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Tonoike A, Otaki KI, Terauchi G, Ogawa M, Katayama M, Sakata H, Miyasako F, Mogi K, Kikusui T, Nagasawa M. Identification of genes associated with human-canine communication in canine evolution. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6950. [PMID: 35680934 PMCID: PMC9184530 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11130-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The dog (Canis familiaris) was the first domesticated animal and hundreds of breeds exist today. During domestication, dogs experienced strong selection for temperament, behaviour, and cognitive ability. However, the genetic basis of these abilities is not well-understood. We focused on ancient dog breeds to investigate breed-related differences in social cognitive abilities. In a problem-solving task, ancient breeds showed a lower tendency to look back at humans than other European breeds. In a two-way object choice task, they showed no differences in correct response rate or ability to read human communicative gestures. We examined gene polymorphisms in oxytocin, oxytocin receptor, melanocortin 2 receptor, and a Williams-Beuren syndrome-related gene (WBSCR17), as candidate genes of dog domestication. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms on melanocortin 2 receptor were related to both tasks, while other polymorphisms were associated with the unsolvable task. This indicates that glucocorticoid functions are involved in the cognitive skills acquired during dog domestication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Tonoike
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Otaki
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Go Terauchi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Misato Ogawa
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Maki Katayama
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Hikari Sakata
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Fumina Miyasako
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
- Center for Human and Animal Symbiosis Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
- Center for Human and Animal Symbiosis Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan.
- Center for Human and Animal Symbiosis Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan.
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2
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Field MA, Yadav S, Dudchenko O, Esvaran M, Rosen BD, Skvortsova K, Edwards RJ, Keilwagen J, Cochran BJ, Manandhar B, Bustamante S, Rasmussen JA, Melvin RG, Chernoff B, Omer A, Colaric Z, Chan EKF, Minoche AE, Smith TPL, Gilbert MTP, Bogdanovic O, Zammit RA, Thomas T, Aiden EL, Ballard JWO. The Australian dingo is an early offshoot of modern breed dogs. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm5944. [PMID: 35452284 PMCID: PMC9032958 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dogs are uniquely associated with human dispersal and bring transformational insight into the domestication process. Dingoes represent an intriguing case within canine evolution being geographically isolated for thousands of years. Here, we present a high-quality de novo assembly of a pure dingo (CanFam_DDS). We identified large chromosomal differences relative to the current dog reference (CanFam3.1) and confirmed no expanded pancreatic amylase gene as found in breed dogs. Phylogenetic analyses using variant pairwise matrices show that the dingo is distinct from five breed dogs with 100% bootstrap support when using Greenland wolf as the outgroup. Functionally, we observe differences in methylation patterns between the dingo and German shepherd dog genomes and differences in serum biochemistry and microbiome makeup. Our results suggest that distinct demographic and environmental conditions have shaped the dingo genome. In contrast, artificial human selection has likely shaped the genomes of domestic breed dogs after divergence from the dingo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt A. Field
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Sonu Yadav
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, High St, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Olga Dudchenko
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Meera Esvaran
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Benjamin D. Rosen
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Ksenia Skvortsova
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Richard J. Edwards
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, High St, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jens Keilwagen
- Julius Kühn-Institut, Erwin-Baur-Str. 27, 06484 Quedlinburg, Germany
| | - Blake J. Cochran
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Bikash Manandhar
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Sonia Bustamante
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jacob Agerbo Rasmussen
- Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The GLOBE Institute University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Richard G. Melvin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, 1035 University Drive, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Barry Chernoff
- College of the Environment, Departments of Biology, and Earth and Environmental Sciences, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Arina Omer
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zane Colaric
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Eva K. F. Chan
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
- Statewide Genomics, New South Wales Health Pathology, 45 Watt St, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia
| | - Andre E. Minoche
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Timothy P. L. Smith
- U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Rd 313, Clay Center, NE 68933, USA
| | - M. Thomas P. Gilbert
- Laboratory of Genomics and Molecular Biomedicine, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
- University Museum, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ozren Bogdanovic
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, High St, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Robert A. Zammit
- Vineyard Veterinary Hospital, 703 Windsor Rd, Vineyard, NSW 2765, Australia
| | - Torsten Thomas
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Erez L. Aiden
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Pudong 201210, China
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - J. William O. Ballard
- Department of Environment and Genetics, SABE, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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3
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Ogi A, Naef V, Santorelli FM, Mariti C, Gazzano A. Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphism in Lactating Dogs. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113099. [PMID: 34827831 PMCID: PMC8614403 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Oxytocin is commonly known for its role in mammalian bonding. Several studies have proved that polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor gene are related to complex social behaviors in humans, but studies on the possible correlation between canine social behavior and oxytocin are mainly focused on the human–dog bond, and there are no data on the possible correlation between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism and the maternal behavior of this species. Since mother–litter interactions could have a severe impact in determining later behavior in domestic dogs, the aim of this work was to investigate the possible correlation between salivary oxytocin, maternal care and the one known single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs8679684) located in the untranslated regulatory region of the oxytocin receptor gene in 19 lactating Labrador Retriever dogs. A significant correlation between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism, peripheral oxytocin and maternal behavior in dogs was found. This implies that a more functional oxytocinergic system would lead to better mothering in dogs. Abstract Genetic variations in the oxytocinergic system, known to regulate social behavior throughout the evolution of mammals, are believed to account for differences in mammalian social behavior. Particularly, polymorphic variants of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene have been associated with behavioral variations in both humans and dogs. In this study, we offered evidence of the correlation between levels of salivary oxytocin (sOXT), maternal behavior and a single-nucleotide gene variant in OXTR (rs8679684) in nineteen lactating Labrador Retriever dogs. Carriers of at least one copy of the minor A allele showed higher levels of sOXT and maternal care in comparison with the homozygous T allele carriers. Considering the relevance of mother care in newborn development, these findings could help us to better understand the possible impact of variants in the OXTR gene in selecting dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asahi Ogi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (C.M.); (A.G.)
- Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris, 56128 Calambrone, Italy; (V.N.); (F.M.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Valentina Naef
- Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris, 56128 Calambrone, Italy; (V.N.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Filippo Maria Santorelli
- Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Stella Maris, 56128 Calambrone, Italy; (V.N.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Chiara Mariti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (C.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Angelo Gazzano
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (C.M.); (A.G.)
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Oxytocin Is a Positive Allosteric Modulator of κ-Opioid Receptors but Not δ-Opioid Receptors in the G Protein Signaling Pathway. Cells 2021; 10:cells10102651. [PMID: 34685631 PMCID: PMC8534029 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) influences various physiological functions such as uterine contractions, maternal/social behavior, and analgesia. Opioid signaling pathways are involved in one of the analgesic mechanisms of OT. We previously showed that OT acts as a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) and enhances μ-opioid receptor (MOR) activity. In this study, which focused on other opioid receptor (OR) subtypes, we investigated whether OT influences opioid signaling pathways as a PAM for δ-OR (DOR) or κ-OR (KOR) using human embryonic kidney-293 cells expressing human DOR or KOR, respectively. The CellKeyTM results showed that OT enhanced impedance induced by endogenous/exogenous KOR agonists on KOR-expressing cells. OT did not affect DOR activity induced by endogenous/exogenous DOR agonists. OT potentiated the KOR agonist-induced Gi/o protein-mediated decrease in intracellular cAMP, but did not affect the increase in KOR internalization caused by the KOR agonists dynorphin A and (-)-U-50488 hydrochloride (U50488). OT did not bind to KOR orthosteric binding sites and did not affect the binding affinities of dynorphin A and U50488 for KOR. These results suggest that OT is a PAM of KOR and MOR and enhances G protein signaling without affecting β-arrestin signaling. Thus, OT has potential as a specific signaling-biased PAM of KOR.
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5
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Loth MK, Donaldson ZR. Oxytocin, Dopamine, and Opioid Interactions Underlying Pair Bonding: Highlighting a Potential Role for Microglia. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6046188. [PMID: 33367612 PMCID: PMC7787427 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pair bonds represent some of the strongest attachments we form as humans. These relationships positively modulate health and well-being. Conversely, the loss of a spouse is an emotionally painful event that leads to numerous deleterious physiological effects, including increased risk for cardiac dysfunction and mental illness. Much of our understanding of the neuroendocrine basis of pair bonding has come from studies of monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), laboratory-amenable rodents that, unlike laboratory mice and rats, form lifelong pair bonds. Specifically, research using prairie voles has delineated a role for multiple neuromodulatory and neuroendocrine systems in the formation and maintenance of pair bonds, including the oxytocinergic, dopaminergic, and opioidergic systems. However, while these studies have contributed to our understanding of selective attachment, few studies have examined how interactions among these 3 systems may be essential for expression of complex social behaviors, such as pair bonding. Therefore, in this review, we focus on how the social neuropeptide, oxytocin, interacts with classical reward system modulators, including dopamine and endogenous opioids, during bond formation and maintenance. We argue that an understanding of these interactions has important clinical implications and is required to understand the evolution and encoding of complex social behaviors more generally. Finally, we provide a brief consideration of future directions, including a discussion of the possible roles that glia, specifically microglia, may have in modulating social behavior by acting as a functional regulator of these 3 neuromodulatory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith K Loth
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Zoe R Donaldson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Correspondence: Zoe R. Donaldson, PhD, University of Colorado Boulder, 347 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
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6
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Rodriguez KE, Herzog H, Gee NR. Variability in Human-Animal Interaction Research. Front Vet Sci 2021; 7:619600. [PMID: 33521092 PMCID: PMC7843787 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.619600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The field of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) is plagued with mixed results. Some findings appear to indicate that interacting with a companion animal is beneficial for some aspect of human health and well-being, while other research outcomes are inconclusive or even indicate the opposite. The purpose of this paper is to take a closer look at this variability in research outcomes and to provide plausible explanations and potential remedies. Some of the reasons for mixed results are likely due to the wide variety of methodologies implemented, intermittent use of standardized measures and manualized protocols, variability in human and animal participants, and limited quantification of human-animal interactions or definitions of pet ownership. Variability in research outcomes is not unique to HAI and is, in fact, not uncommon in many more established fields such as psychology and medicine. However, the potential reasons for the variability may be linked to the unique nature of HAI in that, in its' simplest form, it involves two complex organisms, a human and an animal, interacting in dynamic ways. We argue that this complexity makes research in this field particularly challenging and requires a broad spectrum of theoretical and methodological considerations to improve rigor while ensuring the validity and reliability of conclusions drawn from study results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerri E Rodriguez
- Human-Animal Bond in Colorado, School of Social Work, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Harold Herzog
- Department of Psychology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC, United States
| | - Nancy R Gee
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Human Animal Interaction, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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7
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Koller D, Kubinyi E, Elek Z, Nemeth H, Miklosi A, Sasvari-Szekely M, Ronai Z. The molecular effect of a polymorphic microRNA binding site of Wolfram syndrome 1 gene in dogs. BMC Genet 2020; 21:82. [PMID: 32723293 PMCID: PMC7390163 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-020-00879-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although the molecular function of wolframin remains unclear, the lack of this protein is known to cause stress in the endoplasmic reticulum. Some variants in the Wolfram Syndrome 1 gene (WFS1) were associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders in humans, such as aggressiveness, impulsivity and anxiety. Results Here we present an in silico study predicting a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs852850348) in the canine WFS1 gene which was verified by direct sequencing and was genotyped by a PCR-based technique. We found that the rs852850348 polymorphism is located in a putative microRNA (cfa-miR-8834a and cfa-miR-1838) binding site. Therefore, the molecular effect of allelic variants was studied in a luciferase reporter system that allowed assessing gene expression. We demonstrated that the variant reduced the activity of the reporter protein expression in an allele-specific manner. Additionally, we performed a behavioral experiment and investigated the association with this locus to different performance in this test. Association was found between food possessivity and the studied WFS1 gene polymorphism in the Border collie breed. Conclusions Based on our findings, the rs852850348 locus might contribute to the genetic risk of possessivity behavior of dogs in at least one breed and might influence the regulation of wolframin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Koller
- Comparative Ethology Research Group, MTA-ELTE, Budapest, Hungary. .,Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. .,Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Eniko Kubinyi
- Comparative Ethology Research Group, MTA-ELTE, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Elek
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Helga Nemeth
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Adam Miklosi
- Comparative Ethology Research Group, MTA-ELTE, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Maria Sasvari-Szekely
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Ronai
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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Two novel genomic regions associated with fearfulness in dogs overlap human neuropsychiatric loci. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:18. [PMID: 30655508 PMCID: PMC6336819 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0361-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are among the leading health issues in human medicine. The complex phenotypic and allelic nature of these traits as well as the challenge of establishing reliable measures of the heritable component of behaviour from the associated environmental factors hampers progress in their molecular aetiology. Dogs exhibit large natural variation in fearful and anxious behaviour and could facilitate progress in the molecular aetiology due to their unique genetic architecture. We have performed a genome-wide association study with a canine high-density SNP array in a cohort of 330 German Shepherds for two phenotypes, fear of loud noises (noise sensitivity) and fear of strangers or in novel situations. Genome-widely significant loci were discovered for the traits on chromosomes 20 and 7, respectively. The regions overlap human neuropsychiatric loci, including 18p11.2, with physiologically relevant candidate genes that contribute to glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission in the brain. In addition, the noise-sensitivity locus includes hearing-related candidate genes. These results indicate a genetic contribution for canine fear and suggest a shared molecular aetiology of anxiety across species. Further characterisation of the identified loci will pave the way to molecular understanding of the conditions as a prerequisite for improved therapy.
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9
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Barrera G, Dzik V, Cavalli C, Bentosela M. Effect of Intranasal Oxytocin Administration on Human-Directed Social Behaviors in Shelter and Pet Dogs. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2227. [PMID: 30524337 PMCID: PMC6262305 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A wide variety of evidence has demonstrated that oxytocin is involved in socio-cognitive skills in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). The purpose was to evaluate the effect of oxytocin administration on socio-cognitive abilities in two populations of dogs with different levels of daily human contact: shelter and pet dogs. Additionally, the effect of different doses of oxytocin (i.e., 16 and 24 IU) was assessed. To this end, dogs were tested on two tasks: a sociability test to assess their social responses and a communicative task focused on the learning of gazing responses. Results showed that pet dogs performed better than shelter dogs on the sociability and the gazing tests showing the relevance of dogs’ previous experience and learning when interacting with people. The administration of 16 IU as well as 24 IU of oxytocin improved the performance on the communicative learning task, producing an increment in gaze duration during extinction. This difference was observed in both pet and shelter dogs. Therefore, oxytocin seems to participate in the persistence of this communicative response. However, the treatment did not modify the behaviors during the sociability test. Furthermore, oxytocin appears to be beneficial to increase the communicative abilities of shelter dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Barrera
- Grupo de Investigación del Comportamiento en Cánidos, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientficas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Victoria Dzik
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de investigaciones Mdicas A Lanari, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientficas y Técnicas, Instituto de investigaciones Médicas, Grupo de Investigación del Comportamiento en Cánidos, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Camila Cavalli
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de investigaciones Mdicas A Lanari, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientficas y Técnicas, Instituto de investigaciones Médicas, Grupo de Investigación del Comportamiento en Cánidos, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariana Bentosela
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de investigaciones Mdicas A Lanari, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientficas y Técnicas, Instituto de investigaciones Médicas, Grupo de Investigación del Comportamiento en Cánidos, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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10
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Noori HR, Mervin LH, Bokharaie V, Durmus Ö, Egenrieder L, Fritze S, Gruhlke B, Reinhardt G, Schabel HH, Staudenmaier S, Logothetis NK, Bender A, Spanagel R. Systemic neurotransmitter responses to clinically approved and experimental neuropsychiatric drugs. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4699. [PMID: 30410047 PMCID: PMC6224407 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07239-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are the third leading cause of global disease burden. Current pharmacological treatment for these disorders is inadequate, with often insufficient efficacy and undesirable side effects. One reason for this is that the links between molecular drug action and neurobehavioral drug effects are elusive. We use a big data approach from the neurotransmitter response patterns of 258 different neuropsychiatric drugs in rats to address this question. Data from experiments comprising 110,674 rats are presented in the Syphad database [ www.syphad.org ]. Chemoinformatics analyses of the neurotransmitter responses suggest a mismatch between the current classification of neuropsychiatric drugs and spatiotemporal neurostransmitter response patterns at the systems level. In contrast, predicted drug-target interactions reflect more appropriately brain region related neurotransmitter response. In conclusion the neurobiological mechanism of neuropsychiatric drugs are not well reflected by their current classification or their chemical similarity, but can be better captured by molecular drug-target interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid R Noori
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max Planck Ring 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Courant Institute for Mathematical Sciences, New York University, 251 Mercer Street, New York, NY, 10012, USA.
- Neuronal Convergence Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max Planck Ring 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Lewis H Mervin
- Centre for Molecular Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Vahid Bokharaie
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max Planck Ring 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Özlem Durmus
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lisamon Egenrieder
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Fritze
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Britta Gruhlke
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Giulia Reinhardt
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Hans-Hendrik Schabel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine Staudenmaier
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nikos K Logothetis
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max Planck Ring 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Bender
- Centre for Molecular Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5 68159, Mannheim, Germany
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11
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Herbeck YE, Gulevich RG. Neuropeptides as facilitators of domestication. Cell Tissue Res 2018; 375:295-307. [DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2939-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Kertes DA, Hall N, Bhatt SS. Children's Relationship With Their Pet Dogs and OXTR Genotype Predict Child-Pet Interaction in an Experimental Setting. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1472. [PMID: 30233440 PMCID: PMC6134068 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-animal interaction (HAI) research has increasingly documented the important role of pet dogs in children's lives. The quality of interaction between children and their pet dogs, however, is likely influenced by individual differences among children as well as their perceived relationship with their pet dog. Ninety-seven children aged 7-12 years and their pet dogs participated in a laboratory protocol during which the child solicited interaction with their dog, from which time petting and gazing were recorded. Children reported on their perceived relationship with the pet dog via interview. Children provided saliva samples, from which a polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor, OXTR rs53576, which has long been implicated in social behavior, was genotyped. The results showed that OXTR genotype and children's perceived antagonism with the pet dog predicted the amount of petting, but not gazing, between children and their pet dogs. This research adds to the growing body of HAI research by documenting individual differences that may influence children's interactions with animals, which is key to research related to pet ownership and understanding factors that may impact therapeutic interventions involving HAI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darlene A Kertes
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Nathan Hall
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Samarth S Bhatt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Turcsán B, Range F, Rónai Z, Koller D, Virányi Z. Context and Individual Characteristics Modulate the Association between Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphism and Social Behavior in Border Collies. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2232. [PMID: 29312078 PMCID: PMC5742244 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that the relationship between endogenous oxytocin and social affiliative behavior can be critically moderated by contextual and individual factors in humans. While oxytocin has been shown to influence human-directed affiliative behaviors in dogs, no study investigated yet how such factors moderate these effects. Our study aimed to investigate whether the context and the dogs’ individual characteristics moderate the associations between the social affiliative (greeting) behavior and four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene. We recorded the greeting behavior in three contexts: (1) when the dog first met an unfamiliar experimenter, (2) during a separation from the owner, and (3) after the experimenter approached the dog in a threatening manner. In the latter two contexts (during separation and after threatening), we categorized the dogs into stressed and non-stressed groups based on their behavior in the preceding situations. In line with previous studies, we found that polymorphisms in the OXTR gene are related to the greeting behavior of dogs. However, we also showed that the analyzed SNPs were associated with greeting in different contexts and in different individuals, suggesting that the four SNPs might be related to different functions of the oxytocin system. The -213A/G was associated with greeting only when the dog had no prior negative experience with the experimenter. The rs8679682 was found in association with greeting in all three contexts but these associations were significant only in non-stressed dogs. The -94T/C was associated with greeting only when the dog was stressed and had an interaction with the sex of the dog. The -74C/G SNP was associated with greeting only when the dog was stressed during separation and also had a sex interaction. Taken together, our results suggest that, similarly to humans, the effects of oxytocin on the dogs’ social behavior are not universal, but constrained by features of situations and individuals. Understanding these constraints helps further clarify how oxytocin mediates social behavior which, in the long run, could improve the application of oxytocin in pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borbála Turcsán
- Comparative Cognition and Wolf Science Center, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Friederike Range
- Comparative Cognition and Wolf Science Center, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zsolt Rónai
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Koller
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Virányi
- Comparative Cognition and Wolf Science Center, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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