1
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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] [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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2
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Anderson JA, Lin D, Lea AJ, Johnston RA, Voyles T, Akinyi MY, Archie EA, Alberts SC, Tung J. DNA methylation signatures of early-life adversity are exposure-dependent in wild baboons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309469121. [PMID: 38442181 PMCID: PMC10945818 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309469121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The early-life environment can profoundly shape the trajectory of an animal's life, even years or decades later. One mechanism proposed to contribute to these early-life effects is DNA methylation. However, the frequency and functional importance of DNA methylation in shaping early-life effects on adult outcomes is poorly understood, especially in natural populations. Here, we integrate prospectively collected data on fitness-associated variation in the early environment with DNA methylation estimates at 477,270 CpG sites in 256 wild baboons. We find highly heterogeneous relationships between the early-life environment and DNA methylation in adulthood: aspects of the environment linked to resource limitation (e.g., low-quality habitat, early-life drought) are associated with many more CpG sites than other types of environmental stressors (e.g., low maternal social status). Sites associated with early resource limitation are enriched in gene bodies and putative enhancers, suggesting they are functionally relevant. Indeed, by deploying a baboon-specific, massively parallel reporter assay, we show that a subset of windows containing these sites are capable of regulatory activity, and that, for 88% of early drought-associated sites in these regulatory windows, enhancer activity is DNA methylation-dependent. Together, our results support the idea that DNA methylation patterns contain a persistent signature of the early-life environment. However, they also indicate that not all environmental exposures leave an equivalent mark and suggest that socioenvironmental variation at the time of sampling is more likely to be functionally important. Thus, multiple mechanisms must converge to explain early-life effects on fitness-related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A. Anderson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Dana Lin
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Amanda J. Lea
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Child & Brain Development Program, Toronto, ONM5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37235
| | | | - Tawni Voyles
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Mercy Y. Akinyi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi00502, Kenya
| | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN46556
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Child & Brain Development Program, Toronto, ONM5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC27708
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig04103, Germany
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3
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Truby NL, Kim RK, Silva GM, Qu X, Picone JA, Alemu R, Atiyeh CN, Neve RL, Liu J, Cui X, Hamilton PJ. A zinc finger transcription factor enables social behaviors while controlling transposable elements and immune response in prefrontal cortex. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:59. [PMID: 38272911 PMCID: PMC10810849 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02775-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological origins of social behaviors are incompletely understood. Here we utilized synthetic biology approaches to reprogram the function of ZFP189, a transcription factor whose expression and function in rodent prefrontal cortex was previously demonstrated to be protective against stress-induced social deficits. We created novel synthetic ZFP189 transcription factors including ZFP189VPR, which activates the transcription of target genes and therefore exerts opposite functional control from the endogenous, transcriptionally repressive ZFP189WT. Following viral delivery of these synthetic ZFP189 transcription factors to mouse prefrontal cortex, we observe that ZFP189-mediated transcriptional control promotes mature dendritic spine morphology on transduced pyramidal neurons. Interestingly, inversion of ZFP189-mediated transcription in this brain area, achieved by viral delivery of synthetic ZFP189VPR, precipitates social behavioral deficits in terms of social interaction, motivation, and the cognition necessary for the maintenance of social hierarchy, without other observable behavioral deficits. RNA sequencing of virally manipulated prefrontal cortex tissues reveals that ZFP189 transcription factors of opposing regulatory function (ZFP189WT versus ZFP189VPR) have opposite influence on the expression of genetic transposable elements as well as genes that participate in adaptive immune functions. Collectively, this work reveals that ZFP189 function in the prefrontal cortex coordinates structural and transcriptional neuroadaptations necessary for complex social behaviors while regulating transposable element-rich regions of DNA and the expression of immune-related genes. Given the evidence for a co-evolution of social behavior and the brain immune response, we posit that ZFP189 may have evolved to augment brain transposon-associated immune function as a way of enhancing an animal's capacity for functioning in social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie L Truby
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - R Kijoon Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Gabriella M Silva
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Xufeng Qu
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Joseph A Picone
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Rebecca Alemu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Claire N Atiyeh
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jinze Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Xiaohong Cui
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Peter J Hamilton
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
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4
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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] [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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5
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Glinin TS, Petrova MV, Shcherbinina V, Shubina AN, Dukelskaya AV, Starshova PV, Mamontova V, Burnusuz A, Godunova AO, Romashchenko AV, Moshkin MP, Khaitovich P, Daev EV. Pheromone of grouped female mice impairs genome stability in male mice through stress-mediated pathways. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17622. [PMID: 37848549 PMCID: PMC10582102 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44647-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Population density is known to affect the health and survival of many species, and is especially important for social animals. In mice, living in crowded conditions results in the disruption of social interactions, chronic stress, and immune and reproductive suppression; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated the role of chemosignals in the regulation of mouse physiology and behavior in response to social crowding. The pheromone 2,5-dimethylpyrazine (2,5-DMP), which is released by female mice in crowded conditions, induced aversion, glucocorticoid elevation and, when chronic, resulted in reproductive and immune suppression. 2,5-DMP olfaction induced genome destabilization in bone marrow cells in a stress-dependent manner, providing a plausible mechanism for crowding-induced immune dysfunction. Interestingly, the genome-destabilizing effect of 2,5-DMP was comparable to a potent mouse stressor (immobilization), and both stressors led to correlated expression changes in genes regulating cellular stress response. Thus, our findings demonstrate that, in mice, the health effects of crowding may be explained at least in part by chemosignals and also propose a significant role of stress and genome destabilization in the emergence of crowding effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timofey S Glinin
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034.
- Open Longevity, 15260 Ventura Blvd, STE 2230, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91403, USA.
- Endocrine Neoplasia Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Marina V Petrova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Center of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Bolshoy Blv. 30, Moscow, Russia, 121205
| | - Veronika Shcherbinina
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Laboratory of Higher Nervous Activity Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makarova Emb. 6, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Anastasia N Shubina
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Open Longevity, 15260 Ventura Blvd, STE 2230, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91403, USA
| | - Anna V Dukelskaya
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Polina V Starshova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Victoria Mamontova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center for Cancer Research (Mildred-Scheel-Nachwuchszentrum, MSNZ), University Hospital Würzburg, Josef-Schneider Str. 2, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter of the University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra Burnusuz
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Alena O Godunova
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Academician Lavrentiev Avenue, 10, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Alexander V Romashchenko
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Academician Lavrentiev Avenue, 10, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
- International Tomography Center, Institutskaya St., 3A, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
- Federal Research Centre of Biological Systems and Agrotechnologies, RAS, St. January 9, 29, Orenburg, Russia, 460000
| | - Mikhail P Moshkin
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Academician Lavrentiev Avenue, 10, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Philipp Khaitovich
- Center for Neurobiology and Brain Restoration, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya St., Moscow, Russia, 121205
| | - Eugene V Daev
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Laboratory of Higher Nervous Activity Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makarova Emb. 6, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
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6
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Hernández-Pacheco R, Steiner UK, Rosati AG, Tuljapurkar S. Advancing methods for the biodemography of aging within social contexts. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105400. [PMID: 37739326 PMCID: PMC10591901 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Several social dimensions including social integration, status, early-life adversity, and their interactions across the life course can predict health, reproduction, and mortality in humans. Accordingly, the social environment plays a fundamental role in the emergence of phenotypes driving the evolution of aging. Recent work placing human social gradients on a biological continuum with other species provides a useful evolutionary context for aging questions, but there is still a need for a unified evolutionary framework linking health and aging within social contexts. Here, we summarize current challenges to understand the role of the social environment in human life courses. Next, we review recent advances in comparative biodemography and propose a biodemographic perspective to address socially driven health phenotype distributions and their evolutionary consequences using a nonhuman primate population. This new comparative approach uses evolutionary demography to address the joint dynamics of populations, social dimensions, phenotypes, and life history parameters. The long-term goal is to advance our understanding of the link between individual social environments, population-level outcomes, and the evolution of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raisa Hernández-Pacheco
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840-0004, USA.
| | - Ulrich K Steiner
- Freie Universität Berlin, Biological Institute, Königin-Luise Str. 1-3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra G Rosati
- Departments of Psychology and Anthropology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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7
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Taff CC, McNew SM, Zimmer C, Uehling JJ, Houtz JL, Ryan TA, Chang van Oordt D, Injaian AS, Vitousek MN. Social signal manipulation and environmental challenges have independent effects on physiology, internal microbiome, and reproductive performance in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 339:723-735. [PMID: 37306329 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The social environment that individuals experience appears to be a particularly salient mediator of stress resilience, as the nature and valence of social interactions are often related to subsequent health, physiology, microbiota, and overall stress resilience. Relatively few studies have simultaneously manipulated the social environment and ecological challenges under natural conditions. Here, we report the results of experiments in wild tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in which we manipulated both ecological challenges (predator encounters and flight efficiency reduction) and social interactions (by experimental dulling of a social signal). In two experiments conducted in separate years, we reversed the order of these treatments so that females experienced either an altered social signal followed by a challenge or vice-versa. Before, during, and after treatments were applied, we tracked breeding success, morphology and physiology (mass, corticosterone, and glucose), nest box visits via an RFID sensor network, cloacal microbiome diversity, and fledging success. Overall, we found that predator exposure during the nestling period reduced the likelihood of fledging and that signal manipulation sometimes altered nest box visitation patterns, but little evidence that the two categories of treatment interacted with each other. We discuss the implications of our results for understanding what types of challenges and what conditions are most likely to result in interactions between the social environment and ecological challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sabrina M McNew
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Paris, France
| | - Jennifer J Uehling
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer L Houtz
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Thomas A Ryan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - David Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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8
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Berendzen KM, Bales KL, Manoli DS. Attachment across the lifespan: Examining the intersection of pair bonding neurobiology and healthy aging. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105339. [PMID: 37536581 PMCID: PMC11073483 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that intact social bonds are protective against age-related morbidity, while bond disruption and social isolation increase the risk for multiple age-related diseases. Social attachments, the enduring, selective bonds formed between individuals, are thus essential to human health. Socially monogamous species like the prairie vole (M. ochrogaster) form long-term pair bonds, allowing us to investigate the mechanisms underlying attachment and the poorly understood connection between social bonds and health. In this review, we explore several potential areas of focus emerging from data in humans and other species associating attachment and healthy aging, and evidence from prairie voles that may clarify this link. We examine gaps in our understanding of social cognition and pair bond behavior. Finally, we discuss physiologic pathways related to pair bonding that promote resilience to the processes of aging and age-related disease. Advances in the development of molecular genetic tools in monogamous species will allow us to bridge the mechanistic gaps presented and identify conserved research and therapeutic targets relevant to human health and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M. Berendzen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
| | - Karen L. Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis; Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis; Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Devanand S. Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
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9
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Lee SH, Cole SW, Choi I, Sung K, Kim S, Youm Y, Chey J. Social network position and the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity in older Koreans. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 155:106342. [PMID: 37523898 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social connections are crucial to human health and well-being. Previous research on molecular mechanisms in health has focused primarily on the individual-level perception of social connections (e.g., loneliness). This study adopted socio-centric social network analysis that includes all social ties from the entire population of interest to examine the group-level social connections and their association with a molecular genomic measure of health. METHODS Using socio-centric (global) social network data from an entire village in Korea, we investigated how social network characteristics are related to immune cell gene expression among older adults. Blood samples were collected (N = 53, 65-79 years) and mixed effect linear model analyses were performed to examine the association between social network characteristics and Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) RNA expression patterns. RESULTS Social network positions measured by k-core score, the degree of cohesive core positions in an entire village, were significantly associated with CTRA downregulation. Such associations emerged above and beyond the effects of perceived social isolation (loneliness) and biobehavioral risk factors (smoking, alcohol, BMI, etc.). Social network size, defined as degree centrality, was also associated with reduced CTRA gene expression, but its association mimicked that of perceived social isolation (loneliness). CONCLUSIONS The current findings implicate community-level social network characteristics in the regulation of individual human genome function above and beyond individual-level perceptions of connectedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Ha Lee
- Center for Happiness Studies, Seoul National University, South Korea
| | - Steven W Cole
- Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Incheol Choi
- Center for Happiness Studies, Seoul National University, South Korea; Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, South Korea
| | - Kiho Sung
- Department of Sociology, Yonsei University, South Korea
| | - Somin Kim
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, South Korea
| | - Yoosik Youm
- Department of Sociology, Yonsei University, South Korea.
| | - Jeanyung Chey
- Department of Psychology, Seoul National University, South Korea.
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10
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Anderson JA, Lin D, Lea AJ, Johnston RA, Voyles T, Akinyi MY, Archie EA, Alberts SC, Tung J. DNA methylation signatures of early life adversity are exposure-dependent in wild baboons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.05.542485. [PMID: 37333311 PMCID: PMC10274726 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.05.542485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
The early life environment can profoundly shape the trajectory of an animal's life, even years or decades later. One mechanism proposed to contribute to these early life effects is DNA methylation. However, the frequency and functional importance of DNA methylation in shaping early life effects on adult outcomes is poorly understood, especially in natural populations. Here, we integrate prospectively collected data on fitness-associated variation in the early environment with DNA methylation estimates at 477,270 CpG sites in 256 wild baboons. We find highly heterogeneous relationships between the early life environment and DNA methylation in adulthood: aspects of the environment linked to resource limitation (e.g., low-quality habitat, early life drought) are associated with many more CpG sites than other types of environmental stressors (e.g., low maternal social status). Sites associated with early resource limitation are enriched in gene bodies and putative enhancers, suggesting they are functionally relevant. Indeed, by deploying a baboon-specific, massively parallel reporter assay, we show that a subset of windows containing these sites are capable of regulatory activity, and that, for 88% of early drought-associated sites in these regulatory windows, enhancer activity is DNA methylation-dependent. Together, our results support the idea that DNA methylation patterns contain a persistent signature of the early life environment. However, they also indicate that not all environmental exposures leave an equivalent mark and suggest that socioenvironmental variation at the time of sampling is more likely to be functionally important. Thus, multiple mechanisms must converge to explain early life effects on fitness-related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A Anderson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Dana Lin
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Amanda J Lea
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 37235, USA
| | - Rachel A Johnston
- Zoo New England, Stoneham, Massachusetts, 02180
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142
| | - Tawni Voyles
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Mercy Y Akinyi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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11
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Culbert BM, Border SE, Fialkowski RJ, Bolitho I, Dijkstra PD. Social status influences relationships between hormones and oxidative stress in a cichlid fish. Horm Behav 2023; 152:105365. [PMID: 37119610 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
An individual's social environment can have widespread effects on their physiology, including effects on oxidative stress and hormone levels. Many studies have suggested that variation in oxidative stress experienced by individuals of different social statuses might be due to endocrine differences, however, few studies have evaluated this hypothesis. Here, we assessed whether a suite of markers associated with oxidative stress in different tissues (blood/plasma, liver, and gonads) had social status-specific relationships with circulating testosterone or cortisol levels in males of a cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni. Across all fish, blood DNA damage (a global marker of oxidative stress) and gonadal synthesis of reactive oxygen species [as indicated by NADPH-oxidase (NOX) activity] were lower when testosterone was high. However, high DNA damage in both the blood and gonads was associated with high cortisol in subordinates, but low cortisol in dominants. Additionally, high cortisol was associated with greater production of reactive oxygen species (greater NOX activity) in both the gonads (dominants only) and liver (dominants and subordinates). In general, high testosterone was associated with lower oxidative stress across both social statuses, whereas high cortisol was associated with lower oxidative stress in dominants and higher oxidative stress in subordinates. Taken together, our results show that differences in the social environment can lead to contrasting relationships between hormones and oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Culbert
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Shana E Border
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Illinois State University, School of Biological Sciences, Normal, IL, USA
| | | | - Isobel Bolitho
- University of Manchester, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Manchester, UK
| | - Peter D Dijkstra
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Neuroscience Program, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA.
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12
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Truby NL, Kim RK, Silva GM, Qu X, Picone JA, Alemu R, Neve RL, Cui X, Liu J, Hamilton PJ. A zinc finger transcription factor tunes social behaviors by controlling transposable elements and immune response in prefrontal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.03.535374. [PMID: 37066210 PMCID: PMC10103968 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.03.535374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The neurobiological origins of social behaviors are incompletely understood. Here we utilized synthetic biology approaches to reprogram the function of ZFP189, a transcription factor whose expression and function in the rodent prefrontal cortex was previously determined to be protective against stress-induced social deficits. We created novel synthetic ZFP189 transcription factors including ZFP189VPR, which activates the transcription of target genes and therefore exerts opposite functional control from the endogenous, transcriptionally repressive ZFP189WT. Upon viral delivery of these synthetic ZFP189 transcription factors to mouse prefrontal cortex, we observe that ZFP189-mediated transcriptional control promotes mature dendritic spine morphology on transduced pyramidal neurons. Interestingly, dysregulation of ZFP189-mediated transcription in this brain area, achieved by delivery of synthetic ZFP189VPR, precipitates social behavioral deficits in terms of social interaction, motivation, and the cognition necessary for the maintenance of social hierarchy, without other observable behavioral deficits. By performing RNA sequencing in virally manipulated prefrontal cortex tissues, we discover that ZFP189 transcription factors of opposing regulatory function have opposite influence on the expression of genetic transposable elements as well as genes that participate in immune functions. Collectively, this work reveals that ZFP189 function in the prefrontal cortex coordinates structural and transcriptional neuroadaptations necessary for social behaviors by binding transposable element-rich regions of DNA to regulate immune-related genes. Given the evidence for a co-evolution of social behavior and the brain immune response, we posit that ZFP189 may have evolved to augment brain transposon-associated immune function as a way of enhancing an animal's capacity for functioning in social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie L. Truby
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - R. Kijoon Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Gabriella M. Silva
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Xufeng Qu
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Joseph A. Picone
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Rebecca Alemu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Rachael L. Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xiaohong Cui
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Jinze Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Peter J. Hamilton
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
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13
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Zilkha N, Chuartzman SG, Sofer Y, Pen Y, Cum M, Mayo A, Alon U, Kimchi T. Sex-dependent control of pheromones on social organization within groups of wild house mice. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1407-1420.e4. [PMID: 36917976 PMCID: PMC10132349 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Dominance hierarchy is a fundamental social phenomenon in a wide range of mammalian species, critically affecting fitness and health. Here, we investigate the role of pheromone signals in the control of social hierarchies and individual personalities within groups of wild mice. For this purpose, we combine high-throughput behavioral phenotyping with computational tools in freely interacting groups of wild house mice, males and females, in an automated, semi-natural system. We show that wild mice form dominance hierarchies in both sexes but use sex-specific strategies, displaying distinct male-typical and female-typical behavioral personalities that were also associated with social ranking. Genetic disabling of VNO-mediated pheromone detection generated opposite behavioral effects within groups, enhancing social interactions in males and reducing them in females. Behavioral personalities in the mutated mice displayed mixtures of male-typical and female-typical behaviors, thus blurring sex differences. In addition, rank-associated personalities were abolished despite the fact that both sexes of mutant mice formed stable hierarchies. These findings suggest that group organization is governed by pheromone-mediated sex-specific neural circuits and pave the way to investigate the mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in dominance hierarchies under naturalistic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noga Zilkha
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Yizhak Sofer
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yefim Pen
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Meghan Cum
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Avi Mayo
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Uri Alon
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel.
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14
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Slavich GM, Mengelkoch S, Cole SW. Human social genomics: Concepts, mechanisms, and implications for health. LIFESTYLE MEDICINE 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/lim2.75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- George M. Slavich
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences University of California Los Angeles California USA
| | - Summer Mengelkoch
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences University of California Los Angeles California USA
| | - Steven W. Cole
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences University of California Los Angeles California USA
- Department of Medicine University of California Los Angeles California USA
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15
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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 : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 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] [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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16
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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] [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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17
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Capitanio JP, Sommet N, Del Rosso L. The relationship of maternal rank, 5-HTTLPR genotype, and MAOA-LPR genotype to temperament in infant rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23374. [PMID: 35322905 PMCID: PMC10461592 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Temperament is a construct whose manifestations are quantifiable from an early age, and whose origins have been proposed as "biological." Our goal was to determine whether maternal rank and infant genotype are associated with five measures of temperament in 3- to 4-month old rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), all of whom were born and reared by their mothers in large, outdoor, half-acre cages. Maternal rank was defined as the proportion of animals outranked by each female, and the two genes of interest to us were monoamine oxidase and serotonin transporter, both of which are polymorphic in their promoter regions (MAOA-LPR and 5-HTTLPR, respectively), with one allele of each gene considered a "plasticity" allele, conferring increased sensitivity to environmental events. Our large sample size (n = 2014-3140) enabled us to examine the effects of individual genotypes rather than combining genotypes as is often done. Rank was positively associated with Confident temperament, but only for animals with the 5-repeat allele for MAOA-LPR. Rank had no other effect on temperament. In contrast, genotype had many different effects, with 5-HTTLPR associated with behavioral inhibition, and MAOA-LPR associated with ratings-based measures of temperament. We also examined the joint effect of the two genotypes and found some evidence for a dose-response: animals with the plasticity alleles for both genes were more likely to be behaviorally inhibited. Our results suggest phenotypic differences between animals possessing alleles for MAOA-LPR that show functional equivalence based on in vitro tests, and our data for 5-HTTLPR revealed differences between short/short homozygotes and long/short heterozygotes, strongly suggesting that combining genotypes for statistical analysis should be avoided if possible. Our analysis also provides evidence of sex differences in temperament, and, to our knowledge, the only evidence of differences in temperament based on specific pathogen-free status. We suggest several directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Capitanio
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research CenterUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Nicolas Sommet
- LIVES Center, Faculty of Social and Political SciencesUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Laura Del Rosso
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research CenterUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
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18
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Simons ND, Michopoulos V, Wilson M, Barreiro LB, Tung J. Agonism and grooming behaviour explain social status effects on physiology and gene regulation in rhesus macaques. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210132. [PMID: 35000435 PMCID: PMC8743879 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in social status predicts molecular, physiological and life-history outcomes across a broad range of species, including our own. Experimental studies indicate that some of these relationships persist even when the physical environment is held constant. Here, we draw on datasets from one such study-experimental manipulation of dominance rank in captive female rhesus macaques-to investigate how social status shapes the lived experience of these animals to alter gene regulation, glucocorticoid physiology and mitochondrial DNA phenotypes. We focus specifically on dominance rank-associated dimensions of the social environment, including both competitive and affiliative interactions. Our results show that simple summaries of rank-associated behavioural interactions are often better predictors of molecular and physiological outcomes than dominance rank itself. However, while measures of immune function are best explained by agonism rates, glucocorticoid-related phenotypes tend to be more closely linked to affiliative behaviour. We conclude that dominance rank serves as a useful summary for investigating social environmental effects on downstream outcomes. Nevertheless, the behavioural interactions that define an individual's daily experiences reveal the proximate drivers of social status-related differences and are especially relevant for understanding why individuals who share the same social status sometimes appear physiologically distinct. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah D. Simons
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Mark Wilson
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Luis B. Barreiro
- Genetics Section, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Committee on Genetics, Genomics, and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago IL 60637, USA
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada M5G 1M1
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19
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Anderson JA, Lea AJ, Voyles TN, Akinyi MY, Nyakundi R, Ochola L, Omondi M, Nyundo F, Zhang Y, Campos FA, Alberts SC, Archie EA, Tung J. Distinct gene regulatory signatures of dominance rank and social bond strength in wild baboons. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200441. [PMID: 35000452 PMCID: PMC8743882 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The social environment is a major determinant of morbidity, mortality and Darwinian fitness in social animals. Recent studies have begun to uncover the molecular processes associated with these relationships, but the degree to which they vary across different dimensions of the social environment remains unclear. Here, we draw on a long-term field study of wild baboons to compare the signatures of affiliative and competitive aspects of the social environment in white blood cell gene regulation, under both immune-stimulated and non-stimulated conditions. We find that the effects of dominance rank on gene expression are directionally opposite in males versus females, such that high-ranking males resemble low-ranking females, and vice versa. Among females, rank and social bond strength are both reflected in the activity of cellular metabolism and proliferation genes. However, while we observe pronounced rank-related differences in baseline immune gene activity, only bond strength predicts the fold-change response to immune (lipopolysaccharide) stimulation. Together, our results indicate that the directionality and magnitude of social effects on gene regulation depend on the aspect of the social environment under study. This heterogeneity may help explain why social environmental effects on health and longevity can also vary between measures. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A. Anderson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Amanda J. Lea
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Carl Icahn Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Tawni N. Voyles
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Mercy Y. Akinyi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Ruth Nyakundi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Lucy Ochola
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Martin Omondi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Fred Nyundo
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Fernando A. Campos
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada M5G 1M1
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20
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Pandey A, Bloch G. Krüppel-homologue 1 Mediates Hormonally Regulated Dominance Rank in a Social Bee. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10111188. [PMID: 34827180 PMCID: PMC8614866 DOI: 10.3390/biology10111188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dominance hierarchies are ubiquitous in invertebrates and vertebrates, but little is known on how genes influence dominance rank. Our gaps in knowledge are specifically significant concerning female hierarchies, particularly in insects. To start filling these gaps, we studied the social bumble bee Bombus terrestris, in which social hierarchies among females are common and functionally significant. Dominance rank in this bee is influenced by multiple factors, including juvenile hormone (JH) that is a major gonadotropin in this species. We tested the hypothesis that the JH responsive transcription factor Krüppel homologue 1 (Kr-h1) mediates hormonal influences on dominance behavior. We first developed and validated a perfluorocarbon nanoparticles-based RNA interference protocol for knocking down Kr-h1 expression. We then used this procedure to show that Kr-h1 mediates the influence of JH, not only on oogenesis and wax production, but also on aggression and dominance rank. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study causally linking a gene to dominance rank in social insects, and one of only a few such studies on insects or on female hierarchies. These findings are important for determining whether there are general molecular principles governing dominance rank across gender and taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul Pandey
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Correspondence: (A.P.); (G.B.)
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
- Correspondence: (A.P.); (G.B.)
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21
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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] [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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22
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Frye BM, Craft S, Latimer CS, Keene CD, Montine TJ, Register TC, Orr ME, Kavanagh K, Macauley SL, Shively CA. Aging-related Alzheimer's disease-like neuropathology and functional decline in captive vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus). Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23260. [PMID: 33818801 PMCID: PMC8626867 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Age-related neurodegeneration characteristic of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) begins in middle age, well before symptoms. Translational models to identify modifiable risk factors are needed to understand etiology and identify therapeutic targets. Here, we outline the evidence supporting the vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) as a model of aging-related AD-like neuropathology and associated phenotypes including cognitive function, physical function, glucose handling, intestinal physiology, and CSF, blood, and neuroimaging biomarkers. This review provides the most comprehensive multisystem description of aging in vervets to date. This review synthesizes a large body of evidence that suggests that aging vervets exhibit a coordinated suite of traits consistent with early AD and provide a powerful, naturally occurring model for LOAD. Notably, relationships are identified between AD-like neuropathology and modifiable risk factors. Gaps in knowledge and key limitations are provided to shape future studies to illuminate mechanisms underlying divergent neurocognitive aging trajectories and to develop interventions that increase resilience to aging-associated chronic disease, particularly, LOAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M. Frye
- Department of Pathology/Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine
| | - Suzanne Craft
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine
- Wake Forest Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
- J. Paul Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine
| | - Caitlin S. Latimer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington-Seattle
| | - C. Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington-Seattle
| | | | - Thomas C. Register
- Department of Pathology/Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine
- Wake Forest Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
- J. Paul Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine
| | - Miranda E. Orr
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine
| | - Kylie Kavanagh
- Department of Pathology/Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine
| | - Shannon L. Macauley
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine
- Wake Forest Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
| | - Carol A. Shively
- Department of Pathology/Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine
- Wake Forest Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
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23
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Shields RK, Dudley-Javoroski S. Epigenetics and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Model: Bridging Nature, Nurture, and Patient-Centered Population Health. Phys Ther 2021; 102:6413906. [PMID: 34718813 PMCID: PMC9432474 DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzab247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic processes enable environmental inputs such as diet, exercise, and health behaviors to reversibly tag DNA with chemical "marks" that increase or decrease the expression of an individual's genetic template. Over time, epigenetic adaptations enable the effects of healthy or unhealthy stresses to become stably expressed in the tissue of an organism, with important consequences for health and disease. New research indicates that seemingly non-biological factors such as social stress, poverty, and childhood hardship initiate epigenetic adaptations in gene pathways that govern inflammation and immunity, two of the greatest contributors to chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Epigenetic processes therefore provide a biological bridge between the genome-an individual's genetic inheritance-and the Social Determinants of Health-the conditions in which they are born, grow, live, work, and age. This Perspective paper argues that physical therapy clinicians, researchers, and educators can use the theoretical framework provided by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF model) to harmonize new discoveries from both public health research and medically focused genomic research. The ICF model likewise captures the essential role played by physical activity and exercise, which initiate powerful and widespread epigenetic adaptations that promote health and functioning. In this proposed framework, epigenetic processes transduce the effects of the social determinants of health and behaviors such as exercise into stable biological adaptations that affect an individual's daily activities and their participation in social roles. By harmonizing "nature" and "nurture," physical therapists can approach patient care with a more integrated perspective, capitalizing on novel discoveries in precision medicine, rehabilitation science, and in population-level research. As the experts in physical activity and exercise, physical therapists are ideally positioned to drive progress in the new era of patient-centered population health care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shauna Dudley-Javoroski
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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24
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Walsh CP, Bovbjerg DH, Marsland AL. Glucocorticoid resistance and β2-adrenergic receptor signaling pathways promote peripheral pro-inflammatory conditions associated with chronic psychological stress: A systematic review across species. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:117-135. [PMID: 34116126 PMCID: PMC8556675 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Activation of the HPA-axis and SNS are widely accepted to link chronic stress with elevated levels of peripheral pro-inflammatory markers in blood. Yet, empirical evidence showing that peripheral levels of glucocorticoids and/or catecholamines mediate this effect is equivocal. Recent attention has turned to the possibility that cellular sensitivity to these ligands may contribute to inflammatory mediators that accompany chronic stress. We review current evidence for the association of chronic stress with glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) signaling sensitivity. Across 15 mouse, 7 primate, and 19 human studies, we found that chronic stress reliably associates with downregulation in cellular GR sensitivity, alterations in intracellular β-AR signaling, and upregulation in pro-inflammatory biomarkers in peripheral blood. We also present evidence that alterations in GR and β-AR signaling may be specific to myeloid progenitor cells such that stress-related signaling promotes release of cells that are inherently less sensitive to glucocorticoids and differentially sensitive to catecholamines. Our findings have broad implications for understanding mechanisms by which chronic stress may contribute to pro-inflammatory phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dana H Bovbjerg
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, United States.
| | - Anna L Marsland
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, United States.
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25
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Frye BM, Valure PM, Craft S, Baxter MG, Scott C, Wise-Walden S, Bissinger DW, Register HM, Copeland C, Jorgensen MJ, Justice JN, Kritchevsky SB, Register TC, Shively CA. Temporal emergence of age-associated changes in cognitive and physical function in vervets (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus). GeroScience 2021; 43:1303-1315. [PMID: 33611720 PMCID: PMC8190425 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-021-00338-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dual declines in gait speed and cognitive performance are associated with increased risk of developing dementia. Characterizing the patterns of such impairments therefore is paramount to distinguishing healthy from pathological aging. Nonhuman primates such as vervet/African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) are important models of human neurocognitive aging, yet the trajectory of dual decline has not been characterized. We therefore (1) assessed whether cognitive and physical performance (i.e., gait speed) are lower in older aged animals; (2) explored the relationship between performance in a novel task of executive function (Wake Forest Maze Task-WFMT) and a well-established assessment of working memory (delayed response task-DR task); and (3) examined the association between baseline gait speed with executive function and working memory at 1-year follow-up. We found (1) physical and cognitive declines with age; (2) strong agreement between performance in the novel WFMT and DR task; and (3) that slow gait is associated with poor cognitive performance in both domains. Our results suggest that older aged vervets exhibit a coordinated suite of traits consistent with human aging and that slow gait may be a biomarker of cognitive decline. This integrative approach provides evidence that gait speed and cognitive function differ across the lifespan in female vervet monkeys, which advances them as a model that could be used to dissect relationships between trajectories of dual decline over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Frye
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1040, USA
- Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine - Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, USA
| | - Payton M Valure
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1040, USA
| | - Suzanne Craft
- Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine - Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, USA
- Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Winston-Salem, USA
| | - Mark G Baxter
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, IW, New York, USA
| | - Christie Scott
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1040, USA
| | - Shanna Wise-Walden
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1040, USA
| | - David W Bissinger
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1040, USA
| | - Hannah M Register
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1040, USA
| | - Carson Copeland
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1040, USA
| | - Matthew J Jorgensen
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1040, USA
| | - Jamie N Justice
- Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine - Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, USA
| | - Stephen B Kritchevsky
- Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine - Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, USA
| | - Thomas C Register
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1040, USA
- Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Winston-Salem, USA
| | - Carol A Shively
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1040, USA.
- Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Winston-Salem, USA.
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26
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Transcriptomic analyses of black women in neighborhoods with high levels of violence. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 127:105174. [PMID: 33647572 PMCID: PMC9191231 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress threatens an individual's capacity to maintain psychological and physiological homeostasis, but the molecular processes underlying the biological embedding of these experiences are not well understood. This is particularly true for marginalized groups, presenting a fundamental challenge to decreasing racial, economic, and gender-based health disparities. Physical and social environments influence genome function, including the transcriptional activity of core stress responsive genes. We studied the relationship between social experiences that are associated with systemic inequality (e.g., racial segregation, poverty, and neighborhood violence) and blood cell (leukocytes) gene expression, focusing on the activation of transcription factors (TF) critical to stress response pathways. The study used data from 68 women collected from a convenience sample in 2013 from the Southside of Chicago. Comparing single, low-income Black mothers living in neighborhoods with high levels of violence (self-reported and assessed using administrative police records) to those with low levels of violence we found no significant differences in expression of 51 genes associated with the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA). Using TELiS analysis of promoter TF-binding motif prevalence we found that mothers who self-reported higher levels of neighborhood stress showed greater expression of genes regulated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). These findings may reflect increased cortisol output from the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, or increased GR transcriptional sensitivity. Transcript origin analyses identified monocytes and dendritic cells as the primary cellular sources of gene transcripts up-regulated in association with neighborhood stress. The prominence of GR-related transcripts and the absence of sympathetic nervous system-related CTRA transcripts suggest that a subjective perception of elevated chronic neighborhood stress may be associated with an HPA-related defeat-withdrawal phenotype rather than a fight-or-flight phenotype. The defeat-withdrawal phenotype has been previously observed in animal models of severe, overwhelming threat. These results demonstrate the importance of studying biological embedding in diverse environments and communities, specifically marginalized populations such as low-income Black women.
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27
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Han M, Jiang G, Luo H, Shao Y. Neurobiological Bases of Social Networks. Front Psychol 2021; 12:626337. [PMID: 33995181 PMCID: PMC8119875 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.626337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A social network is a web that integrates multiple levels of interindividual social relationships and has direct associations with an individual’s health and well-being. Previous research has mainly focused on how brain and social network structures (structural properties) act on each other and on how the brain supports the spread of ideas and behaviors within social networks (functional properties). The structure of the social network is correlated with activity in the amygdala, which links decoding and interpreting social signals and social values. The structure also relies on the mentalizing network, which is central to an individual’s ability to infer the mental states of others. Network functional properties depend on multilayer brain-social networks, indicating that information transmission is supported by the default mode system, the valuation system, and the mentalizing system. From the perspective of neuroendocrinology, overwhelming evidence shows that variations in oxytocin, β-endorphin and dopamine receptor genes, including oxytocin receptor (OXTR), mu opioid receptor 1 (OPRM1) and dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2), predict an individual’s social network structure, whereas oxytocin also contributes to improved transmission of emotional and behavioral information from person to person. Overall, previous studies have comprehensively revealed the effects of the brain, endocrine system, and genes on social networks. Future studies are required to determine the effects of cognitive abilities, such as memory, on social networks, the characteristics and neural mechanism of social networks in mental illness and how social networks change over time through the use of longitudinal methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengfei Han
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Gaofang Jiang
- College of Education, Cangzhou Normal University, Cangzhou, China
| | - Haoshuang Luo
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongcong Shao
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
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28
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Decision-making in a social world: Integrating cognitive ecology and social neuroscience. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 68:152-158. [PMID: 33915497 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding animal decision-making involves simultaneously dissecting and reconstructing processes across levels of biological organization, such as behavior, physiology, and brain function, as well as considering the environment in which decisions are made. Over the past few decades, foundational breakthroughs originating from a variety of model systems and disciplines have painted an increasingly comprehensive picture of how individuals sense information, process it, and subsequently modify behavior or states. Still, our understanding of decision-making in social contexts is far from complete and requires integrating novel approaches and perspectives. The fields of social neuroscience and cognitive ecology have approached social decision-making from orthogonal perspectives. The integration of these perspectives (and fields) is critical in developing comprehensive and testable theories of the brain.
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29
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Campos FA, Archie EA, Gesquiere LR, Tung J, Altmann J, Alberts SC. Glucocorticoid exposure predicts survival in female baboons. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/17/eabf6759. [PMID: 33883141 PMCID: PMC8059933 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf6759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Are differences in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation across the adult life span linked to differences in survival? This question has been the subject of considerable debate. We analyze the link between survival and fecal glucocorticoid (GC) measures in a wild primate population, leveraging an unusually extensive longitudinal dataset of 14,173 GC measurements from 242 adult female baboons over 1634 female years. We document a powerful link between GCs and survival: Females with relatively high current GCs or high lifelong cumulative GCs face an elevated risk of death. A hypothetical female who maintained GCs in the top 90% for her age across adulthood would be expected to lose 5.4 years of life relative to a female who maintained GCs in the bottom 10% for her age. Hence, differences among individuals in HPA axis activity provide valuable prognostic information about disparities in life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A Campos
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249-1644, USA.
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | | | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, 661 University Ave., Suite 505, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Jeanne Altmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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30
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Ravi M, Miller AH, Michopoulos V. The Immunology of Stress and the Impact of Inflammation on the Brain and Behavior. BJPSYCH ADVANCES 2021; 27:158-165. [PMID: 34055387 DOI: 10.1192/bja.2020.82] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to acute versus chronic stressors and threats activates the immune system in adaptive and maladaptive manners, respectively. While acute activation of the immune system in response to threat is homeostatically regulated by glucocorticoid negative feedback, chronic activation of the immune system arising from persistent stress exposure can contribute to an allostatic load with an inflammatory diathesis that has been implicated in stress-related psychopathology, including of depression and anxiety. Increased inflammation in the periphery and in the brain arising from chronic stress exposure can alter neurotransmitter metabolism and impact activation of brain regions to increase adverse behavioral health symptoms (e.g. anhedonia, anxiety, fatigue) and emotion dysregulation. While interventions targeting the immune system and its downstream effects on the brain for the treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders has been of great interest as they have shown some efficacy in treating stress-related behavioral health disorders, future studies are necessary to better characterize the contexts under which anti-inflammatory agents should be used to treat stress-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Ravi
- Emory University Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Andrew H Miller
- Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia
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31
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HUZARD D, RAPPENEAU V, MEIJER OC, TOUMA C, ARANGO-LIEVANO M, GARABEDIAN MJ, JEANNETEAU F. Experience and activity-dependent control of glucocorticoid receptors during the stress response in large-scale brain networks. Stress 2021; 24:130-153. [PMID: 32755268 PMCID: PMC7907260 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1806226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The diversity of actions of the glucocorticoid stress hormones among individuals and within organs, tissues and cells is shaped by age, gender, genetics, metabolism, and the quantity of exposure. However, such factors cannot explain the heterogeneity of responses in the brain within cells of the same lineage, or similar tissue environment, or in the same individual. Here, we argue that the stress response is continuously updated by synchronized neural activity on large-scale brain networks. This occurs at the molecular, cellular and behavioral levels by crosstalk communication between activity-dependent and glucocorticoid signaling pathways, which updates the diversity of responses based on prior experience. Such a Bayesian process determines adaptation to the demands of the body and external world. We propose a framework for understanding how the diversity of glucocorticoid actions throughout brain networks is essential for supporting optimal health, while its disruption may contribute to the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders, such as major depression, and resistance to therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien HUZARD
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | - Virginie RAPPENEAU
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Onno C. MEIJER
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Chadi TOUMA
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Margarita ARANGO-LIEVANO
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Freddy JEANNETEAU
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
- Corresponding author:
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32
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Umans BD, Battle A, Gilad Y. Where Are the Disease-Associated eQTLs? Trends Genet 2021; 37:109-124. [PMID: 32912663 PMCID: PMC8162831 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Most disease-associated variants, although located in putatively regulatory regions, do not have detectable effects on gene expression. One explanation could be that we have not examined gene expression in the cell types or conditions that are most relevant for disease. Even large-scale efforts to study gene expression across tissues are limited to human samples obtained opportunistically or postmortem, mostly from adults. In this review we evaluate recent findings and suggest an alternative strategy, drawing on the dynamic and highly context-specific nature of gene regulation. We discuss new technologies that can extend the standard regulatory mapping framework to more diverse, disease-relevant cell types and states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D Umans
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Alexis Battle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Yoav Gilad
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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33
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Xu A, Liu C, Wan Y, Bai Y, Li Z. Monkeys fight more in polluted air. Sci Rep 2021; 11:654. [PMID: 33436838 PMCID: PMC7804853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80002-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Air pollution is a global environmental problem, and its effects on human behavior, psychology, and health have been well studied. However, very few studies were done on if and how air pollution affects animal behavior, for example, social conflict. Many physiological and psychological evidences suggest a possible positive relationship between air pollution and animal social conflict, thus we established a multiple linear regression model using a captive monkey group to explore if monkeys behave more aggressively in polluted air. Our results confirmed that daily social fighting behaviors occurred more when air is polluted. Temperature has a nonlinear effect on monkey social conflict, with a fighting peak at 25-29 °C. To our knowledge, this is the first report that animal social conflict, like humans, is also affected by air pollution and temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aichun Xu
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 301118, China
| | - Chunhong Liu
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yue Wan
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yali Bai
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Cognition, Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhongqiu Li
- Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China. .,Lab of Animal Behavior & Cognition, Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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34
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Sallet J, Emberton A, Wood J, Rushworth M. Impact of internal and external factors on prosocial choices in rhesus macaques. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190678. [PMID: 33423628 PMCID: PMC7815427 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
While traditional economic models assume that agents are self-interested, humans and most non-human primates are social species. Therefore, many of decisions they make require the integration of information about other social agents. This study asks to what extent information about social status and the social context in which decisions are taken impact on reward-guided decisions in rhesus macaques. We tested 12 monkeys of varying dominance status in several experimental versions of a two-choice task in which reward could be delivered to self only, only another monkey, both the self and another monkey, or neither. Results showed dominant animals were more prone to make prosocial choices than subordinates, but only when the decision was between a reward for self only and a reward for both self and other. If the choice was between a reward for self only and a reward for other only, no animal expressed altruistic behaviour. Finally, prosocial choices were true social decisions as they were strikingly reduced when the social partner was replaced by a non-social object. These results showed that as in humans, rhesus macaques' social decisions are adaptive and modulated by social status and the cost associated with being prosocial. This article is part of the theme issue 'Existence and prevalence of economic behaviours among non-human primates'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Sallet
- Wellcome Integrative Neuroimaging Centre, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford, OX1 3SR, UK.,Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Bron, France
| | - Andrew Emberton
- Biomedical Sciences Services, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Jessica Wood
- Biomedical Sciences Services, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Matthew Rushworth
- Wellcome Integrative Neuroimaging Centre, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford, OX1 3SR, UK
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35
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Zheng P, Wu J, Zhang H, Perry SW, Yin B, Tan X, Chai T, Liang W, Huang Y, Li Y, Duan J, Wong ML, Licinio J, Xie P. The gut microbiome modulates gut-brain axis glycerophospholipid metabolism in a region-specific manner in a nonhuman primate model of depression. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:2380-2392. [PMID: 32376998 PMCID: PMC8440210 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0744-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Emerging research demonstrates that microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis changes are associated with depression onset, but the mechanisms underlying this observation remain largely unknown. The gut microbiome of nonhuman primates is highly similar to that of humans, and some subordinate monkeys naturally display depressive-like behaviors, making them an ideal model for studying these phenomena. Here, we characterized microbial composition and function, and gut-brain metabolic signatures, in female cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) displaying naturally occurring depressive-like behaviors. We found that both microbial and metabolic signatures of depressive-like macaques were significantly different from those of controls. The depressive-like monkeys had characteristic disturbances of the phylum Firmicutes. In addition, the depressive-like macaques were characterized by changes in three microbial and four metabolic weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) clusters of the MGB axis, which were consistently enriched in fatty acyl, sphingolipid, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. These microbial and metabolic modules were significantly correlated with various depressive-like behaviors, thus reinforcing MGB axis perturbations as potential mediators of depression onset. These differential brain metabolites were mainly mapped into the hippocampal glycerophospholipid metabolism in a region-specific manner. Together, these findings provide new microbial and metabolic frameworks for understanding the MGB axis' role in depression, and suggesting that the gut microbiome may participate in the onset of depressive-like behaviors by modulating peripheral and central glycerophospholipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zheng
- grid.452206.7Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China ,grid.411023.50000 0000 9159 4457Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY USA
| | - Jing Wu
- grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555The M.O.E. Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics, the College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hanping Zhang
- grid.452206.7Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Seth W. Perry
- grid.411023.50000 0000 9159 4457Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY USA
| | - Bangmin Yin
- grid.452206.7Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Xunmin Tan
- grid.452206.7Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingjia Chai
- grid.452206.7Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Weiwei Liang
- Department of Neurology, Yongchuan Hospital University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Huang
- grid.452206.7Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Yifan Li
- grid.452206.7Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China ,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiajia Duan
- grid.203458.80000 0000 8653 0555The M.O.E. Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics, the College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ma-Li Wong
- grid.411023.50000 0000 9159 4457Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY USA
| | - Julio Licinio
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
| | - Peng Xie
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. .,NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. .,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China.
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36
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Chiou KL, Montague MJ, Goldman EA, Watowich MM, Sams SN, Song J, Horvath JE, Sterner KN, Ruiz-Lambides AV, Martínez MI, Higham JP, Brent LJN, Platt ML, Snyder-Mackler N. Rhesus macaques as a tractable physiological model of human ageing. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190612. [PMID: 32951555 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Research in the basic biology of ageing is increasingly identifying mechanisms and modifiers of ageing in short-lived organisms such as worms and mice. The ultimate goal of such work is to improve human health, particularly in the growing segment of the population surviving into old age. Thus far, few interventions have robustly transcended species boundaries in the laboratory, suggesting that changes in approach are needed to avoid costly failures in translational human research. In this review, we discuss both well-established and alternative model organisms for ageing research and outline how research in nonhuman primates is sorely needed, first, to translate findings from short-lived organisms to humans, and second, to understand key aspects of ageing that are unique to primate biology. We focus on rhesus macaques as a particularly promising model organism for ageing research owing to their social and physiological similarity to humans as well as the existence of key resources that have been developed for this species. As a case study, we compare gene regulatory signatures of ageing in the peripheral immune system between humans and rhesus macaques from a free-ranging study population in Cayo Santiago. We show that both mRNA expression and DNA methylation signatures of immune ageing are broadly shared between macaques and humans, indicating strong conservation of the trajectory of ageing in the immune system. We conclude with a review of key issues in the biology of ageing for which macaques and other nonhuman primates may uniquely contribute valuable insights, including the effects of social gradients on health and ageing. We anticipate that continuing research in rhesus macaques and other nonhuman primates will play a critical role in conjunction with the model organism and human biodemographic research in ultimately improving translational outcomes and extending health and longevity in our ageing population. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution of the primate ageing process'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth L Chiou
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Department of Pathology, Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Marina M Watowich
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sierra N Sams
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jeff Song
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, 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
| | - Kirstin N Sterner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Angelina V Ruiz-Lambides
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, Unit of Comparative Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00936, USA
| | - Melween I Martínez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, Unit of Comparative Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00936, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, 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 EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Marketing, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Department of Pathology, Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, 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 85281, USA
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37
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Translator Exposure APIs: Open Access to Data on Airborne Pollutant Exposures, Roadway Exposures, and Socio-Environmental Exposures and Use Case Application. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17145243. [PMID: 32708093 PMCID: PMC7400024 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Environmental exposures have profound effects on health and disease. While public repositories exist for a variety of exposures data, these are generally difficult to access, navigate, and interpret. We describe the research, development, and application of three open application programming interfaces (APIs) that support access to usable, nationwide, exposures data from three public repositories: airborne pollutant estimates from the US Environmental Protection Agency; roadway data from the US Department of Transportation; and socio-environmental exposures from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Three open APIs were successfully developed, deployed, and tested using random latitude/longitude values and time periods as input parameters. After confirming the accuracy of the data, we used the APIs to extract exposures data on 2550 participants from a cohort within the Environmental Polymorphisms Registry (EPR) at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and we successfully linked the exposure estimates with participant-level data derived from the EPR. We then conducted an exploratory, proof-of-concept analysis of the integrated data for a subset of participants with self-reported asthma and largely replicated our prior findings on the impact of select exposures and demographic factors on asthma exacerbations. Together, the three open exposures APIs provide a valuable resource, with application across environmental and public health fields.
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38
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Housman G, Gilad Y. Prime time for primate functional genomics. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 62:1-7. [PMID: 32544775 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Functional genomics research is continually improving our understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships in humans, and comparative genomics perspectives can provide additional insight into the evolutionary histories of such relationships. To specifically identify conservation or species-specific divergence in humans, we must look to our closest extant evolutionary relatives. Primate functional genomics research has been steadily advancing and expanding, in spite of several limitations and challenges that this field faces. New technologies and cheaper sequencing provide a unique opportunity to enhance and expand primate comparative studies, and we outline possible paths going forward. The potential human-specific insights that can be gained from primate functional genomics research are substantial, and we propose that now is a prime time to expand such endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Housman
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., N417, MC6091, Chicago, IL 60637 USA.
| | - Yoav Gilad
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., N417, MC6091, Chicago, IL 60637 USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Cummings Life Science Center, 928 E. 58th St., Chicago, IL 60637 USA
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39
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Anderson JA, Vilgalys TP, Tung J. Broadening primate genomics: new insights into the ecology and evolution of primate gene regulation. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 62:16-22. [PMID: 32569794 PMCID: PMC7483836 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Comparative analyses have played a key role in understanding how gene regulatory evolution contributes to primate phenotypic diversity. Recently, these studies have expanded to include a wider range of species, within-population as well as interspecific analyses, and research on wild as well as captive individuals. This expansion provides context for understanding genetic and environmental effects on gene regulation in humans, including the importance of the pathogen and social environments. Although taxonomic representation remains biased, inclusion of more species has also begun to reveal the evolutionary processes that explain whether and when gene regulation is conserved. Together, this work highlights how studies in other primates contribute to understanding evolution in our own lineage, and we conclude by identifying promising avenues for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A Anderson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Tauras P Vilgalys
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Medicine, Section of Genetic Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya; Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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40
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Guerrero TP, Fickel J, Benhaiem S, Weyrich A. Epigenomics and gene regulation in mammalian social systems. Curr Zool 2020; 66:307-319. [PMID: 32440291 PMCID: PMC7233906 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Social epigenomics is a new field of research that studies how the social environment shapes the epigenome and how in turn the epigenome modulates behavior. We focus on describing known gene–environment interactions (GEIs) and epigenetic mechanisms in different mammalian social systems. To illustrate how epigenetic mechanisms integrate GEIs, we highlight examples where epigenetic mechanisms are associated with social behaviors and with their maintenance through neuroendocrine, locomotor, and metabolic responses. We discuss future research trajectories and open questions for the emerging field of social epigenomics in nonmodel and naturally occurring social systems. Finally, we outline the technological advances that aid the study of epigenetic mechanisms in the establishment of GEIs and vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania P Guerrero
- Department Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, Berlin, D-10315, Germany.,Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, Freiburg, D-79085, Germany
| | - Jörns Fickel
- Department Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, Berlin, D-10315, Germany.,Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, Potsdam, 14476, Germany
| | - Sarah Benhaiem
- Department Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, Berlin, D-10315, Germany
| | - Alexandra Weyrich
- Department Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, Berlin, D-10315, Germany
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41
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Snyder-Mackler N, Burger JR, Gaydosh L, Belsky DW, Noppert GA, Campos FA, Bartolomucci A, Yang YC, Aiello AE, O'Rand A, Harris KM, Shively CA, Alberts SC, Tung J. Social determinants of health and survival in humans and other animals. Science 2020; 368:eaax9553. [PMID: 32439765 PMCID: PMC7398600 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax9553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 276] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The social environment, both in early life and adulthood, is one of the strongest predictors of morbidity and mortality risk in humans. Evidence from long-term studies of other social mammals indicates that this relationship is similar across many species. In addition, experimental studies show that social interactions can causally alter animal physiology, disease risk, and life span itself. These findings highlight the importance of the social environment to health and mortality as well as Darwinian fitness-outcomes of interest to social scientists and biologists alike. They thus emphasize the utility of cross-species analysis for understanding the predictors of, and mechanisms underlying, social gradients in health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Joseph Robert Burger
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Institute of the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Lauren Gaydosh
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Center for Medicine, Health, and Society, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Daniel W Belsky
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
- Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Grace A Noppert
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Fernando A Campos
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Alessandro Bartolomucci
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Yang Claire Yang
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Allison E Aiello
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Angela O'Rand
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kathleen Mullan Harris
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Carol A Shively
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Comparative Medicine Section, Department of Pathology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jenny Tung
- Social and Biological Determinants of Health Working Group, NC, USA.
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Population Health and Aging, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, Kenya
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Poullet M, Orlando L. Assessing DNA Sequence Alignment Methods for Characterizing Ancient Genomes and Methylomes. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
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Strauss ED, Shizuka D, Holekamp KE. Juvenile rank acquisition is associated with fitness independent of adult rank. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192969. [PMID: 32126950 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Social rank is a significant determinant of fitness in a variety of species. The importance of social rank suggests that the process by which juveniles come to establish their position in the social hierarchy is a critical component of development. Here, we use the highly predictable process of rank acquisition in spotted hyenas to study the consequences of variation in rank acquisition in early life. In spotted hyenas, rank is 'inherited' through a learning process called 'maternal rank inheritance.' This pattern is very consistent: approximately 80% of juveniles acquire the exact rank expected under the rules of maternal rank inheritance. The predictable nature of rank acquisition in these societies allows the process of rank acquisition to be studied independently from the ultimate rank that each juvenile attains. In this study, we use Elo-deviance scores, a novel application of the Elo-rating method, to calculate each juvenile's deviation from the expected pattern of maternal rank inheritance during development. Despite variability in rank acquisition among juveniles, most of these juveniles come to attain the exact rank expected of them according to the rules of maternal rank inheritance. Nevertheless, we find that transient variation in rank acquisition in early life is associated with long-term fitness consequences for these individuals: juveniles 'underperforming' their expected ranks show reduced survival and lower lifetime reproductive success than better-performing peers, and this relationship is independent of both maternal rank and rank achieved in adulthood. We also find that multiple sources of early life adversity have cumulative, but not compounding, effects on fitness. Future work is needed to determine if variation in rank acquisition directly affects fitness, or if some other variable, such as maternal investment or juvenile condition, causes variation in both of these outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli D Strauss
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Daizaburo Shizuka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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44
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Jasinska AJ, Pandrea I, He T, Benjamin C, Newton M, Lee JC, Freimer NB, Coppola G, Jentsch JD. Immunosuppressive effect and global dysregulation of blood transcriptome in response to psychosocial stress in vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus). Sci Rep 2020; 10:3459. [PMID: 32103041 PMCID: PMC7044305 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59934-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychosocial stressors - life events that challenge social support and relationships - represent powerful risk factors for human disease; included amongst these events are relocation, isolation and displacement. To evaluate the impact of a controlled psychosocial stressor on physiology and underlying molecular pathways, we longitudinally studied the influence of a 28-day period of quarantine on biomarkers of immune signalling, microbial translocation, glycaemic health and blood transcriptome in the wild-born vervet monkey. This event caused a coordinated, mostly transient, reduction of circulating levels of nine immune signalling molecules. These were paralleled by a massive dysregulation of blood transcriptome, including genes implicated in chronic pathologies and immune functions. Immune and inflammatory functions were enriched among the genes downregulated in response to stress. An upregulation of genes involved in blood coagulation, platelet activation was characteristic of the rapid response to stress induction. Stress also decreased neutrophils and increased CD4 + T cell proportions in blood. This model of psychosocial stress, characterised by an immune dysregulation at the transcriptomic, molecular and cellular levels, creates opportunities to uncover the underlying mechanisms of stress-related diseases with an immune component, including cardiovascular diseases and susceptibility to infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J Jasinska
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, The University of California Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
| | - Ivona Pandrea
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tianyu He
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cassandra Benjamin
- St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation, St. Kitts, West Indies, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Maurice Newton
- St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation, St. Kitts, West Indies, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Jen Chieh Lee
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, The University of California Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Nelson B Freimer
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, The University of California Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, The University of California Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Neurology, The University of California Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - James D Jentsch
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
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45
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Social history and exposure to pathogen signals modulate social status effects on gene regulation in rhesus macaques. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 117:23317-23322. [PMID: 31611381 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820846116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Social experience is an important predictor of disease susceptibility and survival in humans and other social mammals. Chronic social stress is thought to generate a proinflammatory state characterized by elevated antibacterial defenses and reduced investment in antiviral defense. Here we manipulated long-term social status in female rhesus macaques to show that social subordination alters the gene expression response to ex vivo bacterial and viral challenge. As predicted by current models, bacterial lipopolysaccharide polarizes the immune response such that low status corresponds to higher expression of genes in NF-κB-dependent proinflammatory pathways and lower expression of genes involved in the antiviral response and type I IFN signaling. Counter to predictions, however, low status drives more exaggerated expression of both NF-κB- and IFN-associated genes after cells are exposed to the viral mimic Gardiquimod. Status-driven gene expression patterns are linked not only to social status at the time of sampling, but also to social history (i.e., past social status), especially in unstimulated cells. However, for a subset of genes, we observed interaction effects in which females who fell in rank were more strongly affected by current social status than those who climbed the social hierarchy. Taken together, our results indicate that the effects of social status on immune cell gene expression depend on pathogen exposure, pathogen type, and social history-in support of social experience-mediated biological embedding in adulthood, even in the conventionally memory-less innate immune system.
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Abstract
Mitochondrial psychobiology is the study of the interactions between psychological states and the biological processes that take place within mitochondria. It also examines how mitochondrial behavior influence neural, endocrine, and immune systems known to transduce psychological experiences into health outcomes. Unlike traditional biological outcomes and mediators, mitochondria are dynamic and multifunctional living organisms. By leveraging a variety of laboratory tools including omics, scientists can now map mitochondrial behavior at multiple levels of complexity - from isolated molecular markers to dynamic functional and signaling outcomes. Here we discuss current efforts to develop relevant measures of mitochondrial behavior in accessible human tissues, increase their biological specificity by applying precise measurements in defined cell populations, create composite indices reflecting mitochondrial health, and integrate these approaches with psycho-neuro-endocrino-immune outcomes. This systematic inter-disciplinary effort will help move the field of mitochondrial psychobiology towards a predictive science explaining how, and to what extent, mitochondria contribute to the biological embedding of stress and other psychological states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Picard
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Neurology, H. Houston Merritt Center, Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Columbia Aging Center, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Caroline Trumpff
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Yan Burelle
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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48
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Simons ND, Tung J. Social Status and Gene Regulation: Conservation and Context Dependence in Primates. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:722-725. [PMID: 31320266 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Current models suggest that low social status affects immune function by increasing inflammation and compromising antiviral defense. While this pattern appears to be somewhat conserved, recent studies argue that the gene regulatory signature of social status also depends on the local environment and the nature of social hierarchies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah D Simons
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, 00502 Nairobi, Kenya.
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49
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The role of the genome in experience-dependent plasticity: Extending the analogy of the genomic action potential. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 117:23252-23260. [PMID: 31127037 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820837116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Our past experiences shape our current and future behavior. These experiences must leave some enduring imprint on our brains, altering neural circuits that mediate behavior and contributing to our individual differences. As a framework for understanding how experiences might produce lasting changes in neural circuits, Clayton [D. F. Clayton, Neurobiol. Learn. Mem. 74, 185-216 (2000)] introduced the concept of the genomic action potential (gAP)-a structured genomic response in the brain to acute experience. Similar to the familiar electrophysiological action potential (eAP), the gAP also provides a means for integrating afferent patterns of activity but on a slower timescale and with longer-lasting effects. We revisit this concept in light of contemporary work on experience-dependent modification of neural circuits. We review the "Immediate Early Gene" (IEG) response, the starting point for understanding the gAP. We discuss evidence for its involvement in the encoding of experience to long-term memory across time and biological levels of organization ranging from individual cells to cell ensembles and whole organisms. We explore distinctions between memory encoding and homeostatic functions and consider the potential for perpetuation of the imprint of experience through epigenetic mechanisms. We describe a specific example of a gAP in humans linked to individual differences in the response to stress. Finally, we identify key objectives and new tools for continuing research in this area.
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50
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Human Immunology through the Lens of Evolutionary Genetics. Cell 2019; 177:184-199. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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