1
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Pyenson BC, Rehan SM. Gene regulation supporting sociality shared across lineages and variation in complexity. Genome 2024; 67:99-108. [PMID: 38096504 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2023-0054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Across evolutionary lineages, insects vary in social complexity, from those that exhibit extended parental care to those with elaborate divisions of labor. Here, we synthesize the sociogenomic resources from hundreds of species to describe common gene regulatory mechanisms in insects that regulate social organization across phylogeny and levels of social complexity. Different social phenotypes expressed by insects can be linked to the organization of co-expressing gene networks and features of the epigenetic landscape. Insect sociality also stems from processes like the emergence of parental care and the decoupling of ancestral genetic programs. One underexplored avenue is how variation in a group's social environment affects the gene expression of individuals. Additionally, an experimental reduction of gene expression would demonstrate how the activity of specific genes contributes to insect social phenotypes. While tissue specificity provides greater localization of the gene expression underlying social complexity, emerging transcriptomic analysis of insect brains at the cellular level provides even greater resolution to understand the molecular basis of social insect evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandra M Rehan
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
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2
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Smiley KO, Munley KM, Aghi K, Lipshutz SE, Patton TM, Pradhan DS, Solomon-Lane TK, Sun SED. Sex diversity in the 21st century: Concepts, frameworks, and approaches for the future of neuroendocrinology. Horm Behav 2024; 157:105445. [PMID: 37979209 PMCID: PMC10842816 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Sex is ubiquitous and variable throughout the animal kingdom. Historically, scientists have used reductionist methodologies that rely on a priori sex categorizations, in which two discrete sexes are inextricably linked with gamete type. However, this binarized operationalization does not adequately reflect the diversity of sex observed in nature. This is due, in part, to the fact that sex exists across many levels of biological analysis, including genetic, molecular, cellular, morphological, behavioral, and population levels. Furthermore, the biological mechanisms governing sex are embedded in complex networks that dynamically interact with other systems. To produce the most accurate and scientifically rigorous work examining sex in neuroendocrinology and to capture the full range of sex variability and diversity present in animal systems, we must critically assess the frameworks, experimental designs, and analytical methods used in our research. In this perspective piece, we first propose a new conceptual framework to guide the integrative study of sex. Then, we provide practical guidance on research approaches for studying sex-associated variables, including factors to consider in study design, selection of model organisms, experimental methodologies, and statistical analyses. We invite fellow scientists to conscientiously apply these modernized approaches to advance our biological understanding of sex and to encourage academically and socially responsible outcomes of our work. By expanding our conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches to the study of sex, we will gain insight into the unique ways that sex exists across levels of biological organization to produce the vast array of variability and diversity observed in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina O Smiley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 639 North Pleasant Street, Morrill IVN Neuroscience, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - Kathleen M Munley
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 3695 Cullen Boulevard, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Krisha Aghi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Sara E Lipshutz
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
| | - Tessa M Patton
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 West Sheridan Road, LSB 317, Chicago, IL 60660, USA.
| | - Devaleena S Pradhan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, 921 South 8th Avenue, Mail Stop 8007, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA.
| | - Tessa K Solomon-Lane
- Scripps, Pitzer, Claremont McKenna Colleges, 925 North Mills Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
| | - Simón E D Sun
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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3
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Jackson LR, Lopez MS, Alward B. Breaking Through the Bottleneck: Krogh's Principle in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology and the Potential of Gene Editing. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:428-443. [PMID: 37312279 PMCID: PMC10445420 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In 1929, August Krogh wrote that for every question in biology, there is a species or collection of species in which pursuing such questions is the most appropriate for achieving the deepest insights. Referred to as "Krogh's Principle," these words are a guiding force for many biologists. In practice, Krogh's principle might guide a biologist interested in studying bi-parental care to choose not to use lab mice, in which the female does most of the parenting, but instead study species in which bi-parental care is present and clearly observable, such as in certain poison dart frogs. This approach to pursuing biological questions has been fruitful, with more in-depth insights achievable with new technologies. However, up until recently, an important limitation of Krogh's principle for biologists interested in the functions of certain genes, was certain techniques were only available for a few traditional model organisms such as lab mice, fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), zebrafish (Danio rerio) and C. elegans (Caenorhabditis elegans), in which testing the functions of molecular systems on biological processes can be achieved using genetic knockout (KO) and transgenic technology. These methods are typically more precise than other approaches (e.g., pharmacology) commonly used in nontraditional model organisms to address similar questions. Therefore, some of the most in-depth insights into our understanding of the molecular control of these mechanisms have come from a small number of genetically tractable species. Recent advances in gene editing technology such as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspersed Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas9 gene editing as a laboratory tool has changed the insights achievable for biologists applying Krogh's principle. In this review, we will provide a brief summary on how some researchers of nontraditional model organisms have been able to achieve different levels of experimental precision with limited genetic tractability in their non-traditional model organism in the field of behavioral neuroendocrinology, a field in which understanding tissue and brain-region specific actions of molecules of interest has been a major goal. Then, we will highlight the exciting potential of Krogh's principle using discoveries made in a popular model species of social behavior, the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni. Specifically, we will focus on insights gained from studies of the control of social status by sex steroid hormones (androgens and estrogens) in A. burtoni that originated during field observations during the 1970s, and have recently culminated in novel insights from CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in laboratory studies. Our review highlighting discoveries in A. burtoni may function as a roadmap for others using Krogh's principle aiming to incorporate gene editing into their research program. Gene editing is thus a powerful complimentary laboratory tool researchers can use to yield novel insights into understanding the molecular mechanisms of physiology and behavior in non-traditional model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillian R Jackson
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204USA
| | - Mariana S Lopez
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204USA
| | - Beau Alward
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204USA
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77004USA
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4
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Williams AV, Peña CJ, Ramos-Maciel S, Laman-Maharg A, Ordoñez-Sanchez E, Britton M, Durbin-Johnson B, Settles M, Hao R, Yokoyama S, Xu C, Luo PX, Dwyer T, Bhela S, Black AM, Labonté B, Serafini RA, Ruiz A, Neve RL, Zachariou V, Nestler EJ, Trainor BC. Comparative Transcriptional Analyses in the Nucleus Accumbens Identifies RGS2 as a Key Mediator of Depression-Related Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:942-951. [PMID: 36075764 PMCID: PMC9794384 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses worldwide, with a higher prevalence in women than in men. Although currently available pharmacological therapeutics help many individuals, they are not effective for most. Animal models have been important for the discovery of molecular alterations in stress and depression, but difficulties in adapting animal models of depression for females has impeded progress in developing novel therapeutic treatments that may be more efficacious for women. METHODS Using the California mouse social defeat model, we took a multidisciplinary approach to identify stress-sensitive molecular targets that have translational relevance for women. We determined the impact of stress on transcriptional profiles in male and female California mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc) and compared these results with data from postmortem samples of the NAc from men and women diagnosed with major depressive disorder. RESULTS Our cross-species computational analyses identified Rgs2 (regulator of G protein signaling 2) as a transcript downregulated by social defeat stress in female California mice and in women with major depressive disorder. RGS2 plays a key role in signal regulation of neuropeptide and neurotransmitter receptors. Viral vector-mediated overexpression of Rgs2 in the NAc restored social approach and sucrose preference in stressed female California mice. CONCLUSIONS These studies show that Rgs2 acting in the NAc has functional properties that translate to changes in anxiety- and depression-related behavior. Future studies should investigate whether targeting Rgs2 represents a novel target for treatment-resistant depression in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia V Williams
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Catherine J Peña
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, New Jersey
| | | | | | - Evelyn Ordoñez-Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California; Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Monica Britton
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | | | - Matt Settles
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Rebecca Hao
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sae Yokoyama
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Christine Xu
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Pei X Luo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Tjien Dwyer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Shanu Bhela
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Alexis M Black
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Benoit Labonté
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Randal Alex Serafini
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Anne Ruiz
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Venetia Zachariou
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.
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5
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Morales L, González-Alonso A, Desfilis E, Medina L. Precise Mapping of Otp Expressing Cells Across Different Pallial Regions Throughout Ontogenesis Using Otp-Specific Reporter Transgenic Mice. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:831074. [PMID: 35250495 PMCID: PMC8891171 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.831074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Taking advantage of two Otp-specific reporter lines of transgenic mice (Otp-eGFP and Otp-Cre; Rpl22-HA), we identify and describe different Otp cell populations across various pallial regions, including the pallial amygdala, the piriform cortex, the mesocortex, the neocortex, and the hippocampal complex. Some of these populations can be followed throughout development, suggesting migration from external sources (for example, those of the pallial amygdala and at least some of the cingulate cortex). Other cells become visible during postnatal development (some of those in the neocortex and hippocampal formation) or in adulthood (those of the parahippocampal lobe), and seem to be produced locally. We discuss the possible role of Otp in these different populations during different moments of ontogenesis. We also analyze the connectivity patterns of some of these cells and discuss their functional implications. For example, our data suggest that Otp cells of the pallial amygdala might be engaged in networks with other Otp cells of the medial amygdala with the same embryonic origin, and may regulate specific aspects of social behavior. Regarding Otp cells in the parahippocampal lobe, they seem to be projection neurons and may regulate hippocampal function during spatial navigation and memory formation. The two reporter transgenic mice employed here provide very powerful tools for high precision studies on these different Otp cells of the pallium, but careful attention should be paid to the age and to differences between lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Morales
- Departament de Medicina Experimental, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida’s Institute for Biomedical Research Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
| | - Alba González-Alonso
- Departament de Medicina Experimental, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida’s Institute for Biomedical Research Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
| | - Ester Desfilis
- Departament de Medicina Experimental, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida’s Institute for Biomedical Research Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
- Serra Húnter Fellows, Lleida, Spain
| | - Loreta Medina
- Departament de Medicina Experimental, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida’s Institute for Biomedical Research Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
- Serra Húnter Fellows, Lleida, Spain
- *Correspondence: Loreta Medina, ,
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6
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McMahon EK, Youatt E, Cavigelli SA. A physiological profile approach to animal temperament: How to understand the functional significance of individual differences in behaviour. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212379. [PMID: 35016542 PMCID: PMC8753167 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behaviour research has experienced a renewed interest in consistent individual differences (i.e. animal personality or temperament). Recent ecological studies have identified environmental conditions that give rise to the development and evolution of temperaments and to fitness-related outcomes of temperament. Additional literature has also described relationships between temperaments and physiological regulation. However, one-to-one relationships between one behavioural trait and one physiological system do not account for co-selection of behavioural and physiological traits, nor the complex signalling among physiological systems. In the current paper, we review the literature on multiple physiological processes associated with temperament, propose temperament-specific physiological profiles, and focus on next steps to understand the functional significance, evolution and maintenance of temperaments. We propose that to understand causes and consequences of temperament we need to characterize integrative physiological profiles associated with different temperaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyse K McMahon
- Ecology Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, 101 Life Sciences Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Biobehavioral Health Department, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Elizabeth Youatt
- Psychology Department, Pennsylvania State University, 140 Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sonia A Cavigelli
- Biobehavioral Health Department, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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7
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Medina L, Abellán A, Desfilis E. Evolving Views on the Pallium. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2021; 96:181-199. [PMID: 34657034 DOI: 10.1159/000519260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The pallium is the largest part of the telencephalon in amniotes, and comparison of its subdivisions across species has been extremely difficult and controversial due to its high divergence. Comparative embryonic genoarchitecture studies have greatly contributed to propose models of pallial fundamental divisions, which can be compared across species and be used to extract general organizing principles as well as to ask more focused and insightful research questions. The use of these models is crucial to discern between conservation, convergence or divergence in the neural populations and networks found in the pallium. Here we provide a critical review of the models proposed using this approach, including tetrapartite, hexapartite and double-ring models, and compare them to other models. While recognizing the power of these models for understanding brain architecture, development and evolution, we also highlight limitations and comment on aspects that require attention for improvement. We also discuss on the use of transcriptomic data for understanding pallial evolution and advise for better contextualization of these data by discerning between gene regulatory networks involved in the generation of specific units and cell populations versus genes expressed later, many of which are activity dependent and their expression is more likely subjected to convergent evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreta Medina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lleida, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research - Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
| | - Antonio Abellán
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lleida, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research - Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
| | - Ester Desfilis
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lleida, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research - Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
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8
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Fischer EK, Hauber ME, Bell AM. Back to the basics? Transcriptomics offers integrative insights into the role of space, time and the environment for gene expression and behaviour. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210293. [PMID: 34520681 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fuelled by the ongoing genomic revolution, broadscale RNA expression surveys are fast replacing studies targeting one or a few genes to understand the molecular basis of behaviour. Yet, the timescale of RNA-sequencing experiments and the dynamics of neural gene activation are insufficient to drive real-time switches between behavioural states. Moreover, the spatial, functional and transcriptional complexity of the brain (the most commonly targeted tissue in studies of behaviour) further complicates inference. We argue that a Central Dogma-like 'back-to-basics' assumption that gene expression changes cause behaviour leaves some of the most important aspects of gene-behaviour relationships unexplored, including the roles of environmental influences, timing and feedback from behaviour-and the environmental shifts it causes-to neural gene expression. No perfect experimental solutions exist but we advocate that explicit consideration, exploration and discussion of these factors will pave the way toward a richer understanding of the complicated relationships between genes, environments, brain gene expression and behaviour over developmental and evolutionary timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Alison M Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
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9
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Cavigelli S, Leips J, Jenny Xiang QY, Lemke D, Konow N. Next Steps in Integrative Biology: Mapping Interactive Processes Across Levels of Biological Organization. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:2066-2074. [PMID: 34259855 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Emergent biological processes result from complex interactions within and across levels of biological organization, ranging from molecular to environmental dynamics. Powerful theories, database tools, and modeling methods have been designed to characterize network connections within levels, such as those among genes, proteins, biochemicals, cells, organisms and species. Here, we propose that developing integrative models of organismal function in complex environments can be facilitated by taking advantage of these methods to identify key nodes of communication across levels of organization. Mapping key drivers or connections among levels of organization will provide data and leverage to model potential rule-sets by which organisms respond and adjust to perturbations at any level of biological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Cavigelli
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802
| | - Jeff Leips
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore MD 21250
| | - Qiu-Yun Jenny Xiang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695
| | - Dawn Lemke
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville AL 35811
| | - Nicolai Konow
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell MA 01854
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10
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McMahon EK, Cavigelli SA. Gaps to Address in Ecological Studies of Temperament and Physiology. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1917-1932. [PMID: 34097030 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecology is a diverse field with many researchers interested in drivers and consequences of variability within populations. Two aspects of variability that have been addressed are behavioral and physiological. While these have been shown to separately influence ecological outcomes such as survival, reproductive success and fitness, combined they could better predict within-population variability in survival and fitness. Recently there has been a focus on potential fitness outcomes of consistent behavioral traits that are referred to as personality or temperament (e.g. boldness, sociability, exploration, etc.). Given this recent focus, it is an optimal time to identify areas to supplement in this field, particularly in determining the relationship between temperament and physiological traits. To maximize progress, in this perspective paper we propose that the following two areas be addressed: (1) increased diversity of species, and (2) increased number of physiological processes studied, with an eye toward using more representative and relatively consistent measures across studies. We first highlight information that has been gleaned from species that are frequently studied to determine how animal personality relates to physiology and/or survival/fitness. We then shine a spotlight on important taxa that have been understudied and that can contribute meaningful, complementary information to this area of research. And last, we propose a brief array of physiological processes to relate to temperament, and that can significantly impact fitness, and that may be accessible in field studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyse K McMahon
- Ecology Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sonia A Cavigelli
- Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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