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Navarro L, Gómez-Carballa A, Pischedda S, Montoto-Louzao J, Viz-Lasheras S, Camino-Mera A, Hinault T, Martinón-Torres F, Salas A. Sensogenomics of music and Alzheimer's disease: An interdisciplinary view from neuroscience, transcriptomics, and epigenomics. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1063536. [PMID: 36819725 PMCID: PMC9935844 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1063536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The relationship between music and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been approached by different disciplines, but most of our outstanding comes from neuroscience. Methods First, we systematically reviewed the state-of-the-art of neuroscience and cognitive sciences research on music and AD (>100 studies), and the progress made on the therapeutic impact of music stimuli in memory. Next, we meta-analyzed transcriptomic and epigenomic data of AD patients to search for commonalities with genes and pathways previously connected to music in genome association, epigenetic, and gene expression studies. Results Our findings indicate that >93% of the neuroscience/ cognitive sciences studies indicate at least one beneficial effect of music on patients with neurodegenerative diseases, being improvements on memory and cognition the most frequent outcomes; other common benefits were on social behavior, mood and emotion, anxiety and agitation, quality of life, and depression. Out of the 334 music-related genes, 127 (38%) were found to be linked to epigenome/transcriptome analysis in AD (vs. healthy controls); some of them (SNCA, SLC6A4, ASCC2, FTH1, PLAUR and ARHGAP26) have been reported to be associated e.g. with musical aptitude and music effect on the transcriptome. Other music-related genes (GMPR, SELENBP1 and ADIPOR1) associated to neuropsychiatric, neurodegenerative diseases and music performance, emerged as hub genes in consensus co-expression modules detected between AD and music estimulated transcriptomes. In addition, we found connections between music, AD and dopamine related genes, with SCNA being the most remarkable - a gene previously associated with learning and memory, and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease and AD). Discussion The present study indicate that the vast majority of neuroscientific studies unambiguously show that music has a beneficial effect on health, being the most common benefits relevant to Alzheimer's disease. These findings illuminate a new roadmap for genetic research in neurosciences, and musical interventions in AD and other neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Navarro
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Gómez-Carballa
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Pischedda
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Julián Montoto-Louzao
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Viz-Lasheras
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alba Camino-Mera
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Thomas Hinault
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, Inserm, U1077, CHU de Caen, Centre Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Federico Martinón-Torres
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain,Translational Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Antonio Salas
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain,*Correspondence: Antonio Salas, ✉
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2
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Rosvall KA. Evolutionary endocrinology and the problem of Darwin's tangled bank. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105246. [PMID: 36029721 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Like Darwin's tangled bank of biodiversity, the endocrine mechanisms that give rise to phenotypic diversity also exhibit nearly endless forms. This tangled bank of mechanistic diversity can prove problematic as we seek general principles on the role of endocrine mechanisms in phenotypic evolution. A key unresolved question is therefore: to what degree are specific endocrine mechanisms re-used to bring about replicated phenotypic evolution? Related areas of inquiry are booming in molecular ecology, but behavioral traits are underrepresented in this literature. Here, I leverage the rich comparative tradition in evolutionary endocrinology to evaluate whether and how certain mechanisms may be repeated hotspots of behavioral evolutionary change. At one extreme, mechanisms may be parallel, such that evolution repeatedly uses the same gene or pathway to arrive at multiple independent (or, convergent) origins of a particular behavioral trait. At the other extreme, the building blocks of behavior may be unique, such that outwardly similar phenotypes are generated via lineage-specific mechanisms. This review synthesizes existing case studies, phylogenetic analyses, and experimental evolutionary research on mechanistic parallelism in animal behavior. These examples show that the endocrine building blocks of behavior have some elements of parallelism across replicated evolutionary events. However, support for parallelism is variable among studies, at least some of which relates to the level of complexity at which we consider sameness (i.e. pathway vs. gene level). Moving forward, we need continued experimentation and better testing of neutral models to understand whether, how - and critically, why - mechanism A is used in one lineage and mechanism B is used in another. We also need continued growth of large-scale comparative analyses, especially those that can evaluate which endocrine parameters are more or less likely to undergo parallel evolution alongside specific behavioral traits. These efforts will ultimately deepen understanding of how and why hormone-mediated behaviors are constructed the way that they are.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Rosvall
- Indiana University, Bloomington, USA; Department of Biology, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, USA.
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3
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Gordon RL, Ravignani A, Hyland Bruno J, Robinson CM, Scartozzi A, Embalabala R, Niarchou M, Cox NJ, Creanza N. Linking the genomic signatures of human beat synchronization and learned song in birds. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200329. [PMID: 34420388 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of rhythmicity is foundational to communicative and social behaviours in humans and many other species, and mechanisms of synchrony could be conserved across species. The goal of the current paper is to explore evolutionary hypotheses linking vocal learning and beat synchronization through genomic approaches, testing the prediction that genetic underpinnings of birdsong also contribute to the aetiology of human interactions with musical beat structure. We combined state-of-the-art-genomic datasets that account for underlying polygenicity of these traits: birdsong genome-wide transcriptomics linked to singing in zebra finches, and a human genome-wide association study of beat synchronization. Results of competitive gene set analysis revealed that the genetic architecture of human beat synchronization is significantly enriched for birdsong genes expressed in songbird Area X (a key nucleus for vocal learning, and homologous to human basal ganglia). These findings complement ethological and neural evidence of the relationship between vocal learning and beat synchronization, supporting a framework of some degree of common genomic substrates underlying rhythm-related behaviours in two clades, humans and songbirds (the largest evolutionary radiation of vocal learners). Future cross-species approaches investigating the genetic underpinnings of beat synchronization in a broad evolutionary context are discussed. This article is part of the theme issue 'Synchrony and rhythm interaction: from the brain to behavioural ecology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reyna L Gordon
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Andrea Ravignani
- Comparative Bioacoustics Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Cristina M Robinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alyssa Scartozzi
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rebecca Embalabala
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Maria Niarchou
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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- 23andMe, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA
| | - Nancy J Cox
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nicole Creanza
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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4
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Beccacece L, Abondio P, Cilli E, Restani D, Luiselli D. Human Genomics and the Biocultural Origin of Music. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5397. [PMID: 34065521 PMCID: PMC8160972 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Music is an exclusive feature of humankind. It can be considered as a form of universal communication, only partly comparable to the vocalizations of songbirds. Many trends of research in this field try to address music origins, as well as the genetic bases of musicality. On one hand, several hypotheses have been made on the evolution of music and its role, but there is still debate, and comparative studies suggest a gradual evolution of some abilities underlying musicality in primates. On the other hand, genome-wide studies highlight several genes associated with musical aptitude, confirming a genetic basis for different musical skills which humans show. Moreover, some genes associated with musicality are involved also in singing and song learning in songbirds, suggesting a likely evolutionary convergence between humans and songbirds. This comprehensive review aims at presenting the concept of music as a sociocultural manifestation within the current debate about its biocultural origin and evolutionary function, in the context of the most recent discoveries related to the cross-species genetics of musical production and perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Beccacece
- Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Paolo Abondio
- Laboratory of Molecular Anthropology, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Elisabetta Cilli
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna—Ravenna Campus, 48121 Ravenna, Italy; (E.C.); (D.R.)
| | - Donatella Restani
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna—Ravenna Campus, 48121 Ravenna, Italy; (E.C.); (D.R.)
| | - Donata Luiselli
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna—Ravenna Campus, 48121 Ravenna, Italy; (E.C.); (D.R.)
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5
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Diddens J, Coussement L, Frankl-Vilches C, Majumdar G, Steyaert S, Ter Haar SM, Galle J, De Meester E, De Keulenaer S, Van Criekinge W, Cornil CA, Balthazart J, Van Der Linden A, De Meyer T, Vanden Berghe W. DNA Methylation Regulates Transcription Factor-Specific Neurodevelopmental but Not Sexually Dimorphic Gene Expression Dynamics in Zebra Finch Telencephalon. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:583555. [PMID: 33816458 PMCID: PMC8017237 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.583555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Song learning in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) is a prototypical example of a complex learned behavior, yet knowledge of the underlying molecular processes is limited. Therefore, we characterized transcriptomic (RNA-sequencing) and epigenomic (RRBS, reduced representation bisulfite sequencing; immunofluorescence) dynamics in matched zebra finch telencephalon samples of both sexes from 1 day post hatching (1 dph) to adulthood, spanning the critical period for song learning (20 and 65 dph). We identified extensive transcriptional neurodevelopmental changes during postnatal telencephalon development. DNA methylation was very low, yet increased over time, particularly in song control nuclei. Only a small fraction of the massive differential expression in the developing zebra finch telencephalon could be explained by differential CpG and CpH DNA methylation. However, a strong association between DNA methylation and age-dependent gene expression was found for various transcription factors (i.e., OTX2, AR, and FOS) involved in neurodevelopment. Incomplete dosage compensation, independent of DNA methylation, was found to be largely responsible for sexually dimorphic gene expression, with dosage compensation increasing throughout life. In conclusion, our results indicate that DNA methylation regulates neurodevelopmental gene expression dynamics through steering transcription factor activity, but does not explain sexually dimorphic gene expression patterns in zebra finch telencephalon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien Diddens
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry, Proteomics and Epigenetic Signaling (PPES), Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Louis Coussement
- Biobix: Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carolina Frankl-Vilches
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Gaurav Majumdar
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sandra Steyaert
- Biobix: Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sita M Ter Haar
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neuroscience, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Galle
- Biobix: Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ellen De Meester
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sarah De Keulenaer
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Criekinge
- Biobix: Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Charlotte A Cornil
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neuroscience, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neuroscience, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van Der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tim De Meyer
- Biobix: Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Vanden Berghe
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry, Proteomics and Epigenetic Signaling (PPES), Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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6
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Shi Z, Zhang Z, Schaffer L, Huang Z, Fu L, Head S, Gaasterland T, Wang X, Li X. Dynamic transcriptome landscape in the song nucleus HVC between juvenile and adult zebra finches. ADVANCED GENETICS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2021; 2:e10035. [PMID: 36618441 PMCID: PMC9744550 DOI: 10.1002/ggn2.10035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Male juvenile zebra finches learn to sing by imitating songs of adult males early in life. The development of the song control circuit and song learning and maturation are highly intertwined processes, involving gene expression, neurogenesis, circuit formation, synaptic modification, and sensory-motor learning. To better understand the genetic and genomic mechanisms underlying these events, we used RNA-Seq to examine genome-wide transcriptomes in the song control nucleus HVC of male juvenile (45 d) and adult (100 d) zebra finches. We report that gene groups related to axon guidance, RNA processing, lipid metabolism, and mitochondrial functions show enriched expression in juvenile HVC compared to the rest of the brain. As juveniles mature into adulthood, massive gene expression changes occur. Expression of genes related to amino acid metabolism, cell cycle, and mitochondrial function is reduced, accompanied by increased and enriched expression of genes with synaptic functions, including genes related to G-protein signaling, neurotransmitter receptors, transport of small molecules, and potassium channels. Unexpectedly, a group of genes with immune system functions is also developmentally regulated, suggesting potential roles in the development and functions of HVC. These data will serve as a rich resource for investigations into the development and function of a neural circuit that controls vocal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Shi
- Neuroscience Center of ExcellenceLouisiana State University School of MedicineNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Zeyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Network BiologyInstitute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina,University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | | | - Zhi Huang
- Neuroscience Center of ExcellenceLouisiana State University School of MedicineNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Lijuan Fu
- Neuroscience Center of ExcellenceLouisiana State University School of MedicineNew OrleansLouisianaUSA,Present address:
California Medical Innovations InstituteSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Steven Head
- Scripps Research InstituteLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Terry Gaasterland
- Scripps Research InstituteLa JollaCaliforniaUSA,University of California at San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Xiu‐Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Network BiologyInstitute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina,University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - XiaoChing Li
- Neuroscience Center of ExcellenceLouisiana State University School of MedicineNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
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7
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Sinha S, Jones BM, Traniello IM, Bukhari SA, Halfon MS, Hofmann HA, Huang S, Katz PS, Keagy J, Lynch VJ, Sokolowski MB, Stubbs LJ, Tabe-Bordbar S, Wolfner MF, Robinson GE. Behavior-related gene regulatory networks: A new level of organization in the brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:23270-23279. [PMID: 32661177 PMCID: PMC7519311 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1921625117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal networks are the standard heuristic model today for describing brain activity associated with animal behavior. Recent studies have revealed an extensive role for a completely distinct layer of networked activities in the brain-the gene regulatory network (GRN)-that orchestrates expression levels of hundreds to thousands of genes in a behavior-related manner. We examine emerging insights into the relationships between these two types of networks and discuss their interplay in spatial as well as temporal dimensions, across multiple scales of organization. We discuss properties expected of behavior-related GRNs by drawing inspiration from the rich literature on GRNs related to animal development, comparing and contrasting these two broad classes of GRNs as they relate to their respective phenotypic manifestations. Developmental GRNs also represent a third layer of network biology, playing out over a third timescale, which is believed to play a crucial mediatory role between neuronal networks and behavioral GRNs. We end with a special emphasis on social behavior, discuss whether unique GRN organization and cis-regulatory architecture underlies this special class of behavior, and review literature that suggests an affirmative answer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Sinha
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801;
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Beryl M Jones
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Ian M Traniello
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Syed A Bukhari
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
- Informatics Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61820
| | - Marc S Halfon
- Department of Biochemistry, University at Buffalo-State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Sui Huang
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109
| | - Paul S Katz
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003
| | - Jason Keagy
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Vincent J Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo-State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260
| | - Marla B Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
- Program in Child and Brain Development, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Lisa J Stubbs
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Shayan Tabe-Bordbar
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801;
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
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8
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Snell-Rood E, Snell-Rood C. The developmental support hypothesis: adaptive plasticity in neural development in response to cues of social support. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190491. [PMID: 32475336 PMCID: PMC7293157 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Across mammals, cues of developmental support, such as touching, licking or attentiveness, stimulate neural development, behavioural exploration and even overall body growth. Why should such fitness-related traits be so sensitive to developmental conditions? Here, we review what we term the 'developmental support hypothesis', a potential adaptive explanation of this plasticity. Neural development can be a costly process, in terms of time, energy and exposure. However, environmental variability may sometimes compromise parental care during this costly developmental period. We propose this environmental variation has led to the evolution of adaptive plasticity of neural and behavioural development in response to cues of developmental support, where neural development is stimulated in conditions that support associated costs. When parental care is compromised, offspring grow less and adopt a more resilient and stress-responsive strategy, improving their chances of survival in difficult conditions, similar to existing ideas on the adaptive value of early-life programming of stress. The developmental support hypothesis suggests new research directions, such as testing the adaptive value of reduced neural growth and metabolism in stressful conditions, and expanding the range of potential cues animals may attend to as indicators of developmental support. Considering evolutionary and ecologically appropriate cues of social support also has implications for promoting healthy neural development in humans. This article is part of the theme issue 'Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Snell-Rood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Gortner 140, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Claire Snell-Rood
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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9
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Wingfield JC, Ramenofsky M, Hegner RE, Ball GF. Whither the challenge hypothesis? Horm Behav 2020; 123:104588. [PMID: 31525343 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Almost fifty years ago the advent of assay methods to measure circulating levels of hormones revolutionized endocrinology in relation to investigations of free-living and captive animals. This new field "environmental endocrinology" revealed that endocrine profiles in animals in their natural habitat were not only different from captive animals, but often deviated from predictions. It quickly became apparent that the organization and analysis of data from the field should be sorted by life history stages such as for reproductive processes, migration, molt etc. and spaced in time according to natural duration of those processes. Presentation of data by calendar date alone gives much simpler, even misleading, patterns. Stage-organized analyses revealed species-specific patterns of hormone secretion and dramatic inter-individual differences. The "Challenge Hypothesis" sparked exploration of these results, which diverged from expectations of hormone-behavior interactions. The hypothesis led to specific predictions about how the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonad axis, and particularly circulating patterns of testosterone, might respond to social challenges such as simulated territorial intrusions. Initially, a group of studies on free-living and captive birds played a key role in the formulation of the hypothesis. Over the decades since, the effects of social challenge and environmental context on hormonal responses have been tested in all vertebrate taxa, including humans, as well as in insects. Although it is now clear that the Challenge Hypothesis in its original form is simplistic, field and laboratory tests of the hypothesis have led to other concepts that have become seminal to the development of environmental endocrinology as a field. In this special issue these developments are addressed and examples from many different taxa enrich the emerging concepts, paving the way for investigations using recent technologies for genetic and transcriptome analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Marilyn Ramenofsky
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Robert E Hegner
- ICF Incorporated, 27 Tanglewood Road, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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10
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Lovell PV, Wirthlin M, Kaser T, Buckner AA, Carleton JB, Snider BR, McHugh AK, Tolpygo A, Mitra PP, Mello CV. ZEBrA: Zebra finch Expression Brain Atlas-A resource for comparative molecular neuroanatomy and brain evolution studies. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2099-2131. [PMID: 32037563 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
An in-depth understanding of the genetics and evolution of brain function and behavior requires a detailed mapping of gene expression in functional brain circuits across major vertebrate clades. Here we present the Zebra finch Expression Brain Atlas (ZEBrA; www.zebrafinchatlas.org, RRID: SCR_012988), a web-based resource that maps the expression of genes linked to a broad range of functions onto the brain of zebra finches. ZEBrA is a first of its kind gene expression brain atlas for a bird species and a first for any sauropsid. ZEBrA's >3,200 high-resolution digital images of in situ hybridized sections for ~650 genes (as of June 2019) are presented in alignment with an annotated histological atlas and can be browsed down to cellular resolution. An extensive relational database connects expression patterns to information about gene function, mouse expression patterns and phenotypes, and gene involvement in human diseases and communication disorders. By enabling brain-wide gene expression assessments in a bird, ZEBrA provides important substrates for comparative neuroanatomy and molecular brain evolution studies. ZEBrA also provides unique opportunities for linking genetic pathways to vocal learning and motor control circuits, as well as for novel insights into the molecular basis of sex steroids actions, brain dimorphisms, reproductive and social behaviors, sleep function, and adult neurogenesis, among many fundamental themes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V Lovell
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Morgan Wirthlin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Taylor Kaser
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Alexa A Buckner
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Julia B Carleton
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Brian R Snider
- Center for Spoken Language Understanding, Institute on Development and Disability, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Anne K McHugh
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | | | - Partha P Mitra
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York
| | - Claudio V Mello
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
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11
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London SE. Gene manipulation to test links between genome, brain and behavior in developing songbirds: a test case. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:223/Suppl_1/jeb206516. [PMID: 32034039 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.206516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Songbird research has made many seminal contributions to the fields of ethology, endocrinology, physiology, ecology, evolution and neurobiology. Genome manipulation is thus a promising new methodological strategy to enhance the existing strengths of the songbird system to advance and expand fundamental knowledge of how genetic sequences and regulation of genomic function support complex natural learned behaviors. In zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in particular, a rich set of questions about the complex process of developmental song learning in juvenile males has been defined. This Review uses one area of zebra finch song learning to demonstrate how genome editing can advance causal investigations into known genome-brain-behavior relationships. Given the number and diversity of songbird species, comparative work leveraging genome manipulation would expand the influence of these birds in additional fields of ecology and evolution for song learning and other behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E London
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Biology, Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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12
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Acute social isolation alters neurogenomic state in songbird forebrain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 117:23311-23316. [PMID: 31332005 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820841116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prolonged social isolation has negative effects on brain and behavior in humans and other social organisms, but neural mechanisms leading to these effects are not understood. Here we tested the hypothesis that even brief periods of social isolation can alter gene expression and DNA methylation in higher cognitive centers of the brain, focusing on the auditory/associative forebrain of the highly social zebra finch. Using RNA sequencing, we first identified genes that individually increase or decrease expression after isolation and observed general repression of gene sets annotated for neurotrophin pathways and axonal guidance functions. We then pursued 4 genes of large effect size: EGR1 and BDNF (decreased by isolation) and FKBP5 and UTS2B (increased). By in situ hybridization, each gene responded in different cell subsets, arguing against a single cellular mechanism. To test whether effects were specific to the social component of the isolation experience, we compared gene expression in birds isolated either alone or with a single familiar partner. Partner inclusion ameliorated the effect of solo isolation on EGR1 and BDNF, but not on FKBP5 and UTS2B nor on circulating corticosterone. By bisulfite sequencing analysis of auditory forebrain DNA, isolation caused changes in methylation of a subset of differentially expressed genes, including BDNF. Thus, social isolation has rapid consequences on gene activity in a higher integrative center of the brain, triggering epigenetic mechanisms that may influence processing of ongoing experience.
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13
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Lynch KS, O'Connell LA, Louder MIM, Balakrishnan CN, Fischer EK. Understanding the Loss of Maternal Care in Avian Brood Parasites Using Preoptic Area Transcriptome Comparisons in Brood Parasitic and Non-parasitic Blackbirds. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2019; 9:1075-1084. [PMID: 30760540 PMCID: PMC6469424 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Parental care is critical for offspring survival in many species. However, parental behaviors have been lost in roughly 1% of avian species known as the obligate brood parasites. To shed light on molecular and neurobiological mechanisms mediating brood parasitic behavior, we compared brain gene expression patterns between two brood parasitic species and one closely related non-parasitic Icterid (blackbird) species. Our analyses focused on gene expression changes specifically in the preoptic area (POA), a brain region known to play a critical role in parental behavior across vertebrates. Using comparative transcriptomic approaches, we identified gene expression patterns associated with brood parasitism. We evaluated three non-mutually exclusive alternatives for the evolution of brood parasitism: (1) retention of juvenile-like (neotenic) gene expression, (2) reduced expression of maternal care-related genes in the POA, and/or (3) increased expression of genes inhibiting maternal care. We find evidence for neotenic expression patterns in both species of parasitic cowbirds as compared to maternal, non-parasites. In addition, we observed differential expression in a number of genes with previously established roles in mediating maternal care. Together, these results provide the first insight into transcriptomic and genetic mechanisms underlying the loss of maternal behavior in avian brood parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Matthew I M Louder
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University: Greenville, NC, 27858
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | | | - Eva K Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
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14
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Horton BM, Ryder TB, Moore IT, Balakrishnan CN. Gene expression in the social behavior network of the wire-tailed manakin (Pipra filicauda) brain. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12560. [PMID: 30756473 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate basal forebrain and midbrain contain a set of interconnected nuclei that control social behavior. Conserved anatomical structures and functions of these nuclei have now been documented among fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, and these brain regions have come to be known as the vertebrate social behavior network (SBN). While it is known that nuclei (nodes) of the SBN are rich in steroid and neuropeptide activity linked to behavior, simultaneous variation in the expression of neuroendocrine genes among several SBN nuclei has not yet been described in detail. In this study, we use RNA-seq to profile gene expression across seven brain regions representing five nodes of the vertebrate SBN in a passerine bird, the wire-tailed manakin Pipra filicauda. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we reconstructed sets of coregulated genes, showing striking patterns of variation in neuroendocrine gene expression across the SBN. We describe regional variation in gene networks comprising a broad set of hormone receptors, neuropeptides, steroidogenic enzymes, catecholamines and other neuroendocrine signaling molecules. Our findings show heterogeneous patterns of brain gene expression across nodes of the avian SBN and provide a foundation for future analyses of how the regulation of gene networks may mediate social behavior. These results highlight the importance of region-specific sampling in studies of the mechanisms of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent M Horton
- Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, Pennsylvania
| | - Thomas B Ryder
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia
| | - Ignacio T Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
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15
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Lovell PV, Huizinga NA, Getachew A, Mees B, Friedrich SR, Wirthlin M, Mello CV. Curation of microarray oligonucleotides and corresponding ESTs/cDNAs used for gene expression analysis in zebra finches. BMC Res Notes 2018; 11:309. [PMID: 29776372 PMCID: PMC5960091 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3402-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Zebra finches are a major model organism for investigating mechanisms of vocal learning, a trait that enables spoken language in humans. The development of cDNA collections with expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and microarrays has allowed for extensive molecular characterizations of circuitry underlying vocal learning and production. However, poor database curation can lead to errors in transcriptome and bioinformatics analyses, limiting the impact of these resources. Here we used genomic alignments and synteny analysis for orthology verification to curate and reannotate ~ 35% of the oligonucleotides and corresponding ESTs/cDNAs that make-up Agilent microarrays for gene expression analysis in finches. DATA DESCRIPTION We found that: (1) 5475 out of 43,084 oligos (a) failed to align to the zebra finch genome, (b) aligned to multiple loci, or (c) aligned to Chr_un only, and thus need to be flagged until a better genome assembly is available, or (d) reflect cloning artifacts; (2) Out of 9635 valid oligos examined further, 3120 were incorrectly named, including 1533 with no known orthologs; and (3) 2635 oligos required name update. The resulting curated dataset provides a reference for correcting gene identification errors in previous finch microarrays studies, and avoiding such errors in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V Lovell
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU, Portland, OR, 97221, USA
| | - Nicole A Huizinga
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU, Portland, OR, 97221, USA
| | - Abel Getachew
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU, Portland, OR, 97221, USA
| | - Brianna Mees
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU, Portland, OR, 97221, USA
| | | | - Morgan Wirthlin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU, Portland, OR, 97221, USA.,Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Claudio V Mello
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU, Portland, OR, 97221, USA.
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16
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Lovell PV, Huizinga NA, Friedrich SR, Wirthlin M, Mello CV. The constitutive differential transcriptome of a brain circuit for vocal learning. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:231. [PMID: 29614959 PMCID: PMC5883274 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4578-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The ability to imitate the vocalizations of other organisms, a trait known as vocal learning, is shared by only a few organisms, including humans, where it subserves the acquisition of speech and language, and 3 groups of birds. In songbirds, vocal learning requires the coordinated activity of a set of specialized brain nuclei referred to as the song control system. Recent efforts have revealed some of the genes that are expressed in these vocal nuclei, however a thorough characterization of the transcriptional specializations of this system is still missing. We conducted a rigorous and comprehensive analysis of microarrays, and conducted a separate analysis of 380 genes by in situ hybridizations in order to identify molecular specializations of the major nuclei of the song system of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), a songbird species. Results Our efforts identified more than 3300 genes that are differentially regulated in one or more vocal nuclei of adult male birds compared to the adjacent brain regions. Bioinformatics analyses provided insights into the possible involvement of these genes in molecular pathways such as cellular morphogenesis, intrinsic cellular excitability, neurotransmission and neuromodulation, axonal guidance and cela-to-cell interactions, and cell survival, which are known to strongly influence the functional properties of the song system. Moreover, an in-depth analysis of specific gene families with known involvement in regulating the development and physiological properties of neuronal circuits provides further insights into possible modulators of the song system. Conclusion Our study represents one of the most comprehensive molecular characterizations of a brain circuit that evolved to facilitate a learned behavior in a vertebrate. The data provide novel insights into possible molecular determinants of the functional properties of the song control circuitry. It also provides lists of compelling targets for pharmacological and genetic manipulations to elucidate the molecular regulation of song behavior and vocal learning. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4578-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V Lovell
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Sciences University, 3181 Sam Jackson Park Rd L470, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Nicole A Huizinga
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Sciences University, 3181 Sam Jackson Park Rd L470, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Samantha R Friedrich
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Sciences University, 3181 Sam Jackson Park Rd L470, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Morgan Wirthlin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Sciences University, 3181 Sam Jackson Park Rd L470, Portland, OR, USA.,Current affiliation: Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Claudio V Mello
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Sciences University, 3181 Sam Jackson Park Rd L470, Portland, OR, USA.
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17
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Järvelä I. Genomics studies on musical aptitude, music perception, and practice. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1423:82-91. [PMID: 29570792 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
When searching for genetic markers inherited together with musical aptitude, genes affecting inner ear development and brain function were identified. The alpha-synuclein gene (SNCA), located in the most significant linkage region of musical aptitude, was overexpressed when listening and performing music. The GATA-binding protein 2 gene (GATA2) was located in the best associated region of musical aptitude and regulates SNCA in dopaminergic neurons, thus linking DNA- and RNA-based studies of music-related traits together. In addition to SNCA, several other genes were linked to dopamine metabolism. Mutations in SNCA predispose to Lewy-body dementia and cause Parkinson disease in humans and affect song production in songbirds. Several other birdsong genes were found in transcriptome analysis, suggesting a common evolutionary background of sound perception and production in humans and songbirds. Regions of positive selection with musical aptitude contained genes affecting auditory perception, cognitive performance, memory, human language development, and song perception and production of songbirds. The data support the role of dopaminergic pathway and their link to the reward mechanism as a molecular determinant in positive selection of music. Integration of gene-level data from the literature across multiple species prioritized activity-dependent immediate early genes as candidate genes in musical aptitude and listening to and performing music.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irma Järvelä
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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18
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Rittschof CC, Hughes KA. Advancing behavioural genomics by considering timescale. Nat Commun 2018; 9:489. [PMID: 29434301 PMCID: PMC5809431 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-02971-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behavioural traits often covary with gene expression, pointing towards a genomic constraint on organismal responses to environmental cues. This pattern highlights a gap in our understanding of the time course of environmentally responsive gene expression, and moreover, how these dynamics are regulated. Advances in behavioural genomics explore how gene expression dynamics are correlated with behavioural traits that range from stable to highly labile. We consider the idea that certain genomic regulatory mechanisms may predict the timescale of an environmental effect on behaviour. This temporally minded approach could inform both organismal and evolutionary questions ranging from the remediation of early life social trauma to understanding the evolution of trait plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
| | - Kimberly A Hughes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
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19
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Khan AM, Grant AH, Martinez A, Burns GAPC, Thatcher BS, Anekonda VT, Thompson BW, Roberts ZS, Moralejo DH, Blevins JE. Mapping Molecular Datasets Back to the Brain Regions They are Extracted from: Remembering the Native Countries of Hypothalamic Expatriates and Refugees. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2018; 21:101-193. [PMID: 30334222 PMCID: PMC6310046 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-94593-4_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This article focuses on approaches to link transcriptomic, proteomic, and peptidomic datasets mined from brain tissue to the original locations within the brain that they are derived from using digital atlas mapping techniques. We use, as an example, the transcriptomic, proteomic and peptidomic analyses conducted in the mammalian hypothalamus. Following a brief historical overview, we highlight studies that have mined biochemical and molecular information from the hypothalamus and then lay out a strategy for how these data can be linked spatially to the mapped locations in a canonical brain atlas where the data come from, thereby allowing researchers to integrate these data with other datasets across multiple scales. A key methodology that enables atlas-based mapping of extracted datasets-laser-capture microdissection-is discussed in detail, with a view of how this technology is a bridge between systems biology and systems neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshad M Khan
- UTEP Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA.
- Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA.
| | - Alice H Grant
- UTEP Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
- Graduate Program in Pathobiology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Anais Martinez
- UTEP Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
- Graduate Program in Pathobiology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Gully A P C Burns
- Information Sciences Institute, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Brendan S Thatcher
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Office of Research and Development Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Vishwanath T Anekonda
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Office of Research and Development Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Benjamin W Thompson
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Office of Research and Development Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zachary S Roberts
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Office of Research and Development Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Daniel H Moralejo
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James E Blevins
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Office of Research and Development Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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Oikkonen J, Onkamo P, Järvelä I, Kanduri C. Convergent evidence for the molecular basis of musical traits. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39707. [PMID: 28004803 PMCID: PMC5177873 DOI: 10.1038/srep39707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To obtain aggregate evidence for the molecular basis of musical abilities and the effects of music, we integrated gene-level data from 105 published studies across multiple species including humans, songbirds and several other animals and used a convergent evidence method to prioritize the top candidate genes. Several of the identified top candidate genes like EGR1, FOS, ARC, BDNF and DUSP1 are known to be activity-dependent immediate early genes that respond to sensory and motor stimuli in the brain. Several other top candidate genes like MAPK10, SNCA, ARHGAP24, TET2, UBE2D3, FAM13A and NUDT9 are located on chromosome 4q21-q24, on the candidate genomic region for music abilities in humans. Functional annotation analyses showed the enrichment of genes involved in functions like cognition, learning, memory, neuronal excitation and apoptosis, long-term potentiation and CDK5 signaling pathway. Interestingly, all these biological functions are known to be essential processes underlying learning and memory that are also fundamental for musical abilities including recognition and production of sound. In summary, our study prioritized top candidate genes related to musical traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaana Oikkonen
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 720, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Päivi Onkamo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Irma Järvelä
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 720, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chakravarthi Kanduri
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 720, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
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21
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Wheatcroft D, Qvarnström A. A blueprint for vocal learning: auditory predispositions from brains to genomes. Biol Lett 2016; 11:rsbl.2015.0155. [PMID: 26246333 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Memorizing and producing complex strings of sound are requirements for spoken human language. We share these behaviours with likely more than 4000 species of songbirds, making birds our primary model for studying the cognitive basis of vocal learning and, more generally, an important model for how memories are encoded in the brain. In songbirds, as in humans, the sounds that a juvenile learns later in life depend on auditory memories formed early in development. Experiments on a wide variety of songbird species suggest that the formation and lability of these auditory memories, in turn, depend on auditory predispositions that stimulate learning when a juvenile hears relevant, species-typical sounds. We review evidence that variation in key features of these auditory predispositions are determined by variation in genes underlying the development of the auditory system. We argue that increased investigation of the neuronal basis of auditory predispositions expressed early in life in combination with modern comparative genomic approaches may provide insights into the evolution of vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Wheatcroft
- Animal Ecology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Animal Ecology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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22
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Lea AJ, Altmann J, Alberts SC, Tung J. Resource base influences genome-wide DNA methylation levels in wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus). Mol Ecol 2016; 25:1681-96. [PMID: 26508127 PMCID: PMC4846536 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Variation in resource availability commonly exerts strong effects on fitness-related traits in wild animals. However, we know little about the molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects, or about their persistence over time. To address these questions, we profiled genome-wide whole-blood DNA methylation levels in two sets of wild baboons: (i) 'wild-feeding' baboons that foraged naturally in a savanna environment and (ii) 'Lodge' baboons that had ready access to spatially concentrated human food scraps, resulting in high feeding efficiency and low daily travel distances. We identified 1014 sites (0.20% of sites tested) that were differentially methylated between wild-feeding and Lodge baboons, providing the first evidence that resource availability shapes the epigenome in a wild mammal. Differentially methylated sites tended to occur in contiguous stretches (i.e., in differentially methylated regions or DMRs), in promoters and enhancers, and near metabolism-related genes, supporting their functional importance in gene regulation. In agreement, reporter assay experiments confirmed that methylation at the largest identified DMR, located in the promoter of a key glycolysis-related gene, was sufficient to causally drive changes in gene expression. Intriguingly, all dispersing males carried a consistent epigenetic signature of their membership in a wild-feeding group, regardless of whether males dispersed into or out of this group as adults. Together, our findings support a role for DNA methylation in mediating ecological effects on phenotypic traits in the wild and emphasize the dynamic environmental sensitivity of DNA methylation levels across the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J. Lea
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jeanne Altmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, 106A Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, P. O. Box 24481, Karen 00502, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, P. O. Box 24481, Karen 00502, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, P. O. Box 24481, Karen 00502, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Box 90383, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Duke University Population Research Institute, Box 90420, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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23
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A genome-wide search for epigenetically [corrected] regulated genes in zebra finch using MethylCap-seq and RNA-seq. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20957. [PMID: 26864856 PMCID: PMC4750092 DOI: 10.1038/srep20957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning and memory formation are known to require dynamic CpG (de)methylation and gene expression changes. Here, we aimed at establishing a genome-wide DNA methylation map of the zebra finch genome, a model organism in neuroscience, as well as identifying putatively epigenetically regulated genes. RNA- and MethylCap-seq experiments were performed on two zebra finch cell lines in presence or absence of 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine induced demethylation. First, the MethylCap-seq methodology was validated in zebra finch by comparison with RRBS-generated data. To assess the influence of (variable) methylation on gene expression, RNA-seq experiments were performed as well. Comparison of RNA-seq and MethylCap-seq results showed that at least 357 of the 3,457 AZA-upregulated genes are putatively regulated by methylation in the promoter region, for which a pathway analysis showed remarkable enrichment for neurological networks. A subset of genes was validated using Exon Arrays, quantitative RT-PCR and CpG pyrosequencing on bisulfite-treated samples. To our knowledge, this study provides the first genome-wide DNA methylation map of the zebra finch genome as well as a comprehensive set of genes of which transcription is under putative methylation control.
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24
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Zinzow-Kramer WM, Horton BM, McKee CD, Michaud JM, Tharp GK, Thomas JW, Tuttle EM, Yi S, Maney DL. Genes located in a chromosomal inversion are correlated with territorial song in white-throated sparrows. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 14:641-54. [PMID: 26463687 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The genome of the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) contains an inversion polymorphism on chromosome 2 that is linked to predictable variation in a suite of phenotypic traits including plumage color, aggression and parental behavior. Differences in gene expression between the two color morphs, which represent the two common inversion genotypes (ZAL2/ZAL2 and ZAL2/ZAL2(m) ), may therefore advance our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of these phenotypes. To identify genes that are differentially expressed between the two morphs and correlated with behavior, we quantified gene expression and terrirorial aggression, including song, in a population of free-living white-throated sparrows. We analyzed gene expression in two brain regions, the medial amygdala (MeA) and hypothalamus. Both regions are part of a 'social behavior network', which is rich in steroid hormone receptors and previously linked with territorial behavior. Using weighted gene co-expression network analyses, we identified modules of genes that were correlated with both morph and singing behavior. The majority of these genes were located within the inversion, showing the profound effect of the inversion on the expression of genes captured by the rearrangement. These modules were enriched with genes related to retinoic acid signaling and basic cellular functioning. In the MeA, the most prominent pathways were those related to steroid hormone receptor activity. Within these pathways, the only gene encoding such a receptor was ESR1 (estrogen receptor 1), a gene previously shown to predict song rate in this species. The set of candidate genes we identified may mediate the effects of a chromosomal inversion on territorial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - B M Horton
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - C D McKee
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - J M Michaud
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - G K Tharp
- Yerkes Nonhuman Primate Genomics Core, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - J W Thomas
- NIH Intramural Sequencing Center, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD
| | - E M Tuttle
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN.,The Center for Genomic Advocacy, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN
| | - S Yi
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - D L Maney
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
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25
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Chu CC, Zavala JA, Spencer JL, Curzi MJ, Fields CJ, Drnevich J, Siegfried BD, Seufferheld MJ. Patterns of differential gene expression in adult rotation-resistant and wild-type western corn rootworm digestive tracts. Evol Appl 2015; 8:692-704. [PMID: 26240606 PMCID: PMC4516421 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The western corn rootworm (WCR,Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) is an important pest of corn. Annual crop rotation between corn and soybean disrupts the corn-dependent WCR life cycle and is widely adopted to manage this pest. This strategy selected for rotation-resistant (RR) WCR with reduced ovipositional fidelity to corn. Previous studies revealed that RR-WCR adults exhibit greater tolerance of soybean diets, different gut physiology, and host-microbe interactions compared to rotation-susceptible wild types (WT). To identify the genetic mechanisms underlying these phenotypic changes, a de novo assembly of the WCR adult gut transcriptome was constructed and used for RNA-sequencing analyses of RNA libraries from different WCR phenotypes fed with corn or soybean diets. Global gene expression profiles of WT- and RR-WCR were similar when feeding on corn diets, but different when feeding on soybean. Using network-based methods, we identified gene modules transcriptionally correlated with the RR phenotype. Gene ontology enrichment analyses indicated that the functions of these modules were related to metabolic processes, immune responses, biological adhesion, and other functions/processes that appear to correlate to documented traits in RR populations. These results suggest that gut transcriptomic divergence correlated with brief soybean feeding and other physiological traits may exist between RR- and WT-WCR adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ching Chu
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jorge A Zavala
- Facultad de Agronomía, Cátedra de Bioquímica INBA-CONICET, University of Buenos Aires-CONICET Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Joseph L Spencer
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Champaign, IL, USA
| | | | - Christopher J Fields
- High-Performance Biological Computing, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jenny Drnevich
- High-Performance Biological Computing, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - Manfredo J Seufferheld
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana, IL, USA ; Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Champaign, IL, USA
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26
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Khamis AM, Hamilton AR, Medvedeva YA, Alam T, Alam I, Essack M, Umylny B, Jankovic BR, Naeger NL, Suzuki M, Harbers M, Robinson GE, Bajic VB. Insights into the Transcriptional Architecture of Behavioral Plasticity in the Honey Bee Apis mellifera. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11136. [PMID: 26073445 PMCID: PMC4466890 DOI: 10.1038/srep11136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee colonies exhibit an age-related division of labor, with worker bees performing discrete sets of behaviors throughout their lifespan. These behavioral states are associated with distinct brain transcriptomic states, yet little is known about the regulatory mechanisms governing them. We used CAGEscan (a variant of the Cap Analysis of Gene Expression technique) for the first time to characterize the promoter regions of differentially expressed brain genes during two behavioral states (brood care (aka “nursing”) and foraging) and identified transcription factors (TFs) that may govern their expression. More than half of the differentially expressed TFs were associated with motifs enriched in the promoter regions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), suggesting they are regulators of behavioral state. Strikingly, five TFs (nf-kb, egr, pax6, hairy, and clockwork orange) were predicted to co-regulate nearly half of the genes that were upregulated in foragers. Finally, differences in alternative TSS usage between nurses and foragers were detected upstream of 646 genes, whose functional analysis revealed enrichment for Gene Ontology terms associated with neural function and plasticity. This demonstrates for the first time that alternative TSSs are associated with stable differences in behavior, suggesting they may play a role in organizing behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah M Khamis
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adam R Hamilton
- Departments of Entomology and Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL 61801; and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Yulia A Medvedeva
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tanvir Alam
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Intikhab Alam
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Magbubah Essack
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Boris Umylny
- Lumenogix Inc., 2935 Rodeo Park Drive East, Santa Fe NM, 87505, USA
| | - Boris R Jankovic
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nicholas L Naeger
- Departments of Entomology and Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL 61801; and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Makoto Suzuki
- DNAFORM Inc., Leading Venture Plaza-2, 75-1, Ono-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0046, Japan
| | - Matthias Harbers
- 1] DNAFORM Inc., Leading Venture Plaza-2, 75-1, Ono-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0046, Japan [2] RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Departments of Entomology and Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL 61801; and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Vladimir B Bajic
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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27
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Wong RY, Lamm MS, Godwin J. Characterizing the neurotranscriptomic states in alternative stress coping styles. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:425. [PMID: 26032017 PMCID: PMC4450845 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1626-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animals experience stress in many contexts and often successfully cope. Individuals exhibiting the proactive versus reactive stress coping styles display qualitatively different behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to stressors. The predisposition to exhibiting a particular coping style is due to genetic and environmental factors. In this study we explore the neurotranscriptomic and gene network biases that are associated with differences between zebrafish (Danio rerio) lines selected for proactive and reactive coping styles and reared in a common garden environment. RESULTS Using RNA-sequencing we quantified the basal transcriptomes from the brains of wild-derived zebrafish lines selectively bred to exhibit the proactive or reactive stress coping style. We identified 1953 genes that differed in baseline gene expression levels. Weighted gene coexpression network analyses identified one gene module associated with line differences. Together with our previous pharmacological experiment, we identified a core set of 62 genes associated with line differences. Gene ontology analyses reveal that many of these core genes are implicated in neurometabolism (e.g. organic acid biosynthetic and fatty acid metabolic processes). CONCLUSIONS Our results show that proactive and reactive stress coping individuals display distinct basal neurotranscriptomic states. Differences in baseline expression of select genes or regulation of specific gene modules are linked to the magnitude of the behavioral response and the display of a coping style, respectively. Our results expand the molecular mechanisms of stress coping from one focused on the neurotransmitter systems to a more complex system that involves an organism's capability to handle neurometabolic loads and allows for comparisons with other animal taxa to uncover potential conserved mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Y Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Box 7614, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA.
- Current Address: Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA.
| | - Melissa S Lamm
- Department of Biological Sciences, W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Box 7614, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA.
| | - John Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Box 7614, Raleigh, NC 27695-7614, USA.
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28
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Olson CR, Hodges LK, Mello CV. Dynamic gene expression in the song system of zebra finches during the song learning period. Dev Neurobiol 2015; 75:1315-38. [PMID: 25787707 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The brain circuitry that controls song learning and production undergoes marked changes in morphology and connectivity during the song learning period in juvenile zebra finches, in parallel to the acquisition, practice and refinement of song. Yet, the genetic programs and timing of regulatory change that establish the neuronal connectivity and plasticity during this critical learning period remain largely undetermined. To address this question, we used in situ hybridization to compare the expression patterns of a set of 30 known robust molecular markers of HVC and/or area X, major telencephalic song nuclei, between adult and juvenile male zebra finches at different ages during development (20, 35, 50 days post-hatch, dph). We found that several of the genes examined undergo substantial changes in expression within HVC or its surrounds, and/or in other song nuclei. They fit into broad patterns of regulation, including those whose expression within HVC during this period increases (COL12A1, COL 21A1, MPZL1, PVALB, and CXCR7) or decreases (e.g., KCNT2, SAP30L), as well as some that show decreased expression in the surrounding tissue with little change within song nuclei (e.g. SV2B, TAC1). These results reveal a broad range of molecular changes that occur in the song system in concert with the song learning period. Some of the genes and pathways identified are potential modulators of the developmental changes associated with the emergence of the adult properties of the song control system, and/or the acquisition of learned vocalizations in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Olson
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road L470, Portland, Oregon, 97239-3098
| | - Lisa K Hodges
- Biology Department, Lewis and Clark College, 0615 S.W. Palatine Hill Road, Portland, Oregon 97219
| | - Claudio V Mello
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road L470, Portland, Oregon, 97239-3098
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29
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Frankl-Vilches C, Kuhl H, Werber M, Klages S, Kerick M, Bakker A, de Oliveira EH, Reusch C, Capuano F, Vowinckel J, Leitner S, Ralser M, Timmermann B, Gahr M. Using the canary genome to decipher the evolution of hormone-sensitive gene regulation in seasonal singing birds. Genome Biol 2015; 16:19. [PMID: 25631560 PMCID: PMC4373106 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-014-0578-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the song of all songbirds is controlled by the same neural circuit, the hormone dependence of singing behavior varies greatly between species. For this reason, songbirds are ideal organisms to study ultimate and proximate mechanisms of hormone-dependent behavior and neuronal plasticity. RESULTS We present the high quality assembly and annotation of a female 1.2-Gbp canary genome. Whole genome alignments between the canary and 13 genomes throughout the bird taxa show a much-conserved synteny, whereas at the single-base resolution there are considerable species differences. These differences impact small sequence motifs like transcription factor binding sites such as estrogen response elements and androgen response elements. To relate these species-specific response elements to the hormone-sensitivity of the canary singing behavior, we identify seasonal testosterone-sensitive transcriptomes of major song-related brain regions, HVC and RA, and find the seasonal gene networks related to neuronal differentiation only in the HVC. Testosterone-sensitive up-regulated gene networks of HVC of singing males concerned neuronal differentiation. Among the testosterone-regulated genes of canary HVC, 20% lack estrogen response elements and 4 to 8% lack androgen response elements in orthologous promoters in the zebra finch. CONCLUSIONS The canary genome sequence and complementary expression analysis reveal intra-regional evolutionary changes in a multi-regional neural circuit controlling seasonal singing behavior and identify gene evolution related to the hormone-sensitivity of this seasonal singing behavior. Such genes that are testosterone- and estrogen-sensitive specifically in the canary and that are involved in rewiring of neurons might be crucial for seasonal re-differentiation of HVC underlying seasonal song patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Frankl-Vilches
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Heiner Kuhl
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Martin Werber
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sven Klages
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Martin Kerick
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Antje Bakker
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Edivaldo Hc de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Cultura de Tecidos e Citogenética, SAMAM, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua, Pará, and Faculdade de Ciências Naturais (ICEN), Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, 66075-110, Brazil.
| | - Christina Reusch
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Floriana Capuano
- Department of Biochemistry and Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK.
| | - Jakob Vowinckel
- Department of Biochemistry and Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK.
| | - Stefan Leitner
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Markus Ralser
- Department of Biochemistry and Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK.
- Division of Physiology and Metabolism, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, the Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK.
| | - Bernd Timmermann
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Sequencing Core Facility, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Manfred Gahr
- Department of Behavioral Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.
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30
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Lin YC, Balakrishnan CN, Clayton DF. Functional genomic analysis and neuroanatomical localization of miR-2954, a song-responsive sex-linked microRNA in the zebra finch. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:409. [PMID: 25565940 PMCID: PMC4267206 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural experience can cause complex changes in gene expression in brain centers for cognition and perception, but the mechanisms that link perceptual experience and neurogenomic regulation are not understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) have the potential to regulate large gene expression networks, and a previous study showed that a natural perceptual stimulus (hearing the sound of birdsong in zebra finches) triggers rapid changes in expression of several miRs in the auditory forebrain. Here we evaluate the functional potential of one of these, miR-2954, which has been found so far only in birds and is encoded on the Z sex chromosome. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we show that miR-2954 is present in subsets of cells in the sexually dimorphic brain regions involved in song production and perception, with notable enrichment in cell nuclei. We then probe its regulatory function by inhibiting its expression in a zebra finch cell line (G266) and measuring effects on endogenous gene expression using Illumina RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Approximately 1000 different mRNAs change in expression by 1.5-fold or more (adjusted p < 0.01), with increases in some but not all of the targets that had been predicted by Targetscan. The population of RNAs that increase after miR-2954 inhibition is notably enriched for ones involved in the MAP Kinase (MAPK) pathway, whereas the decreasing population is dominated by genes involved in ribosomes and mitochondrial function. Since song stimulation itself triggers a decrease in miR-2954 expression followed by a delayed decrease in genes encoding ribosomal and mitochondrial functions, we suggest that miR-2954 may mediate some of the neurogenomic effects of song habituation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Chi Lin
- Genomics of Neural and Behavioral Plasticity Theme, Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA ; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | | | - David F Clayton
- Genomics of Neural and Behavioral Plasticity Theme, Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA ; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA ; Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London London, UK
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31
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Dittrich F, Ramenda C, Grillitsch D, Frankl-Vilches C, Ko MC, Hertel M, Goymann W, ter Maat A, Gahr M. Regulatory mechanisms of testosterone-stimulated song in the sensorimotor nucleus HVC of female songbirds. BMC Neurosci 2014; 15:128. [PMID: 25442096 PMCID: PMC4261767 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-014-0128-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In male birds, influence of the sex steroid hormone testosterone and its estrogenic metabolites on seasonal song behavior has been demonstrated for many species. In contrast, female song was only recently recognized to be widespread among songbird species, and to date, sex hormone effects on singing and brain regions controlling song development and production (song control nuclei) have been studied in females almost exclusively using domesticated canaries (Serinus canaria). However, domesticated female canaries hardly sing at all in normal circumstances and exhibit only very weak, if any, song seasonally under the natural photoperiod. By contrast, adult female European robins (Erithacus rubecula) routinely sing during the winter season, a time when they defend feeding territories and show elevated circulating testosterone levels. We therefore used wild female European robins captured in the fall to examine the effects of testosterone administration on song as well as on the anatomy and the transcriptome of the song control nucleus HVC (sic). The results obtained from female robins were compared to outcomes of a similar experiment done in female domesticated canaries. Results Testosterone treatment induced abundant song in female robins. Examination of HVC transcriptomes and histological analyses of song control nuclei showed testosterone-induced differentiation processes related to neuron growth and spacing, angiogenesis and neuron projection morphogenesis. Similar effects were found in female canaries treated with testosterone. In contrast, the expression of genes related to synaptic transmission was not enhanced in the HVC of testosterone treated female robins but was strongly up-regulated in female canaries. A comparison of the testosterone-stimulated transcriptomes indicated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) likely functions as a common mediator of the testosterone effects in HVC. Conclusions Testosterone-induced singing of female robins correlated with cellular differentiation processes in the HVC that were partially similar to those seen in the HVC of testosterone-treated female canaries. Other modes of testosterone action, notably related to synaptic transmission, appeared to be regulated in a more species-specific manner in the female HVC. Divergent effects of testosterone on the HVC of different species might be related to differences between species in regulatory mechanisms of the singing behavior. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12868-014-0128-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk Dittrich
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Eberhard-Gwinner Strasse, Haus 6a, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany.
| | - Claudia Ramenda
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Eberhard-Gwinner Strasse, Haus 6a, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany.
| | - Doris Grillitsch
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Eberhard-Gwinner Strasse, Haus 6a, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany.
| | - Carolina Frankl-Vilches
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Eberhard-Gwinner Strasse, Haus 6a, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany.
| | - Meng-Ching Ko
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Eberhard-Gwinner Strasse, Haus 6a, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany.
| | - Moritz Hertel
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Eberhard-Gwinner Strasse, Haus 6a, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany.
| | - Wolfgang Goymann
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Eberhard-Gwinner Strasse, Haus 6a, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany.
| | - Andries ter Maat
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Eberhard-Gwinner Strasse, Haus 6a, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany.
| | - Manfred Gahr
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Eberhard-Gwinner Strasse, Haus 6a, Seewiesen, 82319, Germany.
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Ruploh T, Henning M, Bischof HJ, von Engelhardt N. Effects of social conditions during adolescence on courtship and aggressive behavior are not abolished by adult social experience. Dev Psychobiol 2014; 57:73-82. [PMID: 25545997 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Social experience during adolescence has long-lasting consequences for adult social behavior in many species. In zebra finches, individuals reared in pairs during adolescence start to court females faster, sing more courtship motifs to females and are more aggressive compared with group-reared males. We investigated whether such differences are stable during adulthood or can be abolished by novel social experience after adolescence by giving all birds extensive experience with group life during adulthood. Courtship and aggressiveness increased in all males, but pair-reared males still had a higher motif rate and were more aggressive than group-reared males. Males no longer differed in courtship latency. In addition to the stable treatment differences, individual differences in behavior remained stable over time. Our results show that differences in behavior acquired during adolescence are preserved into adulthood, although adults still change their social behavior. Adolescence can thus be seen as a sensitive period during which social conditions have a lasting effect on adult behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Ruploh
- Lehrstuhl Verhaltensforschung, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, D-33501, Bielefeld, Germany
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The opportunities and challenges of large-scale molecular approaches to songbird neurobiology. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 50:70-6. [PMID: 25280907 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput methods for analyzing genome structure and function are having a large impact in songbird neurobiology. Methods include genome sequencing and annotation, comparative genomics, DNA microarrays and transcriptomics, and the development of a brain atlas of gene expression. Key emerging findings include the identification of complex transcriptional programs active during singing, the robust brain expression of non-coding RNAs, evidence of profound variations in gene expression across brain regions, and the identification of molecular specializations within song production and learning circuits. Current challenges include the statistical analysis of large datasets, effective genome curations, the efficient localization of gene expression changes to specific neuronal circuits and cells, and the dissection of behavioral and environmental factors that influence brain gene expression. The field requires efficient methods for comparisons with organisms like chicken, which offer important anatomical, functional and behavioral contrasts. As sequencing costs plummet, opportunities emerge for comparative approaches that may help reveal evolutionary transitions contributing to vocal learning, social behavior and other properties that make songbirds such compelling research subjects.
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Abstract
Researchers studying the adaptive significance of behaviour typically assume that genetic mechanisms will not inhibit evolutionary trajectories, an assumption commonly known as the 'phenotypic gambit'. Although the phenotypic gambit continues to be a useful heuristic for behavioural ecology, here we discuss how genomic methods provide new tools and conceptual approaches that are relevant to behavioural ecology. We first describe how the concept of a genetic toolkit for behaviour can allow behavioural ecologists to synthesize both genomic and ecological information when assessing behavioural adaptation. Then we show how gene expression profiles can be viewed as complex phenotypic measurements, used to (1) predict behaviour, (2) evaluate phenotypic plasticity and (3) devise methods to manipulate behaviour in order to test adaptive hypotheses. We propose that advances in genomics and bioinformatics may allow researchers to overcome some of the logistical obstacles that motivated the inception of the phenotypic gambit. Behavioural ecology and genomics are mutually informative, providing potential synergy that could lead to powerful advances in the field of animal behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology and Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Department of Entomology and Institute for Genomic Biology, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
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Balakrishnan CN, Mukai M, Gonser RA, Wingfield JC, London SE, Tuttle EM, Clayton DF. Brain transcriptome sequencing and assembly of three songbird model systems for the study of social behavior. PeerJ 2014; 2:e396. [PMID: 24883256 PMCID: PMC4034602 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Emberizid sparrows (emberizidae) have played a prominent role in the study of avian vocal communication and social behavior. We present here brain transcriptomes for three emberizid model systems, song sparrow Melospiza melodia, white-throated sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis, and Gambel's white-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii. Each of the assemblies covered fully or in part, over 89% of the previously annotated protein coding genes in the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata, with 16,846, 15,805, and 16,646 unique BLAST hits in song, white-throated and white-crowned sparrows, respectively. As in previous studies, we find tissue of origin (auditory forebrain versus hypothalamus and whole brain) as an important determinant of overall expression profile. We also demonstrate the successful isolation of RNA and RNA-sequencing from post-mortem samples from building strikes and suggest that such an approach could be useful when traditional sampling opportunities are limited. These transcriptomes will be an important resource for the study of social behavior in birds and for data driven annotation of forthcoming whole genome sequences for these and other bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Motoko Mukai
- Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY , USA ; Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California , Davis, CA , USA
| | - Rusty A Gonser
- Department of Biology and The Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University , Terre Haute, IN , USA
| | - John C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California , Davis, CA , USA
| | - Sarah E London
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago , Chicago, IL , USA
| | - Elaina M Tuttle
- Department of Biology and The Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), Indiana State University , Terre Haute, IN , USA
| | - David F Clayton
- Division of Biological & Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London , London , UK
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Mensaert K, Denil S, Trooskens G, Van Criekinge W, Thas O, De Meyer T. Next-generation technologies and data analytical approaches for epigenomics. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2014; 55:155-70. [PMID: 24327356 DOI: 10.1002/em.21841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Revised: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics refers to the collection of heritable features that modulate the genome-environment interaction without being encoded in the actual DNA sequence. While being mitotically and sometimes even meiotically transmitted, epigenetic traits often demonstrate extensive flexibility. This allows cells to acquire diverse gene expression patterns during differentiation, but also to adapt to a changing environment. However, epigenetic alterations are not always beneficial to the organism, as they are, for example, frequently identified in human diseases such as cancer. Accurate and cost-efficient genome-scale profiling of epigenetic features is thus of major importance to pinpoint these "epimutations," for example, to monitor the epigenetic impact of environmental exposure. Over the last decade, the field of epigenetics has been revolutionized by several innovative "epigenomics" technologies exactly addressing this need. In this review, we discuss and compare widely used next-generation methods to assess DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation, noncoding RNA expression, histone modifications, and nucleosome positioning. Although recent methods are typically based on "second-generation" sequencing, we also pay attention to still commonly used array- and PCR-based methods, and look forward to the additional advantages of single-molecule sequencing. As the current bottleneck in epigenomics research is the analysis rather than generation of data, the basic difficulties and problem-solving strategies regarding data preprocessing and statistical analysis are introduced for the different technologies. Finally, we also consider the complications associated with epigenomic studies of species with yet unsequenced genomes and possible solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaas Mensaert
- Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Clayton DF, London SE. Advancing avian behavioral neuroendocrinology through genomics. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:58-71. [PMID: 24113222 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2013.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2013] [Revised: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Genome technologies are transforming all areas of biology, including the study of hormones, brain and behavior. Annotated reference genome assemblies are rapidly being produced for many avian species. Here we briefly review the basic concepts and tools used in genomics. We then consider how these are informing the study of avian behavioral neuroendocrinology, focusing in particular on lessons from the study of songbirds. We discuss the impact of having a complete "parts list" for an organism; the transformational potential of studying large sets of genes at once instead one gene at a time; the growing recognition that environmental and behavioral signals trigger massive shifts in gene expression in the brain; and the prospects for using comparative genomics to uncover the genetic roots of behavioral variation. Throughout, we identify promising new directions for bolstering the application of genomic information to further advance the study of avian brain and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Clayton
- Biological & Experimental Psychology Division, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK.
| | - Sarah E London
- Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Biology, Committee on Neurobiology, University of Chicago, 940 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Iancu OD, Colville A, Darakjian P, Hitzemann R. Coexpression and cosplicing network approaches for the study of mammalian brain transcriptomes. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2014; 116:73-93. [PMID: 25172472 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801105-8.00004-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing experiments have demonstrated great potential for transcriptome profiling. While transcriptome sequencing greatly increases the level of biological detail, system-level analysis of these high-dimensional datasets is becoming essential. We illustrate gene network approaches to the analysis of transcriptional data, with particular focus on the advantage of RNA-Seq technology compared to microarray platforms. We introduce a novel methodology for constructing cosplicing networks, based on distance measures combined with matrix correlations. We find that the cosplicing network is distinct and complementary to the coexpression network, although it shares the scale-free properties. In the cosplicing network, we find a set of novel hubs that have unique characteristics distinguishing them from coexpression hubs: they are heavily represented in neurobiological functional pathways and have strong overlap with markers of neurons and neuroglia, long-coding lengths, and high number of both exons and annotated transcripts. We also find that gene networks are plastic in the face of genetic and environmental pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ovidiu Dan Iancu
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
| | - Alexandre Colville
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Priscila Darakjian
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Robert Hitzemann
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA; Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Abstract
Across animals, there is remarkable diversity in behavior. Modern genomic approaches have made it possible to identify the molecular underpinnings of varied behavioral phenotypes. By examining species with plastic phenotypes we have begun to understand the dynamic and flexible nature of neural transcriptomes and identified gene modules associated with variation in social and reproductive behaviors in diverse species. Importantly, it is becoming increasingly clear that some candidate genes and gene networks are involved in complex social behaviors across even divergent species, yet few comparative transcriptomics studies have been conducted that examine a specific behavior across species. We discuss the implications of a range of important and insightful studies that have increased our understanding of the neurogenomics of behavioral plasticity. Despite its successes, behavioral genomics has been criticized for its lack of hypotheses and causative insights. We propose here a novel avenue to overcome some of these short-comings by complementing "forward genomics" studies (i.e., from phenotype to behaviorally relevant gene modules) with a "reverse genomics" approach (i.e., manipulating novel gene modules to examine effects on behavior, hormones, and the genome itself) to examine the functional causes and consequences of differential gene expression patterns. We discuss how several established approaches (such as pharmacological manipulations of a novel candidate pathway, fine scale mapping of novel candidate gene expression in the brain, or identifying direct targets of a novel transcription factor of interest) can be used in combination with the analysis of the accompanying neurogenomic responses to reveal unexpected biological processes. The integration of forward and reverse genomics will move the field beyond statistical associations and yield great insights into the neural and molecular control of social behavior and its evolution.
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Abstract
Songbirds have unique value as a model for memory and learning. In their natural social life, they communicate through vocalizations that they must learn to produce and recognize. Song communication elicits abrupt changes in gene expression in regions of the forebrain responsible for song perception and production--what is the functional significance of this genomic response? For 20 years, the focus of research was on just a few genes [primarily ZENK, now known as egr1 (early gene response 1)]. Recently, however, DNA microarrays have been developed and applied to songbird behavioral research, and in 2010 the initial draft assembly of the zebra finch genome was published. Together, these new data reveal that the genomic involvement in song processing is far more complex than anticipated. The concepts of neurogenomic computation and biological embedding are introduced as frameworks for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Clayton
- Biological and Experimental Psychology Division, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom;
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Testosterone affects neural gene expression differently in male and female juncos: a role for hormones in mediating sexual dimorphism and conflict. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61784. [PMID: 23613935 PMCID: PMC3627916 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Accepted: 03/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite sharing much of their genomes, males and females are often highly dimorphic, reflecting at least in part the resolution of sexual conflict in response to sexually antagonistic selection. Sexual dimorphism arises owing to sex differences in gene expression, and steroid hormones are often invoked as a proximate cause of sexual dimorphism. Experimental elevation of androgens can modify behavior, physiology, and gene expression, but knowledge of the role of hormones remains incomplete, including how the sexes differ in gene expression in response to hormones. We addressed these questions in a bird species with a long history of behavioral endocrinological and ecological study, the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis), using a custom microarray. Focusing on two brain regions involved in sexually dimorphic behavior and regulation of hormone secretion, we identified 651 genes that differed in expression by sex in medial amygdala and 611 in hypothalamus. Additionally, we treated individuals of each sex with testosterone implants and identified many genes that may be related to previously identified phenotypic effects of testosterone treatment. Some of these genes relate to previously identified effects of testosterone-treatment and suggest that the multiple effects of testosterone may be mediated by modifying the expression of a small number of genes. Notably, testosterone-treatment tended to alter expression of different genes in each sex: only 4 of the 527 genes identified as significant in one sex or the other were significantly differentially expressed in both sexes. Hormonally regulated gene expression is a key mechanism underlying sexual dimorphism, and our study identifies specific genes that may mediate some of these processes.
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Abstract
Although we generally experience our bodies as being biologically stable across time and situations, an emerging field of research is demonstrating that external social conditions, especially our subjective perceptions of those conditions, can influence our most basic internal biological processes-namely, the expression of our genes. This research on human social genomics has begun to identify the types of genes that are subject to social-environmental regulation, the neural and molecular mechanisms that mediate the effects of social processes on gene expression, and the genetic polymorphisms that moderate individual differences in genomic sensitivity to social context. The molecular models resulting from this research provide new opportunities for understanding how social and genetic factors interact to shape complex behavioral phenotypes and susceptibility to disease. This research also sheds new light on the evolution of the human genome and challenges the fundamental belief that our molecular makeup is relatively stable and impermeable to social-environmental influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- George M Slavich
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
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Noninvasive diffusive optical imaging of the auditory response to birdsong in the zebra finch. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2013; 199:227-38. [PMID: 23322445 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-012-0788-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2012] [Revised: 12/08/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Songbirds communicate by learned vocalizations with concomitant changes in neurophysiological and genomic activities in discrete parts of the brain. Here, we tested a novel implementation of diffusive optical imaging (also known as diffuse optical imaging, DOI) for monitoring brain physiology associated with vocal signal perception. DOI noninvasively measures brain activity using red and near-infrared light delivered through optic fibers (optodes) resting on the scalp. DOI does not harm subjects, so it raises the possibility of repeatedly measuring brain activity and the effects of accumulated experience in the same subject over an entire life span, all while leaving tissue intact for further study. We developed a custom-made apparatus for interfacing optodes to the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) head using 3D modeling software and rapid prototyping technology, and applied it to record responses to presentations of birdsong in isoflurane-anesthetized zebra finches. We discovered a subtle but significant difference between the hemoglobin spectra of zebra finches and mammals which has a major impact in how hemodynamic responses are interpreted in the zebra finch. Our measured responses to birdsong playback were robust, highly repeatable, and readily observed in single trials. Responses were complex in shape and closely paralleled responses described in mammals. They were localized to the caudal medial portion of the brain, consistent with response localization from prior gene expression, electrophysiological, and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. These results define an approach for collecting neurophysiological data from songbirds that should be applicable to diverse species and adaptable for studies in awake behaving animals.
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Balakrishnan CN, Lin YC, London SE, Clayton DF. RNA-seq transcriptome analysis of male and female zebra finch cell lines. Genomics 2012; 100:363-9. [PMID: 22922019 PMCID: PMC3508314 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2012.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2012] [Revised: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 08/05/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The derivation of stably cultured cell lines has been critical to the advance of molecular biology. We profiled gene expression in the first two generally available cell lines derived from the zebra finch. Using Illumina RNA-seq, we generated ~93 million reads and mapped the majority to the recently assembled zebra finch genome. Expression of most Ensembl-annotated genes was detected, but over half of the mapped reads aligned outside annotated genes. The male-derived G266 line expressed Z-linked genes at a higher level than did the female-derived ZFTMA line, indicating persistence in culture of the distinctive lack of avian sex chromosome dosage compensation. Although these cell lines were not derived from neural tissue, many neurobiologically relevant genes were expressed, although typically at lower levels than in a reference sample from auditory forebrain. These cell lines recapitulate fundamental songbird biology and will be useful for future studies of songbird gene regulation and function.
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