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Zimmer C, Hanson HE, Garrison M, Reese D, Dor R, Søraker JS, Ho Thu P, Sheldon EL, Martin LB. Immune gene expression and epigenetic potential affect the consumption of risky food by female house sparrows. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 119:6-13. [PMID: 38552921 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.03.033] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
When organisms move into new areas, they are likely to encounter novel food resources. Even if they are nutritious, these foods can also be risky, as they might be contaminated by parasites. The behavioural immune system of animals could help them avoid the negative effects of contaminated resources, but our understanding of behavioural immunity is limited, particularly whether and how behavioural immunity interacts with physiological immunity. Here, we asked about the potential for interplay between these two traits, specifically how the propensity of an individual house sparrow (Passer domesticus) to take foraging risks was related to its ability to regulate a key facet of its immune response to bacterial pathogens. Previously, we found that sparrows at expanding geographic range edges were more exploratory and less risk-averse to novel foods; in those same populations, birds tended to over-express Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a pattern-recognition receptor that distinguishes cell-wall components of Gram-negative bacteria, making it the major sensor of potentially lethal gut microbial infections including salmonellosis. When we investigated how birds would respond to a typical diet (i.e., mixed seeds) spiked with domesticated chicken faeces, birds that expressed more TLR4 or had higher epigenetic potential for TLR4 (more CpG dinucleotides in the putative gene promoter) ate more food, spiked or not. Females expressing abundant TLR4 were also willing to take more foraging risks and ate more spiked food. In males, TLR4 expression was not associated with risk-taking. Altogether, our results indicate that behaviour and immunity covary among individual house sparrows, particularly in females where those birds that maintain more immune surveillance also are more disposed to take foraging risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Zimmer
- Global Health and Interdisciplinary Disease Research Center, University of South Florida 33612, USA; Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UR 4443, 93430 Villetaneuse, France.
| | - Haley E Hanson
- Global Health and Interdisciplinary Disease Research Center, University of South Florida 33612, USA
| | - Marisa Garrison
- Global Health and Interdisciplinary Disease Research Center, University of South Florida 33612, USA
| | - Darrys Reese
- Global Health and Interdisciplinary Disease Research Center, University of South Florida 33612, USA
| | - Roi Dor
- Department of Natural Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra'Anana, Israel
| | - Jørgen S Søraker
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway; Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Phuong Ho Thu
- Vietnam National University of Forestry, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Elizabeth L Sheldon
- Global Health and Interdisciplinary Disease Research Center, University of South Florida 33612, USA
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Global Health and Interdisciplinary Disease Research Center, University of South Florida 33612, USA
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Ray D, Sheldon EL, Zimmer C, Martin LB, Schrey AW. Screening H3 Histone Acetylation in a Wild Bird, the House Sparrow ( Passer Domesticus). Integr Org Biol 2024; 6:obae004. [PMID: 38516554 PMCID: PMC10956398 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obae004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms are increasingly understood to have major impacts across ecology. However, one molecular epigenetic mechanism, DNA methylation, currently dominates the literature. A second mechanism, histone modification, is likely important to ecologically relevant phenotypes and thus warrants investigation, especially because molecular interplay between methylation and histone acetylation can strongly affect gene expression. There are a limited number of histone acetylation studies on non-model organisms, yet those that exist show that it can impact gene expression and phenotypic plasticity. Wild birds provide an excellent system to investigate histone acetylation, as free-living individuals must rapidly adjust to environmental change. Here, we screen histone acetylation in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus); we studied this species because DNA methylation was important in the spread of this bird globally. This species has one of the broadest geographic distributions in the world, and part of this success is related to the way that it uses methylation to regulate its gene expression. Here, we verify that a commercially available assay that was developed for mammals can be used in house sparrows. We detected high variance in histone acetylation among individuals in both liver and spleen tissue. Further, house sparrows with higher epigenetic potential in the Toll Like Receptor-4 (TLR-4) promoter (i.e., CpG content) had higher histone acetylation in liver. Also, there was a negative correlation between histone acetylation in spleen and TLR-4 expression. In addition to validating a method for measuring histone acetylation in wild songbirds, this study also shows that histone acetylation is related to epigenetic potential and gene expression, adding a new study option for ecological epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Ray
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Savannah, GA 31419, United States
| | - E L Sheldon
- USF Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center and USF Genomics Center, College of Public Health University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - C Zimmer
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UR 4443, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - L B Martin
- USF Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center and USF Genomics Center, College of Public Health University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, United States
| | - A W Schrey
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Savannah, GA 31419, United States
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Lauer ME, Kodak H, Albayrak T, Lima MR, Ray D, Simpson-Wade E, Tevs DR, Sheldon EL, Martin LB, Schrey AW. Introduced house sparrows (Passer domesticus) have greater variation in DNA methylation than native house sparrows. J Hered 2024; 115:11-18. [PMID: 37910845 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
As a highly successful introduced species, house sparrows (Passer domesticus) respond rapidly to their new habitats, generating phenotypic patterns across their introduced range that resemble variation in native regions. Epigenetic mechanisms likely facilitate the success of introduced house sparrows by aiding particular individuals to adjust their phenotypes plastically to novel conditions. Our objective here was to investigate patterns of DNA methylation among populations of house sparrows at a broad geographic scale that included different introduction histories: invading, established, and native. We defined the invading category as the locations with introductions less than 70 years ago and the established category as the locations with greater than 70 years since introduction. We screened DNA methylation among individuals (n = 45) by epiRADseq, expecting that variation in DNA methylation among individuals from invading populations would be higher when compared with individuals from established and native populations. Invading house sparrows had the highest variance in DNA methylation of all three groups, but established house sparrows also had higher variance than native ones. The highest number of differently methylated regions were detected between invading and native populations of house sparrow. Additionally, DNA methylation was negatively correlated to time-since introduction, which further suggests that DNA methylation had a role in the successful colonization's of house sparrows.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ellesse Lauer
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro and Savannah, GA 30458 and 31419, United States
| | - Haley Kodak
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro and Savannah, GA 30458 and 31419, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States
| | - Tamer Albayrak
- Department of Biology, Budur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey
| | - Marcos R Lima
- Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva e Conservação, Departamento de Biologia Animal e Vegetal, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Daniella Ray
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro and Savannah, GA 30458 and 31419, United States
| | - Emma Simpson-Wade
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro and Savannah, GA 30458 and 31419, United States
- Biomedical Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
| | - David R Tevs
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro and Savannah, GA 30458 and 31419, United States
| | - Elizabeth L Sheldon
- USF Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center and USF Genomics Center, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, United States
| | - Lynn B Martin
- USF Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center and USF Genomics Center, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, United States
| | - Aaron W Schrey
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro and Savannah, GA 30458 and 31419, United States
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van Oers K, van den Heuvel K, Sepers B. The Epigenetics of Animal Personality. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105194. [PMID: 37094740 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105194] [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: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Animal personality, consistent individual differences in behaviour, is an important concept for understanding how individuals vary in how they cope with environmental challenges. In order to understand the evolutionary significance of animal personality, it is crucial to understand the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation are hypothesised to play a major role in explaining variation in phenotypic changes in response to environmental alterations. Several characteristics of DNA methylation also align well with the concept of animal personality. In this review paper, we summarise the current literature on the role that molecular epigenetic mechanisms may have in explaining personality variation. We elaborate on the potential for epigenetic mechanisms to explain behavioural variation, behavioural development and temporal consistency in behaviour. We then suggest future routes for this emerging field and point to potential pitfalls that may be encountered. We conclude that a more inclusive approach is needed for studying the epigenetics of animal personality and that epigenetic mechanisms cannot be studied without considering the genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Krista van den Heuvel
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bernice Sepers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands
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The Mutagenic Consequences of DNA Methylation within and across Generations. EPIGENOMES 2022; 6:epigenomes6040033. [PMID: 36278679 PMCID: PMC9624357 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes6040033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification with wide-ranging consequences across the life of an organism. This modification can be stable, persisting through development despite changing environmental conditions. However, in other contexts, DNA methylation can also be flexible, underlying organismal phenotypic plasticity. One underappreciated aspect of DNA methylation is that it is a potent mutagen; methylated cytosines mutate at a much faster rate than other genetic motifs. This mutagenic property of DNA methylation has been largely ignored in eco-evolutionary literature, despite its prevalence. Here, we explore how DNA methylation induced by environmental and other factors could promote mutation and lead to evolutionary change at a more rapid rate and in a more directed manner than through stochastic genetic mutations alone. We argue for future research on the evolutionary implications of DNA methylation driven mutations both within the lifetime of organisms, as well as across timescales.
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Hanson HE, Wang C, Schrey AW, Liebl AL, Ravinet M, Jiang RH, Martin LB. Epigenetic Potential and DNA Methylation in an Ongoing House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Range Expansion. Am Nat 2022; 200:662-674. [DOI: 10.1086/720950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Zimmer C, Hanson HE, Martin LB. FKBP5 expression is related to HPA flexibility and the capacity to cope with stressors in female and male house sparrows. Horm Behav 2021; 135:105038. [PMID: 34280702 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its end products, the glucocorticoids, are critical to responding appropriately to stressors. Subsequently, many studies have sought relationships between glucocorticoids and measures of health or fitness, but such relationships are at best highly context dependent. Recently, some endocrinologists have started to suggest that a focus on HPA flexibility, the ability of an individual to mount appropriate responses to different stressors, could be useful. Here, we tested the hypothesis that expression of FKBP5, a cochaperone in the glucocorticoid receptor complex, is a simple and reliable proxy of HPA flexibility in a wild songbird, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). We quantified HPA flexibility in a novel way, using guidance from research on heart rhythm regulation. As predicted, we found that adult sparrows with low stress-induced FKBP5 expression in the hypothalamus exhibited high HPA flexibility. Moreover, low FKBP5 expression was associated with greater exploratory disposition and were better at maintaining body mass under stressful conditions. Altogether, these results suggest that FKBP5 may be important in the regulation of HPA flexibility, potentially affecting how individuals cope with natural and anthropogenic adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Zimmer
- Global Health and Infectious Disease Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Haley E Hanson
- Global Health and Infectious Disease Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Global Health and Infectious Disease Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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Knight K. Versatile gene expression helps trail-blazing house sparrows adapt. J Exp Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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