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Katsis AC, Bennett AT, Buchanan KL, Kleindorfer S, Mariette MM. Prenatal sound experience affects song preferences in male zebra finches. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
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von Holdt BM, Kartzinel RY, van Oers K, Verhoeven KJF, Ouyang JQ. Changes in the rearing environment cause reorganization of molecular networks associated with DNA methylation. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:648-664. [PMID: 36567635 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13878] [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: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Disentangling the interaction between the genetic basis and environmental context underlying phenotypic variation is critical for understanding organismal evolution. Environmental change, such as increased rates of urbanization, can induce shifts in phenotypic plasticity with some individuals adapting to city life while others are displaced. A key trait that can facilitate adaptation is the degree at which animals respond to stressors. This stress response, which includes elevation of baseline circulating concentrations of glucocorticoids, has a heritable component and exhibits intra- and inter-individual variation. However, the mechanisms behind this variability and whether they might be responsible for adaptation to different environments are not known. Variation in DNA methylation can be a potential mechanism that mediates environmental effects on the stress response, as early-life stressors increase glucocorticoid concentrations and change adult phenotype. We used an inter- and intra-environmental cross-foster experiment to analyse the contribution of DNA methylation to early-life phenotypic variation. We found that at hatching, urban house wren (Troglodytes aedon) offspring had higher methylation frequencies compared with their rural counterparts. We also observed age-related patterns in offspring methylation, indicating the developmental effects of the rearing environment on methylation. At fledgling, differential methylation analyses showed that cellular respiration genes were differentially methylated in broods of different origins and behavioural and metabolism genes were differentially methylated in broods of different rearing environments. Lastly, hyper-methylation of a single gene (CNTNAP2) is associated with decreased glucocorticoid levels and the rearing environment. These differential methylation patterns linked to a specific physiological phenotype suggest that DNA methylation may be a mechanism by which individuals adjust to novel environments during their lifespan. Characterizing genetic and environmental influences on methylation is critical for understanding the role of epigenetic mechanisms in evolutionary adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgett M von Holdt
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Rebecca Y Kartzinel
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen J F Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jenny Q Ouyang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
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Kumari R, Fazekas EA, Morvai B, Udvari EB, Dóra F, Zachar G, Székely T, Pogány Á, Dobolyi Á. Transcriptomics of Parental Care in the Hypothalamic-Septal Region of Female Zebra Finch Brain. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052518. [PMID: 35269661 PMCID: PMC8910180 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: The objective of this study was to uncover genomic causes of parental care. Since birds do not lactate and, therefore, do not show the gene expressional changes required for lactation, we investigate gene expression associated with parenting in caring and non-caring females in an avian species, the small passerine bird zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Here, we compare expression patterns in the hypothalamic–septal region since, previously, we showed that this area is activated in parenting females. (2) Methods: Transcriptome sequencing was first applied in a dissected part of the zebra finch brain related to taking care of the nestlings as compared to a control group of social pairs without nestlings. (3) Results: We found genes differentially expressed between caring and non-caring females. When introducing a log2fold change threshold of 1.5, 13 annotated genes were significantly upregulated in breeding pairs, while 39 annotated genes were downregulated. Significant enrichments of dopamine and acetylcholine biosynthetic processes were identified among upregulated pathways, while pro-opiomelanocortin and thyroid hormone pathways were downregulated, suggesting the importance of these systems in parental care. Network analysis further suggested neuro-immunological changes in mothers. (4) Conclusions: The results confirm the roles of several hypothesized major pathways in parental care, whereas novel pathways are also proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Kumari
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd Network of Research Excellence and Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (R.K.); (E.A.F.); (E.B.U.)
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Emese A. Fazekas
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd Network of Research Excellence and Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (R.K.); (E.A.F.); (E.B.U.)
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (B.M.); (Á.P.)
| | - Boglárka Morvai
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (B.M.); (Á.P.)
| | - Edina B. Udvari
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd Network of Research Excellence and Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (R.K.); (E.A.F.); (E.B.U.)
| | - Fanni Dóra
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, 1093 Budapest, Hungary; (F.D.); (G.Z.)
| | - Gergely Zachar
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, 1093 Budapest, Hungary; (F.D.); (G.Z.)
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK;
| | - Ákos Pogány
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (B.M.); (Á.P.)
| | - Árpád Dobolyi
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd Network of Research Excellence and Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (R.K.); (E.A.F.); (E.B.U.)
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-1-372-2500 (ext. 8775)
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Flores-Santin J, Burggren WW. Beyond the Chicken: Alternative Avian Models for Developmental Physiological Research. Front Physiol 2021; 12:712633. [PMID: 34744759 PMCID: PMC8566884 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.712633] [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: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomedical research focusing on physiological, morphological, behavioral, and other aspects of development has long depended upon the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) as a key animal model that is presumed to be typical of birds and generally applicable to mammals. Yet, the modern chicken in its many forms is the result of artificial selection more intense than almost any other domesticated animal. A consequence of great variation in genotype and phenotype is that some breeds have inherent aberrant physiological and morphological traits that may show up relatively early in development (e.g., hypertension, hyperglycemia, and limb defects in the broiler chickens). While such traits can be useful as models of specific diseases, this high degree of specialization can color general experimental results and affect their translational value. Against this background, in this review we first consider the characteristics that make an animal model attractive for developmental research (e.g., accessibility, ease of rearing, size, fecundity, development rates, genetic variation, etc.). We then explore opportunities presented by the embryo to adult continuum of alternative bird models, including quail, ratites, songbirds, birds of prey, and corvids. We conclude by indicating that expanding developmental studies beyond the chicken model to include additional avian groups will both validate the chicken model as well as potentially identify even more suitable avian models for answering questions applicable to both basic biology and the human condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josele Flores-Santin
- Facultad de Ciencias, Biologia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Mexico, Toluca, Mexico
| | - Warren W Burggren
- Developmental Integrative Biology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas Denton, Denton, TX, United States
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Singh AS, Takhellambam MC. A Method to Study Honey Bee Foraging Regulatory Molecules at Different Times During Foraging. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 1:723297. [PMID: 38468890 PMCID: PMC10926524 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2021.723297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The foraging of honey bees is one of the most well-organized and admirable behaviors that exist among social insects. In behavioral studies, these beautiful insects have been extensively used for understanding time-space learning, landmark use, and the concept of learning. Highly organized behaviors such as social interaction and communication are systematically well-organized behavioral components of honey bee foraging. Over the last two decades, understanding the regulatory mechanisms underlying honey bee foraging at the cellular and molecular levels has been increasingly interested to several researchers. Upon the search of regulatory genes of brain and behavior, immediate early (IE) genes are considered as a good tool to begin the search investigation. Our two recent studies have demonstrated three IE genes, namely, Egr-1, Hr38, and Kakusei, playing a role in the daily foraging of bees and their association with learning and memory during foraging. These studies further evidence that IE genes can be used as a tool in finding the specific molecular/cellular players of foraging in honey bees and its behavioral components such as learning, memory, social interaction, and social communication. In this article, we provide the details of the method of sample collection at different times during foraging to investigate the foraging regulatory molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asem Surindro Singh
- Department of Neuroscience, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bangalore, India
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Forebrain Transcriptional Response to Transient Changes in Circulating Androgens in a Cichlid Fish. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:1971-1982. [PMID: 32276961 PMCID: PMC7263668 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that androgens respond to the social interactions as a way to adjust the behavior of individuals to the challenges of the social environment in an adaptive manner. Therefore, it is expected that transient changes in circulating androgen levels within physiological scope should impact the state of the brain network that regulates social behavior, which should translate into adaptive behavioral changes. Here, we examined the effect that a transient peak in androgen circulating levels, which mimics socially driven changes in androgen levels, has on the forebrain state, which harbors most nuclei of the social decision-making network. For this purpose, we successfully induced transient changes in circulating androgen levels in an African cichlid fish (Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus) commonly used as a model in behavioral neuroendocrinology by injecting 11-ketotestosterone or testosterone, and compared the forebrain transcriptome of these individuals to control fish injected with vehicle. Forebrain samples were collected 30 min and 60 min after injection and analyzed using RNAseq. Our results showed that a transient peak in 11-ketotestosterone drives more accentuated changes in forebrain transcriptome than testosterone, and that transcriptomic impact was greater at the 30 min than at the 60 min post-androgen administration. Several genes involved in the regulation of translation, steroid metabolism, ion channel membrane receptors, and genes involved in epigenetic mechanisms were differentially expressed after 11-ketotestosterone or testosterone injection. In summary, this study identified specific candidate genes that may regulate socially driven changes in behavioral flexibility mediated by androgens.
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Singh AS, Takhellambam MC, Cappelletti P, Feligioni M. Immediate early gene kakusei potentially plays a role in the daily foraging of honey bees. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0222256. [PMID: 32374761 PMCID: PMC7202604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
kakusei is a non-coding RNA that is overexpressed in foraging bee brain. This study describes a possible role of the IEG kakusei during the daily foraging of honey bees. kakusei was found to be transiently upregulated within two hours during rewarded foraging. Interestingly, during unrewarded foraging the gene was also found to be up-regulated, but immediately lowered when food was not rewarded. Moreover, the kakusei overexpression was diminished within a very short time when the time schedule of feeding was changed. This indicates the potential role of kakusei on the motivation of learned reward foraging. These results provide evidence for a dynamic role of kakusei during for aging of bees, and eventually its possible involvement in learning and memory. Thus the kakusei gene could be used as search tool in finding distinct molecular pathways that mediate diverse behavioral components of foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asem Surindro Singh
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
- Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Pamela Cappelletti
- Laboratory of Neurobiology in Translational Medicine, Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa Cura Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Feligioni
- Laboratory of Neurobiology in Translational Medicine, Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa Cura Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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Neuroestrogen synthesis modifies neural representations of learned song without altering vocal imitation in developing songbirds. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3602. [PMID: 32108169 PMCID: PMC7046723 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60329-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Birdsong learning, like human speech, depends on the early memorization of auditory models, yet how initial auditory experiences are formed and consolidated is unclear. In songbirds, a putative cortical locus is the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), and one mechanism to facilitate auditory consolidation is 17β-estradiol (E2), which is associated with human speech-language development, and is abundant in both NCM and human temporal cortex. Circulating and NCM E2 levels are dynamic during learning, suggesting E2’s involvement in encoding recent auditory experiences. Therefore, we tested this hypothesis in juvenile male songbirds using a comprehensive assessment of neuroanatomy, behavior, and neurophysiology. First, we found that brain aromatase expression, and thus the capacity to synthesize neuroestrogens, remains high in the auditory cortex throughout development. Further, while systemic estrogen synthesis blockade suppressed juvenile song production, neither systemic nor unilateral E2 synthesis inhibition in NCM disrupted eventual song imitation. Surprisingly, early life neuroestrogen synthesis blockade in NCM enhanced the neural representations of both the birds’ own song and the tutor song in NCM and a downstream sensorimotor region, HVC, respectively. Taken together, these findings indicate that E2 plays a multifaceted role during development, and that, contrary to prediction, tutor song memorization is unimpaired by unilateral estrogen synthesis blockade in the auditory cortex.
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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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The role of the genome in experience-dependent plasticity: Extending the analogy of the genomic action potential. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 117:23252-23260. [PMID: 31127037 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820837116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Our past experiences shape our current and future behavior. These experiences must leave some enduring imprint on our brains, altering neural circuits that mediate behavior and contributing to our individual differences. As a framework for understanding how experiences might produce lasting changes in neural circuits, Clayton [D. F. Clayton, Neurobiol. Learn. Mem. 74, 185-216 (2000)] introduced the concept of the genomic action potential (gAP)-a structured genomic response in the brain to acute experience. Similar to the familiar electrophysiological action potential (eAP), the gAP also provides a means for integrating afferent patterns of activity but on a slower timescale and with longer-lasting effects. We revisit this concept in light of contemporary work on experience-dependent modification of neural circuits. We review the "Immediate Early Gene" (IEG) response, the starting point for understanding the gAP. We discuss evidence for its involvement in the encoding of experience to long-term memory across time and biological levels of organization ranging from individual cells to cell ensembles and whole organisms. We explore distinctions between memory encoding and homeostatic functions and consider the potential for perpetuation of the imprint of experience through epigenetic mechanisms. We describe a specific example of a gAP in humans linked to individual differences in the response to stress. Finally, we identify key objectives and new tools for continuing research in this area.
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Tiunova AA, Bezriadnov DV, Komissarova NV, Anokhin KV. Recovery of Impaired Memory: Expression of c-Fos and Egr-1 Transcription Factors during Restoration of Damaged Engram in the Chick Brain. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2018; 83:1117-1123. [DOI: 10.1134/s0006297918090134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Vahaba DM, Remage-Healey L. Neuroestrogens rapidly shape auditory circuits to support communication learning and perception: Evidence from songbirds. Horm Behav 2018; 104:77-87. [PMID: 29555375 PMCID: PMC7025793 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Steroid hormones, such as estrogens, were once thought to be exclusively synthesized in the ovaries and enact transcriptional changes over the course of hours to days. However, estrogens are also locally synthesized within neural circuits, wherein they rapidly (within minutes) modulate a range of behaviors, including spatial cognition and communication. Here, we review the role of brain-derived estrogens (neuroestrogens) as modulators within sensory circuits in songbirds. We first present songbirds as an attractive model to explore how neuroestrogens in auditory cortex modulate vocal communication processing and learning. Further, we examine how estrogens may enhance vocal learning and auditory memory consolidation in sensory cortex via mechanisms similar to those found in the hippocampus of rodents and birds. Finally, we propose future directions for investigation, including: 1) the extent of developmental and hemispheric shifts in aromatase and membrane estrogen receptor expression in auditory circuits; 2) how neuroestrogens may impact inhibitory interneurons to regulate audition and critical period plasticity; and, 3) dendritic spine plasticity as a candidate mechanism mediating estrogen-dependent effects on vocal learning. Together, this perspective of estrogens as neuromodulators in the vertebrate brain has opened new avenues in understanding sensory plasticity, including how hormones can act on communication circuits to influence behaviors in other vocal learning species, such as in language acquisition and speech processing in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Vahaba
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
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Dai JB, Chen Y, Sakata JT. EGR-1 Expression in Catecholamine-synthesizing Neurons Reflects Auditory Learning and Correlates with Responses in Auditory Processing Areas. Neuroscience 2018; 379:415-427. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Revised: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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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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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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Sensory Coding and Sensitivity to Local Estrogens Shift during Critical Period Milestones in the Auditory Cortex of Male Songbirds. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0317-17. [PMID: 29255797 PMCID: PMC5732019 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0317-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal learning occurs during an experience-dependent, age-limited critical period early in development. In songbirds, vocal learning begins when presinging birds acquire an auditory memory of their tutor's song (sensory phase) followed by the onset of vocal production and refinement (sensorimotor phase). Hearing is necessary throughout the vocal learning critical period. One key brain area for songbird auditory processing is the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), a telencephalic region analogous to mammalian auditory cortex. Despite NCM's established role in auditory processing, it is unclear how the response properties of NCM neurons may shift across development. Moreover, communication processing in NCM is rapidly enhanced by local 17β-estradiol (E2) administration in adult songbirds; however, the function of dynamically fluctuating E2 in NCM during development is unknown. We collected bilateral extracellular recordings in NCM coupled with reverse microdialysis delivery in juvenile male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) across the vocal learning critical period. We found that auditory-evoked activity and coding accuracy were substantially higher in the NCM of sensory-aged animals compared to sensorimotor-aged animals. Further, we observed both age-dependent and lateralized effects of local E2 administration on sensory processing. In sensory-aged subjects, E2 decreased auditory responsiveness across both hemispheres; however, a similar trend was observed in age-matched control subjects. In sensorimotor-aged subjects, E2 dampened auditory responsiveness in left NCM but enhanced auditory responsiveness in right NCM. Our results reveal an age-dependent physiological shift in auditory processing and lateralized E2 sensitivity that each precisely track a key neural "switch point" from purely sensory (pre-singing) to sensorimotor (singing) in developing songbirds.
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London SE. Developmental song learning as a model to understand neural mechanisms that limit and promote the ability to learn. Behav Processes 2017; 163:13-23. [PMID: 29162376 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Songbirds famously learn their vocalizations. Some species can learn continuously, others seasonally, and still others just once. The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) learns to sing during a single developmental "Critical Period," a restricted phase during which a specific experience has profound and permanent effects on brain function and behavioral patterns. The zebra finch can therefore provide fundamental insight into features that promote and limit the ability to acquire complex learned behaviors. For example, what properties permit the brain to come "on-line" for learning? How does experience become encoded to prevent future learning? What features define the brain in receptive compared to closed learning states? This piece will focus on epigenomic, genomic, and molecular levels of analysis that operate on the timescales of development and complex behavioral learning. Existing data will be discussed as they relate to Critical Period learning, and strategies for future studies to more directly address these questions will be considered. Birdsong learning is a powerful model for advancing knowledge of the biological intersections of maturation and experience. Lessons from its study not only have implications for understanding developmental song learning, but also broader questions of learning potential and the enduring effects of early life experience on neural systems and behavior.
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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, 940 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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Withee JR, Rehan SM. Social Aggression, Experience, and Brain Gene Expression in a Subsocial Bee. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:640-648. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R. Withee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, 46 College Road, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Sandra M. Rehan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, 46 College Road, Durham, NH 03824, USA
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Shpigler HY, Saul MC, Murdoch EE, Cash-Ahmed AC, Seward CH, Sloofman L, Chandrasekaran S, Sinha S, Stubbs LJ, Robinson GE. Behavioral, transcriptomic and epigenetic responses to social challenge in honey bees. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2017; 16:579-591. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- H. Y. Shpigler
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - M. C. Saul
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - E. E. Murdoch
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - A. C. Cash-Ahmed
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - C. H. Seward
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - L. Sloofman
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - S. Chandrasekaran
- Harvard Society of Fellows; Harvard University; Cambridge MA USA
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences; Harvard University; Cambridge MA USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge MA USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - S. Sinha
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Department of Computer Science; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Department of Entomology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - L. J. Stubbs
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Neuroscience Program; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
| | - G. E. Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Department of Entomology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
- Neuroscience Program; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Urbana IL USA
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21
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Nist MD. Biological embedding: evaluation and analysis of an emerging concept for nursing scholarship. J Adv Nurs 2016; 73:349-360. [PMID: 27682606 DOI: 10.1111/jan.13168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIM The purpose of this paper was to report the analysis of the concept of biological embedding. BACKGROUND Research that incorporates a life course perspective is becoming increasingly prominent in the health sciences. Biological embedding is a central concept in life course theory and may be important for nursing theories to enhance our understanding of health states in individuals and populations. Before the concept of biological embedding can be used in nursing theory and research, an analysis of the concept is required to advance it towards full maturity. DESIGN Concept analysis. DATA SOURCES PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched for publications using the term 'biological embedding' or 'biological programming' and published through 2015. METHODS An evaluation of the concept was first conducted to determine the concept's level of maturity and was followed by a concept comparison, using the methods for concept evaluation and comparison described by Morse. RESULTS A consistent definition of biological embedding - the process by which early life experience alters biological processes to affect adult health outcomes - was found throughout the literature. The concept has been used in several theories that describe the mechanisms through which biological embedding might occur and highlight its role in the development of health trajectories. Biological embedding is a partially mature concept, requiring concept comparison with an overlapping concept - biological programming - to more clearly establish the boundaries of biological embedding. CONCLUSIONS Biological embedding has significant potential for theory development and application in multiple academic disciplines, including nursing.
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22
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Neuroplasticity and MRI: A perfect match. Neuroimage 2016; 131:13-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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Laine VN, Gossmann TI, Schachtschneider KM, Garroway CJ, Madsen O, Verhoeven KJF, de Jager V, Megens HJ, Warren WC, Minx P, Crooijmans RPMA, Corcoran P, Sheldon BC, Slate J, Zeng K, van Oers K, Visser ME, Groenen MAM. Evolutionary signals of selection on cognition from the great tit genome and methylome. Nat Commun 2016; 7:10474. [PMID: 26805030 PMCID: PMC4737754 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
For over 50 years, the great tit (Parus major) has been a model species for research in evolutionary, ecological and behavioural research; in particular, learning and cognition have been intensively studied. Here, to provide further insight into the molecular mechanisms behind these important traits, we de novo assemble a great tit reference genome and whole-genome re-sequence another 29 individuals from across Europe. We show an overrepresentation of genes related to neuronal functions, learning and cognition in regions under positive selection, as well as increased CpG methylation in these regions. In addition, great tit neuronal non-CpG methylation patterns are very similar to those observed in mammals, suggesting a universal role in neuronal epigenetic regulation which can affect learning-, memory- and experience-induced plasticity. The high-quality great tit genome assembly will play an instrumental role in furthering the integration of ecological, evolutionary, behavioural and genomic approaches in this model species. The great tit (Parus major) is known for its complex social-cognitive behaviour. Here, the authors sequence genomes of the great tit and show genes related to learning and cognition in regions under positive selection, as well as neuronal non-CpG methylation patterns similar to those observed in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika N Laine
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Toni I Gossmann
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Kyle M Schachtschneider
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700AH Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Colin J Garroway
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Ole Madsen
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen J F Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Victor de Jager
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hendrik-Jan Megens
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wesley C Warren
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Patrick Minx
- The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Richard P M A Crooijmans
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pádraic Corcoran
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | | | - Ben C Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Jon Slate
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Kai Zeng
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martien A M Groenen
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
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25
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Matheson LE, Sun H, Sakata JT. Forebrain circuits underlying the social modulation of vocal communication signals. Dev Neurobiol 2015; 76:47-63. [PMID: 25959605 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22298] [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: 12/22/2014] [Revised: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Across vertebrate species, signalers alter the structure of their communication signals based on the social context. For example, male Bengalese finches produce faster and more stereotyped songs when directing song to females (female-directed [FD] song) than when singing in isolation (undirected [UD] song), and such changes have been found to increase the attractiveness of a male's song. Despite the importance of such social influences, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the social modulation of communication signals. To this end, we analyzed differences in immediate early gene (EGR-1) expression when Bengalese finches produced FD or UD song. Relative to silent birds, EGR-1 expression was elevated in birds producing either FD or UD song throughout vocal control circuitry, including the interface nucleus of the nidopallium (NIf), HVC, the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA), Area X, and the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN). Moreover, EGR-1 expression was higher in HVC, RA, Area X, and LMAN in males producing UD song than in males producing FD song, indicating that social context modulated EGR-1 expression in these areas. However, EGR-1 expression was not significantly different between males producing FD or UD song in NIf, the primary vocal motor input into HVC, suggesting that context-dependent changes could arise de novo in HVC. The pattern of context-dependent differences in EGR-1 expression in the Bengalese finch was highly similar to that in the zebra finch and suggests that social context affects song structure by modulating activity throughout vocal control nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Herie Sun
- Department of Biology, McGill University
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26
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Transgenic songbirds with suppressed or enhanced activity of CREB transcription factor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:7599-604. [PMID: 26048905 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1413484112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Songbirds postnatally develop their skill to utter and to perceive a vocal signal for communication. How genetic and environmental influences act in concert to regulate the development of such skill is not fully understood. Here, we report the phenotype of transgenic songbirds with altered intrinsic activity of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) transcription factor. By viral vector-mediated modification of genomic DNA, we established germ line-transmitted lines of zebra finches, which exhibited enhanced or suppressed activity of CREB. Although intrinsically acquired vocalizations or their hearing ability were not affected, the transgenic birds showed reduced vocal learning quality of their own songs and impaired audio-memory formation against conspecific songs. These results thus demonstrate that appropriate activity of CREB is necessary for the postnatal acquisition of learned behavior in songbirds, and the CREB transgenic birds offer a unique opportunity to separately manipulate both genetic and environmental factors that impinge on the postnatal song learning.
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27
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Entchev EV, Patel DS, Zhan M, Steele AJ, Lu H, Ch'ng Q. A gene-expression-based neural code for food abundance that modulates lifespan. eLife 2015; 4:e06259. [PMID: 25962853 PMCID: PMC4417936 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
How the nervous system internally represents environmental food availability is poorly understood. Here, we show that quantitative information about food abundance is encoded by combinatorial neuron-specific gene-expression of conserved TGFβ and serotonin pathway components in Caenorhabditis elegans. Crosstalk and auto-regulation between these pathways alters the shape, dynamic range, and population variance of the gene-expression responses of daf-7 (TGFβ) and tph-1 (tryptophan hydroxylase) to food availability. These intricate regulatory features provide distinct mechanisms for TGFβ and serotonin signaling to tune the accuracy of this multi-neuron code: daf-7 primarily regulates gene-expression variability, while tph-1 primarily regulates the dynamic range of gene-expression responses. This code is functional because daf-7 and tph-1 mutations bidirectionally attenuate food level-dependent changes in lifespan. Our results reveal a neural code for food abundance and demonstrate that gene expression serves as an additional layer of information processing in the nervous system to control long-term physiology. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06259.001 To maximize their chances of survival, animals need to be able to sense changes in the abundance of food in their environment and respond in an appropriate manner. The nervous system is able to sense cues from the environment and coordinate responses in the whole organism, but it is not clear how this leads to long-term changes in the organism's biology. In nematode worms, two genes called daf-7 and tph-1 appear to be involved in connecting the sensing of food availability with changes in the biology of the organism. The daf-7 gene encodes a hormone, while tph-1 encodes an enzyme that makes a neurochemical called serotonin. Here, Entchev, Patel, Zhan et al. found that daf-7 and tph-1 genes are active in three pairs of neurons in nematode worms. The experiments show that these neurons collectively form a circuit that carries information about the abundance of food, which leads to changes in how long the worms live. When this circuit was disrupted by removing these genes, the worms' ability to adjust their lifespan in response to changes in the availability of food was weakened, likely because they were unable to sense food. The experiments also show that the circuit regulates itself, largely because daf-7 and tph-1 are able to control each-other's activity. Together, these results suggest that changing the activity of certain genes in neurons enables nematode worms to alter their biology in response to changes in the availability of food. Neurons in the brain use electrical activity to communicate and process information and Entchev, Patel, Zhan et al.'s findings imply that gene activity can also perform a similar role. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06259.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugeni V Entchev
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dhaval S Patel
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mei Zhan
- Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, United States
| | - Andrew J Steele
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hang Lu
- Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, United States
| | - QueeLim Ch'ng
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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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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Neuromolecular responses to social challenge: common mechanisms across mouse, stickleback fish, and honey bee. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:17929-34. [PMID: 25453090 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1420369111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Certain complex phenotypes appear repeatedly across diverse species due to processes of evolutionary conservation and convergence. In some contexts like developmental body patterning, there is increased appreciation that common molecular mechanisms underlie common phenotypes; these molecular mechanisms include highly conserved genes and networks that may be modified by lineage-specific mutations. However, the existence of deeply conserved mechanisms for social behaviors has not yet been demonstrated. We used a comparative genomics approach to determine whether shared neuromolecular mechanisms could underlie behavioral response to territory intrusion across species spanning a broad phylogenetic range: house mouse (Mus musculus), stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus), and honey bee (Apis mellifera). Territory intrusion modulated similar brain functional processes in each species, including those associated with hormone-mediated signal transduction and neurodevelopment. Changes in chromosome organization and energy metabolism appear to be core, conserved processes involved in the response to territory intrusion. We also found that several homologous transcription factors that are typically associated with neural development were modulated across all three species, suggesting that shared neuronal effects may involve transcriptional cascades of evolutionarily conserved genes. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analyses of a subset of these transcription factors in mouse again implicated modulation of energy metabolism in the behavioral response. These results provide support for conserved genetic "toolkits" that are used in independent evolutions of the response to social challenge in diverse taxa.
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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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31
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Variations on a theme: Songbirds, variability, and sensorimotor error correction. Neuroscience 2014; 296:48-54. [PMID: 25305664 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.09.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Revised: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Songbirds provide a powerful animal model for investigating how the brain uses sensory feedback to correct behavioral errors. Here, we review a recent study in which we used online manipulations of auditory feedback to quantify the relationship between sensory error size, motor variability, and vocal plasticity. We found that although inducing small auditory errors evoked relatively large compensatory changes in behavior, as error size increased the magnitude of error correction declined. Furthermore, when we induced large errors such that auditory signals no longer overlapped with the baseline distribution of feedback, the magnitude of error correction approached zero. This pattern suggests a simple and robust strategy for the brain to maintain the accuracy of learned behaviors by evaluating sensory signals relative to the previously experienced distribution of feedback. Drawing from recent studies of auditory neurophysiology and song discrimination, we then speculate as to the mechanistic underpinnings of the results obtained in our behavioral experiments. Finally, we review how our own and other studies exploit the strengths of the songbird system, both in the specific context of vocal systems and more generally as a model of the neural control of complex behavior.
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32
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Matsunaga E, Okanoya K. Cadherins: potential regulators in the faculty of language. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 28:28-33. [PMID: 24988490 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Revised: 04/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The cadherin superfamily is a large (now more than 100 proteins) protein family originally identified as cell adhesion molecules. Each cadherin shows distinct expression patterns in the nervous system, and their expressions are both spatially and temporally regulated and diverse among different species. Mounting evidence has suggested that cadherins play multiple roles in neural development and functions. Recently, using songbirds and mice, the potential role of cadherins in vocal behavior has been demonstrated. Here, we will briefly introduce general function of cadherins, and analyze the potential involvement of cadherins in vocal behaviors and their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiji Matsunaga
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Japan.
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan; ERATO Okanoya Emotional Information Project, JST-ERATO, Japan; Emotional Information Joint Research Laboratory, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Japan.
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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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