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Strekalova T, Moskvin O, Jain AY, Gorbunov N, Gorlova A, Sadovnik D, Umriukhin A, Cespuglio R, Yu WS, Tse ACK, Kalueff AV, Lesch KP, Lim LW. Molecular signature of excessive female aggression: study of stressed mice with genetic inactivation of neuronal serotonin synthesis. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:1113-1132. [PMID: 37542675 PMCID: PMC10460733 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02677-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Aggression is a complex social behavior, critically involving brain serotonin (5-HT) function. The neurobiology of female aggression remains elusive, while the incidence of its manifestations has been increasing. Yet, animal models of female aggression are scarce. We previously proposed a paradigm of female aggression in the context of gene x environment interaction where mice with partial genetic inactivation of tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (Tph2+/- mice), a key enzyme of neuronal 5-HT synthesis, are subjected to predation stress resulting in pathological aggression. Using deep sequencing and the EBSeq method, we studied the transcriptomic signature of excessive aggression in the prefrontal cortex of female Tph2+/- mice subjected to rat exposure stress and food deprivation. Challenged mutants, but not other groups, displayed marked aggressive behaviors. We found 26 genes with altered expression in the opposite direction between stressed groups of both Tph2 genotypes. We identified several molecular markers, including Dgkh, Arfgef3, Kcnh7, Grin2a, Tenm1 and Epha6, implicated in neurodevelopmental deficits and psychiatric conditions featuring impaired cognition and emotional dysregulation. Moreover, while 17 regulons, including several relevant to neural plasticity and function, were significantly altered in stressed mutants, no alteration in regulons was detected in stressed wildtype mice. An interplay of the uncovered pathways likely mediates partial Tph2 inactivation in interaction with severe stress experience, thus resulting in excessive female aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Strekalova
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Oleg Moskvin
- Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Singapore Medical School, BluMaiden Biosciences, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aayushi Y Jain
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nikita Gorbunov
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Gorlova
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daria Sadovnik
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Aleksei Umriukhin
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Raymond Cespuglio
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- Neuroscience Research Center of Lyon, Beliv Plateau, Claude-Bernard Lyon-1 University, Bron, France
| | - Wing Shan Yu
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Anna Chung Kwan Tse
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Lee Wei Lim
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Caceres S, Moreno J, Crespo B, Silvan G, Illera JC. Physiological Stress Responses in Cattle Used in the Spanish Rodeo. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2654. [PMID: 37627445 PMCID: PMC10451956 DOI: 10.3390/ani13162654] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Certain events can cause distress in cattle. In Spain, there is a sport similar to rodeo called persecution and takedown, in which calves are harassed and knocked down by riders. In this study, the physiological stress response of calves (n = 260) is assessed by measuring hormonal physiological parameters. Salivary samples were collected from Salers (n = 110) and Lidia (n = 150) calves before, during, and after the persecution and takedown event. The hormones epinephrine, cortisol, serotonin, and dopamine were determined in saliva samples using enzyme-immunoassay techniques. The results obtained revealed that epinephrine and cortisol levels increased during the event in Salers calves, with a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the case of epinephrine, although after the event, these values returned to their initial state. Therefore, this sport supposes an assumable punctual stressor stimulus for the animal. In contrast, in Lidia calves, cortisol and epinephrine levels decreased, with a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the case of cortisol, which may be related to the temperament of this breed and facing a stressful situation in a different manner. This is confirmed by serotonin and dopamine levels that were altered in Lidia calves with respect to the other group studied. In conclusion, the sport of persecution and takedown produces a physiological response of adaptive stress assumable for the animals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gema Silvan
- Department of Animal Physiology, Veterinary Medicine School, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (S.C.); (J.M.); (B.C.); (J.C.I.)
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Hecht EE, Barton SA, Rogers Flattery CN, Meza Meza A. The evolutionary neuroscience of domestication. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:553-567. [PMID: 37087363 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
How does domestication affect the brain? This question has broad relevance. Domesticated animals play important roles in human society, and substantial recent work has addressed the hypotheses that a domestication syndrome links phenotypes across species, including Homo sapiens. Surprisingly, however, neuroscience research on domestication remains largely disconnected from current knowledge about how and why brains change in evolution. This article aims to bridge that gap. Examination of recent research reveals some commonalities across species, but ultimately suggests that brain changes associated with domestication are complex and variable. We conclude that interactions between behavioral, metabolic, and life-history selection pressures, as well as the role the role of experience and environment, are currently largely overlooked and represent important directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA.
| | - Sophie A Barton
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA
| | | | - Araceli Meza Meza
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA
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Balcarcel AM, Geiger M, Clauss M, Sánchez‐Villagra MR. The mammalian brain under domestication: Discovering patterns after a century of old and new analyses. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022; 338:460-483. [PMID: 34813150 PMCID: PMC9787656 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Comparisons of wild and domestic populations have established brain reduction as one of the most consistent patterns correlated with domestication. Over a century of scholarly work has been devoted to this subject, and yet, new data continue to foster its debate. Current arguments, both for and against the validity of brain reduction occurring in domestic taxa, have repeatedly cited a small set of reviews on this subject. The original works, their sampling, methodological details, and nuances of results that would be key to establishing validity, particularly in light of new data, have not been investigated. To facilitate and encourage a more informed discussion, we present a comprehensive review of original brain reduction literature for four mammalian clades: Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Carnivora, and Glires. Among these are studies that generated the most cited brain reduction values in modern domestication literature. In doing so, we provide a fairer stage for the critique of traits associated with domestication. We conclude that while brain reduction magnitudes may contain error, empirical data collectively support the reduction in brain size and cranial capacity for domestic forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. M. Balcarcel
- Palaeontological Institute and MuseumUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - M. Geiger
- Palaeontological Institute and MuseumUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - M. Clauss
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and WildlifeUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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Rosvall KA. Evolutionary endocrinology and the problem of Darwin's tangled bank. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105246. [PMID: 36029721 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Like Darwin's tangled bank of biodiversity, the endocrine mechanisms that give rise to phenotypic diversity also exhibit nearly endless forms. This tangled bank of mechanistic diversity can prove problematic as we seek general principles on the role of endocrine mechanisms in phenotypic evolution. A key unresolved question is therefore: to what degree are specific endocrine mechanisms re-used to bring about replicated phenotypic evolution? Related areas of inquiry are booming in molecular ecology, but behavioral traits are underrepresented in this literature. Here, I leverage the rich comparative tradition in evolutionary endocrinology to evaluate whether and how certain mechanisms may be repeated hotspots of behavioral evolutionary change. At one extreme, mechanisms may be parallel, such that evolution repeatedly uses the same gene or pathway to arrive at multiple independent (or, convergent) origins of a particular behavioral trait. At the other extreme, the building blocks of behavior may be unique, such that outwardly similar phenotypes are generated via lineage-specific mechanisms. This review synthesizes existing case studies, phylogenetic analyses, and experimental evolutionary research on mechanistic parallelism in animal behavior. These examples show that the endocrine building blocks of behavior have some elements of parallelism across replicated evolutionary events. However, support for parallelism is variable among studies, at least some of which relates to the level of complexity at which we consider sameness (i.e. pathway vs. gene level). Moving forward, we need continued experimentation and better testing of neutral models to understand whether, how - and critically, why - mechanism A is used in one lineage and mechanism B is used in another. We also need continued growth of large-scale comparative analyses, especially those that can evaluate which endocrine parameters are more or less likely to undergo parallel evolution alongside specific behavioral traits. These efforts will ultimately deepen understanding of how and why hormone-mediated behaviors are constructed the way that they are.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Rosvall
- Indiana University, Bloomington, USA; Department of Biology, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, USA.
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Behavioural Traits in Bos taurus Cattle, Their Heritability, Potential Genetic Markers, and Associations with Production Traits. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12192602. [PMID: 36230342 PMCID: PMC9559500 DOI: 10.3390/ani12192602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cattle have the potential to seriously injure humans and cause damage to property. The risk of cattle reacting in a dangerous manner can be reduced through genetic selection for cattle which have a better temperament. A literature search was undertaken which returned papers which met the criteria of “Bovine”, “Genetics” and “Behaviour” or terms therein. Behavioural traits were grouped and their heritability, genomic associations and correlations with production traits examined. It was found that heritability estimates were more accurate in studies with large populations (n > 1000). Gene associations with behavioural traits were found on all chromosomes except for chromosome 13, with associated SNPs reported on all chromosomes except 5, 13, 17, 18 and 23. Generally, it was found that correlations between behaviour and production traits were low or negligible, suggesting that genetic improvement can be undertaken without negatively affecting production. There was variation between the results of the studies examined, and this underlines that any genetic study is population specific. Thus, to assess the heritability, genetic associations with production and genomic areas of interest for behavioural traits, a large-scale study of the population of interest would be required. Abstract People who work with cattle are at severe risk of serious injury due to the size and strength of the cattle. This risk can be minimised by breeding less dangerous cattle, which have a more favourable reaction to humans. This study provides a systematic review of literature pertaining to cattle genetics relating to behaviour. The review protocol was developed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, with Population, Exposure and Outcome components identified as Bovine, Genetics and Behaviour respectively. Forty-nine studies were identified in the sifting and assigned non-exclusively to groups of heritability (22), genomic associations (13) and production traits related to behaviour (24). Behavioural traits were clustered into the following groups: “temperament, disposition and/ or docility”, “aggression”, “chute score”, “flight speed”, “milking temperament”, “non-restrained methods” and “restrained methods”. Fourteen papers reported high accuracy (Standard Error ≤ 0.05) estimates of heritability, the majority (n = 12) of these studies measured over 1000 animals. The heritability estimates were found to vary between studies. Gene associations with behavioural traits were found on all chromosomes except for chromosome 13, with associated SNPs reported on all chromosomes except 5, 13, 17, 18 and 23. Generally, it was found that correlations between behaviour and production traits were low or negligible. These studies suggest that additive improvement of behavioural traits in cattle is possible and would not negatively impact performance. However, the variation between studies demonstrates that the genetic relationships are population specific. Thus, to assess the heritability, genetic associations with production and genomic areas of interest for behavioural traits, a large-scale study of the population of interest would be required.
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Kalinina SN, Ilyukha VA, Trapezov OV, Morozov AV, Trapezova LI, Nekrasova MA, Stepanova MA, Sysoeva EA. Activity of Digestive Enzymes in the American Mink (Neovison vison) Selected for Tameness and Defensive Aggression toward Humans. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093022010069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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