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Abuaish S, Lavergne SG, Hing B, St-Cyr S, Spinieli RL, Boonstra R, McGowan PO. Sex-specific maternal programming of corticosteroid-binding globulin by predator odour. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211908. [PMID: 34847769 PMCID: PMC8634628 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation is a key organizing force in ecosystems. The threat of predation may act to programme the endocrine hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis during development to prepare offspring for the environment they are likely to encounter. Such effects are typically investigated through the measurement of corticosteroids (Cort). Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) plays a key role in regulating the bioavailability of Cort, with only free unbound Cort being biologically active. We investigated the effects of prenatal predator odour exposure (POE) in mice on offspring CBG and its impact on Cort dynamics before, during and after restraint stress in adulthood. POE males, but not females, had significantly higher serum CBG at baseline and during restraint and lower circulating levels of Free Cort. Restraint stress was associated with reduced liver transcript abundance of SerpinA6 (CBG-encoding gene) only in control males. POE did not affect SerpinA6 promoter DNA methylation. Our results indicate that prenatal exposure to a natural stressor led to increased CBG levels, decreased per cent of Free Cort relative to total and inhibited restraint stress-induced downregulation of CBG transcription. These changes suggest an adaptive response to a high predator risk environment in males but not females that could buffer male offspring from chronic Cort exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameera Abuaish
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, PO Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Cell and Systems Biology, Psychology, and Physiology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sophia G. Lavergne
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin Hing
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 51 Newton Road, Bowen Science Building 6-509, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Sophie St-Cyr
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Cell and Systems Biology, Psychology, and Physiology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Richard L. Spinieli
- Psychobiology Graduate Program, School of Philosophy, Science and Literature of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patrick O. McGowan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Cell and Systems Biology, Psychology, and Physiology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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