1
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Vullioud C, Benhaiem S, Meneghini D, Szyf M, Shao Y, Hofer H, East ML, Fickel J, Weyrich A. Epigenetic signatures of social status in wild female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Commun Biol 2024; 7:313. [PMID: 38548860 PMCID: PMC10978994 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05926-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
In mammalian societies, dominance hierarchies translate into inequalities in health, reproductive performance and survival. DNA methylation is thought to mediate the effects of social status on gene expression and phenotypic outcomes, yet a study of social status-specific DNA methylation profiles in different age classes in a wild social mammal is missing. We tested for social status signatures in DNA methylation profiles in wild female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), cubs and adults, using non-invasively collected gut epithelium samples. In spotted hyena clans, female social status influences access to resources, foraging behavior, health, reproductive performance and survival. We identified 149 differentially methylated regions between 42 high- and low-ranking female spotted hyenas (cubs and adults). Differentially methylated genes were associated with energy conversion, immune function, glutamate receptor signalling and ion transport. Our results provide evidence that socio-environmental inequalities are reflected at the molecular level in cubs and adults in a wild social mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Vullioud
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Benhaiem
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Dorina Meneghini
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Yong Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion L East
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörns Fickel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
- University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Alexandra Weyrich
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany.
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
- Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
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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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Downie AE, Oyesola O, Barre RS, Caudron Q, Chen YH, Dennis EJ, Garnier R, Kiwanuka K, Menezes A, Navarrete DJ, Mondragón-Palomino O, Saunders JB, Tokita CK, Zaldana K, Cadwell K, Loke P, Graham AL. Spatiotemporal-social association predicts immunological similarity in rewilded mice. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh8310. [PMID: 38134275 PMCID: PMC10745690 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh8310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Environmental influences on immune phenotypes are well-documented, but our understanding of which elements of the environment affect immune systems, and how, remains vague. Behaviors, including socializing with others, are central to an individual's interaction with its environment. We therefore tracked behavior of rewilded laboratory mice of three inbred strains in outdoor enclosures and examined contributions of behavior, including associations measured from spatiotemporal co-occurrences, to immune phenotypes. We found extensive variation in individual and social behavior among and within mouse strains upon rewilding. In addition, we found that the more associated two individuals were, the more similar their immune phenotypes were. Spatiotemporal association was particularly predictive of similar memory T and B cell profiles and was more influential than sibling relationships or shared infection status. These results highlight the importance of shared spatiotemporal activity patterns and/or social networks for immune phenotype and suggest potential immunological correlates of social life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E. Downie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Oyebola Oyesola
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ramya S. Barre
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Quentin Caudron
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Ying-Han Chen
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Emily J. Dennis
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Romain Garnier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Kasalina Kiwanuka
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Arthur Menezes
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Daniel J. Navarrete
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Octavio Mondragón-Palomino
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jesse B. Saunders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Christopher K. Tokita
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Kimberly Zaldana
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ken Cadwell
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - P’ng Loke
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrea L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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4
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Housman G, Tung J. Next-generation primate genomics: New genome assemblies unlock new questions. Cell 2023; 186:5433-5437. [PMID: 38065076 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Nonhuman primates provide unique evolutionary and comparative insight into the human phenotype. Genome assemblies are now available for nearly half of the species in the primate order, expanding our understanding of genetic variation within and between species and making important contributions to evolutionary biology, evolutionary anthropology, and human genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Housman
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada; Faculty of the Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
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5
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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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6
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Tung J, Lange EC, Alberts SC, Archie EA. Social and early life determinants of survival from cradle to grave: A case study in wild baboons. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105282. [PMID: 37321362 PMCID: PMC10529797 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105282] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Field studies of natural mammal populations present powerful opportunities to investigate the determinants of health and aging using fine-grained observations of known individuals across the life course. Here, we synthesize five decades of findings from one such study: the wild baboons of the Amboseli ecosystem in Kenya. First, we discuss the profound associations between early life adversity, adult social conditions, and key aging outcomes in this population, especially survival. Second, we review potential mediators of the relationship between early life adversity and survival in our population. Notably, our tests of two leading candidate mediators-social isolation and glucocorticoid levels-fail to identify a single, strong mediator of early life effects on adult survival. Instead, early adversity, social isolation, and glucocorticoids are independently linked to adult lifespans, suggesting considerable scope for mitigating the negative consequences of early life adversity. Third, we review our work on the evolutionary rationale for early life effects on mortality, which currently argues against clear predictive adaptive responses. Finally, we end by highlighting major themes emerging from the study of sociality, development, and aging in the Amboseli baboons, as well as important open questions for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Tung
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada; Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Elizabeth C Lange
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY, USA
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA; Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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7
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Kogan NM, Begmatova D, Vinnikova L, Malitsky S, Itkin M, Sharon E, Klinov A, Gorelick J, Koman I, Vogel Z, Mechoulam R, Pinhasov A. Endocannabinoid basis of personality-Insights from animal model of social behavior. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1234332. [PMID: 37663250 PMCID: PMC10468576 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1234332] [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: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The endocannabinoid system is known to be involved in learning, memory, emotional processing and regulation of personality patterns. Here we assessed the endocannabinoid profile in the brains of mice with strong characteristics of social dominance and submissiveness. Methods: A lipidomics approach was employed to assess the endocannabinoidome in the brains of Dominant (Dom) and Submissive (Sub) mice. The endocannabinoid showing the greatest difference in concentration in the brain between the groups, docosatetraenoyl ethanolamine (DEA), was synthesized, and its effects on the physiological and behavioral responses of Dom and Sub mice were evaluated. mRNA expression of the endocannabinoid receptors and enzymes involved in PUFA biosynthesis was assessed using qRT-PCR. Results: Targeted LC/MS analysis revealed that long-chain polyunsaturated ethanolamides including arachidonoyl ethanolamide (AEA), DEA, docosatrienoyl ethanolamide (DTEA), eicosatrienoyl ethanolamide (ETEA), eicosapentaenoyl ethanolamide (EPEA) and docosahexaenoyl ethanolamide (DHEA) were higher in the Sub compared with the Dom mice. Untargeted LC/MS analysis showed that the parent fatty acids, docosatetraenoic (DA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA), were higher in Sub vs. Dom. Gene expression analysis revealed increased mRNA expression of genes encoding the desaturase FADS2 and the elongase ELOVL5 in Sub mice compared with Dom mice. Acute DEA administration at the dose of 15 mg/kg produced antinociceptive and locomotion-inducing effects in Sub mice, but not in Dom mice. Subchronic treatment with DEA at the dose of 5 mg/kg augmented dominant behavior in wild-type ICR and Dom mice but not in Sub mice. Conclusion: This study suggests that the endocannabinoid system may play a role in the regulation of dominance and submissiveness, functional elements of social behavior and personality. While currently we have only scratched the surface, understanding the role of the endocannabinoid system in personality may help in revealing the mechanisms underlying the etiopathology of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya M. Kogan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- The Institute of Personalized and Translational Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Institute of Drug Research, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | | | - Sergey Malitsky
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Maxim Itkin
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eyal Sharon
- The Institute of Personalized and Translational Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Artem Klinov
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | | | - Igor Koman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- The Institute of Personalized and Translational Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Zvi Vogel
- Department of Neurbiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Albert Pinhasov
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
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8
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DeLacey PM, Sen S, Schneider-Crease IA, Chiou KL, Lemma A, Ayele F, Haile AA, Lu A, Bergman TJ, Beehner JC, Snyder-Mackler N. Vascularization underlies differences in sexually selected skin coloration in a wild primate. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4401-4411. [PMID: 37226287 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Male reproductive competition can select for condition-dependent, conspicuous traits that signal some aspect of fighting ability and facilitate assessment of potential rivals. However, the underlying mechanisms that link the signal to a male's current condition are difficult to investigate in wild populations, often requiring invasive experimental manipulation. Here, we use digital photographs and chest skin samples to investigate the mechanisms of a visual signal used in male competition in a wild primate, the red chest patch in geladas (Theropithecus gelada). We analysed photographs collected during natural (n = 144) and anaesthetized conditions (n = 38) to understand variability in male and female chest redness, and we used chest skin biopsies (n = 38) to explore sex differences in gene expression. Male and female geladas showed similar average redness, but males exhibited a wider within-individual range in redness under natural conditions. These sex differences were also reflected at the molecular level, with 10.5% of genes exhibiting significant sex differences in expression. Subadult males exhibited intermediate gene expression patterns between adult males and females, pointing to mechanisms underlying the development of the red chest patch. We found that genes more highly expressed in males were associated with blood vessel development and maintenance but not with androgen or oestrogen activity. Together, our results suggest male gelada redness variability is driven by increased blood vessel branching in the chest skin, providing a potential link between male chest redness and current condition as increased blood circulation to exposed skin could lead to heat loss in the cold, high-altitude environment of geladas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia M DeLacey
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Sharmi Sen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - India A Schneider-Crease
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Kenneth L Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Alemayehu Lemma
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
| | - Ferehiwot Ayele
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
| | | | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, New York, USA
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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9
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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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10
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Lange EC, Zeng S, Campos FA, Li F, Tung J, Archie EA, Alberts SC. Early life adversity and adult social relationships have independent effects on survival in a wild primate. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade7172. [PMID: 37196090 PMCID: PMC10191438 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade7172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Adverse conditions in early life can have negative consequences for adult health and survival in humans and other animals. What variables mediate the relationship between early adversity and adult survival? Adult social environments represent one candidate: Early life adversity is linked to social adversity in adulthood, and social adversity in adulthood predicts survival outcomes. However, no study has prospectively linked early life adversity, adult social behavior, and adult survival to measure the extent to which adult social behavior mediates this relationship. We do so in a wild baboon population in Amboseli, Kenya. We find weak mediation and largely independent effects of early adversity and adult sociality on survival. Furthermore, strong social bonds and high social status in adulthood can buffer some negative effects of early adversity. These results support the idea that affiliative social behavior is subject to natural selection through its positive relationship with survival, and they highlight possible targets for intervention to improve human health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C. Lange
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego NY, USA
| | - Shuxi Zeng
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham NC, USA
| | - Fernando A. Campos
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio TX, USA
| | - Fan Li
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham NC, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham NC, USA
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- University of Leipzig, Faculty of Life Science, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame IN, USA
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham NC, USA
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham NC, USA
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11
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Downie AE, Oyesola O, Barre RS, Caudron Q, Chen YH, Dennis EJ, Garnier R, Kiwanuka K, Menezes A, Navarrete DJ, Mondragón-Palomino O, Saunders JB, Tokita CK, Zaldana K, Cadwell K, Loke P, Graham AL. Social association predicts immunological similarity in rewilded mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.15.532825. [PMID: 36993264 PMCID: PMC10055139 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.15.532825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Environmental influences on immune phenotypes are well-documented, but our understanding of which elements of the environment affect immune systems, and how, remains vague. Behaviors, including socializing with others, are central to an individual's interaction with its environment. We tracked behavior of rewilded laboratory mice of three inbred strains in outdoor enclosures and examined contributions of behavior, including social associations, to immune phenotypes. We found that the more associated two individuals were, the more similar their immune phenotypes were. Social association was particularly predictive of similar memory T and B cell profiles and was more influential than sibling relationships or worm infection status. These results highlight the importance of social networks for immune phenotype and reveal important immunological correlates of social life.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. E. Downie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University; Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - O. Oyesola
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - R. S. Barre
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University; Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio; San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Q. Caudron
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University; Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Y.-H. Chen
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine; New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - E. J. Dennis
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - R. Garnier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University; Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - K. Kiwanuka
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - A. Menezes
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University; Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - D. J. Navarrete
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University; Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Stanford University; Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - O. Mondragón-Palomino
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - J. B. Saunders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University; Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - C. K. Tokita
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University; Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - K. Zaldana
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine; New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - K. Cadwell
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine; New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine; New York, NY 10016, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine; New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - P. Loke
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - A. L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University; Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Santa Fe Institute; Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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12
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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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13
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Aloni I, Ilany A. Maladaptive evolution or how a beneficial mutation may get lost due to nepotism. Commun Biol 2022; 5:965. [PMID: 36109659 PMCID: PMC9477802 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03901-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: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Spotted hyenas are an exception in the animal kingdom not only due to female dominance over males, but also because of the strict female linear hierarchy which determines priority of access to resources and produces considerable female reproductive skew. This special social system raises a question: what would become of a beneficial mutation if it occurred in a low-ranking female? We used several simulation models in order to address this question. Our modeling results indicate that such a social system may inhibit the establishment of a beneficial mutation. However, this negative effect may be counteracted by random choice of mates by females. Evolutionary simulations demonstrate how beneficial mutations may not be preserved in societies characterized by female dominance and social inheritance of rank, such as in spotted hyenas.
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14
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Vilgalys TP, Fogel AS, Anderson JA, Mututua RS, Warutere JK, Siodi IL, Kim SY, Voyles TN, Robinson JA, Wall JD, Archie EA, Alberts SC, Tung J. Selection against admixture and gene regulatory divergence in a long-term primate field study. Science 2022; 377:635-641. [PMID: 35926022 PMCID: PMC9682493 DOI: 10.1126/science.abm4917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Genetic admixture is central to primate evolution. We combined 50 years of field observations of immigration and group demography with genomic data from ~9 generations of hybrid baboons to investigate the consequences of admixture in the wild. Despite no obvious fitness costs to hybrids, we found signatures of selection against admixture similar to those described for archaic hominins. These patterns were concentrated near genes where ancestry is strongly associated with gene expression. Our analyses also show that introgression is partially predictable across the genome. This study demonstrates the value of integrating genomic and field data for revealing how "genomic signatures of selection" (e.g., reduced introgression in low-recombination regions) manifest in nature; moreover, it underscores the importance of other primates as living models for human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tauras P. Vilgalys
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,Section of Genetic Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Arielle S. Fogel
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,University Program in Genetics and Genomics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jordan A. Anderson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sang Yoon Kim
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tawni N. Voyles
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey D. Wall
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,Duke University Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,Duke University Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Canada,Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany,Corresponding author
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15
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Lee W, Milewski TM, Dwortz MF, Young RL, Gaudet AD, Fonken LK, Champagne FA, Curley JP. Distinct immune and transcriptomic profiles in dominant versus subordinate males in mouse social hierarchies. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 103:130-144. [PMID: 35447300 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Social status is a critical factor determining health outcomes in human and nonhuman social species. In social hierarchies with reproductive skew, individuals compete to monopolize resources and increase mating opportunities. This can come at a significant energetic cost leading to trade-offs between different physiological systems. In particular, changes in energetic investment in the immune system can have significant short and long-term effects on fitness and health. We have previously found that dominant alpha male mice living in social hierarchies have increased metabolic demands related to territorial defense. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that high-ranking male mice favor adaptive immunity, while subordinate mice show higher investment in innate immunity. We housed 12 groups of 10 outbred CD-1 male mice in a social housing system. All formed linear social hierarchies and subordinate mice had higher concentrations of plasma corticosterone (CORT) than alpha males. This difference was heightened in highly despotic hierarchies. Using flow cytometry, we found that dominant status was associated with a significant shift in immunophenotypes towards favoring adaptive versus innate immunity. Using Tag-Seq to profile hepatic and splenic transcriptomes of alpha and subordinate males, we identified genes that regulate metabolic and immune defense pathways that are associated with status and/or CORT concentration. In the liver, dominant animals showed a relatively higher expression of specific genes involved in major urinary production and catabolic processes, whereas subordinate animals showed relatively higher expression of genes promoting biosynthetic processes, wound healing, and proinflammatory responses. In spleen, subordinate mice showed relatively higher expression of genes facilitating oxidative phosphorylation and DNA repair and CORT was negatively associated with genes involved in lymphocyte proliferation and activation. Together, our findings suggest that dominant and subordinate animals adaptively shift immune profiles and peripheral gene expression to match their contextual needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Department of In Vivo Pharmacology Services, The Jackson Laboratory, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Tyler M Milewski
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Madeleine F Dwortz
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Rebecca L Young
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Andrew D Gaudet
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Laura K Fonken
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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16
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Lee W, Dwortz MF, Milewski TM, Champagne FA, Curley JP. Social status mediated variation in hypothalamic transcriptional profiles of male mice. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105176. [PMID: 35500322 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Animals of different social status exhibit variation in aggression, territorial and reproductive behavior as well as activity patterns, feeding, drinking and status signaling. This behavioral and physiological plasticity is coordinated by underlying changes in brain gene transcription. Using Tag-based RNA sequencing (Tag-seq), we explore RNA transcriptomes from the medial preoptic area (mPOA) and ventral hypothalamus (vHYP) of male mice of different social ranks in a dominance hierarchy and detect candidate genes and cellular pathways that underlie status-related plasticity. Within the mPOA, oxytocin (Oxt) and vasopressin (Avp) are more highly expressed in subdominant mice compared to other ranks, while nitric oxide synthase (Nos1) has lower expression in subdominant mice. Within the vHYP, we find that both orexigenic and anorexigenic genes involved in feeding behavior, including agouti-related peptide (Agrp), neuropeptide-Y (Npy), galanin (Gal), proopiomelanocortin (Pomc), and Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein prepropeptide (Cartpt), are less expressed in dominant animals compared to more subordinate ranks. We suggest that this may represent a reshaping of feeding circuits in dominant compared to subdominant and subordinate animals. Furthermore, we determine several genes that are positively and negatively associated with the level of despotism (aggression) in dominant males. Ultimately, we identify hypothalamic genes controlling feeding and social behaviors that are differentially transcribed across animals of varying social status. These changes in brain transcriptomics likely support phenotypic variation that enable animals to adapt to their current social status.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Department of In Vivo Pharmacology Services, The Jackson Laboratory, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - M F Dwortz
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - T M Milewski
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - F A Champagne
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - J P Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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17
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Milewski TM, Lee W, Champagne FA, Curley JP. Behavioural and physiological plasticity in social hierarchies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200443. [PMID: 35000436 PMCID: PMC8743892 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals occupying dominant and subordinate positions in social hierarchies exhibit divergent behaviours, physiology and neural functioning. Dominant animals express higher levels of dominance behaviours such as aggression, territorial defence and mate-guarding. Dominants also signal their status via auditory, visual or chemical cues. Moreover, dominant animals typically increase reproductive behaviours and show enhanced spatial and social cognition as well as elevated arousal. These biobehavioural changes increase energetic demands that are met via shifting both energy intake and metabolism and are supported by coordinated changes in physiological systems including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axes as well as altered gene expression and sensitivity of neural circuits that regulate these behaviours. Conversely, subordinate animals inhibit dominance and often reproductive behaviours and exhibit physiological changes adapted to socially stressful contexts. Phenotypic changes in both dominant and subordinate individuals may be beneficial in the short-term but lead to long-term challenges to health. Further, rapid changes in social ranks occur as dominant animals socially ascend or descend and are associated with dynamic modulations in the brain and periphery. In this paper, we provide a broad overview of how behavioural and phenotypic changes associated with social dominance and subordination are expressed in neural and physiological plasticity. 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)
- T. M. Milewski
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - W. Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - F. A. Champagne
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - J. P. Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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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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Fogel AS, McLean EM, Gordon JB, Archie EA, Tung J, Alberts SC. Genetic ancestry predicts male-female affiliation in a natural baboon hybrid zone. Anim Behav 2021; 180:249-268. [PMID: 34866638 PMCID: PMC8635413 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Opposite-sex social relationships are important predictors of fitness in many animals, including several group-living mammals. Consequently, understanding sources of variance in the tendency to form opposite-sex relationships is important for understanding social evolution. Genetic contributions are of particular interest due to their importance in long-term evolutionary change, but little is known about genetic effects on male-female relationships in social mammals, especially outside of the mating context. Here, we investigate the effects of genetic ancestry on male-female affiliative behaviour in a hybrid zone between the yellow baboon, Papio cynocephalus, and the anubis baboon, Papio anubis, in a population in which male-female social bonds are known predictors of life span. We place our analysis within the context of other social and demographic predictors of affiliative behaviour in baboons. Genetic ancestry was the most consistent predictor of opposite-sex affiliative behaviour we observed, with the exception of strong effects of dominance rank. Our results show that increased anubis genetic ancestry is associated with a subtle, but significantly higher, probability of opposite-sex affiliative behaviour, in both males and females. Additionally, pairs of anubis-like males and anubis-like females were the most likely to socially affiliate, resulting in moderate assortativity in grooming and proximity behaviour as a function of genetic ancestry. Our findings indicate that opposite-sex affiliative behaviour partially diverged during baboon evolution to differentiate yellow and anubis baboons, despite overall similarities in their social structures and mating systems. Furthermore, they suggest that affiliative behaviour may simultaneously promote and constrain baboon admixture, through additive and assortative effects of ancestry, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle S. Fogel
- University Program in Genetics and Genomics, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
| | - Emily M. McLean
- University Program in Genetics and Genomics, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
- Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Oxford College of Emory University, Oxford, GA, U.S.A
| | | | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, U.S.A
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
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21
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Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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22
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Cavigelli S, Leips J, Jenny Xiang QY, Lemke D, Konow N. Next Steps in Integrative Biology: Mapping Interactive Processes Across Levels of Biological Organization. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:2066-2074. [PMID: 34259855 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Emergent biological processes result from complex interactions within and across levels of biological organization, ranging from molecular to environmental dynamics. Powerful theories, database tools, and modeling methods have been designed to characterize network connections within levels, such as those among genes, proteins, biochemicals, cells, organisms and species. Here, we propose that developing integrative models of organismal function in complex environments can be facilitated by taking advantage of these methods to identify key nodes of communication across levels of organization. Mapping key drivers or connections among levels of organization will provide data and leverage to model potential rule-sets by which organisms respond and adjust to perturbations at any level of biological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Cavigelli
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802
| | - Jeff Leips
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore MD 21250
| | - Qiu-Yun Jenny Xiang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695
| | - Dawn Lemke
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville AL 35811
| | - Nicolai Konow
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell MA 01854
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23
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Ryan CP, Kuzawa CW. The temporary cost of dominance. eLife 2021; 10:68790. [PMID: 33929318 PMCID: PMC8087441 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In a population of wild baboons, a new way to assess biological age reveals a surprising effect of social hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calen P Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
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24
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Anderson JA, Johnston RA, Lea AJ, Campos FA, Voyles TN, Akinyi MY, Alberts SC, Archie EA, Tung J. High social status males experience accelerated epigenetic aging in wild baboons. eLife 2021; 10:e66128. [PMID: 33821798 PMCID: PMC8087445 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging, for virtually all life, is inescapable. However, within populations, biological aging rates vary. Understanding sources of variation in this process is central to understanding the biodemography of natural populations. We constructed a DNA methylation-based age predictor for an intensively studied wild baboon population in Kenya. Consistent with findings in humans, the resulting 'epigenetic clock' closely tracks chronological age, but individuals are predicted to be somewhat older or younger than their known ages. Surprisingly, these deviations are not explained by the strongest predictors of lifespan in this population, early adversity and social integration. Instead, they are best predicted by male dominance rank: high-ranking males are predicted to be older than their true ages, and epigenetic age tracks changes in rank over time. Our results argue that achieving high rank for male baboons - the best predictor of reproductive success - imposes costs consistent with a 'live fast, die young' life-history strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A Anderson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Rachel A Johnston
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Amanda J Lea
- Department of Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Carl Icahn Laboratory, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Fernando A Campos
- Department of Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San AntonioSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Tawni N Voyles
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Mercy Y Akinyi
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of KenyaNairobiKenya
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Department of Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre DameNotre DameUnited States
| | - Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Department of Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Duke Population Research Institute, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Canadian Institute for Advanced ResearchTorontoCanada
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25
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Albert G, Arnocky S, Puts DA, Hodges-Simeon CR. Can listeners assess men's self-reported health from their voice? EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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26
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Lea AJ, Waigwa C, Muhoya B, Lotukoi F, Peng J, Henry LP, Abhyankar V, Kamau J, Martins D, Gurven M, Ayroles JF. Socioeconomic status effects on health vary between rural and urban Turkana. Evol Med Public Health 2021; 9:406-419. [PMID: 34987823 PMCID: PMC8697843 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoab039] [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: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Understanding the social determinants of health is a major goal in evolutionary biology and human health research. Low socioeconomic status (often operationalized as absolute material wealth) is consistently associated with chronic stress, poor health and premature death in high-income countries. However, the degree to which wealth gradients in health are universal—or are instead made even steeper under contemporary, post-industrial conditions—remains poorly understood. Methodology We quantified absolute material wealth and several health outcomes among a population of traditional pastoralists, the Turkana of northwest Kenya, who are currently transitioning toward a more urban, market-integrated lifestyle. We assessed whether wealth associations with health differed in subsistence-level versus urban contexts. We also explored the causes and consequences of wealth-health associations by measuring serum cortisol, potential sociobehavioral mediators in early life and adulthood, and adult reproductive success (number of surviving offspring). Results Higher socioeconomic status and greater material wealth predicts better self-reported health and more offspring in traditional pastoralist Turkana, but worse cardiometabolic health and fewer offspring in urban Turkana. We do not find robust evidence for either direct biological mediators (cortisol) or indirect sociobehavioral mediators (e.g. adult diet or health behaviors, early life experiences) of wealth–health relationships in either context. Conclusions and implications While social gradients in health are well-established in humans and animals across a variety of socioecological contexts, we show that the relationship between wealth and health can vary within a single population. Our findings emphasize that changes in economic and societal circumstances may directly alter how, why and under what conditions socioeconomic status predicts health. Lay Summary High socioeconomic status predicts better health and more offspring in traditional Turkana pastoralists, but worse health and fewer offspring in individuals of the same group living in urban areas. Together, our study shows that under different economic and societal circumstances, wealth effects on health may manifest in very different ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Lea
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Charles Waigwa
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Benjamin Muhoya
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | | | - Julie Peng
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Lucas P Henry
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Varada Abhyankar
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Joseph Kamau
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Dino Martins
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California: Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Julien F Ayroles
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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27
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Smith CJ, Bilbo SD. Sickness and the Social Brain: Love in the Time of COVID. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:633664. [PMID: 33692712 PMCID: PMC7937950 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.633664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
As a highly social species, inclusion in social networks and the presence of strong social bonds are critical to our health and well-being. Indeed, impaired social functioning is a component of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, our social networks are at risk of fracture and many are vulnerable to the negative consequences of social isolation. Importantly, infection itself leads to changes in social behavior as a component of "sickness behavior." Furthermore, as in the case of COVID-19, males and females often differ in their immunological response to infection, and, therefore, in their susceptibility to negative outcomes. In this review, we discuss the many ways in which infection changes social behavior-sometimes to the benefit of the host, and in some instances for the sake of the pathogen-in species ranging from eusocial insects to humans. We also explore the neuroimmune mechanisms by which these changes in social behavior occur. Finally, we touch upon the ways in which the social environment (group living, social isolation, etc.) shapes the immune system and its ability to respond to challenge. Throughout we emphasize how males and females differ in their response to immune activation, both behaviorally and physiologically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline J Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Staci D Bilbo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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28
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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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29
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Campos FA, Villavicencio F, Archie EA, Colchero F, Alberts SC. Social bonds, social status and survival in wild baboons: a tale of two sexes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190621. [PMID: 32951552 PMCID: PMC7540948 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
People who are more socially integrated or have higher socio-economic status live longer. Recent studies in non-human primates show striking convergences with this human pattern: female primates with more social partners, stronger social bonds or higher dominance rank all lead longer lives. However, it remains unclear whether social environments also predict survival in male non-human primates, as it does in men. This gap persists because, in most primates, males disperse among social groups, resulting in many males who disappear with unknown fate and have unknown dates of birth. We present a Bayesian model to estimate the effects of time-varying social covariates on age-specific adult mortality in both sexes of wild baboons. We compare how the survival trajectories of both sexes are linked to social bonds and social status over the life. We find that, parallel to females, male baboons who are more strongly bonded to females have longer lifespans. However, males with higher dominance rank for their age appear to have shorter lifespans. This finding brings new understanding to the adaptive significance of heterosexual social bonds for male baboons: in addition to protecting the male's offspring from infanticide, these bonds may have direct benefits to males themselves. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution of the primate ageing process'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A. Campos
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Francisco Villavicencio
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Interdisciplinary Center on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Elizabeth A. Archie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Fernando Colchero
- Interdisciplinary Center on Population Dynamics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Susan C. Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
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30
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Lea AJ, Martins D, Kamau J, Gurven M, Ayroles JF. Urbanization and market integration have strong, nonlinear effects on cardiometabolic health in the Turkana. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb1430. [PMID: 33087362 PMCID: PMC7577730 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb1430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The "mismatch" between evolved human physiology and Western lifestyles is thought to explain the current epidemic of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in industrialized societies. However, this hypothesis has been difficult to test because few populations concurrently span ancestral and modern lifestyles. To address this gap, we collected interview and biomarker data from individuals of Turkana ancestry who practice subsistence-level, nomadic pastoralism (the ancestral way of life for this group), as well as individuals who no longer practice pastoralism and live in urban areas. We found that Turkana who move to cities exhibit poor cardiometabolic health, partially because of a shift toward "Western diets" high in refined carbohydrates. We also show that being born in an urban area independently predicts adult health, such that life-long city dwellers will experience the greatest CVD risk. By focusing on a substantial lifestyle gradient, our work thus informs the timing, magnitude, and evolutionary causes of CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Lea
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Dino Martins
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
| | - Joseph Kamau
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Julien F Ayroles
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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31
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Machanda ZP, Rosati AG. Shifting sociality during primate ageing. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190620. [PMID: 32951557 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans exhibit major age-related shifts in social relationships along with changes in social and emotional psychological processes that underpin these behavioural shifts. Does social ageing in non-human primates follow similar patterns, and if so, what are the ultimate evolutionary consequences of these social shifts? Here we synthesize empirical evidence for shifts in social behaviour and underlying psychological processes across species. Focusing on three elements of social behaviour and cognition that are important for humans-propensities to engage with others, the positive versus negative valence of these interactions, and capabilities to influence others, we find evidence for wide variation in the trajectories of these characteristics across primates. Based on this, we identify potential modulators of the primate social ageing process, including social organization, sex and dominance status. Finally, we discuss how comparative research can contextualize human social ageing. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution of the primate ageing process'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandra G Rosati
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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32
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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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33
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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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34
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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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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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Vandeleest JJ, Winkler SL, Beisner BA, Hannibal DL, Atwill ER, McCowan B. Sex differences in the impact of social status on hair cortisol concentrations in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23086. [PMID: 31876328 PMCID: PMC6980377 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Social status impacts stress in primates, but the direction of the effect differs depending on species, social style, and group stability. This complicates our ability to identify broadly applicable principles for understanding how social status impacts health and fitness. One reason for this is the fact that social status is often measured as linear dominance rank, yet social status is more complex than simply high or low rank. Additionally, most research on social status and health ignores the effects of sex and sex-specific relationships, despite known differences in disease risk, coping strategies, and opposite-sex dominance interactions between males and females in many species. We examine the influence of social status, sex, and opposite-sex interactions on hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in a well-studied species, rhesus macaques, where the literature predicts low ranking individuals would experience more chronic stress. Animals in three captive, seminaturalistic social groups (N = 252; 71 male) were observed for 6 weeks to obtain metrics of social status (rank and dominance certainty [DC]). DC is a measure of one's fit within the hierarchy. Hair samples were collected from each subject and analyzed for HCC. Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine (a) whether rank, DC, or sex predicted HCC; (b) whether same- or opposite-sex dominance relationships differentially impacted HCC; and (c) whether aggressive interactions initiated or received could explain any observed relationships. Results indicated that DC, not rank, predicted HCC in a sex-specific manner. For males, high HCC were predicted by receiving aggression from or having high DC with other males as well as having low DC with females. For females, only high DC with males predicted high HCC. These results likely relate to sex-specific life history pattern differences in inherited versus earned rank that are tied to female philopatry and male immigration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J Vandeleest
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sasha L Winkler
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California
- Department of Anthropology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Brianne A Beisner
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Darcy L Hannibal
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Edward R Atwill
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Brenda McCowan
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California
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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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Habig B, Jansen DAWAM, Akinyi MY, Gesquiere LR, Alberts SC, Archie EA. Multi-scale predictors of parasite risk in wild male savanna baboons (Papio cynocephalus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2748-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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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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Molecular origins and outcomes of status and stress in primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:1081-1083. [PMID: 30642957 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1819472116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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Edwards KL, Edes AN, Brown JL. Stress, Well-Being and Reproductive Success. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1200:91-162. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23633-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Snyder-Mackler N, Lea AJ. Functional genomic insights into the environmental determinants of mammalian fitness. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2018; 53:105-112. [PMID: 30142491 PMCID: PMC6296864 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Both the social and physical environment shape health, reproduction, and survival across many species, and identifying how these effects manifest at the molecular level has long been a priority in medicine and evolutionary biology. The recent rise of functional genomics has enabled researchers to gain new insights into how environmental inputs shape variation in gene regulation, and consequently, downstream organism-level traits. Here, we discuss recent work on this topic, as well as key knowledge gaps. Research in this area spans a wide range of taxa, but we focus our review on mammalian species because of their close evolutionary proximity to humans and because of their relevance for understanding human health. Improving our understanding of how the environment and the genome are connected promises to shed new light on the mechanisms underlying environmentally-induced disease in humans, as well as the evolution of environmental sensitivity more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Amanda J Lea
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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