1
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Riyahi S, Liebermann-Lilie ND, Jacobs A, Korsten P, Mayer U, Schmoll T. Transcriptomic changes in the posterior pallium of male zebra finches associated with social niche conformance. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:694. [PMID: 39009985 PMCID: PMC11251365 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10573-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals plastically adjust their physiological and behavioural phenotypes to conform to their social environment-social niche conformance. The degree of sexual competition is a critical part of the social environment to which animals adjust their phenotypes, but the underlying genetic mechanisms are poorly understood. We conducted a study to investigate how differences in sperm competition risk affect the gene expression profiles of the testes and two brain areas (posterior pallium and optic tectum) in breeding male zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis). In this pre-registered study, we investigated a large sample of 59 individual transcriptomes. We compared two experimental groups: males held in single breeding pairs (low sexual competition) versus those held in two pairs (elevated sexual competition) per breeding cage. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we observed significant effects of the social treatment in all three tissues. However, only the treatment effects found in the pallium were confirmed by an additional randomisation test for statistical robustness. Likewise, the differential gene expression analysis revealed treatment effects only in the posterior pallium (ten genes) and optic tectum (six genes). No treatment effects were found in the testis at the single gene level. Thus, our experiments do not provide strong evidence for transcriptomic adjustment specific to manipulated sperm competition risk. However, we did observe transcriptomic adjustments to the manipulated social environment in the posterior pallium. These effects were polygenic rather than based on few individual genes with strong effects. Our findings are discussed in relation to an accompanying paper using the same animals, which reports behavioural results consistent with the results presented here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepand Riyahi
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany.
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, Vienna, 1030, Austria.
| | - Navina D Liebermann-Lilie
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
| | - Arne Jacobs
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Peter Korsten
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - Uwe Mayer
- Center for Mind/Brain Science, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, Rovereto, TN, 38068, Italy.
| | - Tim Schmoll
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany.
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), University of Münster and Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
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2
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Dupont L, Thierry M, Zinger L, Legrand D, Jacob S. Beyond reaction norms: the temporal dynamics of phenotypic plasticity. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:41-51. [PMID: 37718228 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity can allow organisms to cope with environmental changes. Although reaction norms are commonly used to quantify plasticity along gradients of environmental conditions, they often miss the temporal dynamics of phenotypic change, especially the speed at which it occurs. Here, we argue that studying the rate of phenotypic plasticity is a crucial step to quantify and understand its adaptiveness. Iteratively measuring plastic traits allows us to describe the actual dynamics of phenotypic changes and avoid quantifying reaction norms at times that do not truly reflect the organism's capacity for plasticity. Integrating the temporal component in how we describe, quantify, and conceptualise phenotypic plasticity can change our understanding of its diversity, evolution, and consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léonard Dupont
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UAR2029, CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France.
| | - Mélanie Thierry
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UAR2029, CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France
| | - Lucie Zinger
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Delphine Legrand
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UAR2029, CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France
| | - Staffan Jacob
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UAR2029, CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France
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3
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Young RL, Price SM, Schumer M, Wang S, Cummings ME. Individual variation in preference behavior in sailfin fish refines the neurotranscriptomic pathway for mate preference. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10323. [PMID: 37492456 PMCID: PMC10363800 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Social interactions can drive distinct gene expression profiles which may vary by social context. Here we use female sailfin molly fish (Poecilia latipinna) to identify genomic profiles associated with preference behavior in distinct social contexts: male interactions (mate choice) versus female interactions (shoaling partner preference). We measured the behavior of 15 females interacting in a non-contact environment with either two males or two females for 30 min followed by whole-brain transcriptomic profiling by RNA sequencing. We profiled females that exhibited high levels of social affiliation and great variation in preference behavior to identify an order of magnitude more differentially expressed genes associated with behavioral variation than by differences in social context. Using a linear model (limma), we took advantage of the individual variation in preference behavior to identify unique gene sets that exhibited distinct correlational patterns of expression with preference behavior in each social context. By combining limma and weighted gene co-expression network analyses (WGCNA) approaches we identified a refined set of 401 genes robustly associated with mate preference that is independent of shoaling partner preference or general social affiliation. While our refined gene set confirmed neural plasticity pathways involvement in moderating female preference behavior, we also identified a significant proportion of discovered that our preference-associated genes were enriched for 'immune system' gene ontology categories. We hypothesize that the association between mate preference and transcriptomic immune function is driven by the less well-known role of these genes in neural plasticity which is likely involved in higher-order learning and processing during mate choice decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L. Young
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of TexasAustinTexasUSA
| | - Sarah M. Price
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of TexasAustinTexasUSA
| | - Molly Schumer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew JerseyUSA
- Present address:
Department of BiologyStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Silu Wang
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of TexasAustinTexasUSA
- Present address:
Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
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4
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Antunes DF, Soares MC, Taborsky M. Dopamine modulates social behaviour in cooperatively breeding fish. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2022; 550:111649. [PMID: 35436519 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2022.111649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine is part of the reward system triggering the social decision-making network in the brain. It has hence great potential importance in the regulation of social behaviour, but its significance in the control of behaviour in highly social animals is currently limited. We studied the role of the dopaminergic system in social decision-making in the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher, by blocking or stimulating the dopaminergic D1-like and D2-like receptors. We first tested the effects of different dosages and timing of administration on subordinate group members' social behaviour within the group in an unchallenging environment. In a second experiment we pharmacologically manipulated D1-like and D2-like receptors while experimentally challenging N. pulcher groups by presenting an egg predator, and by increasing the need for territory maintenance through digging out sand from the shelter. Our results show that the D1-like and D2-like receptor pathways are differently involved in the modulation of aggressive, submissive and affiliative behaviours. Interestingly, the environmental context seems particularly crucial regarding the role of the D2-like receptors in behavioural regulation of social encounters among group members, indicating a potential pathway in agonistic and cooperative interactions in a pay-to-stay scenario. We discuss the importance of environmental information in mediating the role of dopamine for the modulation of social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo F Antunes
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH-3032, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland; Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Marta C Soares
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Michael Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH-3032, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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5
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Bentz AB, Empson TA, George EM, Rusch DB, Buechlein A, Rosvall KA. How experimental competition changes ovarian gene activity in free-living birds: Implications for steroidogenesis, maternal effects, and beyond. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105171. [PMID: 35381449 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The ovary plays an important role in mediating both a female's response to her social environment and communicating it to her developing offspring via maternal effects. Past work has focused on how ovarian hormones respond to competition, but we know little about how the broader ovarian transcriptomic landscape changes, either during or after competition, giving us a narrow perspective on how socially induced phenotypes arise. Here, we experimentally generated social competition among wild, cavity-nesting female birds (tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor), a species in which females lack a socially induced rise in circulating testosterone but they nevertheless increase allocation to eggs. After territory settlement, we reduced availability of nesting cavities, generating heightened competition; within 24 h we reversed the manipulation, causing aggressive interactions to subside. We measured ovarian transcriptomic responses at the peak of competition and 48 h later, along with date-matched controls. Network analyses indicated that competing females experienced an immediate and temporary decrease in the expression of genes involved in the early stages of steroidogenesis, and this was moderately correlated with plasma testosterone; however, two days after competition had ended, there was a marked increase in the expression of genes involved in the final stages of steroidogenesis, including HSD17B1. Gene networks related to the cell cycle, muscle performance, and extracellular matrix organization also displayed altered activity. Although the functional consequences of these findings are unclear, they shed light on socially responsive ovarian genomic mechanisms that could potentially exert lasting effects on behavior, reproduction, and maternal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA.
| | - Tara A Empson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth M George
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Douglas B Rusch
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Aaron Buechlein
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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6
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Trieu-Duc V, Oshima K, Matsumura K, Iwasaki Y, Chiu MT, Nikaido M, Okada N. Alternative splicing plays key roles in response to stress across different stages of fighting in the fish Betta splendens. BMC Genomics 2022; 22:920. [PMID: 35637454 PMCID: PMC9150285 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08609-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aggression is an evolutionarily conserved behavior critical for animal survival. In the fish Betta splendens, across different stages of fighting interactions, fighting opponents suffer from various stressors, especially from the great demand for oxygen. Using RNA sequencing, we profiled differential alternative splicing (DAS) events in the brains of fish collected before fighting, during fighting, and after fighting to study the involvement of alternative splicing (AS) in the response to stress during the fight. Results We found that fighting interactions induced the greatest increase in AS in the ‘during-fighting’ fish, followed by that of the ‘after-fighting’ fish. Intron retention (IR) was the most enriched type among all the basic AS events. DAS genes were mainly associated with synapse assembly, ion transport, and regulation of protein secretion. We further observed that IR events significantly differentiated between winners and losers for 19 genes, which were associated with messenger RNA biogenesis, DNA repair, and transcription machinery. These genes share many common features, including shorter intron length and higher GC content. Conclusions This study is the first comprehensive view of AS induced by fighting interactions in a fish species across different stages of those interactions, especially with respect to IR events in winners and losers. Together, these findings facilitate future investigations into transcriptome complexity and AS regulation in response to stress under the context of aggression in vertebrates. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08609-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vu Trieu-Duc
- School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.,Life Sciences and Biotechnology Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Yuri Iwasaki
- Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
| | - Ming-Tzu Chiu
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Masato Nikaido
- Life Sciences and Biotechnology Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norihiro Okada
- School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan. .,Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. .,Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan.
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7
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Lipshutz SE, Howell CR, Buechlein AM, Rusch DB, Rosvall KA, Derryberry EP. How thermal challenges change gene regulation in the songbird brain and gonad: implications for sexual selection in our changing world. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:3613-3626. [PMID: 35567363 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In a rapidly warming world, exposure to high temperatures may impact fitness, but the gene regulatory mechanisms that link sublethal heat to sexually selected traits are not well understood, particularly in endothermic animals. Our experiment used zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), songbirds that experience extreme temperature fluctuations in their native Australia. We exposed captive males to an acute thermal challenge (43°C) compared with thermoneutral (35°C) and lower (27°C) temperatures. We found significantly more heat dissipation behaviors at 43°C, a temperature previously shown to reduce song production and fertility, and more heat retention behaviors at 27°C. Next, we characterized transcriptomic responses in tissues important for mating effort - the posterior telencephalon, for its role in song production, and the testis, for its role in fertility and hormone production. Differential expression of hundreds of genes in the testes, but few in the brain, suggest the brain is less responsive to extreme temperatures. Nevertheless, gene network analyses revealed that expression related to dopaminergic signaling in the brain co-varied with heat dissipation behaviors, providing a mechanism by which temporary thermal challenges may alter motivational circuits for song production. In both brain and testis, we observed correlations between thermally sensitive gene networks and individual differences in thermoregulatory behavior. Although we cannot directly relate these gene regulatory changes to mating success, our results suggest that individual variation in response to thermal challenges could impact sexually selected traits in a warming world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Lipshutz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Clara R Howell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Aaron M Buechlein
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Douglas B Rusch
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth P Derryberry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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8
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Fischer EK, Hauber ME, Bell AM. Back to the basics? Transcriptomics offers integrative insights into the role of space, time and the environment for gene expression and behaviour. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210293. [PMID: 34520681 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fuelled by the ongoing genomic revolution, broadscale RNA expression surveys are fast replacing studies targeting one or a few genes to understand the molecular basis of behaviour. Yet, the timescale of RNA-sequencing experiments and the dynamics of neural gene activation are insufficient to drive real-time switches between behavioural states. Moreover, the spatial, functional and transcriptional complexity of the brain (the most commonly targeted tissue in studies of behaviour) further complicates inference. We argue that a Central Dogma-like 'back-to-basics' assumption that gene expression changes cause behaviour leaves some of the most important aspects of gene-behaviour relationships unexplored, including the roles of environmental influences, timing and feedback from behaviour-and the environmental shifts it causes-to neural gene expression. No perfect experimental solutions exist but we advocate that explicit consideration, exploration and discussion of these factors will pave the way toward a richer understanding of the complicated relationships between genes, environments, brain gene expression and behaviour over developmental and evolutionary timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Alison M Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
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9
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Uy FMK, Jernigan CM, Zaba NC, Mehrotra E, Miller SE, Sheehan MJ. Dynamic neurogenomic responses to social interactions and dominance outcomes in female paper wasps. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009474. [PMID: 34478434 PMCID: PMC8415593 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions have large effects on individual physiology and fitness. In the immediate sense, social stimuli are often highly salient and engaging. Over longer time scales, competitive interactions often lead to distinct social ranks and differences in physiology and behavior. Understanding how initial responses lead to longer-term effects of social interactions requires examining the changes in responses over time. Here we examined the effects of social interactions on transcriptomic signatures at two times, at the end of a 45-minute interaction and 4 hours later, in female Polistes fuscatus paper wasp foundresses. Female P. fuscatus have variable facial patterns that are used for visual individual recognition, so we separately examined the transcriptional dynamics in the optic lobe and the non-visual brain. Results demonstrate much stronger transcriptional responses to social interactions in the non-visual brain compared to the optic lobe. Differentially regulated genes in response to social interactions are enriched for memory-related transcripts. Comparisons between winners and losers of the encounters revealed similar overall transcriptional profiles at the end of an interaction, which significantly diverged over the course of 4 hours, with losers showing changes in expression levels of genes associated with aggression and reproduction in paper wasps. On nests, subordinate foundresses are less aggressive, do more foraging and lay fewer eggs compared to dominant foundresses and we find losers shift expression of many genes in the non-visual brain, including vitellogenin, related to aggression, worker behavior, and reproduction within hours of losing an encounter. These results highlight the early neurogenomic changes that likely contribute to behavioral and physiological effects of social status changes in a social insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floria M. K. Uy
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Jernigan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Natalie C. Zaba
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Eshan Mehrotra
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Sara E. Miller
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Sheehan
- Laboratory for Animal Social Evolution and Recognition, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Abstract
The repeated adaptation of oceanic threespine sticklebacks to fresh water has made it a premier organism to study parallel evolution. These small fish have multiple distinct ecotypes that display a wide range of diverse phenotypic traits. Ecotypes are easily crossed in the laboratory, and families are large and develop quickly enough for quantitative trait locus analyses, positioning the threespine stickleback as a versatile model organism to address a wide range of biological questions. Extensive genomic resources, including linkage maps, a high-quality reference genome, and developmental genetics tools have led to insights into the genomic basis of adaptation and the identification of genomic changes controlling traits in vertebrates. Recently, threespine sticklebacks have been used as a model system to identify the genomic basis of highly complex traits, such as behavior and host-microbiome and host-parasite interactions. We review the latest findings and new avenues of research that have led the threespine stickleback to be considered a supermodel of evolutionary genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry Reid
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA;
| | - Michael A Bell
- University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Krishna R Veeramah
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA;
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11
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James N, Bell A. Minimally invasive brain injections for viral-mediated transgenesis: New tools for behavioral genetics in sticklebacks. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251653. [PMID: 33999965 PMCID: PMC8128275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral genetics in non-model organisms is currently gated by technological limitations. However, with the growing availability of genome editing and functional genomic tools, complex behavioral traits such as social behavior can now be explored in diverse organisms. Here we present a minimally invasive neurosurgical procedure for a classic behavioral, ecological and evolutionary system: threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Direct brain injection enables viral-mediated transgenesis and pharmaceutical delivery which bypasses the blood-brain barrier. This method is flexible, fast, and amenable to statistically powerful within-subject experimental designs, making it well-suited for use in genetically diverse animals such as those collected from natural populations. Developing this minimally invasive neurosurgical protocol required 1) refining the anesthesia process, 2) building a custom surgical rig, and 3) determining the normal recovery pattern allowing us to clearly identify warning signs of failure to thrive. Our custom-built surgical rig (publicly available) and optimized anesthetization methods resulted in high (90%) survival rates and quick behavioral recovery. Using this method, we detected changes in aggression from the overexpression of either of two different genes, arginine vasopressin (AVP) and monoamine oxidase (MAOA), in outbred animals in less than one month. We successfully used multiple promoters to drive expression, allowing for tailored expression profiles through time. In addition, we demonstrate that widely available mammalian plasmids work with this method, lowering the barrier of entry to the technique. By using repeated measures of behavior on the same fish before and after transfection, we were able to drastically reduce the necessary sample size needed to detect significant changes in behavior, making this a viable approach for examining genetic mechanisms underlying complex social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle James
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Alison Bell
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
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12
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Vu TD, Iwasaki Y, Oshima K, Chiu MT, Nikaido M, Okada N. A unique neurogenomic state emerges after aggressive confrontations in males of the fish Betta splendens. Gene 2021; 784:145601. [PMID: 33766705 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Territorial defense involves frequent aggressive confrontations with competitors, but little is known about how brain-transcriptomic profiles change between individuals competing for territory establishment. Our previous study elucidated that when two fish Betta splendens males interact, transcriptomes across their brains synchronize in a way that reflects a mutual assessment process between them at the gene expression level. Here we aim to evaluate how the brain-transcriptomic profiles of opponents change immediately after shifting their social status (i.e., the winner/loser has emerged) and 30 min after this shift. We showed that changes in the expression of certain genes are unique to different fighting stages and the expression patterns of certain genes are transiently or persistently changed across all fighting stages. These brain transcriptomic responses are in accordance with behavioral changes across the fight. Strikingly, the specificity of the brain-transcriptomic synchronization of a pair during fighting was gradually lost after fighting ceased, leading to the emergence of a basal neurogenomic state in which the changes in gene expression were reduced to minimum and consistent across all individuals. This state shares common characteristics with the hibernation state that animals adopt to minimize their metabolic rates to save energy. Interestingly, expression changes for genes related to metabolism, autism spectrum disorder, and long-term memory still differentiated losers from winners. Together, the fighting system using male B. splendens provides a promising platform for investigating neurogenomic states of aggression in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trieu-Duc Vu
- School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan; School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yuki Iwasaki
- Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
| | | | - Ming-Tzu Chiu
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Masato Nikaido
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norihiro Okada
- School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan.
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13
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Experimental competition induces immediate and lasting effects on the neurogenome in free-living female birds. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2016154118. [PMID: 33753482 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016154118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Periods of social instability can elicit adaptive phenotypic plasticity to promote success in future competition. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have primarily been studied in captive and laboratory-reared animals, leaving uncertainty as to how natural competition among free-living animals affects gene activity. Here, we experimentally generated social competition among wild, cavity-nesting female birds (tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor). After territorial settlement, we reduced the availability of key breeding resources (i.e., nest boxes), generating heightened competition; within 24 h we reversed the manipulation, causing aggressive interactions to subside. We sampled females during the peak of competition and 48 h after it ended, along with date-matched controls. We measured transcriptomic and epigenomic responses to competition in two socially relevant brain regions (hypothalamus and ventromedial telencephalon). Gene network analyses suggest that processes related to energy mobilization and aggression (e.g., dopamine synthesis) were up-regulated during competition, the latter of which persisted 2 d after competition had ended. Cellular maintenance processes were also down-regulated after competition. Competition additionally altered methylation patterns, particularly in pathways related to hormonal signaling, suggesting those genes were transcriptionally poised to respond to future competition. Thus, experimental competition among free-living animals shifts gene expression in ways that may facilitate the demands of competition at the expense of self-maintenance. Further, some of these effects persisted after competition ended, demonstrating the potential for epigenetic biological embedding of the social environment in ways that may prime individuals for success in future social instability.
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14
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Jones BM, Rao VD, Gernat T, Jagla T, Cash-Ahmed AC, Rubin BER, Comi TJ, Bhogale S, Husain SS, Blatti C, Middendorf M, Sinha S, Chandrasekaran S, Robinson GE. Individual differences in honey bee behavior enabled by plasticity in brain gene regulatory networks. eLife 2020; 9:e62850. [PMID: 33350385 PMCID: PMC7755388 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the regulatory architecture of phenotypic variation is a fundamental goal in biology, but connections between gene regulatory network (GRN) activity and individual differences in behavior are poorly understood. We characterized the molecular basis of behavioral plasticity in queenless honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, where individuals engage in both reproductive and non-reproductive behaviors. Using high-throughput behavioral tracking, we discovered these colonies contain a continuum of phenotypes, with some individuals specialized for either egg-laying or foraging and 'generalists' that perform both. Brain gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiles were correlated with behavioral variation, with generalists intermediate in behavior and molecular profiles. Models of brain GRNs constructed for individuals revealed that transcription factor (TF) activity was highly predictive of behavior, and behavior-associated regulatory regions had more TF motifs. These results provide new insights into the important role played by brain GRN plasticity in the regulation of behavior, with implications for social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beryl M Jones
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Vikyath D Rao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Tim Gernat
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Swarm Intelligence and Complex Systems Group, Department of Computer Science, Leipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Tobias Jagla
- Swarm Intelligence and Complex Systems Group, Department of Computer Science, Leipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Amy C Cash-Ahmed
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Benjamin ER Rubin
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Troy J Comi
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Shounak Bhogale
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Syed S Husain
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Charles Blatti
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Martin Middendorf
- Swarm Intelligence and Complex Systems Group, Department of Computer Science, Leipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Saurabh Sinha
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Sriram Chandrasekaran
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
- Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana–ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
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15
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Rhodes JS, Rendeiro C, Mun JG, Du K, Thaman P, Snyder A, Pinardo H, Drnevich J, Chandrasekaran S, Lai CS, Schimpf KJ, Kuchan MJ. Brain α-Tocopherol Concentration and Stereoisomer Profile Alter Hippocampal Gene Expression in Weanling Mice. J Nutr 2020; 150:3075-3085. [PMID: 32937657 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alpha-tocopherol (αT), the bioactive constituent of vitamin E, is essential for fertility and neurological development. Synthetic αT (8 stereoisomers; all rac-αT) is added to infant formula at higher concentrations than natural αT (RRR-αT only) to adjust for bio-potency differences, but its effects on brain development are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES The objective was to determine the impact of bio-potency-adjusted dietary all rac-αT versus RRR-αT, fed to dams, on the hippocampal gene expression in weanling mice. METHODS Male/female pairs of C57BL/6J mice were fed AIN 93-G containing RRR-αT (NAT) or all rac-αT (SYN) at 37.5 or 75 IU/kg (n = 10/group) throughout gestation and lactation. Male pups were euthanized at 21 days. Half the brain was evaluated for the αT concentration and stereoisomer distribution. The hippocampus was dissected from the other half, and RNA was extracted and sequenced. Milk αT was analyzed in separate dams. RESULTS A total of 797 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the hippocampi across the 4 dietary groups, at a false discovery rate of 10%. Comparing the NAT-37.5 group to the NAT-75 group or the SYN-37.5 group to the SYN-75 group, small differences in brain αT concentrations (10%; P < 0.05) led to subtle changes (<10%) in gene expression of 600 (NAT) or 487 genes (SYN), which were statistically significant. Marked differences in brain αT stereoisomer profiles (P < 0.0001) had a small effect on fewer genes (NAT-37.5 vs. SYN-37.5, 179; NAT-75 vs. SYN-75, 182). Most of the DEGs were involved in transcription regulation and synapse formation. A network analysis constructed around known vitamin E interacting proteins (VIPs) revealed a group of 32 DEGs between NAT-37.5 vs. SYN-37.5, explained by expression of the gene for the VIP, protein kinase C zeta (Pkcz). CONCLUSIONS In weanling mouse hippocampi, a network of genes involved in transcription regulation and synapse formation was differentially affected by dam diet αT concentration and source: all rac-αT or RRR-αT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin S Rhodes
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.,Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Catarina Rendeiro
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.,School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan G Mun
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.,Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Kristy Du
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.,Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Pragya Thaman
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Amanda Snyder
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Heinrich Pinardo
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Jenny Drnevich
- High Performance Biological Computing and the Roy J Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Sriram Chandrasekaran
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Chron-Si Lai
- Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.,Abbott Nutrition, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Matthew J Kuchan
- Center for Nutrition, Learning and Memory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.,Abbott Nutrition, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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16
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Bloch NI, Corral‐López A, Buechel SD, Kotrschal A, Kolm N, Mank JE. Different mating contexts lead to extensive rewiring of female brain coexpression networks in the guppy. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 20:e12697. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha I. Bloch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Universidad de Los Andes Bogotá D.C. Colombia
| | - Alberto Corral‐López
- Department of Zoology/Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London UK
| | | | - Alexander Kotrschal
- Department of Zoology/Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Wageningen University Behavioral Ecology Group Wageningen Netherlands
| | - Niclas Kolm
- Department of Zoology/Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Judith E. Mank
- University of British Columbia Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre Vancouver Canada
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London UK
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17
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Aristizabal MJ, Anreiter I, Halldorsdottir T, Odgers CL, McDade TW, Goldenberg A, Mostafavi S, Kobor MS, Binder EB, Sokolowski MB, O'Donnell KJ. Biological embedding of experience: A primer on epigenetics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:23261-23269. [PMID: 31624126 PMCID: PMC7519272 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820838116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological embedding occurs when life experience alters biological processes to affect later life health and well-being. Although extensive correlative data exist supporting the notion that epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation underlie biological embedding, causal data are lacking. We describe specific epigenetic mechanisms and their potential roles in the biological embedding of experience. We also consider the nuanced relationships between the genome, the epigenome, and gene expression. Our ability to connect biological embedding to the epigenetic landscape in its complexity is challenging and complicated by the influence of multiple factors. These include cell type, age, the timing of experience, sex, and DNA sequence. Recent advances in molecular profiling and epigenome editing, combined with the use of comparative animal and human longitudinal studies, should enable this field to transition from correlative to causal analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Aristizabal
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, and BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V52 4H4, Canada
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Ina Anreiter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Thorhildur Halldorsdottir
- Centre of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, 101, Reykjavik, Iceland
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Candice L Odgers
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Thomas W McDade
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Anna Goldenberg
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, Hospital for Sick Children, Vector Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G OA4, Canada
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Statistics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, and BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V52 4H4, Canada
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Marla B Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada;
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Kieran J O'Donnell
- Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada;
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H4H 1R3, Canada
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18
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Bell AM. Individual variation and the challenge hypothesis. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104549. [PMID: 31247185 PMCID: PMC6980443 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In this paper I discuss how the challenge hypothesis (Wingfield et al., 1990) influenced the development of ideas about animal personality, and describe particularly promising areas for future study at the intersection of these two topics. I argue that the challenge hypothesis influenced the study of animal personality in at least three specific ways. First, the challenge hypothesis drew attention to the ways in which the environment experienced by an organism - including the social environment - can influence biological processes internal to the organism, e.g. changes to physiology, gene expression, neuroendocrine state and epigenetic modifications. That is, the challenge hypothesis illustrated the bidirectional, dynamic relationship between hormones and (social) environments, thereby helping us to understand how behavioral variation among individuals can emerge over time. Because the paper was inspired by data collected on free living animals in natural populations, it drew behavioral ecologists' attention to this phenomenon. Second, the challenge hypothesis highlighted what became a paradigmatic example of a hormonal mechanism for a behavioral spillover, i.e. testosterone's pleiotropic effects on both territorial aggression and parental care causes aggression to "spillover" to influence parenting behavior, thereby limiting behavioral plasticity. Third, the challenge hypothesis contributed to what is now a cottage industry examining individual differences in hormone titres and their relationship with behavioral variation. I argue that one particularly promising future research direction in this area is to consider the active role of behavior and behavioral types in eliciting social interactions, including territorial challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, United States of America.
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19
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Behavioral and brain- transcriptomic synchronization between the two opponents of a fighting pair of the fish Betta splendens. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008831. [PMID: 32555673 PMCID: PMC7299326 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Conspecific male animals fight for resources such as food and mating opportunities but typically stop fighting after assessing their relative fighting abilities to avoid serious injuries. Physiologically, how the fighting behavior is controlled remains unknown. Using the fighting fish Betta splendens, we studied behavioral and brain-transcriptomic changes during the fight between the two opponents. At the behavioral level, surface-breathing, and biting/striking occurred only during intervals between mouth-locking. Eventually, the behaviors of the two opponents became synchronized, with each pair showing a unique behavioral pattern. At the physiological level, we examined the expression patterns of 23,306 brain transcripts using RNA-sequencing data from brains of fighting pairs after a 20-min (D20) and a 60-min (D60) fight. The two opponents in each D60 fighting pair showed a strong gene expression correlation, whereas those in D20 fighting pairs showed a weak correlation. Moreover, each fighting pair in the D60 group showed pair-specific gene expression patterns in a grade of membership analysis (GoM) and were grouped as a pair in the heatmap clustering. The observed pair-specific individualization in brain-transcriptomic synchronization (PIBS) suggested that this synchronization provides a physiological basis for the behavioral synchronization. An analysis using the synchronized genes in fighting pairs of the D60 group found genes enriched for ion transport, synaptic function, and learning and memory. Brain-transcriptomic synchronization could be a general phenomenon and may provide a new cornerstone with which to investigate coordinating and sustaining social interactions between two interacting partners of vertebrates. Agonistic encounters induce changes in the brain and behavior, but their underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. The fighting fish Betta splendens are small freshwater fish that are well known for their aggressiveness and are widely used to study aggression. Here, by measuring aggressive behavior displays (bite/strike/surface-breathing) between two opponents during fighting, we demonstrate that the two opponents in each fighting pair showed similar fighting configurations by influencing each other. In addition, we compared brain gene expression between opponents and showed synchronization of gene expression within a fighting pair, leading to pair-specific synchronization in genes associated with ion transport, synapse function, and learning and memory. This study presents the possibility that similar behaviors in pairs of animals under similar conditions may trigger synchronizing waves of transcription between the individuals, providing a hint to support the idea that fighting behaviors contain cooperative aspects at the molecular level.
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20
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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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21
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Cole EL, Empringham JS, Biro C, Thompson GJ, Rosengaus RB. Relish as a Candidate Marker for Transgenerational Immune Priming in a Dampwood Termite (Blattodae: Archeotermopsidae). INSECTS 2020; 11:E149. [PMID: 32120840 PMCID: PMC7143124 DOI: 10.3390/insects11030149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection should favor the transfer of immune competence from one generation to the next in a context-dependent manner. Transgenerational immune priming (TGIP) is expected to evolve when species exploit pathogen-rich environments and exhibit extended overlap of parent-offspring generations. Dampwood termites are hemimetabolous, eusocial insects (Blattodea: Archeotermopsidae) that possess both of these traits. We predict that offspring of pathogen-exposed queens of Zootermopsis angusticollis will show evidence of a primed immune system relative to the offspring of unexposed controls. We found that Relish transcripts, one of two immune marker loci tested, were enhanced in two-day-old embryos when laid by Serratia-injected queens. These data implicate the immune deficiency (IMD) signaling pathway in TGIP. Although an independent antibacterial assay revealed that embryos do express antibacterial properties, these do not vary as a function of parental treatment. Taken together, Z. angusticollis shows transcriptional but not translational evidence for TGIP. This apparent incongruence between the transcriptional and antimicrobial response from termites suggests that effectors are either absent in two-day-old embryos or their activity is too subtle to detect with our antibacterial assay. In total, we provide the first suggestive evidence of transgenerational immune priming in a termite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Cole
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, 134 Mugar Life Sciences Building, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (E.L.C.); (C.B.)
| | - Jessica S. Empringham
- Department of Biology, Western University, 1151 Richmond St. London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (J.S.E.); (G.J.T.)
| | - Colette Biro
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, 134 Mugar Life Sciences Building, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (E.L.C.); (C.B.)
| | - Graham J. Thompson
- Department of Biology, Western University, 1151 Richmond St. London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (J.S.E.); (G.J.T.)
| | - Rebeca B. Rosengaus
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, 134 Mugar Life Sciences Building, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (E.L.C.); (C.B.)
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22
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Nyman C, Hebert FO, Bessert‐Nettelbeck M, Aubin‐Horth N, Taborsky B. Transcriptomic signatures of social experience during early development in a highly social cichlid fish. Mol Ecol 2019; 29:610-623. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Nyman
- Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Francois Olivier Hebert
- Département de Biologie and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes Université Laval Laval QC Canada
| | | | - Nadia Aubin‐Horth
- Département de Biologie and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes Université Laval Laval QC Canada
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
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23
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Bentz AB, Rusch DB, Buechlein A, Rosvall KA. The neurogenomic transition from territory establishment to parenting in a territorial female songbird. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:819. [PMID: 31699031 PMCID: PMC6836416 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6202-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The brain plays a critical role in upstream regulation of processes central to mating effort, parental effort, and self-maintenance. For seasonally breeding animals, the brain is likely mediating trade-offs among these processes within a short breeding season, yet research thus far has only explored neurogenomic changes from non-breeding to breeding states or select pathways (e.g., steroids) in male and/or lab-reared animals. Here, we use RNA-seq to explore neural plasticity in three behaviorally relevant neural tissues (ventromedial telencephalon [VmT], hypothalamus [HYPO], and hindbrain [HB]), comparing free-living female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) as they shift from territory establishment to incubation. We additionally highlight changes in aggression-related genes to explore the potential for a neurogenomic shift in the mechanisms regulating aggression, a critical behavior both in establishing and maintaining a territory and in defense of offspring. Results HB had few differentially expressed genes, but VmT and HYPO had hundreds. In particular, VmT had higher expression of genes related to neuroplasticity and processes beneficial for competition during territory establishment, but down-regulated immune processes. HYPO showed signs of high neuroplasticity during incubation, and a decreased potential for glucocorticoid signaling. Expression of aggression-related genes also shifted from steroidal to non-steroidal pathways across the breeding season. Conclusions These patterns suggest trade-offs between enhanced activity and immunity in the VmT and between stress responsiveness and parental care in the HYPO, along with a potential shift in the mechanisms regulating aggression. Collectively, these data highlight important gene regulatory pathways that may underlie behavioral plasticity in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA. .,Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
| | - Douglas B Rusch
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.,Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Aaron Buechlein
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Kimberly A Rosvall
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.,Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
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24
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Social history and exposure to pathogen signals modulate social status effects on gene regulation in rhesus macaques. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 117:23317-23322. [PMID: 31611381 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820846116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Social experience is an important predictor of disease susceptibility and survival in humans and other social mammals. Chronic social stress is thought to generate a proinflammatory state characterized by elevated antibacterial defenses and reduced investment in antiviral defense. Here we manipulated long-term social status in female rhesus macaques to show that social subordination alters the gene expression response to ex vivo bacterial and viral challenge. As predicted by current models, bacterial lipopolysaccharide polarizes the immune response such that low status corresponds to higher expression of genes in NF-κB-dependent proinflammatory pathways and lower expression of genes involved in the antiviral response and type I IFN signaling. Counter to predictions, however, low status drives more exaggerated expression of both NF-κB- and IFN-associated genes after cells are exposed to the viral mimic Gardiquimod. Status-driven gene expression patterns are linked not only to social status at the time of sampling, but also to social history (i.e., past social status), especially in unstimulated cells. However, for a subset of genes, we observed interaction effects in which females who fell in rank were more strongly affected by current social status than those who climbed the social hierarchy. Taken together, our results indicate that the effects of social status on immune cell gene expression depend on pathogen exposure, pathogen type, and social history-in support of social experience-mediated biological embedding in adulthood, even in the conventionally memory-less innate immune system.
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25
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Harrison JW, Palmer JH, Rittschof CC. Altering social cue perception impacts honey bee aggression with minimal impacts on aggression-related brain gene expression. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14642. [PMID: 31601943 PMCID: PMC6787081 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51223-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression changes resulting from social interactions may give rise to long term behavioral change, or simply reflect the activity of neural circuitry associated with behavioral expression. In honey bees, social cues broadly modulate aggressive behavior and brain gene expression. Previous studies suggest that expression changes are limited to contexts in which social cues give rise to stable, relatively long-term changes in behavior. Here we use a traditional beekeeping approach that inhibits aggression, smoke exposure, to deprive individuals of aggression-inducing olfactory cues and evaluate whether behavioral changes occur in absence of expression variation in a set of four biomarker genes (drat, cyp6g1/2, GB53860, inos) associated with aggression in previous studies. We also evaluate two markers of a brain hypoxic response (hif1α, hsf) to determine whether smoke induces molecular changes at all. We find that bees with blocked sensory perception as a result of smoke exposure show a strong, temporary inhibition of aggression relative to bees allowed to perceive normal social cues. However, blocking sensory perception had minimal impacts on aggression-relevant gene expression, althought it did induce a hypoxic molecular response in the brain. Results suggest that certain genes differentiate social cue-induced changes in aggression from long-term modulation of this phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Harrison
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Joseph H Palmer
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
- College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment, Kentucky State University, 400 E. Main St., Frankfort, KY, 40601, USA
| | - Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
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26
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Bukhari SA, Saul MC, James N, Bensky MK, Stein LR, Trapp R, Bell AM. Neurogenomic insights into paternal care and its relation to territorial aggression. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4437. [PMID: 31570726 PMCID: PMC6768867 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12212-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Motherhood is characterized by dramatic changes in brain and behavior, but less is known about fatherhood. Here we report that male sticklebacks—a small fish in which fathers provide care—experience dramatic changes in neurogenomic state as they become fathers. Some genes are unique to different stages of paternal care, some genes are shared across stages, and some genes are added to the previously acquired neurogenomic state. Comparative genomic analysis suggests that some of these neurogenomic dynamics resemble changes associated with pregnancy and reproduction in mammalian mothers. Moreover, gene regulatory analysis identifies transcription factors that are regulated in opposite directions in response to a territorial challenge versus during paternal care. Altogether these results show that some of the molecular mechanisms of parental care might be deeply conserved and might not be sex-specific, and suggest that tradeoffs between opposing social behaviors are managed at the gene regulatory level. Compared to motherhood, the molecular changes associated with fatherhood are less understood. Here, the authors investigate gene expression changes associated with paternal care in male stickleback fish, and compare them with patterns in territorial aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Abbas Bukhari
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 1206 Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Illinois Informatics Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 616 E. Green St., Urbana, IL, 61820, USA.,Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Michael C Saul
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 1206 Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Jackson Labs, 600 Main St., Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
| | - Noelle James
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Miles K Bensky
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Laura R Stein
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Room 314, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Rebecca Trapp
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Alison M Bell
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 1206 Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA. .,Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA. .,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA. .,Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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27
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Seebacher F, Krause J. Epigenetics of Social Behaviour. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:818-830. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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28
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Group lactation from 7 or 14 days of age reduces piglet aggression at weaning compared to farrowing crate housing. Animal 2019; 13:2327-2335. [PMID: 30869063 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731119000478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life experiences can affect social behaviour in later life, but opportunities for socio-behavioural development are often overlooked in current husbandry practices. This experiment investigated the effects of rearing piglets in two-stage group lactation (GL) system from 7 or 14 days of age on piglet aggression at weaning. Three lactation housing treatments were applied to a total of 198 piglets from 30 litters of multiparous sows. All dams farrowed in standard farrowing crates (FCs). Group lactation litters were transferred with their dam at 7 (GL7) or 14 days (GL14) postpartum to GL pens (one pen of five sows at 8.4 m2/sow and one pen of seven sows at 8.1 m2/sow, per GL treatment). Farrowing crate litters remained with their dam in a single litter until weaning. At weaning, 10 to 14 piglets from two unfamiliar litters from the same housing treatment were mixed into pens (n=5 pens/treatment) and their behaviour was continuously recorded for 3.5 h. For each pen, the frequency of aggressive bouts (reciprocal and non-reciprocal aggression lasting <5 s), the frequency and duration of fights (reciprocal aggression lasting ⩾5 s) and bullying events (non-reciprocal aggression lasting ⩾5 s) were recorded, along with whether interactions involved familiar or unfamiliar piglets. Aggressive bouts delivered by FC piglets were approximately 1.5 and 3.0 times more frequent than that delivered by GL7 and GL14 piglets, respectively (40.5, 16.7 and 9.9 bouts/pig, respectively; P<0.05). Fighting was more frequent (1.6, 0.3 and 0.4 fights/pig, respectively; P<0.001) and fights were longer (83, 15 and 32 s fight/pig, respectively; P<0.001) between FC piglets than between GL7 or GL14 piglets. Bullying did not differ between housing treatments (P>0.05). GL7 and GL14 piglets engaged in a similar number of fights with unfamiliar as familiar piglets, but FC piglets had almost three times as many fights with unfamiliar than with familiar piglets (P<0.05). This experiment confirms the benefits of GL housing for pig social development. Further investigation is required to determine whether mixing before 14 days postpartum has implications for other indicators of animal welfare and productivity in a two-stage GL housing system.
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29
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Westneat DF, Potts LJ, Sasser KL, Shaffer JD. Causes and Consequences of Phenotypic Plasticity in Complex Environments. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:555-568. [PMID: 30871734 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is a ubiquitous and necessary adaptation of organisms to variable environments, but most environments have multiple dimensions that vary. Many studies have documented plasticity of a trait with respect to variation in multiple environmental factors. Such multidimensional phenotypic plasticity (MDPP) exists at all levels of organismal organization, from the whole organism to within cells. This complexity in plasticity cannot be explained solely by scaling up ideas from models of unidimensional plasticity. MDPP generates new questions about the mechanism and function of plasticity and its role in speciation and population persistence. Here we review empirical and theoretical approaches to plasticity in response to multidimensional environments and we outline new opportunities along with some difficulties facing future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Westneat
- Department of Biology, 101 T.H. Morgan Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA.
| | - Leslie J Potts
- Department of Entomology, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0091, USA
| | - Katherine L Sasser
- Department of Biology, 101 T.H. Morgan Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA
| | - James D Shaffer
- Department of Biology, 101 T.H. Morgan Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0225, USA
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30
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Cunningham CB, Ji L, McKinney EC, Benowitz KM, Schmitz RJ, Moore AJ. Changes of gene expression but not cytosine methylation are associated with male parental care reflecting behavioural state, social context and individual flexibility. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb188649. [PMID: 30446546 PMCID: PMC10681020 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.188649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Behaviour is often a front line response to changing environments. Recent studies show behavioural changes are associated with changes of gene expression; however, these studies have primarily focused on discrete behavioural states. We build on these studies by addressing additional contexts that produce qualitatively similar behavioural changes. We measured levels of gene expression and cytosine methylation, which is hypothesized to regulate the transcriptional architecture of behavioural transitions, within the brain during male parental care of the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides in a factorial design. Male parenting is a suitably plastic behaviour because although male N. vespilloides typically do not provide direct care (i.e. feed offspring) when females are present, levels of feeding by a male equivalent to the female can be induced by removing the female. We examined three different factors: behavioural state (caring versus non-caring), social context (with or without a female mate) and individual flexibility (if a male switched to direct care after his mate was removed). The greatest number of differentially expressed genes were associated with behavioural state, followed by social context and individual flexibility. Cytosine methylation was not associated with changes of gene expression in any of the factors. Our results suggest a hierarchical association between gene expression and the different factors, but that this process is not controlled by cytosine methylation. Our results further suggest that the extent a behaviour is transient plays an underappreciated role in determining its underpinning molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lexiang Ji
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | | | - Kyle M Benowitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Allen J Moore
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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31
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Abstract
Our social environment, from the microscopic to the macro-social, affects us for the entirety of our lives. One integral line of research to examine how interpersonal and societal environments can get "under the skin" is through the lens of epigenetics. Epigenetic mechanisms are adaptations made to our genome in response to our environment which include tags placed on and removed from the DNA itself to how our DNA is packaged, affecting how our genes are read, transcribed, and interact. These tags are affected by social environments and can persist over time; this may aid us in responding to experiences and exposures, both the enriched and the disadvantageous. From memory formation to immune function, the experience-dependent plasticity of epigenetic modifications to micro- and macro-social environments may contribute to the process of learning from comfort, pain, and stress to better survive in whatever circumstances life has in store.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Merrill
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nicole Gladish
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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32
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Lea AJ, Akinyi MY, Nyakundi R, Mareri P, Nyundo F, Kariuki T, Alberts SC, Archie EA, Tung J. Dominance rank-associated gene expression is widespread, sex-specific, and a precursor to high social status in wild male baboons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E12163-E12171. [PMID: 30538194 PMCID: PMC6310778 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1811967115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans and other hierarchical species, social status is tightly linked to variation in health and fitness-related traits. Experimental manipulations of social status in female rhesus macaques suggest that this relationship is partially explained by status effects on immune gene regulation. However, social hierarchies are established and maintained in different ways across species: While some are based on kin-directed nepotism, others emerge from direct physical competition. We investigated how this variation influences the relationship between social status and immune gene regulation in wild baboons, where hierarchies in males are based on fighting ability but female hierarchies are nepotistic. We measured rank-related variation in gene expression levels in adult baboons of both sexes at baseline and in response to ex vivo stimulation with the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We identified >2,000 rank-associated genes in males, an order of magnitude more than in females. In males, high status predicted increased expression of genes involved in innate immunity and preferential activation of the NF-κB-mediated proinflammatory pathway, a pattern previously associated with low status in female rhesus macaques. Using Mendelian randomization, we reconcile these observations by demonstrating that high status-associated gene expression patterns are precursors, not consequences, of high social status in males, in support of the idea that physiological condition determines who attains high rank. Together, our work provides a test of the relationship between social status and immune gene regulation in wild primates. It also emphasizes the importance of social context in shaping the relationship between social status and immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Lea
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708;
| | - Mercy Y Akinyi
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Ruth Nyakundi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Peter Mareri
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Fred Nyundo
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Thomas Kariuki
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708;
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
- Duke University Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
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33
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Social status alters chromatin accessibility and the gene regulatory response to glucocorticoid stimulation in rhesus macaques. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 116:1219-1228. [PMID: 30538209 PMCID: PMC6347725 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1811758115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Low social status is an important predictor of disease susceptibility and mortality risk in humans and other social mammals. These effects are thought to stem in part from dysregulation of the glucocorticoid (GC)-mediated stress response. However, the molecular mechanisms that connect low social status and GC dysregulation to downstream health outcomes remain elusive. Here, we used an in vitro GC challenge to investigate the consequences of experimentally manipulated social status (i.e., dominance rank) for immune cell gene regulation in female rhesus macaques, using paired control and GC-treated peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples. We show that social status not only influences immune cell gene expression but also chromatin accessibility at hundreds of regions in the genome. Social status effects on gene expression were less pronounced following GC treatment than under control conditions. In contrast, social status effects on chromatin accessibility were stable across conditions, resulting in an attenuated relationship between social status, chromatin accessibility, and gene expression after GC exposure. Regions that were more accessible in high-status animals and regions that become more accessible following GC treatment were enriched for a highly concordant set of transcription factor binding motifs, including motifs for the GC receptor cofactor AP-1. Together, our findings support the hypothesis that social status alters the dynamics of GC-mediated gene regulation and identify chromatin accessibility as a mechanism involved in social stress-driven GC resistance. More broadly, they emphasize the context-dependent nature of social status effects on gene regulation and implicate epigenetic remodeling of chromatin accessibility as a contributing factor.
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34
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Kasper C, Hebert FO, Aubin-Horth N, Taborsky B. Divergent brain gene expression profiles between alternative behavioural helper types in a cooperative breeder. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:4136-4151. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Kasper
- Behavioural Ecology; University of Bern; Hinterkappelen Switzerland
| | - Francois Olivier Hebert
- Département de Biologie et Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes; Université Laval; Québec Québec Canada
| | - Nadia Aubin-Horth
- Département de Biologie et Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes; Université Laval; Québec Québec Canada
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology; University of Bern; Hinterkappelen Switzerland
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35
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Shpigler HY, Saul MC, Murdoch EE, Corona F, Cash-Ahmed AC, Seward CH, Chandrasekaran S, Stubbs LJ, Robinson GE. Honey bee neurogenomic responses to affiliative and agonistic social interactions. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 18:e12509. [PMID: 30094933 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Social interactions can be divided into two categories, affiliative and agonistic. How neurogenomic responses reflect these opposing valences is a central question in the biological embedding of experience. To address this question, we exposed honey bees to a queen larva, which evokes nursing, an affiliative alloparenting interaction, and measured the transcriptomic response of the mushroom body brain region at different times after exposure. Hundreds of genes were differentially expressed at distinct time points, revealing a dynamic temporal patterning of the response. Comparing these results to our previously published research on agonistic aggressive interactions, we found both shared and unique transcriptomic responses to each interaction. The commonly responding gene set was enriched for nuclear receptor signaling, the set specific to nursing was enriched for olfaction and neuron differentiation, and the set enriched for aggression was enriched for cytoskeleton, metabolism, and chromosome organization. Whole brain histone profiling after the affiliative interaction revealed few changes in chromatin accessibility, suggesting that the transcriptomic changes derive from already accessible areas of the genome. Although only one stimulus of each type was studied, we suggest that elements of the observed transcriptomic responses reflect molecular encoding of stimulus valence, thus priming individuals for future encounters. This hypothesis is supported by behavioral analyses showing that bees responding to either the affiliative or agonistic stimulus exhibited a higher probability of repeating the same behavior but a lower probability of performing the opposite behavior. These findings add to our understanding of the biological embedding at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagai Y Shpigler
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, Illinois
| | - Michael C Saul
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, Illinois
| | - Emma E Murdoch
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, Illinois
| | - Frida Corona
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, Illinois
| | - Amy C Cash-Ahmed
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, Illinois
| | - Christopher H Seward
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UIUC, Urbana, Illinois
| | | | - Lisa J Stubbs
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UIUC, Urbana, Illinois.,Neuroscience Program, UIUC, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, Illinois.,Neuroscience Program, UIUC, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Entomology, UIUC, Urbana, Illinois
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36
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Saul MC, Blatti C, Yang W, Bukhari SA, Shpigler HY, Troy JM, Seward CH, Sloofman L, Chandrasekaran S, Bell AM, Stubbs L, Robinson GE, Zhao SD, Sinha S. Cross-species systems analysis of evolutionary toolkits of neurogenomic response to social challenge. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 18:e12502. [PMID: 29968347 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Social challenges like territorial intrusions evoke behavioral responses in widely diverging species. Recent work has showed that evolutionary "toolkits"-genes and modules with lineage-specific variations but deep conservation of function-participate in the behavioral response to social challenge. Here, we develop a multispecies computational-experimental approach to characterize such a toolkit at a systems level. Brain transcriptomic responses to social challenge was probed via RNA-seq profiling in three diverged species-honey bees, mice and three-spined stickleback fish-following a common methodology, allowing fair comparisons across species. Data were collected from multiple brain regions and multiple time points after social challenge exposure, achieving anatomical and temporal resolution substantially greater than previous work. We developed statistically rigorous analyses equipped to find homologous functional groups among these species at the levels of individual genes, functional and coexpressed gene modules, and transcription factor subnetworks. We identified six orthogroups involved in response to social challenge, including groups represented by mouse genes Npas4 and Nr4a1, as well as common modulation of systems such as transcriptional regulators, ion channels, G-protein-coupled receptors and synaptic proteins. We also identified conserved coexpression modules enriched for mitochondrial fatty acid metabolism and heat shock that constitute the shared neurogenomic response. Our analysis suggests a toolkit wherein nuclear receptors, interacting with chaperones, induce transcriptional changes in mitochondrial activity, neural cytoarchitecture and synaptic transmission after social challenge. It shows systems-level mechanisms that have been repeatedly co-opted during evolution of analogous behaviors, thus advancing the genetic toolkit concept beyond individual genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Saul
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Charles Blatti
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Wei Yang
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Syed A Bukhari
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Interdisciplinary Informatics Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Hagai Y Shpigler
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Joseph M Troy
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Interdisciplinary Informatics Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Christopher H Seward
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Laura Sloofman
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, New York
| | | | - Alison M Bell
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Interdisciplinary Informatics Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Lisa Stubbs
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Interdisciplinary Informatics Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Sihai D Zhao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Statistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Saurabh Sinha
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
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The evolution of a series of behavioral traits is associated with autism-risk genes in cavefish. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:89. [PMID: 29909776 PMCID: PMC6004695 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1199-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background An essential question in evolutionary biology is whether shifts in a set of polygenic behaviors share a genetic basis across species. Such a behavioral shift is seen in the cave-dwelling Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus. Relative to surface-dwelling conspecifics, cavefish do not school (asocial), are hyperactive and sleepless, adhere to a particular vibration stimulus (imbalanced attention), behave repetitively, and show elevated stress hormone levels. Interestingly, these traits largely overlap with the core symptoms of human autism spectrum disorder (ASD), raising the possibility that these behavioral traits are underpinned by a similar set of genes (i.e. a repeatedly used suite of genes). Result Here, we explored whether modification of ASD-risk genes underlies cavefish evolution. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that > 58.5% of 3152 cavefish orthologs to ASD-risk genes are significantly up- or down-regulated in the same direction as genes in postmortem brains from ASD patients. Enrichment tests suggest that ASD-risk gene orthologs in A. mexicanus have experienced more positive selection than other genes across the genome. Notably, these positively selected cavefish ASD-risk genes are enriched for pathways involved in gut function, inflammatory diseases, and lipid/energy metabolism, similar to symptoms that frequently coexist in ASD patients. Lastly, ASD drugs mitigated cavefish’s ASD-like behaviors, implying shared aspects of neural processing. Conclusion Overall, our study indicates that ASD-risk genes and associated pathways (especially digestive, immune and metabolic pathways) may be repeatedly used for shifts in polygenic behaviors across evolutionary time. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-018-1199-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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38
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Magris M, Chimetto G, Rizzi S, Pilastro A. Quick-change artists: male guppies pay no cost to repeatedly adjust their sexual strategies. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Magris
- Department of Biology, University of Padova via U. Bassi, Padua, Italy
| | - Gianluca Chimetto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova via U. Bassi, Padua, Italy
| | - Sofia Rizzi
- Department of Biology, University of Padova via U. Bassi, Padua, Italy
| | - Andrea Pilastro
- Department of Biology, University of Padova via U. Bassi, Padua, Italy
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Herb BR, Shook MS, Fields CJ, Robinson GE. Defense against territorial intrusion is associated with DNA methylation changes in the honey bee brain. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:216. [PMID: 29580210 PMCID: PMC5870497 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4594-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aggression is influenced by individual variation in temperament as well as behavioral plasticity in response to adversity. DNA methylation is stably maintained over time, but also reversible in response to specific environmental conditions, and may thus be a neuromolecular regulator of both of these processes. A previous study reported DNA methylation differences between aggressive Africanized and gentle European honey bees. We investigated whether threat-induced aggression altered DNA methylation profiles in the honey bee brain in response to a behavioral stimulus (aggression-provoking intruder bee or inert control). We sampled five minutes and two hours after stimulus exposure to examine the effect of time on epigenetic profiles of aggression. RESULTS There were DNA methylation differences between aggressive and control bees for individual cytosine-guanine dinucleotides (CpGs) across the genome. Eighteen individual CpG sites showed significant difference between aggressive and control bees 120 min post stimulus. For clusters of CpGs, we report four genomic regions differentially methylated between aggressive and control bees at the 5-min time point, and 50 regions differentially methylated at the120-minute time point following intruder exposure. Differential methylation occurred at genes involved in neural plasticity, chromatin remodeling and hormone signaling. Additionally, there was a significant overlap of differential methylation with previously published epigenetic differences that distinguish aggressive Africanized and gentle European honey bees, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved use of brain DNA methylation in the regulation of aggression. Lastly, we identified individually statistically suggestive CpGs that as a group were significantly associated with differentially expressed genes underlying aggressive behavior and also co-localize with binding sites of transcription factors involved in neuroplasticity or neurodevelopment. CONCLUSIONS There were DNA methylation differences in the brain associated with response to an intruder. These differences increased in number a few hours after the initial exposure and overlap with previously reported aggression-associated genes and neurobiologically relevant transcription factor binding sites. Many DNA methylation differences that occurred in association with the expression of aggression in real time also exist between Africanized bees and European bees, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved role for epigenetic regulation in aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Herb
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Molly S Shook
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Christopher J Fields
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA. .,Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA. .,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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40
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Genomic tools for behavioural ecologists to understand repeatable individual differences in behaviour. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:944-955. [PMID: 29434349 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0411-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Behaviour is a key interface between an animal's genome and its environment. Repeatable individual differences in behaviour have been extensively documented in animals, but the molecular underpinnings of behavioural variation among individuals within natural populations remain largely unknown. Here, we offer a critical review of when molecular techniques may yield new insights, and we provide specific guidance on how and whether the latest tools available are appropriate given different resources, system and organismal constraints, and experimental designs. Integrating molecular genetic techniques with other strategies to study the proximal causes of behaviour provides opportunities to expand rapidly into new avenues of exploration. Such endeavours will enable us to better understand how repeatable individual differences in behaviour have evolved, how they are expressed and how they can be maintained within natural populations of animals.
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41
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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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Epigenetics in teleost fish: From molecular mechanisms to physiological phenotypes. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 224:210-244. [PMID: 29369794 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
While the field of epigenetics is increasingly recognized to contribute to the emergence of phenotypes in mammalian research models across different developmental and generational timescales, the comparative biology of epigenetics in the large and physiologically diverse vertebrate infraclass of teleost fish remains comparatively understudied. The cypriniform zebrafish and the salmoniform rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon represent two especially important teleost orders, because they offer the unique possibility to comparatively investigate the role of epigenetic regulation in 3R and 4R duplicated genomes. In addition to their sequenced genomes, these teleost species are well-characterized model species for development and physiology, and therefore allow for an investigation of the role of epigenetic modifications in the emergence of physiological phenotypes during an organism's lifespan and in subsequent generations. This review aims firstly to describe the evolution of the repertoire of genes involved in key molecular epigenetic pathways including histone modifications, DNA methylation and microRNAs in zebrafish, rainbow trout, and Atlantic salmon, and secondly, to discuss recent advances in research highlighting a role for molecular epigenetics in shaping physiological phenotypes in these and other teleost models. Finally, by discussing themes and current limitations of the emerging field of teleost epigenetics from both theoretical and technical points of view, we will highlight future research needs and discuss how epigenetics will not only help address basic research questions in comparative teleost physiology, but also inform translational research including aquaculture, aquatic toxicology, and human disease.
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43
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Shpigler HY, Saul MC, Corona F, Block L, Cash Ahmed A, Zhao SD, Robinson GE. Deep evolutionary conservation of autism-related genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:9653-9658. [PMID: 28760967 PMCID: PMC5594688 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1708127114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
E. O. Wilson proposed in Sociobiology that similarities between human and animal societies reflect common mechanistic and evolutionary roots. When introduced in 1975, this controversial hypothesis was beyond science's ability to test. We used genomic analyses to determine whether superficial behavioral similarities in humans and the highly social honey bee reflect common molecular mechanisms. Here, we report that gene expression signatures for individual bees unresponsive to various salient social stimuli are significantly enriched for autism spectrum disorder-related genes. These signatures occur in the mushroom bodies, a high-level integration center of the insect brain. Furthermore, our finding of enrichment was unique to autism spectrum disorders; brain gene expression signatures from other honey bee behaviors do not show this enrichment, nor do datasets from other human behavioral and health conditions. These results demonstrate deep conservation for genes associated with a human social pathology and individual differences in insect social behavior, thus providing an example of how comparative genomics can be used to test sociobiological theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagai Y Shpigler
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Michael C Saul
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Frida Corona
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Lindsey Block
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Amy Cash Ahmed
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Sihai D Zhao
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
- Department of Statistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
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