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Baud A, McPeek S, Chen N, Hughes KA. Indirect Genetic Effects: A Cross-disciplinary Perspective on Empirical Studies. J Hered 2022; 113:1-15. [PMID: 34643239 PMCID: PMC8851665 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Indirect genetic effects (IGE) occur when an individual's phenotype is influenced by genetic variation in conspecifics. Opportunities for IGE are ubiquitous, and, when present, IGE have profound implications for behavioral, evolutionary, agricultural, and biomedical genetics. Despite their importance, the empirical study of IGE lags behind the development of theory. In large part, this lag can be attributed to the fact that measuring IGE, and deconvoluting them from the direct genetic effects of an individual's own genotype, is subject to many potential pitfalls. In this Perspective, we describe current challenges that empiricists across all disciplines will encounter in measuring and understanding IGE. Using ideas and examples spanning evolutionary, agricultural, and biomedical genetics, we also describe potential solutions to these challenges, focusing on opportunities provided by recent advances in genomic, monitoring, and phenotyping technologies. We hope that this cross-disciplinary assessment will advance the goal of understanding the pervasive effects of conspecific interactions in biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Baud
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona,Spain
| | - Sarah McPeek
- the Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Nancy Chen
- the Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627,USA
| | - Kimberly A Hughes
- the Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32303,USA
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2
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Baud A, Casale FP, Barkley-Levenson AM, Farhadi N, Montillot C, Yalcin B, Nicod J, Palmer AA, Stegle O. Dissecting indirect genetic effects from peers in laboratory mice. Genome Biol 2021; 22:216. [PMID: 34311762 PMCID: PMC8311926 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02415-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The phenotype of an individual can be affected not only by the individual's own genotypes, known as direct genetic effects (DGE), but also by genotypes of interacting partners, indirect genetic effects (IGE). IGE have been detected using polygenic models in multiple species, including laboratory mice and humans. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Genome-wide association studies of IGE (igeGWAS) can point to IGE genes, but have not yet been applied to non-familial IGE arising from "peers" and affecting biomedical phenotypes. In addition, the extent to which igeGWAS will identify loci not identified by dgeGWAS remains an open question. Finally, findings from igeGWAS have not been confirmed by experimental manipulation. RESULTS We leverage a dataset of 170 behavioral, physiological, and morphological phenotypes measured in 1812 genetically heterogeneous laboratory mice to study IGE arising between same-sex, adult, unrelated mice housed in the same cage. We develop and apply methods for igeGWAS in this context and identify 24 significant IGE loci for 17 phenotypes (FDR < 10%). We observe no overlap between IGE loci and DGE loci for the same phenotype, which is consistent with the moderate genetic correlations between DGE and IGE for the same phenotype estimated using polygenic models. Finally, we fine-map seven significant IGE loci to individual genes and find supportive evidence in an experiment with a knockout model that Epha4 gives rise to IGE on stress-coping strategy and wound healing. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate the potential for igeGWAS to identify IGE genes and shed light into the mechanisms of peer influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Baud
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, CB10 1SD Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
- Current Address: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesco Paolo Casale
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, CB10 1SD Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Microsoft Research New England, Cambridge, MA USA
| | | | - Nilgoun Farhadi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
| | - Charlotte Montillot
- INSERM U1231 GAD Laboratory, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21070 Dijon, France
| | - Binnaz Yalcin
- INSERM U1231 GAD Laboratory, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21070 Dijon, France
| | - Jerome Nicod
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Current Address: The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Abraham A. Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
| | - Oliver Stegle
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, CB10 1SD Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Computational Genomics and Systems Genetics, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, CB10 1SD Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
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Lauby SC, Fleming AS, McGowan PO. Beyond maternal care: The effects of extra-maternal influences within the maternal environment on offspring neurodevelopment and later-life behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:492-501. [PMID: 33905789 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The early-life maternal environment has a profound and persistent effect on offspring neuroendocrine function, neurotransmitter systems, and behavior. Studies using rodent models suggest that early-life maternal care can influence the 'developmental programming' of offspring in part through altered epigenetic regulation of specific genes. The exploration of epigenetic regulation of these genes as a biological mechanism has been important to our understanding of how animals adapt to their environments and how these developmental trajectories may be altered. However, other non-maternal factors have been shown to act directly, or to interact with maternal care, to influence later-life phenotype. Based on accumulating evidence, including our research, we discuss other important influences on the developmental programming of offspring. We highlight early-life variations in temperature exposure and offspring genotype x environment interactions as prominent examples. We conclude with recommendations for future investigations on how early-life maternal care and extra-maternal influences lead to persistent changes in the brain and behavior of the offspring throughout development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha C Lauby
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, Scarborough, ON, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alison S Fleming
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
| | - Patrick O McGowan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, Scarborough, ON, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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4
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Saré RM, Lemons A, Smith CB. Behavior Testing in Rodents: Highlighting Potential Confounds Affecting Variability and Reproducibility. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11040522. [PMID: 33924037 PMCID: PMC8073298 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11040522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent models of brain disorders including neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative diseases are essential for increasing our understanding of underlying pathology and for preclinical testing of potential treatments. Some of the most important outcome measures in such studies are behavioral. Unfortunately, reports from different labs are often conflicting, and preclinical studies in rodent models are not often corroborated in human trials. There are many well-established tests for assessing various behavioral readouts, but subtle aspects can influence measurements. Features such as housing conditions, conditions of testing, and the sex and strain of the animals can all have effects on tests of behavior. In the conduct of behavior testing, it is important to keep these features in mind to ensure the reliability and reproducibility of results. In this review, we highlight factors that we and others have encountered that can influence behavioral measures. Our goal is to increase awareness of factors that can affect behavior in rodents and to emphasize the need for detailed reporting of methods.
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Lauby SC, Ashbrook DG, Malik HR, Chatterjee D, Pan P, Fleming AS, McGowan PO. The role of interindividual licking received and dopamine genotype on later-life licking provisioning in female rat offspring. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02069. [PMID: 33560574 PMCID: PMC8035462 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Rat mothers exhibit natural variations in care that propagate between generations of female offspring. However, there is limited information on genetic variation that could influence this propagation. METHODS We assessed early-life maternal care received by individual female rat offspring, later-life maternal care provisioning, and dopaminergic activity in the maternal brain in relation to naturally occurring genetic polymorphisms linked to the dopaminergic system. We also conducted a systematic analysis of other genetic variants potentially related to maternal behavior in our Long-Evans rat population. RESULTS While we did not find a direct relationship between early-life licking received and later-life licking provisioning, this relationship was indirectly affected by dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens and dependent on variation in the dopamine receptor 2 gene (rs107017253). More specifically, female rat offspring with the A/G genotype showed a positive relationship between average licking received and dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens of the maternal brain; there was no relationship with female rat offspring with the A/A genotype. The higher dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens corresponded with higher maternal licking provisioning from postnatal days 2-9. We also discovered and validated several new variants that were predicted by our systematic analysis. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that genetic variation influences the relationship between early-life maternal care received and the dopaminergic system of the maternal brain, which can indirectly influence later-life maternal care provisioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha C. Lauby
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto Scarborough CampusScarboroughONCanada
- Department of Cell and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - David G. Ashbrook
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and InformaticsUniversity of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTNUSA
| | - Hannan R. Malik
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto Scarborough CampusScarboroughONCanada
| | - Diptendu Chatterjee
- The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and LearningSickkids HospitalTorontoONCanada
| | - Pauline Pan
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto Scarborough CampusScarboroughONCanada
| | - Alison S. Fleming
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaONCanada
| | - Patrick O. McGowan
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto Scarborough CampusScarboroughONCanada
- Department of Cell and Systems BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
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Ashbrook DG, Arends D, Prins P, Mulligan MK, Roy S, Williams EG, Lutz CM, Valenzuela A, Bohl CJ, Ingels JF, McCarty MS, Centeno AG, Hager R, Auwerx J, Lu L, Williams RW. A platform for experimental precision medicine: The extended BXD mouse family. Cell Syst 2021; 12:235-247.e9. [PMID: 33472028 PMCID: PMC7979527 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The challenge of precision medicine is to model complex interactions among DNA variants, phenotypes, development, environments, and treatments. We address this challenge by expanding the BXD family of mice to 140 fully isogenic strains, creating a uniquely powerful model for precision medicine. This family segregates for 6 million common DNA variants-a level that exceeds many human populations. Because each member can be replicated, heritable traits can be mapped with high power and precision. Current BXD phenomes are unsurpassed in coverage and include much omics data and thousands of quantitative traits. BXDs can be extended by a single-generation cross to as many as 19,460 isogenic F1 progeny, and this extended BXD family is an effective platform for testing causal modeling and for predictive validation. BXDs are a unique core resource for the field of experimental precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Ashbrook
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
| | - Danny Arends
- Lebenswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institut, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Pjotr Prins
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Megan K Mulligan
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Suheeta Roy
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Evan G Williams
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, Université du Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Cathleen M Lutz
- Mouse Repository and the Rare and Orphan Disease Center, the Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Alicia Valenzuela
- Mouse Repository and the Rare and Orphan Disease Center, the Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Casey J Bohl
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Jesse F Ingels
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Melinda S McCarty
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Arthur G Centeno
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Division of Evolution & Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
| | - Robert W Williams
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
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Murray KN, Edye ME, Manca M, Vernon AC, Oladipo JM, Fasolino V, Harte MK, Mason V, Grayson B, McHugh PC, Knuesel I, Prinssen EP, Hager R, Neill JC. Evolution of a maternal immune activation (mIA) model in rats: Early developmental effects. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 75:48-59. [PMID: 30218784 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 08/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (mIA) in rodents is rapidly emerging as a key model for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. Here, we optimise a mIA model in rats, aiming to address certain limitations of current work in this field. Specifically, the lack of clear evidence for methodology chosen, identification of successful induction of mIA in the dams and investigation of male offspring only. We focus on gestational and early juvenile changes in offspring following mIA, as detailed information on these critical early developmental time points is sparse. Following strain (Wistar, Lister Hooded, Sprague Dawley) comparison and selection, and polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C) dose selection (2.5-15 mg/kg single or once daily for 5 days), mIA was induced in pregnant Wistar rats with 10 mg/kg poly I:C i.p. on gestational day (GD) 15. Early morphometric analysis was conducted in male and female offspring at GD21 and postnatal day (PD) 21, eight dams for each treatment at each time point were used, 32 in total. Subsequent microglia analysis was conducted at PD21 in a small group of offspring. Poly I:C at 10 mg/kg i.p. induced a robust, but variable, plasma IL-6 response 3 h post-injection and reduced body weight at 6 h and 24 h post-injection in two separate cohorts of Wistar rats at GD15. Plasma IL-6 was not elevated at PD21 in offspring or dams. Poly I:C-induced mIA did not affect litter numbers, but resulted in PD21 pup, and GD21 placenta growth restriction. Poly I:C significantly increased microglial activation at PD21 in male hippocampi. We have identified 10 mg/kg poly I:C i.p on GD15 as a robust experimental approach for inducing mIA in Wistar rats and used this to identify early neurodevelopmental changes. This work provides a framework to study the developmental trajectory of disease-relevant, sex-specific phenotypic changes in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie N Murray
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle E Edye
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Maurizio Manca
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, United Kingdom; King's College London, MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, New Hunt's House, Guy's Hospital Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna M Oladipo
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Fasolino
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Michael K Harte
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Varsha Mason
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Grayson
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick C McHugh
- Centre for Biomarker Research and Department of Pharmacy, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Knuesel
- Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, CH 4070, Switzerland
| | - Eric P Prinssen
- Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, CH 4070, Switzerland
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
| | - Joanna C Neill
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
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Potter HG, Ashbrook DG, Hager R. Offspring genetic effects on maternal care. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 52:195-205. [PMID: 30576700 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Parental care is found widely across animal taxa and is manifest in a range of behaviours from basic provisioning in cockroaches to highly complex behaviours seen in mammals. The evolution of parental care is viewed as the outcome of an evolutionary cost/benefit trade-off between investing in current and future offspring, leading to the selection of traits in offspring that influence parental behaviour. Thus, level and quality of parental care are affected by both parental and offspring genetic differences that directly and indirectly influence parental care behaviour. While significant research effort has gone into understanding how parental genomes affect parental, and mostly maternal, behaviour, few studies have investigated how offspring genomes affect parental care. In this review, we bring together recent findings across different fields focussing on the mechanism and genetics of offspring effects on maternal care in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry G Potter
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
| | - David G Ashbrook
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, Translational Science Research Building, Room 415, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 71 S Manassas St, Memphis, TN 38103, United States
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
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Thomson CE, Hadfield JD. No evidence for sibling or parent-offspring coadaptation in a wild population of blue tits, despite high power. Evolution 2018; 73:28-41. [PMID: 30417945 PMCID: PMC6587764 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Parent and offspring behaviors are expected to act as both the agents and targets of selection. This may generate parent-offspring coadaptation in which parent and offspring behaviors become genetically correlated in a way that increases inclusive fitness. Cross-fostering has been used to study parent-offspring coadaptation, with the prediction that offspring raised by non-relatives, or parents raising non-relatives, should suffer fitness costs. Using long-term data from more than 400 partially crossed broods of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), we show that there is no difference in mass or survival between crossed and non-crossed chicks. However, previous studies for which the evidence for parent-offspring coadaptation is strongest compare chicks from fully crossed broods with those from non-crossed broods. When parent-offspring coadaptation acts at the level of the brood then partial cross-fostering experiments are not expected to show evidence of coadaptation. To test this, we performed an additional experiment (163 broods) in which clutches were either fully crossed, non-crossed, or partially crossed. In agreement with the long-term data, there was no evidence for parent-offspring coadaptation on offspring fitness despite high power. In addition there was no evidence of effects on parental fitness, nor evidence of sibling coadaptation, although the power of these tests was more modest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E Thomson
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom.,Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
| | - Jarrod D Hadfield
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
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10
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Ashbrook DG, Roy S, Clifford BG, Riede T, Scattoni ML, Heck DH, Lu L, Williams RW. Born to Cry: A Genetic Dissection of Infant Vocalization. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:250. [PMID: 30420800 PMCID: PMC6216097 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant vocalizations are one of the most fundamental and innate forms of behavior throughout avian and mammalian orders. They have a critical role in motivating parental care and contribute significantly to fitness and reproductive success. Dysregulation of these vocalizations has been reported to predict risk of central nervous system pathologies such as hypoxia, meningitis, or autism spectrum disorder. Here, we have used the expanded BXD family of mice, and a diallel cross between DBA/2J and C57BL/6J parental strains, to begin the process of genetically dissecting the numerous facets of infant vocalizations. We calculate heritability, estimate the role of parent-of-origin effects, and identify novel quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) on postnatal days 7, 8, and 9; a stage that closely matches human infants at birth. Heritability estimates for the number and frequency of calls are low, suggesting that these traits are under high selective pressure. In contrast, duration and amplitude of calls have higher heritabilities, indicating lower selection, or their importance for kin recognition. We find suggestive evidence that amplitude of infant calls is dependent on the maternal genotype, independent of shared genetic variants. Finally, we identify two loci on Chrs 2 and 14 influencing call frequency, and a third locus on Chr 8 influencing the amplitude of vocalizations. All three loci contain strong candidate genes that merit further analysis. Understanding the genetic control of infant vocalizations is not just important for understanding the evolution of parent–offspring interactions, but also in understanding the earliest innate behaviors, the development of parent–offspring relations, and the early identification of behavioral abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David George Ashbrook
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Snigdha Roy
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Brittany G Clifford
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Tobias Riede
- Department of Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, United States
| | - Maria Luisa Scattoni
- Research Coordination and Support Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Detlef H Heck
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Robert W Williams
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
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11
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Ashbrook DG, Mulligan MK, Williams RW. Post-genomic behavioral genetics: From revolution to routine. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 17:e12441. [PMID: 29193773 PMCID: PMC5876106 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
What was once expensive and revolutionary-full-genome sequence-is now affordable and routine. Costs will continue to drop, opening up new frontiers in behavioral genetics. This shift in costs from the genome to the phenome is most notable in large clinical studies of behavior and associated diseases in cohorts that exceed hundreds of thousands of subjects. Examples include the Women's Health Initiative (www.whi.org), the Million Veterans Program (www. RESEARCH va.gov/MVP), the 100 000 Genomes Project (genomicsengland.co.uk) and commercial efforts such as those by deCode (www.decode.com) and 23andme (www.23andme.com). The same transition is happening in experimental neuro- and behavioral genetics, and sample sizes of many hundreds of cases are becoming routine (www.genenetwork.org, www.mousephenotyping.org). There are two major consequences of this new affordability of massive omics datasets: (1) it is now far more practical to explore genetic modulation of behavioral differences and the key role of gene-by-environment interactions. Researchers are already doing the hard part-the quantitative analysis of behavior. Adding the omics component can provide powerful links to molecules, cells, circuits and even better treatment. (2) There is an acute need to highlight and train behavioral scientists in how best to exploit new omics approaches. This review addresses this second issue and highlights several new trends and opportunities that will be of interest to experts in animal and human behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- D G Ashbrook
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - M K Mulligan
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - R W Williams
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennessee
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