone. This first comparative experimental study of partner preferences in gerbils provides new insights into the interspecific variation in gerbil sociality and mating systems and sheds light on behavioral mechanisms underlying social fidelity and pair-bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey V Tchabovsky
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ludmila E Savinetskaya
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia L Ovchinnikova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexandra Safonova
- Laboratory for Population Ecology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
| | | | | | - Nina A Vasilieva
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia
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3
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Mohrhardt J, Nagel M, Fleck D, Ben-Shaul Y, Spehr M. Signal Detection and Coding in the Accessory Olfactory System. Chem Senses 2019; 43:667-695. [PMID: 30256909 PMCID: PMC6211456 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In many mammalian species, the accessory olfactory system plays a central role in guiding behavioral and physiological responses to social and reproductive interactions. Because of its relatively compact structure and its direct access to amygdalar and hypothalamic nuclei, the accessory olfactory pathway provides an ideal system to study sensory control of complex mammalian behavior. During the last several years, many studies employing molecular, behavioral, and physiological approaches have significantly expanded and enhanced our understanding of this system. The purpose of the current review is to integrate older and newer studies to present an updated and comprehensive picture of vomeronasal signaling and coding with an emphasis on early accessory olfactory system processing stages. These include vomeronasal sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ, and the circuitry of the accessory olfactory bulb. Because the overwhelming majority of studies on accessory olfactory system function employ rodents, this review is largely focused on this phylogenetic order, and on mice in particular. Taken together, the emerging view from both older literature and more recent studies is that the molecular, cellular, and circuit properties of chemosensory signaling along the accessory olfactory pathway are in many ways unique. Yet, it has also become evident that, like the main olfactory system, the accessory olfactory system also has the capacity for adaptive learning, experience, and state-dependent plasticity. In addition to describing what is currently known about accessory olfactory system function and physiology, we highlight what we believe are important gaps in our knowledge, which thus define exciting directions for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Mohrhardt
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Maximilian Nagel
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - David Fleck
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Yoram Ben-Shaul
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Marc Spehr
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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4
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Bichet C, Lepetit D, Cohas A. Extrinsic and intrinsic constraints interact to drive extra-pair paternities in the Alpine marmot. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1794-1802. [PMID: 30216586 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13374] [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: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
To reproduce, animals have to form pairs and large variations in the degree of mate switching are observed. Extrinsic and intrinsic factors can constrain individual's mate switching. Among intrinsic factors, genes involved in pair-bonding, such as Avpr-1a, receive increasing attention. The length of microsatellites present in the regulatory region of Avpr-1a determines the neural densities and distributions of the vasopressin receptors known to impact pair-bonding behaviours. For the first time, we investigated whether and how the genetic makeup at Avpr-1a, an intrinsic factor, and the social context, an extrinsic factor, experienced by wild Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) females affect the proportion of extra-pair young. This proportion was positively correlated with the length of their Avpr-1a regulatory region but only when the social constraints were relaxed, that is when mature male subordinates were present. When ignoring the interactive effect between the length of their Avpr-1a regulatory region and the social constraints, the genetic makeup at Avpr-1a was not associated with the proportion of extra-pair young. Under natural conditions, the genetic regulation of pair-bonding could be hidden by extrinsic factors constraining mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coraline Bichet
- UMR-CNRS 5558, Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France.,Institut für Vogelforschung, 'Vogelwarte Helgoland' (Institute of Avian Research), Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - David Lepetit
- UMR-CNRS 5558, Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Aurélie Cohas
- UMR-CNRS 5558, Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
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5
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Sadino JM, Donaldson ZR. Prairie Voles as a Model for Understanding the Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation of Attachment Behaviors. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018. [PMID: 29513516 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Over a lifetime, humans build relationships with family, friends, and partners that are critically important for our mental and physical health. Unlike commonly used laboratory mice and rats, Microtine rodents provide a unique model to study the neurobiology underlying pair bonding and the selective attachments that form between adults. Comparisons between monogamous prairie voles and the closely related but nonmonogamous meadow and montane voles have revealed that brain-region-specific neuropeptide receptor patterning modulates social behavior between and within species. In particular, diversity in vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) distribution has been linked to individual and species differences in monogamy-related behaviors such as partner preference, mate guarding, and space use. Given the importance of differential receptor expression for regulating social behavior, a critical question has emerged: What are the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that underlie brain-region-specific receptor patterns? This review will summarize what is known about how the vasopressin (AVP)-V1aR axis regulates social behaviors via signaling in discrete brain regions. From this work, we propose that brain-region-specific regulatory mechanisms facilitate robust evolvability of V1aR expression to generate diverse sociobehavioral traits. Translationally, we provide a perspective on how these studies have contributed to our understanding of human social behaviors and how brain-region-specific regulatory mechanisms might be harnessed for targeted therapies to treat social deficits in psychiatric disorders such as depression, complicated grief, and autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M. Sadino
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Zoe R. Donaldson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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6
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Ophir AG. Navigating Monogamy: Nonapeptide Sensitivity in a Memory Neural Circuit May Shape Social Behavior and Mating Decisions. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:397. [PMID: 28744194 PMCID: PMC5504236 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of memory in mating systems is often neglected despite the fact that most mating systems are defined in part by how animals use space. Monogamy, for example, is usually characterized by affiliative (e.g., pairbonding) and defensive (e.g., mate guarding) behaviors, but a high degree of spatial overlap in home range use is the easiest defining feature of monogamous animals in the wild. The nonapeptides vasopressin and oxytocin have been the focus of much attention for their importance in modulating social behavior, however this work has largely overshadowed their roles in learning and memory. To date, the understanding of memory systems and mechanisms governing social behavior have progressed relatively independently. Bridging these two areas will provide a deeper appreciation for understanding behavior, and in particular the mechanisms that mediate reproductive decision-making. Here, I argue that the ability to mate effectively as monogamous individuals is linked to the ability to track conspecifics in space. I discuss the connectivity across some well-known social and spatial memory nuclei, and propose that the nonapeptide receptors within these structures form a putative “socio-spatial memory neural circuit.” This purported circuit may function to integrate social and spatial information to shape mating decisions in a context-dependent fashion. The lateral septum and/or the nucleus accumbens, and neuromodulation therein, may act as an intermediary to relate socio-spatial information with social behavior. Identifying mechanisms responsible for relating information about the social world with mechanisms mediating mating tactics is crucial to fully appreciate the suite of factors driving reproductive decisions and social decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Ophir
- Department of Psychology, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, United States
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7
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Gettler LT. Applying socioendocrinology to evolutionary models: Fatherhood and physiology. Evol Anthropol 2014; 23:146-60. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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McKaughan DJ, Elliott KC. Backtracking and the ethics of framing: lessons from voles and vasopressin. Account Res 2014; 20:206-26. [PMID: 23672499 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2013.788384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
When communicating scientific information, experts often face difficult choices about how to promote public understanding while also maintaining an appropriate level of objectivity. We argue that one way for scientists and others involved in communicating scientific information to alleviate these tensions is to pay closer attention to the major frames employed in the contexts in which they work. By doing so, they can ideally employ useful frames while also enabling the recipients of information to "backtrack" to relatively uncontroversial facts and recognize how these frames relate to their own values and perspectives. Important strategies for promoting this sort of backtracking include identifying the weaknesses of particular frames, preventing misunderstanding of them, differentiating well-supported findings from more speculative claims, and acknowledging major alternative frames.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J McKaughan
- Department of Philosophy, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467-3806, USA.
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9
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Quinn JP, Warburton A, Myers P, Savage AL, Bubb VJ. Polymorphic variation as a driver of differential neuropeptide gene expression. Neuropeptides 2013; 47:395-400. [PMID: 24210140 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2013.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2013] [Revised: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The regulation of neuropeptide gene expression and their receptors in a tissue specific and stimulus inducible manner will determine in part behaviour and physiology. This can be a dynamic process resulting from short term changes in response to the environment or long term modulation imposed by epigenetically determined mechanisms established during life experiences. The latter underpins what is termed 'nature and nurture, or 'gene×environment interactions'. Dynamic gene expression of neuropeptides or their receptors is a key component of signalling in the CNS and their inappropriate regulation is therefore a predicted target underpinning psychiatric disorders and neuropathological processes. Finding the regulatory domains within our genome which have the potential to direct gene expression is a difficult challenge as 98% of our genome is non-coding and, with the exception of proximal promoter regions, such elements can be quite distant from the gene that they regulate. This review will deal with how we can find such domains by addressing both the most conserved non-exonic regions in the genome using comparative genomics and the most recent or constantly evolving DNA such as repetitive DNA or retrotransposons. We shall also explore how polymorphic changes in such domains can be associated with CNS disorders by altering the appropriate gene expression patterns which maintain normal physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Quinn
- Neurogenetics in Wellbeing and Disease Section, Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Sherrington Building, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK.
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10
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Donaldson ZR, Young LJ. The relative contribution of proximal 5' flanking sequence and microsatellite variation on brain vasopressin 1a receptor (Avpr1a) gene expression and behavior. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003729. [PMID: 24009523 PMCID: PMC3757045 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Certain genes exhibit notable diversity in their expression patterns both within and between species. One such gene is the vasopressin receptor 1a gene (Avpr1a), which exhibits striking differences in neural expression patterns that are responsible for mediating differences in vasopressin-mediated social behaviors. The genomic mechanisms that contribute to these remarkable differences in expression are not well understood. Previous work has suggested that both the proximal 5′ flanking region and a polymorphic microsatellite element within that region of the vole Avpr1a gene are associated with variation in V1a receptor (V1aR) distribution and behavior, but neither has been causally linked. Using homologous recombination in mice, we reveal the modest contribution of proximal 5′ flanking sequences to species differences in V1aR distribution, and confirm that variation in V1aR distribution impacts stress-coping in the forced swim test. We also demonstrate that the vole Avpr1a microsatellite structure contributes to Avpr1a expression in the amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus, mirroring a subset of the inter- and intra-species differences observed in central V1aR patterns in voles. This is the first direct evidence that polymorphic microsatellite elements near behaviorally relevant genes can contribute to diversity in brain gene expression profiles, providing a mechanism for generating behavioral diversity both at the individual and species level. However, our results suggest that many features of species-specific expression patterns are mediated by elements outside of the immediate 5′ flanking region of the gene. DNA sequence variation underlies many differences both within and between species. In this paper, we investigate a specific DNA sequence that is thought to influence expression of a gene that modulates behavior, the vasopressin V1a receptor gene (Avpr1a). Specifically, differences in the expression of V1a receptor in the brain have been causally tied to social behavior differences, but the genetic basis of these differences is not understood. Using transgenic mice, we investigate the role of DNA sequences upstream of this gene in generating species-specific and individual variation in Avpr1a expression. We find that, contrary to our expectation, this region has only a modest influence on differences in expression patterns across rodent species. This indicates that DNA elements outside of this region play a larger role in species-level differences in expression. We confirm that variation in Avpr1a expression mediated by this upstream region translates to differences in behavior. We also find that variable DNA sequences associated with repetitive motifs within this region subtly influence gene expression. Together these findings highlight the complexity of genetic mechanisms that influence diversity in brain receptor patterns and support the idea that variable repetitive elements can influence both species and individual differences in gene expression patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe R Donaldson
- Division of Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.
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11
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Effects of experience and avpr1a microsatellite length on parental care in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1524-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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12
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Barrett CE, Keebaugh AC, Ahern TH, Bass CE, Terwilliger EF, Young LJ. Variation in vasopressin receptor (Avpr1a) expression creates diversity in behaviors related to monogamy in prairie voles. Horm Behav 2013; 63:518-26. [PMID: 23370363 PMCID: PMC3602142 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2012] [Revised: 01/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Polymorphisms in noncoding regions of the vasopressin 1a receptor gene (Avpr1a) are associated with a variety of socioemotional characteristics in humans, chimpanzees, and voles, and may impact behavior through a site-specific variation in gene expression. The socially monogamous prairie vole offers a unique opportunity to study such neurobiological control of individual differences in complex behavior. Vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) signaling is necessary for the formation of the pair bond in males, and prairie voles exhibit greater V1aR binding in the reward-processing ventral pallidum than do asocial voles of the same genus. Diversity in social behavior within prairie voles has been correlated to natural variation in neuropeptide receptor expression in specific brain regions. Here we use RNA interference to examine the causal relationship between intraspecific variation in V1aR and behavioral outcomes, by approximating the degree of naturalistic variation in V1aR expression. Juvenile male prairie voles were injected with viral vectors expressing shRNA sequences targeting Avpr1a mRNA into the ventral pallidum. Down-regulation of pallidal V1aR density resulted in a significant impairment in the preference for a mated female partner and a reduction in anxiety-like behavior in adulthood. No effect on alloparenting was detected. These data demonstrate that within-species naturalistic-like variation in V1aR expression has a profound effect on individual differences in social attachment and emotionality. RNA interference may prove to be a useful technique to unite the fields of behavioral ecology and neurogenetics to perform ethologically relevant studies of the control of individual variation and offer insight into the evolutionary mechanisms leading to behavioral diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Barrett
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, USA.
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13
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MacManes MD, Lacey EA. The social brain: transcriptome assembly and characterization of the hippocampus from a social subterranean rodent, the colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis). PLoS One 2012; 7:e45524. [PMID: 23049809 PMCID: PMC3458066 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 08/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the genetic mechanisms that underlie complex adaptive phenotypes is a central problem in evolutionary biology. For behavioral biologists, the ability to link variation in gene expression to the occurrence of specific behavioral traits has long been a largely unobtainable goal. Social interactions with conspecifics represent a fundamental component of the behavior of most animal species. Although several studies of mammals have attempted to uncover the genetic bases for social relationships using a candidate gene approach, none have attempted more comprehensive, transcriptome-based analyses using high throughout sequencing. As a first step toward improved understanding of the genetic underpinnings of mammalian sociality, we generated a reference transcriptome for the colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis), a social species of subterranean rodent that is endemic to southwestern Argentina. Specifically, we analyzed over 500 million Illumina sequencing reads derived from the hippocampi of 10 colonial tuco-tucos housed in captivity under a variety of social conditions. The resulting reference transcriptome provides a critical tool for future studies aimed at exploring relationships between social environment and gene expression in this non-model species of social mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D MacManes
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
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14
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Abstract
The prairie vole is a socially monogamous species in which breeder pairs typically show strong and selective pair bonds. The establishment of a pair bond is associated with a behavioral transition from general affiliation to aggressive rejection of novel conspecifics. This "selective aggression" is indicative of mate guarding that is necessary to maintain the initial pair bond. In the laboratory, the neurobiology of this behavior is studied using resident-intruder testing. Although it is well established that social behaviors in other species are mediated by endogenous opioid systems, opiate regulation of pair bond maintenance has never been studied. Here, we used resident-intruder testing to determine whether endogenous opioids within brain motivational circuitry mediate selective aggression in prairie voles. We first show that peripheral blockade of κ-opioid receptors with the antagonist norbinaltorphimine (nor-BNI; 100 mg/kg), but not with the preferential μ-opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (1, 10, or 30 mg/kg), decreased selective aggression in males. We then provide the first comprehensive characterization of κ- and μ-opioid receptors in the prairie vole brain. Finally, we demonstrate that blockade of κ-opioid receptors (500 ng nor-BNI) within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell abolishes selective aggression in both sexes, but blockade of these receptors within the NAc core enhances this behavior specifically in females. Blockade of κ-opioid receptors within the ventral pallidum or μ-opioid receptors with the specific μ-opioid receptor antagonist H-D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-PenThr-NH2 (1 ng CTAP) within the NAc shell had no effect in either sex. Thus, κ-opioid receptors within the NAc shell mediate aversive social motivation that is critical for pair bond maintenance.
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15
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Murphy D, Konopacka A, Hindmarch C, Paton JFR, Sweedler JV, Gillette MU, Ueta Y, Grinevich V, Lozic M, Japundzic-Zigon N. The hypothalamic-neurohypophyseal system: from genome to physiology. J Neuroendocrinol 2012; 24:539-53. [PMID: 22448850 PMCID: PMC3315060 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2011.02241.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The elucidation of the genomes of a large number of mammalian species has produced a huge amount of data on which to base physiological studies. These endeavours have also produced surprises, not least of which has been the revelation that the number of protein coding genes needed to make a mammal is only 22 333 (give or take). However, this small number belies an unanticipated complexity that has only recently been revealed as a result of genomic studies. This complexity is evident at a number of levels: (i) cis-regulatory sequences; (ii) noncoding and antisense mRNAs, most of which have no known function; (iii) alternative splicing that results in the generation of multiple, subtly different mature mRNAs from the precursor transcript encoded by a single gene; and (iv) post-translational processing and modification. In this review, we examine the steps being taken to decipher genome complexity in the context of gene expression, regulation and function in the hypothalamic-neurohypophyseal system (HNS). Five unique stories explain: (i) the use of transcriptomics to identify genes involved in the response to physiological (dehydration) and pathological (hypertension) cues; (ii) the use of mass spectrometry for single-cell level identification of biological active peptides in the HNS, and to measure in vitro release; (iii) the use of transgenic lines that express fusion transgenes enabling (by cross-breeding) the generation of double transgenic lines that can be used to study vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) neurones in the HNS, as well as their neuroanatomy, electrophysiology and activation upon exposure to any given stimulus; (iv) the use of viral vectors to demonstrate that somato-dendritically released AVP plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis by binding to V1a receptors on local somata and dendrites; and (v) the use of virally-mediated optogenetics to dissect the role of OXT and AVP in the modulation of a wide variety of behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Murphy
- Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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Ophir AG, Gessel A, Zheng DJ, Phelps SM. Oxytocin receptor density is associated with male mating tactics and social monogamy. Horm Behav 2012; 61:445-53. [PMID: 22285648 PMCID: PMC3312950 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2011] [Revised: 01/10/2012] [Accepted: 01/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite its well-described role in female affiliation, the influence of oxytocin on male pairbonding is largely unknown. However, recent human studies indicate that this nonapeptide has a potent influence on male behaviors commonly associated with monogamy. Here we investigated the distribution of oxytocin receptors (OTR) throughout the forebrain of the socially monogamous male prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster). Because males vary in both sexual and spatial fidelity, we explored the extent to which OTR predicted monogamous or non-monogamous patterns of space use, mating success and sexual fidelity in free-living males. We found that monogamous males expressed higher OTR density in the nucleus accumbens than non-monogamous males, a result that mirrors species differences in voles with different mating systems. OTR density in the posterior portion of the insula predicted mating success. Finally, OTR in the hippocampus and septohippocampal nucleus, which are nuclei associated with spatial memory, predicted patterns of space use and reproductive success within mating tactics. Our data highlight the importance of oxytocin receptor in neural structures associated with pairbonding and socio-spatial memory in male mating tactics. The role of memory in mating systems is often neglected, despite the fact that mating tactics impose an inherently spatial challenge for animals. Identifying mechanisms responsible for relating information about the social world with mechanisms mediating pairbonding and mating tactics is crucial to fully appreciate the suite of factors driving mating systems. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Ophir
- Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
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Northcutt KV, Lonstein JS. Neuroanatomical projections of the species-specific tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cells of the male prairie vole bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial amygdala. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2011; 77:176-92. [PMID: 21546771 DOI: 10.1159/000326618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2010] [Accepted: 02/21/2011] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTpr) and posterodorsal part of the medial amygdalar nucleus (MEApd) are densely interconnected sites transmitting olfactory information to brain areas mediating sociosexual behaviors. In male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), the BSTpr and MEApd contain hundreds of cells densely immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Such tremendous numbers of TH-immunoreactive (TH-ir) cells do not exist in other rodents examined, and studies from our laboratory suggest these cells may be part of a unique chemical network necessary for monogamous behaviors in prairie voles. To obtain information about how these TH-ir cells communicate with other sites involved in social behaviors, we first used biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) to determine sites that receive BSTpr efferents and also contain TH-ir fibers. Only in the medial preoptic area (MPO) and MEApd did we find considerable comingling of BDA-containing and TH-ir fibers. To examine if these sites receive input specifically from BSTpr TH-ir cells, the retrograde tracer Fluorogold was infused into the MPO or MEApd. Almost 80% of TH-ir projections to the MPO originated from the BSTpr or MEApd, involving about 40% of all TH-ir cells in these sites. In contrast, the MEApd received almost no input from TH-ir cells in the BSTpr, and received it primarily from the ventral tegmental area. Retrograde tracing from the BSTpr itself revealed substantial input from MEApd TH-ir cells. Thus, the male prairie vole brain contains a species-specific TH-ir network involving the BSTpr, MEApd, and MPO. By connecting brain sites involved in olfaction, sociality and motivation, this network may be essential for monogamous behaviors in this species.
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Comparison of Morphological Versus Molecular Characters for Discriminating Between Sympatric Meadow and Prairie Voles. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2011. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-165.2.412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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19
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Krakauer DC, Collins JP, Erwin D, Flack JC, Fontana W, Laubichler MD, Prohaska SJ, West GB, Stadler PF. The challenges and scope of theoretical biology. J Theor Biol 2011; 276:269-76. [PMID: 21315730 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2011.01.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2010] [Revised: 12/03/2010] [Accepted: 01/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Scientific theories seek to provide simple explanations for significant empirical regularities based on fundamental physical and mechanistic constraints. Biological theories have rarely reached a level of generality and predictive power comparable to physical theories. This discrepancy is explained through a combination of frozen accidents, environmental heterogeneity, and widespread non-linearities observed in adaptive processes. At the same time, model building has proven to be very successful when it comes to explaining and predicting the behavior of particular biological systems. In this respect biology resembles alternative model-rich frameworks, such as economics and engineering. In this paper we explore the prospects for general theories in biology, and suggest that these take inspiration not only from physics, but also from the information sciences. Future theoretical biology is likely to represent a hybrid of parsimonious reasoning and algorithmic or rule-based explanation. An open question is whether these new frameworks will remain transparent to human reason. In this context, we discuss the role of machine learning in the early stages of scientific discovery. We argue that evolutionary history is not only a source of uncertainty, but also provides the basis, through conserved traits, for very general explanations for biological regularities, and the prospect of unified theories of life.
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Fonagy P, Luyten P, Strathearn L. Borderline personality disorder, mentalization, and the neurobiology of attachment. Infant Ment Health J 2011; 32:47-69. [DOI: 10.1002/imhj.20283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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21
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Mabry KE, Streatfeild CA, Keane B, Solomon NG. avpr1a length polymorphism is not associated with either social or genetic monogamy in free-living prairie voles. Anim Behav 2011; 81:11-18. [PMID: 21442019 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent discoveries of single-gene influences on social behaviour have generated a great deal of interest in the proximate mechanisms underlying the expression of complex behaviours. Length polymorphism in a microsatellite in the regulatory region of the gene encoding the vasopressin 1a receptor (avpr1a) has been associated with both inter- and intra-specific variation in socially monogamous behaviour in voles (genus Microtus) under laboratory conditions. Here, we evaluate the relationship between avpr1a length polymorphism and social associations, genetic monogamy, and reproductive success in free-living prairie vole (M. ochrogaster) populations. We found no evidence of a relationship between avpr1a microsatellite length and any of our correlates of either social or genetic monogamy in the field. Our results, especially when taken in conjunction with those of recent experimental studies in semi-natural enclosures, suggest that avpr1a polymorphism is unlikely to have been a major influence in the evolution or maintenance of social monogamy in prairie voles under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Mabry
- Department of Zoology and Center for Animal Behaviour, Miami University, Oxford, OH
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22
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Phelps SM. From endophenotypes to evolution: social attachment, sexual fidelity and the avpr1a locus. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2010; 20:795-802. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2010.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2010] [Revised: 08/31/2010] [Accepted: 09/04/2010] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Babb PL, Fernandez-Duque E, Schurr TG. AVPR1A Sequence Variation in Monogamous Owl Monkeys (Aotus azarai) and Its Implications for the Evolution of Platyrrhine Social Behavior. J Mol Evol 2010; 71:279-97. [DOI: 10.1007/s00239-010-9383-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2009] [Accepted: 08/17/2010] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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24
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Insel TR. The challenge of translation in social neuroscience: a review of oxytocin, vasopressin, and affiliative behavior. Neuron 2010; 65:768-79. [PMID: 20346754 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 702] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Social neuroscience is rapidly exploring the complex territory between perception and action where recognition, value, and meaning are instantiated. This review follows the trail of research on oxytocin and vasopressin as an exemplar of one path for exploring the "dark matter" of social neuroscience. Studies across vertebrate species suggest that these neuropeptides are important for social cognition, with gender- and steroid-dependent effects. Comparative research in voles yields a model based on interspecies and intraspecies variation of the geography of oxytocin receptors and vasopressin V1a receptors in the forebrain. Highly affiliative species have receptors in brain circuits related to reward or reinforcement. The neuroanatomical distribution of these receptors may be guided by variations in the regulatory regions of their respective genes. This review describes the promises and problems of extrapolating these findings to human social cognition, with specific reference to the social deficits of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Insel
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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25
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McGraw LA, Young LJ. The prairie vole: an emerging model organism for understanding the social brain. Trends Neurosci 2009; 33:103-9. [PMID: 20005580 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2009.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2009] [Revised: 11/13/2009] [Accepted: 11/17/2009] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Unlike most mammalian species, the prairie vole is highly affiliative, forms enduring social bonds between mates and displays biparental behavior. Over two decades of research on this species has enhanced our understanding of the neurobiological basis not only of monogamy, social attachment and nurturing behaviors but also other aspects of social cognition. Because social cognitive deficits are hallmarks of many psychiatric disorders, discoveries made in prairie voles can direct novel treatment strategies for disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. With the ongoing development of molecular, genetic and genomic tools for this species, prairie voles will likely maintain their current trajectory becoming an unprecedented model organism for basic and translational research focusing on the biology of the social brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A McGraw
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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Galindo CL, McIver LJ, McCormick JF, Skinner MA, Xie Y, Gelhausen RA, Ng K, Kumar NM, Garner HR. Global microsatellite content distinguishes humans, primates, animals, and plants. Mol Biol Evol 2009; 26:2809-19. [PMID: 19717526 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msp192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsatellites are highly mutable, repetitive sequences commonly used as genetic markers, but they have never been studied en masse. Using a custom microarray to measure hybridization intensities of every possible repetitive nucleotide motif from 1-mers to 6-mers, we examined 25 genomes. Here, we show that global microsatellite content varies predictably by species, as measured by array hybridization signal intensities, correlating with established taxonomic relationships, and particular motifs are characteristic of one species versus another. For instance, hominid-specific microsatellite motifs were identified despite alignment of the human reference, Celera, and Venter genomic sequences indicating substantial variation (30-50%) among individuals. Differential microsatellite motifs were mainly associated with genes involved in developmental processes, whereas those found in intergenic regions exhibited no discernible pattern. This is the first description of a method for evaluating microsatellite content to classify individual genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C L Galindo
- McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
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Abstract
Since the publication 150 years ago of the Origin of Species, the scientific study of the evolution of human-specific traits has been the focus of many efforts from very different areas of science. Nowadays, after a century and a half of research, impressive results have accumulated, particularly about those traits that presumably would "make us human," setting us apart from the rest of primates, and about how these traits would have evolved. Over the last few years, a new area of research, genoeconomics, has started to make important contributions toward the study of hominization. Here, I review the foundations and promises of this new branch of science and discuss a few of the pitfalls that may hinder its advance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arcadi Navarro
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats and Institut de Biologia Evolututiva, Universitat Pompeu Fabra i Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona, Spain.
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Rosso L, Keller L, Kaessmann H, Hammond RL. Mating system and avpr1a promoter variation in primates. Biol Lett 2008; 4:375-8. [PMID: 18430667 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2008.0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that primate mating and social behaviours may be influenced by variation in promoter region repetitive DNA of the vasopressin receptor 1a gene (avpr1a). We show that male mating behaviour does not covary in a simple way with promoter repetitive DNA in 12 Old World primates. We found that one microsatellite (-553 bp upstream) was present in all species, irrespective of their behaviour. By contrast, two microsatellites (-3956 and -3625 bp upstream) were present only in some species, yet this variation did not correlate with behaviour. These findings agree with a recent comparative analysis of voles and show that the variation in repetitive DNA in the avpr1a promoter region does not generally explain variation in male mating behaviour. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a GAGTA motif that has been independently deleted three times and involved in another larger deletion. Importantly, the presence/absence of this GAGTA motif leads to changes in predicted transcription factor-binding sites. Given the repeated loss of this motif, we speculate that it might be of functional relevance. We suggest that such non-repetitive variation, either in indels or in sequence variation, are likely to be important in explaining interspecific variation in avpr1a expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Rosso
- Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Génopode, Lausanne, Switzerland
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29
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Donaldson ZR, Kondrashov FA, Putnam A, Bai Y, Stoinski TL, Hammock EAD, Young LJ. Evolution of a behavior-linked microsatellite-containing element in the 5' flanking region of the primate AVPR1A gene. BMC Evol Biol 2008; 8:180. [PMID: 18573213 PMCID: PMC2483724 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2008] [Accepted: 06/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The arginine vasopressin V1a receptor (V1aR) modulates social cognition and behavior in a wide variety of species. Variation in a repetitive microsatellite element in the 5' flanking region of the V1aR gene (AVPR1A) in rodents has been associated with variation in brain V1aR expression and in social behavior. In humans, the 5' flanking region of AVPR1A contains a tandem duplication of two ~350 bp, microsatellite-containing elements located approximately 3.5 kb upstream of the transcription start site. The first block, referred to as DupA, contains a polymorphic (GT)25 microsatellite; the second block, DupB, has a complex (CT)4-(TT)-(CT)8-(GT)24 polymorphic motif, known as RS3. Polymorphisms in RS3 have been associated with variation in sociobehavioral traits in humans, including autism spectrum disorders. Thus, evolution of these regions may have contributed to variation in social behavior in primates. We examined the structure of these regions in six ape, six monkey, and one prosimian species. Results Both tandem repeat blocks are present upstream of the AVPR1A coding region in five of the ape species we investigated, while monkeys have only one copy of this region. As in humans, the microsatellites within DupA and DupB are polymorphic in many primate species. Furthermore, both single (lacking DupB) and duplicated alleles (containing both DupA and DupB) are present in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) populations with allele frequencies of 0.795 and 0.205 for the single and duplicated alleles, respectively, based on the analysis of 47 wild-caught individuals. Finally, a phylogenetic reconstruction suggests two alternate evolutionary histories for this locus. Conclusion There is no obvious relationship between the presence of the RS3 duplication and social organization in primates. However, polymorphisms identified in some species may be useful in future genetic association studies. In particular, the presence of both single and duplicated alleles in chimpanzees provides a unique opportunity to assess the functional role of this duplication in contributing to variation in social behavior in primates. While our initial studies show no signs of directional selection on this locus in chimps, pharmacological and genetic association studies support a potential role for this region in influencing V1aR expression and social behavior.
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Caldwell HK, Lee HJ, Macbeth AH, Young WS. Vasopressin: behavioral roles of an "original" neuropeptide. Prog Neurobiol 2007; 84:1-24. [PMID: 18053631 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2007.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2007] [Revised: 10/24/2007] [Accepted: 10/24/2007] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Vasopressin (Avp) is mainly synthesized in the magnocellular cells of the hypothalamic supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN) whose axons project to the posterior pituitary. Avp is then released into the blood stream upon appropriate stimulation (e.g., hemorrhage or dehydration) to act at the kidneys and blood vessels. The brain also contains several populations of smaller, parvocellular neurons whose projections remain within the brain. These populations are located within the PVN, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), medial amygdala (MeA) and suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Since the 1950s, research examining the roles of Avp in the brain and periphery has intensified. The development of specific agonists and antagonists for Avp receptors has allowed for a better elucidation of its contributions to physiology and behavior. Anatomical, pharmacological and transgenic, including "knockout," animal studies have implicated Avp in the regulation of various social behaviors across species. Avp plays a prominent role in the regulation of aggression, generally of facilitating or promoting it. Affiliation and certain aspects of pair-bonding are also influenced by Avp. Memory, one of the first brain functions of Avp that was investigated, has been implicated especially strongly in social recognition. The roles of Avp in stress, anxiety, and depressive states are areas of active exploration. In this review, we concentrate on the scientific progress that has been made in understanding the role of Avp in regulating these and other behaviors across species. We also discuss the implications for human behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather K Caldwell
- Section on Neural Gene Expression, NIMH, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
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31
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Subirana JA, Messeguer X. Structural families of genomic microsatellites. Gene 2007; 408:124-32. [PMID: 18022767 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2007.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2007] [Revised: 10/18/2007] [Accepted: 10/22/2007] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
We present an analysis of tandem repeats of short sequence motifs (microsatellites) in twelve eukaryotes for which a large part of the genome has been sequenced and assembled. The pattern of motif abundance varies significantly in different species, but it is very similar in different chromosomes of the same species. The most abundant repeats can be classified in two main families. The first family has a rigid conformation, with purines in one strand and pyrimidines in the complementary strand, mainly A(n)/T(n) and (AG)(n)/(CT)(n). The second family has alternating, flexible sequences, such as (AT)(n), (AC)(n) and related sequences. In the pluricellular organisms the relative frequency of both families is rather constant. These observations indicate that microsatellites have structural information and may be involved in the organization of chromatin fibers and in chromosome architecture in general. An additional intriguing finding is the absence of microsatellites with sequences which appear to be forbidden, such as (AATT)(n).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan A Subirana
- Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Av Diagonal 647, E-08028, Barcelona, Spain.
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