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Quintana DS, Glaser BD, Kang H, Kildal ESM, Audunsdottir K, Sartorius AM, Barth C. The interplay of oxytocin and sex hormones. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024:105765. [PMID: 38885888 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin has historically been associated with reproduction and maternal behavior. However, more recent research has uncovered that oxytocin has a much wider range of roles in physiology and behavior. Despite the excitement surrounding potential therapeutical applications of intranasally administered oxytocin, the results of these intervention studies have been inconsistent. Various reasons for these mixed results have been proposed, which tend to focus on methodological issues, such as study design. While methodological issues are certainly important, emerging evidence suggests that the interaction between oxytocin and sex hormones may also account for these varied findings. To better understand the purpose and function of the interaction of oxytocin with sex hormones, with a focus on estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone, we conducted a comprehensive thematic review via four perspectives: evolutionary, developmental, mechanistic, and survival. Altogether, this synergistic approach highlights the critical function of sex hormone activity for accomplishing the diverse roles of oxytocin via the modulation of oxytocin release and oxytocin receptor activity, which is also likely to contribute to the heterogeneity of outcomes after oxytocin administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Quintana
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Bernt D Glaser
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Heemin Kang
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Emilie S M Kildal
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, Lovisenberg Diakonale Sykehus, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristin Audunsdottir
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Claudia Barth
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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2
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Bernard C, Santos GS, Deere JA, Rodriguez-Caro R, Capdevila P, Kusch E, Gascoigne SJL, Jackson J, Salguero-Gómez R. MOSAIC - A Unified Trait Database to Complement Structured Population Models. Sci Data 2023; 10:335. [PMID: 37264011 PMCID: PMC10235418 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02070-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite exponential growth in ecological data availability, broader interoperability amongst datasets is needed to unlock the potential of open access. Our understanding of the interface of demography and functional traits is well-positioned to benefit from such interoperability. Here, we introduce MOSAIC, an open-access trait database that unlocks the demographic potential stored in the COMADRE, COMPADRE, and PADRINO open-access databases. MOSAIC data were digitised and curated through a combination of existing datasets and new trait records sourced from primary literature. In its first release, MOSAIC (v. 1.0.0) includes 14 trait fields for 300 animal and plant species: biomass, height, growth determination, regeneration, sexual dimorphism, mating system, hermaphrodism, sequential hermaphrodism, dispersal capacity, type of dispersal, mode of dispersal, dispersal classes, volancy, and aquatic habitat dependency. MOSAIC includes species-level phylogenies for 1,359 species and population-specific climate data. We identify how database integration can improve our understanding of traits well-quantified in existing repositories and those that are poorly quantified (e.g., growth determination, modularity). MOSAIC highlights emerging challenges associated with standardising databases and demographic measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Bernard
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, OX13SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Gabriel Silva Santos
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, OX13SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Ecology, Rio de Janeiro State University, 20550-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (INMA), 29650-000, Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Jacques A Deere
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, OX13SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1012 WX, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Roberto Rodriguez-Caro
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, OX13SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Departamento de Biología Aplicada, Universidad Miguel Hernández. Av. Universidad, s/n, 03202, Elche (Alicante), Spain
| | - Pol Capdevila
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, OX13SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Ave, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Erik Kusch
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Arhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Arhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Samuel J L Gascoigne
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, OX13SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - John Jackson
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, OX13SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Roberto Salguero-Gómez
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, OX13SZ, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Evolutionary Demography Laboratory, Max Plank Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
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Zimmer C, Taff CC, Ardia DR, Rosvall KA, Kallenberg C, Bentz AB, Taylor AR, Johnson LS, Vitousek MN. Gene expression in the female tree swallow brain is associated with inter- and intra-population variation in glucocorticoid levels. Horm Behav 2023; 147:105280. [PMID: 36403365 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Studies of the evolutionary causes and consequences of variation in circulating glucocorticoids (GCs) have begun to reveal how they are shaped by selection. Yet the extent to which variation in circulating hormones reflects variation in other important regulators of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and whether these relationships vary among populations inhabiting different environments, remain poorly studied. Here, we compare gene expression in the brain of female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from populations that breed in environments that differ in their unpredictability. We find evidence of inter-population variation in the expression of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors in the hypothalamus, with the highest gene expression in a population from an extreme environment, and lower expression in a population from a more consistent environment as well as in birds breeding at an environmentally variable high-altitude site that are part of a population that inhabits a mixture of high and low altitude habitats. Within some populations, variation in circulating GCs predicted differences in gene expression, particularly in the hypothalamus. However, some patterns were present in all populations, whereas others were not. These results are consistent with the idea that some combination of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity may modify components of the HPA axis affecting stress resilience. Our results also underscore that a comprehensive understanding of the function and evolution of the stress response cannot be gained from measuring circulating hormones alone, and that future studies that apply a more explicitly evolutionary approach to important regulatory traits are likely to provide significant insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UR 4443, 93430 Villetaneuse, France.
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Daniel R Ardia
- Department of Biology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA
| | - Kimberly A Rosvall
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Christine Kallenberg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Audrey R Taylor
- Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - L Scott Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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4
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Cox RM, Hale MD, Wittman TN, Robinson CD, Cox CL. Evolution of hormone-phenotype couplings and hormone-genome interactions. Horm Behav 2022; 144:105216. [PMID: 35777215 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
When selection favors a new relationship between a cue and a hormonally mediated response, adaptation can proceed by altering the hormonal signal that is produced or by altering the phenotypic response to the hormonal signal. The field of evolutionary endocrinology has made considerable progress toward understanding the evolution of hormonal signals, but we know much less about the evolution of hormone-phenotype couplings, particularly at the hormone-genome interface. We briefly review and classify the mechanisms through which these hormone-phenotype couplings likely evolve, using androgens and their receptors and genomic response elements to illustrate our view. We then present two empirical studies of hormone-phenotype couplings, one rooted in evolutionary quantitative genetics and another in comparative transcriptomics, each focused on the regulation of sexually dimorphic phenotypes by testosterone (T) in the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei). First, we illustrate the potential for hormone-phenotype couplings to evolve by showing that coloration of the dewlap (an ornament used in behavioral displays) exhibits significant heritability in its responsiveness to T, implying that anoles harbor genetic variance in the architecture of hormonal pleiotropy. Second, we combine T manipulations with analyses of the liver transcriptome to ask whether and how statistical methods for characterizing modules of co-expressed genes and in silico techniques for identifying androgen response elements (AREs) can improve our understanding of hormone-genome interactions. We conclude by emphasizing important avenues for future work at the hormone-genome interface, particularly those conducted in a comparative evolutionary framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Matthew D Hale
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tyler N Wittman
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | | | - Christian L Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Schwanz LE, Gunderson A, Iglesias-Carrasco M, Johnson MA, Kong JD, Riley J, Wu NC. Best practices for building and curating databases for comparative analyses. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274297. [PMID: 35258608 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Comparative analyses have a long history of macro-ecological and -evolutionary approaches to understand structure, function, mechanism and constraint. As the pace of science accelerates, there is ever-increasing access to diverse types of data and open access databases that are enabling and inspiring new research. Whether conducting a species-level trait-based analysis or a formal meta-analysis of study effect sizes, comparative approaches share a common reliance on reliable, carefully curated databases. Unlike many scientific endeavors, building a database is a process that many researchers undertake infrequently and in which we are not formally trained. This Commentary provides an introduction to building databases for comparative analyses and highlights challenges and solutions that the authors of this Commentary have faced in their own experiences. We focus on four major tips: (1) carefully strategizing the literature search; (2) structuring databases for multiple use; (3) establishing version control within (and beyond) your study; and (4) the importance of making databases accessible. We highlight how one's approach to these tasks often depends on the goal of the study and the nature of the data. Finally, we assert that the curation of single-question databases has several disadvantages: it limits the possibility of using databases for multiple purposes and decreases efficiency due to independent researchers repeatedly sifting through large volumes of raw information. We argue that curating databases that are broader than one research question can provide a large return on investment, and that research fields could increase efficiency if community curation of databases was established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa E Schwanz
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, and the School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2035, Australia
| | - Alex Gunderson
- School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Maider Iglesias-Carrasco
- Ecology and Evolution of Sexual Interactions group, Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Sevilla 41001, Spain
| | - Michele A Johnson
- Department of Biology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
| | - Jacinta D Kong
- School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Julia Riley
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, E4L 1E4, Canada
| | - Nicholas C Wu
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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6
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Guindre-Parker S, Rubenstein DR. Long-Term Measures of Climate Unpredictability Shape the Avian Endocrine Stress Axis. Am Nat 2021; 198:394-405. [PMID: 34403319 DOI: 10.1086/715628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe vertebrate glucocorticoid stress response is an important mechanism facilitating pleiotropic phenotypic adjustments for coping with environmental change and optimizing fitness. Although circulating glucocorticoid hormones are mediators of plasticity that individuals can adjust rapidly in response to environmental challenges, they are also shaped by ecological selection. It remains unclear, however, how environmental variation on different timescales influences glucocorticoids. Here, we use an intraspecific comparative approach to determine how variation in precipitation on different timescales (months, years, decades) shapes distinct components of the glucocorticoid response. We sampled superb starlings (Lamprotornis superbus) at eight sites across Kenya in multiple years that differed in precipitation. Among-population variation in baseline glucocorticoids was shaped by both short- and long-term precipitation, whereas variation in stress-induced levels was poorly explained by precipitation on any timescale. Adrenal sensitivity, quantified via adrenocorticotropic hormone injections, was shaped by long-term precipitation and was highest in unpredictable environments. Together, these results suggest that variation in glucocorticoids can be best explained by environmental variation at timescales that extend beyond the lives of individuals, although baseline glucocorticoids also reflect short-term environmental conditions. Patterns of long-term precipitation may represent a microevolutionary selective pressure shaping the endocrine stress axis across populations and influencing how individuals cope with environmental change.
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Taborsky B, English S, Fawcett TW, Kuijper B, Leimar O, McNamara JM, Ruuskanen S, Sandi C. Towards an Evolutionary Theory of Stress Responses. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:39-48. [PMID: 33032863 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
All organisms have a stress response system to cope with environmental threats, yet its precise form varies hugely within and across individuals, populations, and species. While the physiological mechanisms are increasingly understood, how stress responses have evolved remains elusive. Here, we show that important insights can be gained from models that incorporate physiological mechanisms within an evolutionary optimality analysis (the 'evo-mecho' approach). Our approach reveals environmental predictability and physiological constraints as key factors shaping stress response evolution, generating testable predictions about variation across species and contexts. We call for an integrated research programme combining theory, experimental evolution, and comparative analysis to advance scientific understanding of how this core physiological system has evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology Division, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Sinead English
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Tim W Fawcett
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Bram Kuijper
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK; Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Olof Leimar
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Cox RM. Sex steroids as mediators of phenotypic integration, genetic correlations, and evolutionary transitions. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 502:110668. [PMID: 31821857 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, endocrinologists have increasingly adopted evolutionary methods and perspectives to characterize the evolution of the vertebrate endocrine system and leverage it as a model for developing and testing evolutionary theories. This review summarizes recent research on sex steroids (androgens and estrogens) to illustrate three ways in which a detailed understanding of the molecular and cellular architecture of hormonally mediated gene expression can enhance our understanding of general evolutionary principles. By virtue of their massively pleiotropic effects on the expression of genes and phenotypes, sex steroids and their receptors can (1) structure the patterns of phenotypic variance and covariance that are available to natural selection, (2) alter the underlying genetic correlations that determine a population's evolutionary response to selection, and (3) facilitate evolutionary transitions in fitness-related phenotypes via subtle regulatory shifts in underlying tissues and genes. These principles are illustrated by the author's research on testosterone and sexual dimorphism in lizards, and by recent examples drawn from other vertebrate systems. Mechanistically, these examples call attention to the importance of evolutionary changes in (1) androgen- and estrogen-mediated gene expression, (2) androgen and estrogen receptor expression, and (3) the distribution of androgen and estrogen response elements in target genes throughout the genome. A central theme to emerge from this review is that the rapidly increasing availability of genomic and transcriptomic data from non-model organisms places evolutionary endocrinologist in an excellent position to address the hormonal regulation of the key evolutionary interface between genes and phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
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Vitousek MN, Johnson MA, Downs CJ, Miller ET, Martin LB, Francis CD, Donald JW, Fuxjager MJ, Goymann W, Hau M, Husak JF, Kircher BK, Knapp R, Schoenle LA, Williams TD. Macroevolutionary Patterning in Glucocorticoids Suggests Different Selective Pressures Shape Baseline and Stress-Induced Levels. Am Nat 2019; 193:866-880. [DOI: 10.1086/703112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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