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Chiou K, Snyder-Mackler N. Marmosets contain multitudes. eLife 2024; 13:e97866. [PMID: 38661001 PMCID: PMC11045216 DOI: 10.7554/elife.97866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the extent to which marmosets carry genetically distinct cells from their siblings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
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2
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Frye BM, Negrey JD, Johnson CSC, Kim J, Barcus RA, Lockhart SN, Whitlow CT, Chiou KL, Snyder-Mackler N, Montine TJ, Craft S, Shively CA, Register TC. Mediterranean diet protects against a neuroinflammatory cortical transcriptome: Associations with brain volumetrics, peripheral inflammation, social isolation, and anxiety in nonhuman primates (Macaca fascicularis). Brain Behav Immun 2024; 119:681-692. [PMID: 38636565 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Mediterranean diets may be neuroprotective and prevent cognitive decline relative to Western diets; however, the underlying biology is poorly understood. We assessed the effects of Western versus Mediterranean-like diets on RNAseq-generated transcriptional profiles in lateral temporal cortex and their relationships with longitudinal changes in neuroanatomy, circulating monocyte gene expression, and observations of social isolation and anxiety in 38 socially-housed, middle-aged female cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Diet resulted in differential expression of seven transcripts (FDR < 0.05). Cyclin dependent kinase 14 (CDK14), a proinflammatory regulator, was lower in the Mediterranean group. The remaining six transcripts [i.e., "lunatic fringe" (LFNG), mannose receptor C type 2 (MRC2), solute carrier family 3 member 2 (SLCA32), butyrophilin subfamily 2 member A1 (BTN2A1), katanin regulatory subunit B1 (KATNB1), and transmembrane protein 268 (TMEM268)] were higher in cortex of the Mediterranean group and generally associated with anti-inflammatory/neuroprotective pathways. KATNB1 encodes a subcomponent of katanin, important in maintaining microtubule homeostasis. BTN2A1 is involved in immunomodulation of γδ T-cells which have anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects. CDK14, LFNG, MRC2, and SLCA32 are associated with inflammatory pathways. The latter four differentially expressed cortex transcripts were associated with peripheral monocyte transcript levels, neuroanatomical changes determined by MRI, and with social isolation and anxiety. These results provide important insights into the potential mechanistic processes linking diet, peripheral and central inflammation, and behavior. Collectively, our results provide evidence that, relative to Western diets, Mediterranean diets confer protection against peripheral and central inflammation which is reflected in preserved brain structure and socioemotional behavior. Ultimately, such protective effects may confer resilience to the development of neuropathology and associated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Frye
- Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Biology, Emory and Henry College, Emory, VA, USA; Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jacob D Negrey
- Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Jeongchul Kim
- Department of Radiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Richard A Barcus
- Department of Radiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Samuel N Lockhart
- Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Christopher T Whitlow
- Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Radiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Kenneth L Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Suzanne Craft
- Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Carol A Shively
- Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - Thomas C Register
- Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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3
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Rosado MRS, Marzan-Rivera N, Watowich MM, Valle ADND, Pantoja P, Pavez-Fox MA, Siracusa ER, Cooper EB, Valle JEND, Phillips D, Ruiz-Lambides A, Martinez MI, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Higham JP, Brent LJN, Sariol CA, Snyder-Mackler N. Immune cell composition varies by age, sex and exposure to social adversity in free-ranging Rhesus Macaques. GeroScience 2024; 46:2107-2122. [PMID: 37853187 PMCID: PMC10828448 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00962-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing age is associated with dysregulated immune function and increased inflammation-patterns that are also observed in individuals exposed to chronic social adversity. Yet we still know little about how social adversity impacts the immune system and how it might promote age-related diseases. Here, we investigated how immune cell diversity varied with age, sex and social adversity (operationalized as low social status) in free-ranging rhesus macaques. We found age-related signatures of immunosenescence, including lower proportions of CD20 + B cells, CD20 + /CD3 + ratio, and CD4 + /CD8 + T cell ratio - all signs of diminished antibody production. Age was associated with higher proportions of CD3 + /CD8 + Cytotoxic T cells, CD16 + /CD3- Natural Killer cells, CD3 + /CD4 + /CD25 + and CD3 + /CD8 + /CD25 + T cells, and CD14 + /CD16 + /HLA-DR + intermediate monocytes, and lower levels of CD14 + /CD16-/HLA-DR + classical monocytes, indicating greater amounts of inflammation and immune dysregulation. We also found a sex-dependent effect of exposure to social adversity (i.e., low social status). High-status males, relative to females, had higher CD20 + /CD3 + ratios and CD16 + /CD3 Natural Killer cell proportions, and lower proportions of CD8 + Cytotoxic T cells. Further, low-status females had higher proportions of cytotoxic T cells than high-status females, while the opposite was observed in males. High-status males had higher CD20 + /CD3 + ratios than low-status males. Together, our study identifies the strong age and sex-dependent effects of social adversity on immune cell proportions in a human-relevant primate model. Thus, these results provide novel insights into the combined effects of demography and social adversity on immunity and their potential contribution to age-related diseases in humans and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell R Sanchez Rosado
- Department of Microbiology & Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences, San Juan, PR, USA.
| | - Nicole Marzan-Rivera
- Department of Microbiology & Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Marina M Watowich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Petraleigh Pantoja
- Department of Microbiology & Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences, San Juan, PR, USA
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Caribbean Primate Research Center and Animal Resources Center, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Melissa A Pavez-Fox
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Erin R Siracusa
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Eve B Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Josue E Negron-Del Valle
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Daniel Phillips
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Angelina Ruiz-Lambides
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Caribbean Primate Research Center and Animal Resources Center, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Melween I Martinez
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Caribbean Primate Research Center and Animal Resources Center, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Marketing, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Carlos A Sariol
- Department of Microbiology & Medical Zoology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences, San Juan, PR, USA
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Caribbean Primate Research Center and Animal Resources Center, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
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Pavez-Fox MA, Siracusa ER, Ellis S, Kimock CM, Rivera-Barreto N, Negron-Del Valle JE, Phillips D, Ruiz-Lambides A, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP, Brent LJ, De Moor D. Socioecological drivers of injuries in female and male rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta). bioRxiv 2024:2023.10.20.563310. [PMID: 38559204 PMCID: PMC10979908 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.20.563310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Competition over access to resources, such as food and mates, is believed to be one of the major costs associated with group living. Two socioecological factors suggested to predict the intensity of competition are group size and the relative abundance of sexually active individuals. However, empirical evidence linking these factors to injuries and survival costs is scarce. Here, we leveraged 10 years of data from free-ranging rhesus macaques where injuries inflicted by conspecifics are associated with a high mortality risk. We tested if group size and adult sex ratio predicted the occurrence of injuries and used data on physical aggression to contextualise these results. We found that males were less likely to be injured when living in larger groups, potentially due to advantages in intergroup encounters. Females, instead, had higher injury risk when living in larger groups but this was not explained by within-group aggression among females. Further, male-biased sex ratios predicted a weak increase in injury risk in females and were positively related to male-female aggression, indicating that male coercion during mating competition may be a cause of injuries in females. Overall, our results provide insights into sex differences in the fitness-related costs of competition and empirical evidence for long-standing predictions on the evolution of group living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A. Pavez-Fox
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom EX4 4QG
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom KY16 9JP
| | - Erin R. Siracusa
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom EX4 4QG
| | - Samuel Ellis
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom EX4 4QG
| | - Clare M. Kimock
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom NG1 4FQ
| | - Nahiri Rivera-Barreto
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-5067
| | | | - Daniel Phillips
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Temple, AZ 85281, United States
| | - Angelina Ruiz-Lambides
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-5067
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Temple, AZ 85281, United States
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Temple, AZ 85281
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Temple, AZ 85281
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003
| | - Lauren J.N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom EX4 4QG
| | - Delphine De Moor
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom EX4 4QG
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Siracusa ER, Pavez-Fox MA, Negron-Del Valle JE, Phillips D, Platt ML, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP, Brent LJN, Silk MJ. Social ageing can protect against infectious disease in a group-living primate. bioRxiv 2024:2024.03.09.584237. [PMID: 38559098 PMCID: PMC10979879 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.09.584237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The benefits of social living are well established, but sociality also comes with costs, including infectious disease risk. This cost-benefit ratio of sociality is expected to change across individuals' lifespans, which may drive changes in social behaviour with age. To explore this idea, we combine data from a group-living primate for which social ageing has been described with epidemiological models to show that having lower social connectedness when older can protect against the costs of a hypothetical, directly transmitted endemic pathogen. Assuming no age differences in epidemiological characteristics (susceptibility to, severity, and duration of infection), older individuals suffered lower infection costs, which was explained largely because they were less connected in their social networks than younger individuals. This benefit of 'social ageing' depended on epidemiological characteristics and was greatest when infection severity increased with age. When infection duration increased with age, social ageing was beneficial only when pathogen transmissibility was low. Older individuals benefited most from having a lower frequency of interactions (strength) and network embeddedness (closeness) and benefited less from having fewer social partners (degree). Our study provides a first examination of the epidemiology of social ageing, demonstrating the potential for pathogens to influence evolutionary dynamics of social ageing in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R. Siracusa
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel Phillips
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
- Department of Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Lauren J. N. Brent
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Matthew J. Silk
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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6
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Turcotte CM, Choi AM, Spear JK, Hernandez-Janer EM, Dickinson E, Taboada HG, Stock MK, Villamil CI, Bauman SE, Martinez MI, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Williams SA, Antón SC, Higham JP. Mechanical and morphometric approaches to body mass estimation in rhesus macaques: A test of skeletal variables. Am J Biol Anthropol 2024:e24901. [PMID: 38445298 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Estimation of body mass from skeletal metrics can reveal important insights into the paleobiology of archeological or fossil remains. The standard approach constructs predictive equations from postcrania, but studies have questioned the reliability of traditional measures. Here, we examine several skeletal features to assess their accuracy in predicting body mass. MATERIALS AND METHODS Antemortem mass measurements were compared with common skeletal dimensions from the same animals postmortem, using 115 rhesus macaques (male: n = 43; female: n = 72). Individuals were divided into training (n = 58) and test samples (n = 57) to build and assess Ordinary Least Squares or multivariate regressions by residual sum of squares (RSS) and AIC weights. A leave-one-out approach was implemented to formulate the best fit multivariate models, which were compared against a univariate and a previously published catarrhine body-mass estimation model. RESULTS Femur circumference represented the best univariate model. The best model overall was composed of four variables (femur, tibia and fibula circumference and humerus length). By RSS and AICw, models built from rhesus macaque data (RSS = 26.91, AIC = -20.66) better predicted body mass than did the catarrhine model (RSS = 65.47, AIC = 20.24). CONCLUSION Body mass in rhesus macaques is best predicted by a 4-variable equation composed of humerus length and hind limb midshaft circumferences. Comparison of models built from the macaque versus the catarrhine data highlight the importance of taxonomic specificity in predicting body mass. This paper provides a valuable dataset of combined somatic and skeletal data in a primate, which can be used to build body mass equations for fragmentary fossil evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M Turcotte
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Audrey M Choi
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey K Spear
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eva M Hernandez-Janer
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Hannah G Taboada
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michala K Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Catalina I Villamil
- School of Chiropractic, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Samuel E Bauman
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Melween I Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Scott A Williams
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Susan C Antón
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
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7
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Turcotte CM, Choi AM, Spear JK, Hernandez-Janer EM, Taboada HG, Stock MK, Villamil CI, Bauman SE, Martinez MI, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Williams SA, Higham JP, Antón SC. Quantifying the relationship between bone and soft tissue measures within the rhesus macaques of Cayo Santiago. Am J Biol Anthropol 2024:e24920. [PMID: 38447005 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Interpretations of the primate and human fossil record often rely on the estimation of somatic dimensions from bony measures. Both somatic and skeletal variation have been used to assess how primates respond to environmental change. However, it is unclear how well skeletal variation matches and predicts soft tissue. Here, we empirically test the relationship between tissues by comparing somatic and skeletal measures using paired measures of pre- and post-mortem rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. MATERIALS AND METHODS Somatic measurements were matched with skeletal dimensions from 105 rhesus macaque individuals to investigate paired signals of variation (i.e., coefficients of variation, sexual dimorphism) and bivariate codependence (reduced major axis regression) in measures of: (1) limb length; (2) joint breadth; and (3) limb circumference. Predictive models for the estimation of soft tissue dimensions from skeletons were built from Ordinary Least Squares regressions. RESULTS Somatic and skeletal measurements showed statistically equivalent coefficients of variation and sexual dimorphism as well as high epiphyses-present ordinary least square (OLS) correlations in limb lengths (R2 >0.78, 0.82), joint breadths (R2 >0.74, 0.83) and, to a lesser extent, limb circumference (R2 >0.53, 0.68). CONCLUSION Skeletal measurements are good substitutions for somatic values based on population signals of variation. OLS regressions indicate that skeletal correlates are highly predictive of somatic dimensions. The protocols and regression equations established here provide a basis for reliable reconstruction of somatic dimension from catarrhine fossils and validate our ability to compare or combine results of studies based on population data of either hard or soft tissue proxies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M Turcotte
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Audrey M Choi
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey K Spear
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eva M Hernandez-Janer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Hannah G Taboada
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michala K Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Catalina I Villamil
- Doctor of Chiropractic Program, School of Health Sciences and Technologies, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Samuel E Bauman
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Melween I Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Scott A Williams
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Susan C Antón
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
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8
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Testard C, Shergold C, Acevedo-Ithier A, Hart J, Bernau A, Negron-Del Valle JE, Phillips D, Watowich MM, Sanguinetti-Scheck JI, Montague MJ, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP, Platt ML, Brent L. Natural disaster alters the adaptive benefits of sociality in a primate. bioRxiv 2024:2023.07.17.549328. [PMID: 37503170 PMCID: PMC10370068 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.17.549328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Weather-related disasters can radically alter ecosystems. When disaster-driven ecological damage persists, the selective pressures exerted on individuals can change, eventually leading to phenotypic adjustments. For group-living animals, social relationships are believed to help individuals cope with environmental challenges and may be a critical mechanism enabling adaptation to ecosystems degraded by disasters. Yet, whether natural disasters alter selective pressures on patterns of social interactions and whether group-living animals can, as a result, adaptively change their social relationships remains untested. Here, we leveraged unique data collected on rhesus macaques from 5 years before to 5 years after a category 4 hurricane, leading to persistent deforestation which exacerbated monkeys' exposure to intense heat. In response, macaques increased tolerance for and decreased aggression toward other monkeys, facilitating access to scarce shade critical for thermoregulation. Social tolerance predicted individual survival for 5 years after the hurricane, but not before it, revealing a clear shift in the adaptive function of social relationships in this population. We demonstrate that an extreme climatic event altered selection on sociality and triggered substantial and persistent changes in the social structure of a primate species. Our findings unveil the function and adaptive flexibility of social relationships in degraded ecosystems and identify natural disasters as potential evolutionary drivers of sociality. One-Sentence Summary Testard et al. show that a natural disaster altered selection on sociality in group-living primates triggering persistent changes in their social structure.
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Freudiger A, Jovanovic VM, Huang Y, Snyder-Mackler N, Conrad DF, Miller B, Montague MJ, Westphal H, Stadler PF, Bley S, Horvath JE, Brent LJN, Platt ML, Ruiz-Lambides A, Tung J, Nowick K, Ringbauer H, Widdig A. Taking identity-by-descent analysis into the wild: Estimating realized relatedness in free-ranging macaques. bioRxiv 2024:2024.01.09.574911. [PMID: 38260273 PMCID: PMC10802400 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.09.574911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Biological relatedness is a key consideration in studies of behavior, population structure, and trait evolution. Except for parent-offspring dyads, pedigrees capture relatedness imperfectly. The number and length of DNA segments that are identical-by-descent (IBD) yield the most precise estimates of relatedness. Here, we leverage novel methods for estimating locus-specific IBD from low coverage whole genome resequencing data to demonstrate the feasibility and value of resolving fine-scaled gradients of relatedness in free-living animals. Using primarily 4-6× coverage data from a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) population with available long-term pedigree data, we show that we can call the number and length of IBD segments across the genome with high accuracy even at 0.5× coverage. The resulting estimates demonstrate substantial variation in genetic relatedness within kin classes, leading to overlapping distributions between kin classes. They identify cryptic genetic relatives that are not represented in the pedigree and reveal elevated recombination rates in females relative to males, which allows us to discriminate maternal and paternal kin using genotype data alone. Our findings represent a breakthrough in the ability to understand the predictors and consequences of genetic relatedness in natural populations, contributing to our understanding of a fundamental component of population structure in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Freudiger
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vladimir M Jovanovic
- Human Biology and Primate Evolution, Institut für Zoologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Bioinformatics Solution Center, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yilei Huang
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution & Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
| | - Donald F Conrad
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Brian Miller
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hendrikje Westphal
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peter F Stadler
- Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Austria
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Stefanie Bley
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julie E Horvath
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina, Durham, USA
- Research and Collections Section, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina, Raleigh, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, North Carolina, Raleigh, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, North Carolina, Durham, USA
- Renaissance Computing Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Marketing Department, the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Angelina Ruiz-Lambides
- Cayo Santiago Field Station, Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, North Carolina, Durham, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke University Population Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Katja Nowick
- Human Biology and Primate Evolution, Institut für Zoologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Bioinformatics Solution Center, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Harald Ringbauer
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anja Widdig
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany
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10
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Negrey JD, Frye BM, Johnson CSC, Kim J, Barcus RA, Lockhart SN, Whitlow CT, Sutphen C, Chiou KL, Snyder-Mackler N, Montine TJ, Craft S, Shively CA, Register TC. Mediterranean Diet Protects Against a Neuroinflammatory Cortical Transcriptome: Associations with Brain Volumetrics, Peripheral Inflammation, Social Isolation and Anxiety. bioRxiv 2023:2023.11.01.565068. [PMID: 37961556 PMCID: PMC10635044 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.01.565068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mediterranean diets may be neuroprotective and prevent cognitive decline relative to Western diets, however the underlying biology is poorly understood. METHODS We assessed the effects of Western vs. Mediterranean-like diets on RNAseq generated transcriptional profiles in temporal cortex and their relationships with changes in MRI neuroimaging phenotypes, circulating monocyte gene expression, and observations of social isolation and anxiety in 38 socially-housed, middle-aged female cynomolgus macaques. RESULTS Diet resulted in differential expression of seven transcripts (FDR<0.05). Cyclin dependent kinase 14 ( CDK14 ), a proinflammatory regulator, was lower in the Mediterranean group. The remaining six transcripts [i.e., "lunatic fringe" ( LFNG ), mannose receptor C type 2 ( MRC2 ), solute carrier family 3 member 2 ( SLCA32 ), butyrophilin subfamily 2 member A1 ( BTN2A1 ), katanin regulatory subunit B1 ( KATNB1 ), and transmembrane protein 268 ( TMEM268 )] were higher in cortex of the Mediterranean group and generally associated with anti-inflammatory/neuroprotective pathways. KATNB1 encodes a subcomponent of katanin, important in maintaining microtubule homeostasis. BTN2A1 is involved in immunomodulation of γδ T-cells which have anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective effects. CDK14 , LFNG , MRC2, and SLCA32 are associated with inflammatory pathways. The latter four differentially expressed cortex transcripts were associated with monocyte transcript levels, changes in AD-relevant brain volumes determined by MRI over the course of the study, and social isolation and anxiety. CDK14 was positively correlated with monocyte inflammatory transcripts, changes in total brain, gray matter, cortical gray matter volumes, and time alone and anxious behavior, and negatively correlated with changes in total white matter and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes. In contrast, LFNG , MRC2 , and SLCA32 were negatively correlated with monocyte inflammatory transcripts and changes in total gray matter volume, and positively correlated with CSF volume changes, and SLCA32 was negatively correlated with time alone. DISCUSSION Collectively, our results suggest that relative to Western diets, Mediterranean diets confer protection against peripheral and central inflammation which is reflected in preserved brain structure and behavior.
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11
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Forsyth KK, McCoy BM, Schmid SM, Promislow DEL, Snyder-Mackler N. Lifetime prevalence of owner-reported medical conditions in the 25 most common dog breeds in the Dog Aging Project pack. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1140417. [PMID: 38026653 PMCID: PMC10655140 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1140417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Large scale data on the prevalence of diverse medical conditions among dog breeds in the United States are sparse. This cross-sectional study sought to estimate the lifetime prevalence of medical conditions among US dogs and to determine whether purebred dogs have higher lifetime prevalence of specific medical conditions compared to mixed-breed dogs. Methods Using owner-reported survey data collected through the Dog Aging Project (DAP) Health and Life Experience Survey for 27,541 companion dogs, we identified the 10 most commonly reported medical conditions in each of the 25 most common dog breeds within the DAP cohort. Lifetime prevalence estimates of these medical conditions were compared between mixed-breed and purebred populations. The frequency of dogs for whom no medical conditions were reported was also assessed within each breed and the overall mixed-breed and purebred populations. Results A total of 53 medical conditions comprised the top 10 conditions for the 25 most popular breeds. The number of dogs for whom no medical conditions were reported was significantly different (p = 0.002) between purebred (22.3%) and mixed-breed dogs (20.7%). The medical conditions most frequently reported within the top 10 conditions across breeds were dental calculus (in 24 out of 25 breeds), dog bite (23/25), extracted teeth (21/25), osteoarthritis (15/25), and Giardia (15/25). Discussion Purebred dogs in the DAP did not show higher lifetime prevalence of medical conditions compared to mixed-breed dogs, and a higher proportion of purebred dogs than mixed-breed dogs had no owner-reported medical conditions. Individual breeds may still show higher lifetime prevalence for specific conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiersten K. Forsyth
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Brianah M. McCoy
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Sarah M. Schmid
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Daniel E. L. Promislow
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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12
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Newman LE, Testard C, DeCasien AR, Chiou KL, Watowich MM, Janiak MC, Pavez-Fox MA, Sanchez Rosado MR, Cooper EB, Costa CE, Petersen RM, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP. The biology of aging in a social world: Insights from free-ranging rhesus macaques. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 154:105424. [PMID: 37827475 PMCID: PMC10872885 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Social adversity can increase the age-associated risk of disease and death, yet the biological mechanisms that link social adversities to aging remain poorly understood. Long-term naturalistic studies of nonhuman animals are crucial for integrating observations of social behavior throughout an individual's life with detailed anatomical, physiological, and molecular measurements. Here, we synthesize the body of research from one such naturalistic study system, Cayo Santiago, which is home to the world's longest continuously monitored free-ranging population of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). We review recent studies of age-related variation in morphology, gene regulation, microbiome composition, and immune function. We also discuss ecological and social modifiers of age-markers in this population. In particular, we summarize how a major natural disaster, Hurricane Maria, affected rhesus macaque physiology and social structure and highlight the context-dependent and domain-specific nature of aging modifiers. Finally, we conclude by providing directions for future study, on Cayo Santiago and elsewhere, that will further our understanding of aging across different domains and how social adversity modifies aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Newman
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Alex R DeCasien
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kenneth L Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Marina M Watowich
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mareike C Janiak
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melissa A Pavez-Fox
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | | | - Eve B Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christina E Costa
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel M Petersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
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13
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Chiou KL, Huang X, Bohlen MO, Tremblay S, DeCasien AR, O’Day DR, Spurrell CH, Gogate AA, Zintel TM, Andrews MG, Martínez MI, Starita LM, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Shendure J, Snyder-Mackler N. A single-cell multi-omic atlas spanning the adult rhesus macaque brain. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadh1914. [PMID: 37824616 PMCID: PMC10569716 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh1914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Cataloging the diverse cellular architecture of the primate brain is crucial for understanding cognition, behavior, and disease in humans. Here, we generated a brain-wide single-cell multimodal molecular atlas of the rhesus macaque brain. Together, we profiled 2.58 M transcriptomes and 1.59 M epigenomes from single nuclei sampled from 30 regions across the adult brain. Cell composition differed extensively across the brain, revealing cellular signatures of region-specific functions. We also identified 1.19 M candidate regulatory elements, many previously unidentified, allowing us to explore the landscape of cis-regulatory grammar and neurological disease risk in a cell type-specific manner. Altogether, this multi-omic atlas provides an open resource for investigating the evolution of the human brain and identifying novel targets for disease interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth L. Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Xingfan Huang
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Martin O. Bohlen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sébastien Tremblay
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alex R. DeCasien
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Diana R. O’Day
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cailyn H. Spurrell
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Aishwarya A. Gogate
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Trisha M. Zintel
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Cayo Biobank Research Unit
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Madeline G. Andrews
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Melween I. Martínez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Lea M. Starita
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael J. Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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14
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Peterson SM, Watowich MM, Renner LM, Martin S, Offenberg E, Lea A, Montague MJ, Higham JP, Snyder-Mackler N, Neuringer M, Ferguson B. Genetic variants in melanogenesis proteins TYRP1 and TYR are associated with the golden rhesus macaque phenotype. G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:jkad168. [PMID: 37522525 PMCID: PMC10542561 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are vital translational research models due to their high genetic, physiological, and anatomical homology with humans. The "golden" rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) phenotype is a naturally occurring, inherited trait with a visually distinct pigmentation pattern resulting in light blonde colored fur. Retinal imaging also reveals consistent hypopigmentation and occasional foveal hypoplasia. Here, we describe the use of genome-wide association in 2 distinct NHP populations to identify candidate variants in genes linked to the golden phenotype. Two missense variants were identified in the Tyrosinase-related protein 1 gene (Asp343Gly and Leu415Pro) that segregate with the phenotype. An additional and distinct association was also found with a Tyrosinase variant (His256Gln), indicating the light-colored fur phenotype can result from multiple genetic mechanisms. The implicated genes are related through their contribution to the melanogenesis pathway. Variants in these 2 genes are known to cause pigmentation phenotypes in other species and to be associated with oculocutaneous albinism in humans. The novel associations presented in this study will permit further investigations into the role these proteins and variants play in the melanogenesis pathway and model the effects of genetic hypopigmentation and altered melanogenesis in a naturally occurring nonhuman primate model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M Peterson
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Marina M Watowich
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Lauren M Renner
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Samantha Martin
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Emma Offenberg
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Amanda Lea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- School for Human Evolution & Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Martha Neuringer
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Betsy Ferguson
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
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15
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Patterson SK, Petersen RM, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Lea AJ, Higham JP. Natural Animal Populations as Model Systems for Understanding Early Life Adversity Effects on Aging. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:681-692. [PMID: 37279895 PMCID: PMC10503476 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse experiences in early life are associated with aging-related disease risk and mortality across many species. In humans, confounding factors, as well as the difficulty of directly measuring experiences and outcomes from birth till death, make it challenging to identify how early life adversity impacts aging and health. These challenges can be mitigated, in part, through the study of non-human animals, which are exposed to parallel forms of adversity and can age similarly to humans. Furthermore, studying the links between early life adversity and aging in natural populations of non-human animals provides an excellent opportunity to better understand the social and ecological pressures that shaped the evolution of early life sensitivities. Here, we highlight ongoing and future research directions that we believe will most effectively contribute to our understanding of the evolution of early life sensitivities and their repercussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam K Patterson
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York City, 10003, USA
| | - Rachel M Petersen
- Department of Biological Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, 37232, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, United Kingdom
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, 85281, USA
| | - Amanda J Lea
- Department of Biological Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, 37232, USA
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Study, Toronto, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York City, 10003, USA
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16
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Patterson SK, Andonov E, Arre AM, Martínez MI, Negron-Del Valle JE, Petersen RM, Phillips D, Rahman A, Ruiz-Lambides A, Villanueva I, Lea AJ, Snyder-Mackler N, Brent LJ, Higham JP. Early life adversity has sex-dependent effects on survival across the lifespan in rhesus macaques. bioRxiv 2023:2023.08.30.555589. [PMID: 37693423 PMCID: PMC10491187 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.30.555589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to adversity during early life is linked to lasting detrimental effects on evolutionary fitness across many taxa. However, due to the challenges of collecting longitudinal data, especially in species where one sex disperses, direct evidence from long-lived species remains relatively scarce. Here we test the effects of early life adversity on male and female longevity in a free-ranging population of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. We leveraged six decades of data to quantify the relative importance of ten forms of early life adversity for 6,599 macaques (3,230 male, 3,369 female), with a smaller sample size (N=299) for one form of adversity (maternal social isolation) which required high-resolution behavioral data. We found that individuals who experienced more early life adversity died earlier than those who experienced less adversity. Mortality risk was highest during early life, defined as birth to four years old, suggesting acute survival effects of adversity, but heightened mortality risk was also present in macaques who survived to adulthood. Females and males were affected differently by some forms of adversity, and these differences might be driven by varying energetic demands, female philopatry, and male dispersal. By leveraging data on thousands of macaques collected over decades, our results show that the fitness consequences of early life adversity are not uniform across individuals but vary as a function of the type of adversity, timing, and social context, and thus contribute to our limited but growing understanding of the evolution of early life sensitivities in long-lived species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ella Andonov
- High School of American Studies at Lehman College, New York City
| | - Alyssa M. Arre
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, Unit of Comparative Medicine, University of Puerto Rico
| | - Melween I. Martínez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, Unit of Comparative Medicine, University of Puerto Rico
| | | | | | | | | | - Angelina Ruiz-Lambides
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, Unit of Comparative Medicine, University of Puerto Rico
| | | | - Amanda J. Lea
- Department of Biological Science, Vanderbilt University
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Study, Toronto, Canada
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University
- School of Life Sciences and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University
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17
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Shively CA, Frye BM, Negrey JD, Johnson CSC, Sutphen CL, Molina AJA, Yadav H, Snyder-Mackler N, Register TC. The interactive effects of psychosocial stress and diet composition on health in primates. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105320. [PMID: 37453725 PMCID: PMC10424262 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Social disadvantage and diet composition independently impact myriad dimensions of health. They are closely entwined, as social disadvantage often yields poor diet quality, and may interact to fuel differential health outcomes. This paper reviews effects of psychosocial stress and diet composition on health in nonhuman primates and their implications for aging and human health. We examined the effects of social subordination stress and Mediterranean versus Western diet on multiple systems. We report that psychosocial stress and Western diet have independent and additive adverse effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and autonomic nervous system reactivity to psychological stressors, brain structure, and ovarian function. Compared to the Mediterranean diet, the Western diet resulted in accelerated aging, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, gut microbial changes associated with increased disease risk, neuroinflammation, neuroanatomical perturbations, anxiety, and social isolation. This comprehensive, multisystem investigation lays the foundation for future investigations of the mechanistic underpinnings of psychosocial stress and diet effects on health, and advances the promise of the Mediterranean diet as a therapeutic intervention on psychosocial stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol A Shively
- Department of Pathology, Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - Brett M Frye
- Department of Pathology, Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Biology, Emory and Henry College, Emory, VA, USA
| | - Jacob D Negrey
- Department of Pathology, Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | | | - Courtney L Sutphen
- Department of Pathology, Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | | | - Hariom Yadav
- Center for Microbiome Research, Microbiomes Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Thomas C Register
- Department of Pathology, Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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18
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Watowich MM, Chiou KL, Graves B, tague MJM, Brent LJ, Higham JP, Horvath JE, Lu A, Martinez MI, Platt ML, Schneider-Crease IA, Lea AJ, Snyder-Mackler N. Best practices for genotype imputation from low-coverage sequencing data in natural populations. Mol Ecol Resour 2023:10.1111/1755-0998.13854. [PMID: 37602981 PMCID: PMC10879460 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring genetic diversity in wild populations is a central goal of ecological and evolutionary genetics and is critical for conservation biology. However, genetic studies of nonmodel organisms generally lack access to species-specific genotyping methods (e.g. array-based genotyping) and must instead use sequencing-based approaches. Although costs are decreasing, high-coverage whole-genome sequencing (WGS), which produces the highest confidence genotypes, remains expensive. More economical reduced representation sequencing approaches fail to capture much of the genome, which can hinder downstream inference. Low-coverage WGS combined with imputation using a high-confidence reference panel is a cost-effective alternative, but the accuracy of genotyping using low-coverage WGS and imputation in nonmodel populations is still largely uncharacterized. Here, we empirically tested the accuracy of low-coverage sequencing (0.1-10×) and imputation in two natural populations, one with a large (n = 741) reference panel, rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), and one with a smaller (n = 68) reference panel, gelada monkeys (Theropithecus gelada). Using samples sequenced to coverage as low as 0.5×, we could impute genotypes at >95% of the sites in the reference panel with high accuracy (median r2 ≥ 0.92). We show that low-coverage imputed genotypes can reliably calculate genetic relatedness and population structure. Based on these data, we also provide best practices and recommendations for researchers who wish to deploy this approach in other populations, with all code available on GitHub (https://github.com/mwatowich/LoCSI-for-non-model-species). Our results endorse accurate and effective genotype imputation from low-coverage sequencing, enabling the cost-effective generation of population-scale genetic datasets necessary for tackling many pressing challenges of wildlife conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina M. Watowich
- Department of Biology, University of Washington; Seattle, WA, 98195 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University; Nashville, TN, 37235
| | - Kenneth L. Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ, 85281 USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ, 85281 USA
| | - Brian Graves
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Michael J. Mon tague
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Lauren J.N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter; Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University; New York, NY 10003, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology; New York, NY, 10016 USA
| | - Julie E. Horvath
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University; Durham, NC 27707, USA
- Research and Collections Section, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences; Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University; Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Melween I. Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, Unit of Comparative Medicine, University of Puerto Rico; San Juan, PR 00936, USA
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Marketing Department, Wharton School of Business; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - India A. Schneider-Crease
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ, 85281 USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ, 85281 USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ, 85281 USA
| | - Amanda J. Lea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 37235, USA
- Child and Brain Development, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ, 85281 USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ, 85281 USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ, 85281 USA
- Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ, 85281 USA
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19
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DeLacey PM, Sen S, Schneider-Crease IA, Chiou KL, Lemma A, Ayele F, Haile AA, Lu A, Bergman TJ, Beehner JC, Snyder-Mackler N. Vascularization underlies differences in sexually selected skin coloration in a wild primate. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4401-4411. [PMID: 37226287 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Male reproductive competition can select for condition-dependent, conspicuous traits that signal some aspect of fighting ability and facilitate assessment of potential rivals. However, the underlying mechanisms that link the signal to a male's current condition are difficult to investigate in wild populations, often requiring invasive experimental manipulation. Here, we use digital photographs and chest skin samples to investigate the mechanisms of a visual signal used in male competition in a wild primate, the red chest patch in geladas (Theropithecus gelada). We analysed photographs collected during natural (n = 144) and anaesthetized conditions (n = 38) to understand variability in male and female chest redness, and we used chest skin biopsies (n = 38) to explore sex differences in gene expression. Male and female geladas showed similar average redness, but males exhibited a wider within-individual range in redness under natural conditions. These sex differences were also reflected at the molecular level, with 10.5% of genes exhibiting significant sex differences in expression. Subadult males exhibited intermediate gene expression patterns between adult males and females, pointing to mechanisms underlying the development of the red chest patch. We found that genes more highly expressed in males were associated with blood vessel development and maintenance but not with androgen or oestrogen activity. Together, our results suggest male gelada redness variability is driven by increased blood vessel branching in the chest skin, providing a potential link between male chest redness and current condition as increased blood circulation to exposed skin could lead to heat loss in the cold, high-altitude environment of geladas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia M DeLacey
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Sharmi Sen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - India A Schneider-Crease
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Kenneth L Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Alemayehu Lemma
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
| | - Ferehiwot Ayele
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
| | | | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, New York, USA
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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20
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Prater KE, Green KJ, Mamde S, Sun W, Cochoit A, Smith CL, Chiou KL, Heath L, Rose SE, Wiley J, Keene CD, Kwon RY, Snyder-Mackler N, Blue EE, Logsdon B, Young JE, Shojaie A, Garden GA, Jayadev S. Human microglia show unique transcriptional changes in Alzheimer's disease. Nat Aging 2023; 3:894-907. [PMID: 37248328 PMCID: PMC10353942 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00424-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, influence Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression and are potential therapeutic targets. However, microglia exhibit diverse functions, the regulation of which is not fully understood, complicating therapeutics development. To better define the transcriptomic phenotypes and gene regulatory networks associated with AD, we enriched for microglia nuclei from 12 AD and 10 control human dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (7 males and 15 females, all aged >60 years) before single-nucleus RNA sequencing. Here we describe both established and previously unrecognized microglial molecular phenotypes, the inferred gene networks driving observed transcriptomic change, and apply trajectory analysis to reveal the putative relationships between microglial phenotypes. We identify microglial phenotypes more prevalent in AD cases compared with controls. Further, we describe the heterogeneity in microglia subclusters expressing homeostatic markers. Our study demonstrates that deep profiling of microglia in human AD brain can provide insight into microglial transcriptional changes associated with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin J Green
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sainath Mamde
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Wei Sun
- Biostatistics Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Carole L Smith
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kenneth L Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Shannon E Rose
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ronald Y Kwon
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Elizabeth E Blue
- Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Benjamin Logsdon
- Sage Bionetworks, Seattle, WA, USA
- Cajal Neuroscience, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jessica E Young
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ali Shojaie
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gwenn A Garden
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Suman Jayadev
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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21
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Fernandes AG, Alexopoulos P, Burgos-Rodriguez A, Martinez MI, Ghassibi M, Leskov I, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Danias J, Wollstein G, Higham JP, Melin AD. Age-Related Differences in Ocular Features of a Naturalistic Free-Ranging Population of Rhesus Macaques. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:3. [PMID: 37261386 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.7.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are the premier nonhuman primate model for studying human health and disease. We investigated if age was associated with clinically relevant ocular features in a large cohort of free-ranging rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. Methods We evaluated 120 rhesus macaques (73 males, 47 females) from 0 to 29 years old (mean ± SD: 12.6 ± 6.4) from September to December 2021. The ophthalmic evaluation included intraocular pressure (IOP) assessment, corneal pachymetry, biomicroscopy, A-scan biometry, automated refraction, and fundus photography after pupil dilation. The associations of age with the outcomes were investigated through multilevel mixed-effects models adjusted for sex and weight. Results On average, IOP, pachymetry, axial length, and automated refraction spherical equivalent were 18.37 ± 4.68 mmHg, 474.43 ± 32.21 µm, 19.49 ± 1.24 mm, and 0.30 ± 1.70 diopters (D), respectively. Age was significantly associated with pachymetry (β coefficient = -1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], -2.27 to -0.14; P = 0.026), axial length (β coefficient = 0.03; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.05; P = 0.002), and spherical equivalent (β coefficient = -0.12; 95% CI, -0.22 to -0.02; P = 0.015). No association was detected between age and IOP. The prevalence of cataracts in either eye was 10.83% (95% CI, 6.34-17.89) and was significantly associated with age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20; 95% CI, 1.06-1.36; P = 0.004). Retinal drusen in either eye was observed in 15.00% (95% CI, 9.60-22.68) of animals, which was also significantly associated with age (OR = 1.14; 95% CI, 1.02-1.27; P = 0.020). Conclusions Rhesus macaques exhibit age-related ocular associations similar to those observed in human aging, including decreased corneal thickness, increased axial length, myopic shift, and higher prevalence of cataract and retinal drusen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur G Fernandes
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Palaiologos Alexopoulos
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, United States
| | - Armando Burgos-Rodriguez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
| | - Melween I Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
- Cayo Biobank Research Unit, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Mark Ghassibi
- Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States
| | - Ilya Leskov
- Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Cayo Biobank Research Unit, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Center for Research in Animal Behavior, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Cayo Biobank Research Unit, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | - John Danias
- Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States
| | - Gadi Wollstein
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, United States
| | - James P Higham
- Cayo Biobank Research Unit, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Anthropology, New York University College of Arts & Science, New York, New York, United States
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Cayo Biobank Research Unit, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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22
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McCoy BM, Brassington L, Jin K, Dolby GA, Shrager S, Collins D, Dunbar M, Ruple A, Snyder-Mackler N. Social determinants of health and disease in companion dogs: a cohort study from the Dog Aging Project. Evol Med Public Health 2023; 11:187-201. [PMID: 37388194 PMCID: PMC10306367 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to social environmental adversity is associated with health and survival across many social species, including humans. However, little is known about how these health and mortality effects vary across the lifespan and may be differentially impacted by various components of the environment. Here, we leveraged a relatively new and powerful model for human aging, the companion dog, to investigate which components of the social environment are associated with dog health and how these associations vary across the lifespan. We drew on comprehensive survey data collected on 21,410 dogs from the Dog Aging Project and identified five factors that together explained 33.7% of the variation in a dog's social environment. Factors capturing financial and household adversity were associated with poorer health and lower physical mobility in companion dogs, while factors that captured social support, such as living with other dogs, were associated with better health when controlling for dog age and weight. Notably, the effects of each environmental component were not equal: the effect of social support was 5× stronger than financial factors. The strength of these associations depended on the age of the dog, including a stronger relationship between the owner's age and the dog's health in younger as compared to older dogs. Taken together, these findings suggest the importance of income, stability and owner's age on owner-reported health outcomes in companion dogs and point to potential behavioral and/or environmental modifiers that can be used to promote healthy aging across species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kelly Jin
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Greer A Dolby
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, ALUSA
| | - Sandi Shrager
- Collaborative Health Studies Coordinating Center, Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Devin Collins
- Department of Sociology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matthew Dunbar
- Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dog Aging Project Consortium
AkeyJoshua MLewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USABentonBrookeDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USABorensteinElhananDepartment of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelCastelhanoMarta GCornell Veterinary Biobank, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USAColemanAmanda EDepartment of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USACreevyKate EDepartment of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USACrowderKyleDepartment of Sociology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USADunbarMatthew DCenter for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USAFajtVirginia RDepartment of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USAFitzpatrickAnnette LDepartment of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USAJefferyUnityDepartment of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USAJonlinErica CDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USAKaeberleinMattDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USAKarlssonElinor KBioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USAKerrKathleen FDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USALevineJonathan MDepartment of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USAMaJingDivision of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USAMcClellandRobyn LDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USAPromislowDaniel E LDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USARupleAudreyDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USASchwartzStephen MEpidemiology Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USAShragerSandiCollaborative Health Studies Coordinating Center, Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USASnyder-MacklerNoahSchool of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USATolbertKatherineDepartment of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USAUrferSilvan RDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USAWilfondBenjamin STreuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Audrey Ruple
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Corresponding author. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. E-mail:
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23
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Siracusa ER, Pereira AS, Brask JB, Negron-Del Valle JE, Phillips D, Platt ML, Higham JP, Snyder-Mackler N, Brent LJN. Ageing in a collective: the impact of ageing individuals on social network structure. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220061. [PMID: 36802789 PMCID: PMC9939263 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Ageing affects many phenotypic traits, but its consequences for social behaviour have only recently become apparent. Social networks emerge from associations between individuals. The changes in sociality that occur as individuals get older are thus likely to impact network structure, yet this remains unstudied. Here we use empirical data from free-ranging rhesus macaques and an agent-based model to test how age-based changes in social behaviour feed up to influence: (i) an individual's level of indirect connectedness in their network and (ii) overall patterns of network structure. Our empirical analyses revealed that female macaques became less indirectly connected as they aged for some, but not for all network measures examined. This suggests that indirect connectivity is affected by ageing, and that ageing animals can remain well integrated in some social contexts. Surprisingly, we did not find evidence for a relationship between age distribution and the structure of female macaque networks. We used an agent-based model to gain further understanding of the link between age-based differences in sociality and global network structure, and under which circumstances global effects may be detectable. Overall, our results suggest a potentially important and underappreciated role of age in the structure and function of animal collectives, which warrants further investigation. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Collective behaviour through time'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R. Siracusa
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - André S. Pereira
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Josefine Bohr Brask
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Daniel Phillips
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Arizona, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Cayo Biobank Research Unit
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Arizona, AZ 85281, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona, AZ 85281, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Arizona, AZ 85281, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Arizona, AZ 85281, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona, AZ 85281, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Arizona, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Lauren J. N. Brent
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
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24
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Newman LE, Testard C, DeCasien AR, Chiou KL, Watowich MM, Janiak MC, Pavez-Fox MA, Rosado MRS, Cooper EB, Costa CE, Petersen RM, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Brent LJ, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP. The biology of aging in a social world:insights from free-ranging rhesus macaques. bioRxiv 2023:2023.01.28.525893. [PMID: 36747827 PMCID: PMC9900930 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.28.525893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Social adversity can increase the age-associated risk of disease and death, yet the biological mechanisms that link social adversities to aging remain poorly understood. Long-term naturalistic studies of nonhuman animals are crucial for integrating observations of social behavior throughout an individual's life with detailed anatomical, physiological, and molecular measurements. Here, we synthesize the body of research from one such naturalistic study system, Cayo Santiago Island, which is home to the world's longest continuously monitored free-ranging population of rhesus macaques. We review recent studies of age-related variation in morphology, gene regulation, microbiome composition, and immune function. We also discuss ecological and social modifiers of age-markers in this population. In particular, we summarize how a major natural disaster, Hurricane Maria, affected rhesus macaque physiology and social structure and highlight the context-dependent and domain-specific nature of aging modifiers. Finally, we conclude by providing directions for future study, on Cayo Santiago and elsewhere, that will further our understanding of aging across different domains and how social adversity modifies aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Newman
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
| | - Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alex R. DeCasien
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institutes of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kenneth L. Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Marina M. Watowich
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mareike C. Janiak
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Eve B. Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
| | - Christina E. Costa
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
| | - Rachel M. Petersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael J. Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren J.N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- The New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, New York, USA
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25
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Schneider-Crease IA, Feder JA, Baniel A, McCann C, Haile AA, Abebe B, Fitzgerald L, Gomery MA, Simberloff RA, Petrie ZL, Gabriel S, Dorny P, Fashing PJ, Nguyen N, Bergman TJ, Beehner JC, Snyder-Mackler N, Lu A. Urinary neopterin reflects immunological variation associated with age, helminth parasitism, and the microbiome in a wild primate. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21307. [PMID: 36494454 PMCID: PMC9734142 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25298-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neopterin, a product of activated white blood cells, is a marker of nonspecific inflammation that can capture variation in immune investment or disease-related immune activity and can be collected noninvasively in urine. Mounting studies in wildlife point to lifetime patterns in neopterin related to immune development, aging, and certain diseases, but rarely are studies able to assess whether neopterin can capture multiple concurrent dimensions of health and disease in a single system. We assessed the relationship between urinary neopterin stored on filter paper and multiple metrics of health and disease in wild geladas (Theropithecus gelada), primates endemic to the Ethiopian highlands. We tested whether neopterin captures age-related variation in inflammation arising from developing immunity in infancy and chronic inflammation in old age, inflammation related to intramuscular tapeworm infection, helminth-induced anti-inflammatory immunomodulation, and perturbations in the gastrointestinal microbiome. We found that neopterin had a U-shaped relationship with age, no association with larval tapeworm infection, a negative relationship with metrics related to gastrointestinal helminth infection, and a negative relationship with microbial diversity. Together with growing research on neopterin and specific diseases, our results demonstrate that urinary neopterin can be a powerful tool for assessing multiple dimensions of health and disease in wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- India A. Schneider-Crease
- grid.215654.10000 0001 2151 2636School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA ,grid.215654.10000 0001 2151 2636Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| | - Jacob A. Feder
- grid.36425.360000 0001 2216 9681Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY USA
| | - Alice Baniel
- grid.215654.10000 0001 2151 2636Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA ,grid.215654.10000 0001 2151 2636School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| | - Colleen McCann
- grid.269823.40000 0001 2164 6888Department of Mammals, Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY USA ,grid.452706.20000 0004 7667 1687New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY USA
| | | | - Belayneh Abebe
- African Wildlife Foundation, Simien Mountains Landscape Conservation and Management Project, Debark, Ethiopia
| | - Lauren Fitzgerald
- grid.259956.40000 0001 2195 6763Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH USA
| | | | - Ruth A. Simberloff
- grid.411461.70000 0001 2315 1184Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA
| | | | - Sarah Gabriel
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pierre Dorny
- grid.11505.300000 0001 2153 5088Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Peter J. Fashing
- grid.253559.d0000 0001 2292 8158Department of Anthropology, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA USA ,grid.5510.10000 0004 1936 8921Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nga Nguyen
- grid.253559.d0000 0001 2292 8158Department of Anthropology, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA USA ,grid.5510.10000 0004 1936 8921Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Thore J. Bergman
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA ,grid.214458.e0000000086837370Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Jacinta C. Beehner
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA ,grid.214458.e0000000086837370Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- grid.215654.10000 0001 2151 2636Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA ,grid.215654.10000 0001 2151 2636School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| | - Amy Lu
- grid.36425.360000 0001 2216 9681Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY USA
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26
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Chiou KL, DeCasien AR, Rees KP, Testard C, Spurrell CH, Gogate AA, Pliner HA, Tremblay S, Mercer A, Whalen CJ, Negrón-Del Valle JE, Janiak MC, Bauman Surratt SE, González O, Compo NR, Stock MK, Ruiz-Lambides AV, Martínez MI, Wilson MA, Melin AD, Antón SC, Walker CS, Sallet J, Newbern JM, Starita LM, Shendure J, Higham JP, Brent LJN, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Snyder-Mackler N. Multiregion transcriptomic profiling of the primate brain reveals signatures of aging and the social environment. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1714-1723. [PMID: 36424430 PMCID: PMC10055353 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01197-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Aging is accompanied by a host of social and biological changes that correlate with behavior, cognitive health and susceptibility to neurodegenerative disease. To understand trajectories of brain aging in a primate, we generated a multiregion bulk (N = 527 samples) and single-nucleus (N = 24 samples) brain transcriptional dataset encompassing 15 brain regions and both sexes in a unique population of free-ranging, behaviorally phenotyped rhesus macaques. We demonstrate that age-related changes in the level and variance of gene expression occur in genes associated with neural functions and neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Further, we show that higher social status in females is associated with younger relative transcriptional ages, providing a link between the social environment and aging in the brain. Our findings lend insight into biological mechanisms underlying brain aging in a nonhuman primate model of human behavior, cognition and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth L Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. .,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. .,Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Alex R DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA. .,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Katherina P Rees
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Aishwarya A Gogate
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hannah A Pliner
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sébastien Tremblay
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arianne Mercer
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Connor J Whalen
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Mareike C Janiak
- School of Science, Engineering, & Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | | | - Olga González
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Nicole R Compo
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Michala K Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | | | - Melween I Martínez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA
| | | | - Melissa A Wilson
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Susan C Antón
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher S Walker
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Jérôme Sallet
- Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Université Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Jason M Newbern
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Lea M Starita
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. .,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. .,Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. .,School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
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27
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Cooper EB, Watowich MM, Beeby N, Whalen C, Montague MJ, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP. Concentrations of urinary neopterin, but not suPAR, positively correlate with age in rhesus macaques. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1007052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying biomarkers of age-related changes in immune system functioning that can be measured non-invasively is a significant step in progressing research on immunosenescence and inflammaging in free-ranging and wild animal populations. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the suitability of two urinary compounds, neopterin and suPAR, as biomarkers of age-related changes in immune activation and inflammation in a free-ranging rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) population. We also investigated age-associated variation in gene transcription from blood samples to understand the underlying proximate mechanisms that drive age-related changes in urinary neopterin or suPAR. Neopterin was significantly positively correlated with age, and had a moderate within-individual repeatability, indicating it is applicable as a biomarker of age-related changes. The age-related changes in urinary neopterin are not apparently driven by an age-related increase in the primary signaler of neopterin, IFN-y, but may be driven instead by an age-related increase in both CD14+ and CD14− monocytes. suPAR was not correlated with age, and had low repeatability within-individuals, indicating that it is likely better suited to measure acute inflammation rather than chronic age-related increases in inflammation (i.e., “inflammaging”). Neopterin and suPAR had a correlation of 25%, indicating that they likely often signal different processes, which if disentangled could provide a nuanced picture of immune-system function and inflammation when measured in tandem.
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28
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Pavez-Fox MA, Kimock CM, Rivera-Barreto N, Negron-Del Valle JE, Phillips D, Ruiz-Lambides A, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham JP, Siracusa ER, Brent LJ. Reduced injury risk links sociality to survival in a group-living primate. iScience 2022; 25:105454. [PMID: 36405777 PMCID: PMC9667306 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Sociality has been linked to a longer lifespan in many mammals, including humans. Yet, how sociality results in survival benefits remains unclear. Using 10 years of data and over 1,000 recorded injuries in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), we tested two injury-related mechanisms by which social status and affiliative partners might influence survival. Injuries increased individual risk of death by 3-fold in this dataset. We found that sociality can affect individuals’ survival by reducing their risk of injury but had no effect on the probability of injured individuals dying. Both males and females of high social status (measured as female matrilineal rank and male group tenure) and females with more affiliative partners (estimated using the number of female relatives) experienced fewer injuries and thus were less likely to die. Collectively, our results offer rare insights into one mechanism that can mediate the well-known benefits of sociality on an individual’s fitness. Injuries increased the risk of dying in rhesus macaques Sociality reduced the risk of injury, thereby enhancing survival High-status animals and females with more affiliative partners were injured less However, once injured, sociality did not reduce the probability of dying
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29
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Baniel A, Petrullo L, Mercer A, Reitsema L, Sams S, Beehner JC, Bergman TJ, Snyder-Mackler N, Lu A. Maternal effects on early-life gut microbiota maturation in a wild nonhuman primate. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4508-4520.e6. [PMID: 36099914 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Early-life microbial colonization is an important process shaping host physiology,1-3 immunity,4-6 and long-term health outcomes7-10 in humans. However, our understanding of this dynamic process remains poorly investigated in wild animals,11-13 where developmental mechanisms can be better understood within ecological and evolutionarily relevant contexts.11,12 Using one of the largest developmental datasets on a wild primate-the gelada (Theropithecus gelada)-we used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize gut microbiota maturation during the first 3 years of life and assessed the role of maternal effects in shaping offspring microbiota assembly. In contrast to recent data on chimpanzees, postnatal microbial colonization in geladas was highly similar to humans:14 microbial alpha diversity increased rapidly following birth, followed by gradual changes in composition until weaning. Dietary changes associated with weaning (from milk- to plant-based diet) were the main drivers of shifts in taxonomic composition and microbial predicted functional pathways. Maternal effects were also an important factor influencing the offspring gut microbiota. During nursing (<12 months), offspring of experienced (multi-time) mothers exhibited faster functional microbial maturation, likely reflecting the general faster developmental pace of infants born to these mothers. Following weaning (>18 months), the composition of the juvenile microbiota tended to be more similar to the maternal microbiota than to the microbiota of other adult females, highlighting that maternal effects may persist even after nursing cessation.15,16 Together, our findings highlight the dynamic nature of early-life gut colonization and the role of maternal effects in shaping this trajectory in a wild primate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Baniel
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Lauren Petrullo
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Arianne Mercer
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Okanogan Ln., Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Laurie Reitsema
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Jackson St., Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Sierra Sams
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Okanogan Ln., Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, S University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, N University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Okanogan Ln., Seattle, WA 98195, USA; School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Circle Rd., Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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30
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Johnson CSC, Frye BM, Register TC, Snyder-Mackler N, Shively CA. Mediterranean Diet Reduces Social Isolation and Anxiety in Adult Female Nonhuman Primates. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14142852. [PMID: 35889809 PMCID: PMC9322105 DOI: 10.3390/nu14142852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary composition is associated with the differential prevalence of psychiatric disorders; the Western diet confers increased risk, while the Mediterranean diet appears to reduce risk. In nonhuman primates, anxiety-like behaviors and social isolation have been linked to both Western diet consumption and increased inflammatory disease risk, and recent evidence suggests that diet composition may affect immune system function in part through its effects on behavior. This is particularly important in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic in which social isolation has been associated with disease. Here, we examined the effects of Western- and Mediterranean-like diets on social behavior in a randomized, 34-month preclinical trial in middle-aged female cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Diet induced rapid and persistent changes in a suite of behaviors. After just three months of experimental diet consumption, a composite measure of diet-altered behavior (DAB) significantly differed between the two diets (p = 0.014) and remained different throughout the 24-month experimental observation period (p = 2.2 × 10−8). Monkeys fed the Western diet spent more time alone (FDR = 4.4 × 10−5) and displayed more anxiety behavior (FDR = 0.048), whereas monkeys fed the Mediterranean diet spent more time resting (FDR = 0.0013), attentive (FDR = 0.017), and in body contact with groupmates (FDR = 4.1 × 10−8). These differences were largely due to changes in behavior of animals fed the Mediterranean diet, while Western-diet-fed-animals exhibited similar behaviors compared to the eight-month baseline period, during which all monkeys consumed a common laboratory diet. These observations provide experimental support in a nonhuman primate model, demonstrating a potential therapeutic benefit of the Mediterranean diet consumption to reduce social isolation and anxiety and thus mitigate social isolation-associated disorders that often accompany illness and disability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corbin S. C. Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; (C.S.C.J.); (N.S.-M.)
| | - Brett M. Frye
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; (B.M.F.); (T.C.R.)
- Department of Biology, Emory and Henry College, Emory, VA 24327, USA
| | - Thomas C. Register
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; (B.M.F.); (T.C.R.)
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; (C.S.C.J.); (N.S.-M.)
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Center for Evolution & Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Carol A. Shively
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; (B.M.F.); (T.C.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(336)-716-1524
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31
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Cooper EB, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Singh M, Sengupta A, Khatiwada S, Malaivijitnond S, Qi Hai Z, Higham JP. The natural history of model organisms: the rhesus macaque as a success story of the Anthropocene. eLife 2022; 11:78169. [PMID: 35801697 PMCID: PMC9345599 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Of all the non-human primate species studied by researchers, the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) is likely the most widely used across biological disciplines. Rhesus macaques have thrived during the Anthropocene and now have the largest natural range of any non-human primate. They are highly social, exhibit marked genetic diversity, and display remarkable niche flexibility (which allows them to live in a range of habitats and survive on a variety of diets). These characteristics mean that rhesus macaques are well-suited for understanding the links between sociality, health and fitness, and also for investigating intra-specific variation, adaptation and other topics in evolutionary ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve B Cooper
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States
| | | | | | - Mewa Singh
- Biopsychology Laboratory, University of Mysore, Mysuru, India
| | | | - Sunil Khatiwada
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Garbatka, Poland
| | | | - Zhou Qi Hai
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States
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32
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Morrill K, Hekman J, Li X, McClure J, Logan B, Goodman L, Gao M, Dong Y, Alonso M, Carmichael E, Snyder-Mackler N, Alonso J, Noh HJ, Johnson J, Koltookian M, Lieu C, Megquier K, Swofford R, Turner-Maier J, White ME, Weng Z, Colubri A, Genereux DP, Lord KA, Karlsson EK. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 2022; 376:eabk0639. [PMID: 35482869 DOI: 10.1126/science.abk0639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral genetics in dogs has focused on modern breeds, which are isolated subgroups with distinctive physical and, purportedly, behavioral characteristics. We interrogated breed stereotypes by surveying owners of 18,385 purebred and mixed-breed dogs and genotyping 2155 dogs. Most behavioral traits are heritable [heritability (h2) > 25%], and admixture patterns in mixed-breed dogs reveal breed propensities. Breed explains just 9% of behavioral variation in individuals. Genome-wide association analyses identify 11 loci that are significantly associated with behavior, and characteristic breed behaviors exhibit genetic complexity. Behavioral loci are not unusually differentiated in breeds, but breed propensities align, albeit weakly, with ancestral function. We propose that behaviors perceived as characteristic of modern breeds derive from thousands of years of polygenic adaptation that predates breed formation, with modern breeds distinguished primarily by aesthetic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Morrill
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jessica Hekman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Xue Li
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jesse McClure
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Brittney Logan
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Linda Goodman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Fauna Bio Inc., Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Mingshi Gao
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Yinan Dong
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Marjie Alonso
- The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, USA.,IAABC Foundation, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, USA
| | - Elena Carmichael
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85251, USA.,School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85251, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85251, USA
| | - Jacob Alonso
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Hyun Ji Noh
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jeremy Johnson
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Charlie Lieu
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Darwin's Ark Foundation, Seattle, WA 98026, USA
| | - Kate Megquier
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ross Swofford
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Michelle E White
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Andrés Colubri
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Kathryn A Lord
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Elinor K Karlsson
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Darwin's Ark Foundation, Seattle, WA 98026, USA.,Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
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Testard C, Brent LJN, Andersson J, Chiou KL, Negron-Del Valle JE, DeCasien AR, Acevedo-Ithier A, Stock MK, Antón SC, Gonzalez O, Walker CS, Foxley S, Compo NR, Bauman S, Ruiz-Lambides AV, Martinez MI, Skene JHP, Horvath JE, Unit CBR, Higham JP, Miller KL, Snyder-Mackler N, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Sallet J. Social connections predict brain structure in a multidimensional free-ranging primate society. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabl5794. [PMID: 35417242 PMCID: PMC9007502 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl5794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Reproduction and survival in most primate species reflects management of both competitive and cooperative relationships. Here, we investigated the links between neuroanatomy and sociality in free-ranging rhesus macaques. In adults, the number of social partners predicted the volume of the mid-superior temporal sulcus and ventral-dysgranular insula, implicated in social decision-making and empathy, respectively. We found no link between brain structure and other key social variables such as social status or indirect connectedness in adults, nor between maternal social networks or status and dependent infant brain structure. Our findings demonstrate that the size of specific brain structures varies with the number of direct affiliative social connections and suggest that this relationship may arise during development. These results reinforce proposed links between social network size, biological success, and the expansion of specific brain circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren J. N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Kenneth L. Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Josue E. Negron-Del Valle
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Alex R. DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, NYCEP, New York, NY, USA
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institute of Mental Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Michala K. Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Susan C. Antón
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, NYCEP, New York, NY, USA
| | - Olga Gonzalez
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Christopher S. Walker
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Sean Foxley
- Wellcome Integrative Neuroimaging Centre, fMRIB, Oxford, UK
- Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nicole R. Compo
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico
- Comparative Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Samuel Bauman
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico
| | | | - Melween I. Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico
| | - J. H. Pate Skene
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Julie E. Horvath
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - James P. Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, NYCEP, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Michael J. Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jérôme Sallet
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Integrative Neuroimaging Centre, Oxford, UK
- Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Inserm, Université Lyon 1, Bron U1208, France
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Abstract
Social interactions help group-living organisms cope with socio-environmental challenges and are central to survival and reproductive success. Recent research has shown that social behaviour and relationships can change across the lifespan, a phenomenon referred to as 'social ageing'. Given the importance of social integration for health and well-being, age-dependent changes in social behaviour can modulate how fitness changes with age and may be an important source of unexplained variation in individual patterns of senescence. However, integrating social behaviour into ageing research requires a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of age-based changes in social behaviour. Here, we provide an overview of the drivers of late-life changes in sociality. We suggest that explanations for social ageing can be categorized into three groups: changes in sociality that (a) occur as a result of senescence; (b) result from adaptations to ameliorate the negative effects of senescence; and/or (c) result from positive effects of age and demographic changes. Quantifying the relative contribution of these processes to late-life changes in sociality will allow us to move towards a more holistic understanding of how and why these patterns emerge and will provide important insights into the potential for social ageing to delay or accelerate other patterns of senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Siracusa
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- School of Psychology, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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35
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Petrullo L, Baniel A, Jorgensen MJ, Sams S, Snyder-Mackler N, Lu A. The early life microbiota mediates maternal effects on offspring growth in a nonhuman primate. iScience 2022; 25:103948. [PMID: 35265817 PMCID: PMC8898918 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal parity can impact offspring growth, but the mechanisms driving this effect are unclear. Here, we test the hypothesis that vertically transmitted microbiota may be one potential mechanism. We analyzed 118 fecal and milk samples from mother-offspring vervet monkey dyads across the first 6 months of life. Despite poorer milk production, offspring born to low parity females grew larger than their counterparts. These offspring exhibited reduced alpha diversity in the first days of life, stronger seeding of maternal milk microbiota, Bacteroides fragilis dominance, and a greater abundance of glycan utilization pathways. Moreover, the attainment of greater body mass by 6 months of age was mediated by reduced early life alpha diversity and B. fragilis dominance. This work demonstrates that the establishment of a specialized, milk-oriented gut microbiota promotes infant growth and suggests an evolutionarily conserved developmental role of B. fragilis in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Petrullo
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Corresponding author
| | - Alice Baniel
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Matthew J. Jorgensen
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Sierra Sams
- Paragon Genomics, Hayward, CA 94545, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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36
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Abstract
As the most phenotypically diverse mammalian species that shares human environments and access to sophisticated healthcare, domestic dogs have unique potential to inform our understanding of the determinants of aging. Here we outline key concepts in the study of aging and illustrate the value of research with dogs, which can improve dog health and support translational discoveries. We consider similarities and differences in aging and age-related diseases in dogs and humans and summarize key advances in our understanding of genetic and environmental risk factors for morbidity and mortality in dogs. We address health outcomes ranging from cancer to cognitive function and highlight emerging research opportunities from large-scale cohort studies in companion dogs. We conclude that studying aging in dogs could overcome many limitations of laboratory models, most notably, the ability to assess how aging-associated pathways influence aging in real-world environments similar to those experienced by humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Ruple
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA;
| | - Evan MacLean
- School of Anthropology and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA;
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, and School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA;
| | - Kate E. Creevy
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Daniel Promislow
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology and Department of Biology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA;
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Snyder-Mackler N, Snyder-Mackler L. Holistic Rehabilitation: Biological Embedding of Social Adversity and Its Health Implications. Phys Ther 2022; 102:pzab245. [PMID: 34718801 PMCID: PMC8754369 DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzab245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Human health is affected by lived experiences, both past and present. The environments we encounter throughout our lives, therefore, shape how we respond to new challenges, how we maintain a healthy immune system, and even how we respond to treatment and rehabilitation. Early in life and throughout adulthood, social experiences-such as exposure to various forms of adversity-can alter how cells in our body function, with far-reaching consequences for human health, disease, and treatment. This Perspective highlights studies from an ever-growing body of literature on the social determinants of health, with a focus on exposure to social adversities, such as social isolation, discrimination, or low social status, experienced both early in life and adulthood and how they variably impact health. By focusing on recent observational studies in humans and experimental studies on social nonhuman animals, this article details how social adversity can become biologically embedded in our cells at the molecular level. Given that humans are social animals, it is no surprise that social adversity can negatively impact our health, and experimental animal studies have helped us to uncover some of the causal mechanistic pathways underlying the link between social adversity and health outcomes. These molecular consequences can have far-reaching implications and, when combined with our growing knowledge on the social determinants of health, should inform how we approach treatment and rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Lynn Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
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38
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Mouttham L, Castelhano MG, Akey JM, Benton B, Borenstein E, Castelhano MG, Coleman AE, Creevy KE, Crowder K, Dunbar MD, Ernst HR, Fajt VR, Fitzpatrick AL, Garrison SJ, Herndon RS, Jaramilla D, Jeffery U, Jonlin EC, Kaeberlein M, Karlsson EK, Kerr KF, Levine JM, Ma J, McClelland RL, Prescott JO, Promislow DEL, Ruple A, Schwartz SM, Shrager S, Snyder-Mackler N, Tinkle AK, Tolbert MK, Urfer SR, Wilfond BS. Purpose, Partnership, and Possibilities: The Implementation of the Dog Aging Project Biobank. Biomark Insights 2022; 17:11772719221137217. [PMID: 36468152 PMCID: PMC9716607 DOI: 10.1177/11772719221137217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Biobanks have been supporting longitudinal prospective and retrospective studies by providing standardized services for the acquisition, transport, processing, storage, and distribution of high-quality biological material and associated data. Here, we describe how the Dog Aging Project (DAP), a large-scale longitudinal study of the domestic dog ( Canis familiaris) with translational applications for humans, developed a biobank of canine biospecimens and associated data. Design and methods: This was accomplished by working with the Cornell Veterinary Biobank, the first biobank in the world to receive accreditation to ISO 20387:2018—General Requirements for Biobanking. The biobank research team was involved in the early collection stages of the DAP, contributing to the development of appropriate workflows and processing fit-for-purpose biospecimens. In support of a dynamic strategy for real-time adjustment of processes, a pilot phase was implemented to develop, test, and optimize the biospecimen workflows, followed by an early phase of collection, processing, and banking of specimens from DAP participants. Results: During the pilot and early phases of collection, the DAP Biobank stored 164 aliquots of whole blood, 273 aliquots of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, 130 aliquots of plasma, and 70 aliquots of serum, and extracted high molecular weight genomic DNA suitable for whole-genome sequencing from 109 whole blood specimens. These specimens, along with their associated preanalytical data, have been made available for distribution to researchers. Conclusion: We discuss the challenges and opportunities encountered during the implementation of the DAP Biobank, along with novel strategies for promoting biobanking sustainability such as partnering with a DAP quality assurance manager and a DAP marketing and communication specialist and developing a pilot grant structure to fund small innovative research projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Mouttham
- Cornell Veterinary Biobank, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Marta G Castelhano
- Cornell Veterinary Biobank, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Joshua M Akey
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Brooke Benton
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Elhanan Borenstein
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Marta G Castelhano
- Cornell Veterinary Biobank, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Amanda E Coleman
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Kate E Creevy
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Kyle Crowder
- Department of Sociology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matthew D Dunbar
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Holley R Ernst
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Virginia R Fajt
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Annette L Fitzpatrick
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Susan J Garrison
- Cornell Veterinary Biobank, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Reba S Herndon
- Cornell Veterinary Biobank, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Debra Jaramilla
- Cornell Veterinary Biobank, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Unity Jeffery
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Erica C Jonlin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matt Kaeberlein
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Elinor K Karlsson
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kathleen F Kerr
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan M Levine
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jena O Prescott
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Daniel EL Promislow
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Audrey Ruple
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Stephen M Schwartz
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Epidemiology Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sandi Shrager
- Collaborative Health Studies Coordinating Center, Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Amanda K Tinkle
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USA
| | - M Katherine Tolbert
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Silvan R Urfer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Benjamin S Wilfond
- Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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39
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Feder JA, Beehner JC, Baniel A, Bergman TJ, Snyder-Mackler N, Lu A. OUP accepted manuscript. Behav Ecol 2022; 33:654-664. [PMID: 35600996 PMCID: PMC9113362 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Female reproductive maturation is a critical life-history milestone, initiating an individual's reproductive career. Studies in social mammals have often focused on how variables related to nutrition influence maturation age in females. However, parallel investigations have identified conspicuous male-mediated effects in which female maturation is sensitive to the presence and relatedness of males. Here, we evaluated whether the more "classic" socioecological variables (i.e., maternal rank, group size) predict maturation age in wild geladas-a primate species with known male-mediated effects on maturation and a grassy diet that is not expected to generate intense female competition. Females delayed maturation in the presence of their fathers and quickly matured when unrelated, dominant males arrived. Controlling for these male effects, however, higher-ranking daughters matured at earlier ages than lower-ranking daughters, suggesting an effect of within-group contest competition. However, contrary to predictions related to within-group scramble competition, females matured earliest in larger groups. We attribute this result to either: 1) a shift to "faster" development in response to the high infant mortality risk posed by larger groups; or 2) accelerated maturation triggered by brief, unobserved male visits. While earlier ages at maturation were indeed associated with earlier ages at first birth, these benefits were occasionally offset by male takeovers, which can delay successful reproduction via spontaneous abortion. In sum, rank-related effects on reproduction can still occur even when socioecological theory would predict otherwise, and males (and the risks they pose) may prompt female maturation even outside of successful takeovers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Feder
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Circle Rd, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Address Correspondence to J. A. Feder. E-mail: ; A. Lu. E-mail:
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, S. University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alice Baniel
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, E. Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, E. Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, N. University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, E. Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, E. Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, S. Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Amy Lu
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Circle Rd, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Circle Rd, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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Prater KE, Green KJ, Chiou KL, Smith CL, Sun W, Shojaie A, Heath LM, Rose S, Keene CD, Logsdon BA, Snyder-Mackler N, Blue EE, Young JE, Garden GA, Jayadev S. Microglia subtype transcriptomes differ between Alzheimer Disease and control human postmortem brain samples. Alzheimers Dement 2022. [PMID: 34971137 DOI: 10.1002/alz.058474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is hypothesized to contribute to disease progression in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Microglia subtypes are complex, with beneficial and harmful phenotypes. Understanding the gene expression networks which define the spectrum of microglia phenotypes is critical to identifying specific targets for neuroinflammation modulating therapies. METHOD Our study utilized post-mortem brain tissue from 22 total (7 male) participants; 12 (3 male) had significant AD neuropathic change. Nuclei isolated from prefrontal cortex were sorted for the myeloid marker PU.1 using fluorescence activated nucleus sorting (FANS). The FANS approach yields larger numbers of nuclei annotated as microglia with high quality sequence from each individual. We performed single-nucleus RNA-seq using the 10X Genomics Chromium platform. RESULTS We isolated more than 120,000 microglia nuclei, facilitating group comparisons based on disease state. Unbiased clustering revealed 10 microglia clusters and improved resolution of microglia heterogeneity compared to standard single-cell approaches. We identify clusters of microglia enriched for biological pathways implicating defined myeloid roles including interferon-stimulated, endo/lysosomal, neurodegenerative with a "disease-associated microglia" (DAM) signature, as well as a metabolically active and autophagic cluster. Interestingly, the cluster proportionately enriched for AD individuals' nuclei is not the DAM cluster but instead one of the clusters in which endo/lysosomal genes are highly upregulated. Furthermore, many of the genes in known AD risk loci are strongly differentially regulated in this AD associated cluster. We also identify a cluster of microglia that is proportionately enriched for control samples with upregulated cell cycle and proliferation genes. Trajectory analysis suggests that the paths AD and control nuclei take from unactivated "homeostatic" to various phenotypic states are also distinct. CONCLUSION Using human AD tissue collected with uniform protocols we characterize the transcriptomic profiles of microglia subtypes in human brain. By enriching for myeloid cells prior to analysis we can resolve microglia subtypes revealing the diversity of microglia which are "inflammatory" as well as other microglia subtypes responding with induction of metabolic and lysosomal pathways. Our data identifies subtypes of microglia that are unique to AD and control individuals. These results support the possibility of pharmacological targeting of specific subtypes of microglia to alter AD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Wei Sun
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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McCoy B, Brassington L, Dolby G, Jin K, Collins D, Dunbar M, Snyder-Mackler N. The Link Between Environment, Age, and Health in a Large Cohort of Companion Dogs from the Dog Aging Project. Innov Aging 2021. [PMCID: PMC8681963 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igab046.3535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to social environmental adversity strongly predicts health and survival in many species such as non-human primates, wild mammals, and humans. However, little is known about how the health and mortality effects of these social determinants vary across the lifespan. Using the companion dog, which serves as a powerful comparative model for human health and aging due to our shared biology and environment, we examined which components of the social environment impact health, and how the effects vary with age, in dogs. We first drew on detailed survey data from owners of 27,547 dogs from the Dog Aging Project and identified six factors that together explained 35% of the variation in dog’s social environment. These factors all predicted measures of health, disease, and mobility, when controlling for dog age and weight. Factors capturing measures of financial and household adversity were linked to poorer companion dog health, while factors associated with the social companions, like dogs and adults, were linked to better health. Interestingly, some of these effects differed across a dog’s lifespan: for instance, the effect of neighborhood disadvantage on disease instances was strongest in older dogs. Together, our findings point to similar links between adversity and health in companion dogs, and set up future work on the molecular and biological changes associated with environmental variation in order to identify ways to mitigate or even reverse the negative environmental effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianah McCoy
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | | | - Greer Dolby
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | - Kelly Jin
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Washington, United States
| | - Devin Collins
- University of Washington, University of Washington, Washington, United States
| | - Matthew Dunbar
- University of Washington, UNiversity of Washington, Washington, United States
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42
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Sanchez-Rosado M, Snyder-Mackler N, Higham J, Brent L, Marzan-Rivera N, Pavez-Fox M, Watowich M, Sariol CA. Effects of Age and Social Adversity on Immune Cell Populations in a Non-Human Primate Model of Human Aging. Innov Aging 2021. [PMCID: PMC8680507 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igab046.2044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Significant hallmarks of aging are immune function decline and rising cumulative inflammation. These immunosenescent signatures are also found in individuals who experience chronic social adversity, independently of age. However, no studies to date have examined how social adversity alters immune function across the lifespan –data that are essential to identify the molecular routes through which social adversity might lead to increased aging-related disease. Over a two-year period, we investigated how age and social adversity (quantified by low social status) affected immunity. We measured immune cell proportions at baseline and their gene regulation after in vitro stimulation with pathogen molecules that stimulated both Th1 and Th2 immune responses in a population of free-ranging rhesus macaques. We first performed flow cytometry on peripheral whole blood to quantify changes on immune cell proportions across the lifespan (n=235) and in animals of different social statuses (n=141). We found significant decreases in CD20+ B cells and CD3+/CD4+ T cell proportions with age, suggesting diminished antibody production and adaptive immune responses in older individuals. Age-associated increases in CD3+/CD8+, CD3+/CD4+/CD25+ T regulatory cells and CD14-/CD16+/HLA-DR+ non-classical monocytes indicated heightened baseline inflammation in older animals. Social adversity recapitulated the effects of aging in CD14+/CD16-/HLA-DR+ classical monocytes, indicating immune deficits in phagocytosis and pathogen clearance in older and lower status individuals. Using RNA-seq, our stimulations (n=1,320) will allow us to identify molecular immune pathways that are disrupted by age and social adversity, similarities in response between age and adversity, and how the effect of adversity varies across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James Higham
- NYU, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Lauren Brent
- University of Exeter, Exeter, England, United Kingdom
| | - Nicole Marzan-Rivera
- UPR-Medical Sciences Campus, UPR-Medical Sciences Campus, Puerto Rico, United States
| | | | | | - Carlos A Sariol
- University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
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43
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Watowich M, Chiou K, Montague M, Martínez M, Higham J, Brent L, Platt M, Snyder-Mackler N. Experiencing a Natural Disaster Accelerates Aging of the Immune System. Innov Aging 2021. [PMCID: PMC8681309 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igab046.2543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme adverse events such as natural disasters can accelerate disease progression and promote chronic inflammation. These phenotypes also increase in prevalence with age, suggesting that experiencing adversity might accelerate aging of the immune system. Adversity can induce persistent gene regulatory changes which may mechanistically explain the immune similarities between aging and adversity. To test how immune system aging is accelerated following a natural disaster, we measured the impact of Hurricane Maria on peripheral blood immune cell gene expression in a population of free-ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) from before (n=435) versus after (n=108) Hurricane Maria. Experiencing Hurricane Maria altered the expression of 260 genes (FDR<10%), which were primarily involved in the inflammatory response. There was significant overlap in these hurricane-affected and age-associated genes with 40% (n=104) being associated with both the hurricane and aging, more than double the expected amount (Fisher’s Exact Test OR=3.7, p=4.06 x 10–21). The effects of the hurricane and aging on gene expression were also significantly correlated (rho=0.23, p=1.33 x 10-84), suggesting that they alter similar molecular pathways in the immune system. Further, we found that animals that experienced the hurricane had a gene expression profile that was, on average, 1.6 years older than animals that did not experience the hurricane (the equivalent of 6–7 years in a human lifespan, p=0.003). Together, our results provide some of the first evidence that extreme natural disasters mechanistically accelerates aging in the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth Chiou
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | - Michael Montague
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Melween Martínez
- Medical Sciences Campus- University of Puerto Rico, Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico, United States
| | - James Higham
- NYU, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Lauren Brent
- University of Exeter, Exeter, England, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Platt
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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44
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Schneider-Crease IA, Blackwell AD, Kraft TS, Emery Thompson M, Maldonado Suarez I, Cummings DK, Stieglitz J, Snyder-Mackler N, Gurven M, Kaplan H, Trumble BC. Helminth infection is associated with dampened cytokine responses to viral and bacterial stimulations in Tsimane forager-horticulturalists. Evol Med Public Health 2021; 9:349-359. [PMID: 34868595 PMCID: PMC8634526 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoab035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and humans share long co-evolutionary histories over which STHs have evolved strategies to permit their persistence by downregulating host immunity. Understanding the interactions between STHs and other pathogens can inform our understanding of human evolution and contemporary disease patterns. Methodology We worked with Tsimane forager-horticulturalists in the Bolivian Amazon, where STHs are prevalent. We tested whether STHs and eosinophil levels—likely indicative of infection in this population—are associated with dampened immune responses to in vitro stimulation with H1N1 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigens. Whole blood samples (n = 179) were treated with H1N1 vaccine and LPS and assayed for 13 cytokines (INF-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, GM-CSF and TNF-ɑ). We evaluated how STHs and eosinophil levels affected cytokine responses and T helper (Th) 1 and Th2-cytokine suite responses to stimulation. Results Infection with Ascaris lumbricoides was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) associated with lower response of some cytokines to H1N1 and LPS in women. Eosinophils were significantly negatively associated with some cytokine responses to H1N1 and LPS, with the strongest effects in women, and associated with a reduced Th1- and Th2-cytokine response to H1N1 and LPS in women and men. Conclusions and implications Consistent with the ‘old friends’ and hygiene hypotheses, we find that STHs were associated with dampened cytokine responses to certain viral and bacterial antigens. This suggests that STH infections may play an essential role in immune response regulation and that the lack of STH immune priming in industrialized populations may increase the risk of over-reactive immunity. Lay Summary: Indicators of helminth infection were associated with dampened cytokine immune responses to in vitro stimulation with viral and bacterial antigens in Tsimane forager-horticulturalists in the Bolivian Amazon, consistent with the ‘old friends’ and hygiene hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Thomas S Kraft
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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45
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Pavez-Fox MA, Negron-Del Valle JE, Thompson IJ, Walker CS, Bauman SE, Gonzalez O, Compo N, Ruiz-Lambides A, Martinez MI, Platt ML, Montague MJ, Higham JP, Snyder-Mackler N, Brent LJN. Sociality predicts individual variation in the immunity of free-ranging rhesus macaques. Physiol Behav 2021; 241:113560. [PMID: 34454245 PMCID: PMC8605072 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Social integration and social status can substantially affect an individual’s health and survival. One route through which this occurs is by altering immune function, which can be highly sensitive to changes in the social environment. However, we currently have limited understanding of how sociality influences markers of immunity in naturalistic populations where social dynamics can be fully realized. To address this gap, we asked if social integration and social status in free-ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) predict anatomical and physiological markers of immunity. We used data on agonistic interactions to determine social status, and social network analysis of grooming interactions to generate measures of individual variation in social integration. As measures of immunity, we included the size of two of the major organs involved in the immune response, the spleen and liver, and counts of three types of blood cells (red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells). Controlling for body mass and age, we found that neither social status nor social integration predicted the size of anatomical markers of immunity. However, individuals that were more socially connected, i.e., with more grooming partners, had lower numbers of white blood cells than their socially isolated counterparts, indicating lower levels of inflammation with increasing levels of integration. These results build upon and extend our knowledge of the relationship between sociality and the immune system in humans and captive animals to free-ranging primates, demonstrating generalizability of the beneficial role of social integration on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Pavez-Fox
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Indya J Thompson
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, NC, United States
| | - Christopher S Walker
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, NC, United States
| | - Samuel E Bauman
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
| | - Olga Gonzalez
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, TX, United States
| | | | | | - Melween I Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, PA, United States; Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, PA, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, PA, United States; Department of Marketing, University of Pennsylvania , PA, United States
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, PA, United States
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, NY, United States
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, AZ, United States; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, AZ, United States
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
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46
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Miller CM, Snyder-Mackler N, Nguyen N, Fashing PJ, Tung J, Wroblewski EE, Gustison ML, Wilson ML. Extragroup paternity in gelada monkeys, Theropithecus gelada, at Guassa, Ethiopia and a comparison with other primates. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Tinsley Johnson E, Feder JA, Bergman TJ, Lu A, Snyder-Mackler N, Beehner JC. The Goldilocks effect: female geladas in mid-sized groups have higher fitness. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210820. [PMID: 34074124 PMCID: PMC8170190 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The cost-benefit ratio of group living is thought to vary with group size: individuals in 'optimally sized' groups should have higher fitness than individuals in groups that are either too large or too small. However, the relationship between group size and individual fitness has been difficult to establish for long-lived species where the number of groups studied is typically quite low. Here, we present evidence for optimal group size that maximizes female fitness in a population of geladas (Theropithecus gelada). Drawing on 14 years of demographic data, we found that females in small groups experienced the highest death rates, while females in mid-sized groups exhibited the highest reproductive performance. This group size effect on female reproductive performance was largely explained by variation in infant mortality (and, in particular, by infanticide from immigrant males) but not by variation in reproductive rates. Taken together, females in mid-sized groups are projected to attain optimal fitness due to conspecific infanticide and, potentially, predation. Our findings provide insight into how and why group size shapes fitness in long-lived species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob A. Feder
- Interdepartmental Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - Thore J. Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48019-1085, USA
| | - Amy Lu
- Interdepartmental Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4701, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1701, USA
| | - Jacinta C. Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1107, USA
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48
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Testard C, Larson SM, Watowich MM, Kaplinsky CH, Bernau A, Faulder M, Marshall HH, Lehmann J, Ruiz-Lambides A, Higham JP, Montague MJ, Snyder-Mackler N, Platt ML, Brent LJN. Rhesus macaques build new social connections after a natural disaster. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2299-2309.e7. [PMID: 33836140 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of weather-related disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and droughts. Understanding resilience and vulnerability to these intense stressors and their aftermath could reveal adaptations to extreme environmental change. In 2017, Puerto Rico suffered its worst natural disaster, Hurricane Maria, which left 3,000 dead and provoked a mental health crisis. Cayo Santiago island, home to a population of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), was devastated by the same storm. We compared social networks of two groups of macaques before and after the hurricane and found an increase in affiliative social connections, driven largely by monkeys most socially isolated before Hurricane Maria. Further analysis revealed monkeys invested in building new relationships rather than strengthening existing ones. Social adaptations to environmental instability might predispose rhesus macaques to success in rapidly changing anthropogenic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Sam M Larson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Cassandre H Kaplinsky
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary, Social and Interdisciplinary Anthropology, University of Roehampton, Roehampton, UK
| | - Antonia Bernau
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Matthew Faulder
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Harry H Marshall
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Julia Lehmann
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Angelina Ruiz-Lambides
- Carribean Primate Research Center-Cayo Santiago, University of Puerto Rico, Cayo Santiago Island, Puerto Rico
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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49
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Baniel A, Amato KR, Beehner JC, Bergman TJ, Mercer A, Perlman RF, Petrullo L, Reitsema L, Sams S, Lu A, Snyder-Mackler N. Seasonal shifts in the gut microbiome indicate plastic responses to diet in wild geladas. Microbiome 2021; 9:26. [PMID: 33485388 PMCID: PMC7828014 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00977-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adaptive shifts in gut microbiome composition are one route by which animals adapt to seasonal changes in food availability and diet. However, outside of dietary shifts, other potential environmental drivers of gut microbial composition have rarely been investigated, particularly in organisms living in their natural environments. RESULTS Here, we generated the largest wild nonhuman primate gut microbiome dataset to date to identify the environmental drivers of gut microbial diversity and function in 758 samples collected from wild Ethiopian geladas (Theropithecus gelada). Because geladas live in a cold, high-altitude environment and have a low-quality grass-based diet, they face extreme thermoregulatory and energetic constraints. We tested how proxies of food availability (rainfall) and thermoregulatory stress (temperature) predicted gut microbiome composition of geladas. The gelada gut microbiome composition covaried with rainfall and temperature in a pattern that suggests distinct responses to dietary and thermoregulatory challenges. Microbial changes were driven by differences in the main components of the diet across seasons: in rainier periods, the gut was dominated by cellulolytic/fermentative bacteria that specialized in digesting grass, while during dry periods the gut was dominated by bacteria that break down starches found in underground plant parts. Temperature had a comparatively smaller, but detectable, effect on the gut microbiome. During cold and dry periods, bacterial genes involved in energy, amino acid, and lipid metabolism increased, suggesting a stimulation of fermentation activity in the gut when thermoregulatory and nutritional stress co-occurred, and potentially helping geladas to maintain energy balance during challenging periods. CONCLUSION Together, these results shed light on the extent to which gut microbiota plasticity provides dietary and metabolic flexibility to the host, and might be a key factor to thriving in changing environments. On a longer evolutionary timescale, such metabolic flexibility provided by the gut microbiome may have also allowed members of Theropithecus to adopt a specialized diet, and colonize new high-altitude grassland habitats in East Africa. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Baniel
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
| | - Katherine R Amato
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Arianne Mercer
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Rachel F Perlman
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Lauren Petrullo
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Laurie Reitsema
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Sierra Sams
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA.
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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50
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Johnson CSC, Shively C, Michalson KT, Lea AJ, DeBo RJ, Howard TD, Hawkins GA, Appt SE, Liu Y, McCall CE, Herrington DM, Ip EH, Register TC, Snyder-Mackler N. Contrasting effects of Western vs Mediterranean diets on monocyte inflammatory gene expression and social behavior in a primate model. eLife 2021; 10:68293. [PMID: 34338633 PMCID: PMC8423447 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Dietary changes associated with industrialization increase the prevalence of chronic diseases, such as obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This relationship is often attributed to an 'evolutionary mismatch' between human physiology and modern nutritional environments. Western diets enriched with foods that were scarce throughout human evolutionary history (e.g. simple sugars and saturated fats) promote inflammation and disease relative to diets more akin to ancestral human hunter-gatherer diets, such as a Mediterranean diet. Peripheral blood monocytes, precursors to macrophages and important mediators of innate immunity and inflammation, are sensitive to the environment and may represent a critical intermediate in the pathway linking diet to disease. We evaluated the effects of 15 months of whole diet manipulations mimicking Western or Mediterranean diet patterns on monocyte polarization in a well-established model of human health, the cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis). Monocyte transcriptional profiles differed markedly between diets, with 40% of transcripts showing differential expression (FDR < 0.05). Monocytes from Western diet consumers were polarized toward a more proinflammatory phenotype. The Western diet shifted the co-expression of 445 gene pairs, including small RNAs and transcription factors associated with metabolism and adiposity in humans, and dramatically altered behavior. For example, Western-fed individuals were more anxious and less socially integrated. These behavioral changes were also associated with some of the effects of diet on gene expression, suggesting an interaction between diet, central nervous system activity, and monocyte gene expression. This study provides new molecular insights into an evolutionary mismatch and uncovers new pathways through which Western diets alter monocyte polarization toward a proinflammatory phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corbin SC Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Carol Shively
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - Kristofer T Michalson
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - Amanda J Lea
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Ryne J DeBo
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - Timothy D Howard
- Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - Gregory A Hawkins
- Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - Susan E Appt
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - Yongmei Liu
- Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of MedicineDurhamUnited States
| | - Charles E McCall
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - David M Herrington
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Cardiovascular Medicine, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - Edward H Ip
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - Thomas C Register
- Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of MedicineWinston-SalemUnited States
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Psychology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States,Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States,Department of Biology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States,Center for Evolution & Medicine, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
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