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Koparkar A, Warren TL, Charlesworth JD, Shin S, Brainard MS, Veit L. Lesions in a songbird vocal circuit increase variability in song syntax. eLife 2024; 13:RP93272. [PMID: 38635312 PMCID: PMC11026095 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Complex skills like speech and dance are composed of ordered sequences of simpler elements, but the neuronal basis for the syntactic ordering of actions is poorly understood. Birdsong is a learned vocal behavior composed of syntactically ordered syllables, controlled in part by the songbird premotor nucleus HVC (proper name). Here, we test whether one of HVC's recurrent inputs, mMAN (medial magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium), contributes to sequencing in adult male Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata domestica). Bengalese finch song includes several patterns: (1) chunks, comprising stereotyped syllable sequences; (2) branch points, where a given syllable can be followed probabilistically by multiple syllables; and (3) repeat phrases, where individual syllables are repeated variable numbers of times. We found that following bilateral lesions of mMAN, acoustic structure of syllables remained largely intact, but sequencing became more variable, as evidenced by 'breaks' in previously stereotyped chunks, increased uncertainty at branch points, and increased variability in repeat numbers. Our results show that mMAN contributes to the variable sequencing of vocal elements in Bengalese finch song and demonstrate the influence of recurrent projections to HVC. Furthermore, they highlight the utility of species with complex syntax in investigating neuronal control of ordered sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avani Koparkar
- Neurobiology of Vocal Communication, Institute for Neurobiology, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Timothy L Warren
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Departments of Horticulture and Integrative Biology, Oregon State UniversityCorvallisUnited States
| | - Jonathan D Charlesworth
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Sooyoon Shin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Michael S Brainard
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Lena Veit
- Neurobiology of Vocal Communication, Institute for Neurobiology, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
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2
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Toji N, Sawai A, Wang H, Ji Y, Sugioka R, Go Y, Wada K. A predisposed motor bias shapes individuality in vocal learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2308837121. [PMID: 38198530 PMCID: PMC10801888 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308837121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of individuality during learned behavior is a common trait observed across animal species; however, the underlying biological mechanisms remain understood. Similar to human speech, songbirds develop individually unique songs with species-specific traits through vocal learning. In this study, we investigate the developmental and molecular mechanisms underlying individuality in vocal learning by utilizing F1 hybrid songbirds (Taeniopygia guttata cross with Taeniopygia bichenovii), taking an integrating approach combining experimentally controlled systematic song tutoring, unbiased discriminant analysis of song features, and single-cell transcriptomics. When tutoring with songs from both parental species, F1 hybrid individuals exhibit evident diversity in their acquired songs. Approximately 30% of F1 hybrids selectively learn either song of the two parental species, while others develop merged songs that combine traits from both species. Vocal acoustic biases during vocal babbling initially appear as individual differences in songs among F1 juveniles and are maintained through the sensitive period of song vocal learning. These vocal acoustic biases emerge independently of the initial auditory experience of hearing the biological father's and passive tutored songs. We identify individual differences in transcriptional signatures in a subset of cell types, including the glutamatergic neurons projecting from the cortical vocal output nucleus to the hypoglossal nuclei, which are associated with variations of vocal acoustic features. These findings suggest that a genetically predisposed vocal motor bias serves as the initial origin of individual variation in vocal learning, influencing learning constraints and preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriyuki Toji
- Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-0810, Japan
- Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Sapporo060-0810, Japan
| | - Azusa Sawai
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-0810, Japan
| | - Hongdi Wang
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-0810, Japan
| | - Yu Ji
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-0810, Japan
| | - Rintaro Sugioka
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-0810, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Go
- Cognitive Genomics Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki444-8585, Japan
- Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki444-8585, Japan
- Division of Behavioral Development, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki444-8585, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Wada
- Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-0810, Japan
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-0810, Japan
- Research and Education Center for Brain Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
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3
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Tsouris A, Brach G, Schacherer J, Hou J. Non-additive genetic components contribute significantly to population-wide gene expression variation. Cell Genom 2024; 4:100459. [PMID: 38190102 PMCID: PMC10794783 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Gene expression variation, an essential step between genotype and phenotype, is collectively controlled by local (cis) and distant (trans) regulatory changes. Nevertheless, how these regulatory elements differentially influence gene expression variation remains unclear. Here, we bridge this gap by analyzing the transcriptomes of a large diallel panel consisting of 323 unique hybrids originating from genetically divergent Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates. Our analysis across 5,087 transcript abundance traits showed that non-additive components account for 36% of the gene expression variance on average. By comparing allele-specific read counts in parent-hybrid trios, we found that trans-regulatory changes underlie the majority of gene expression variation in the population. Remarkably, most cis-regulatory variations are also exaggerated or attenuated by additional trans effects. Overall, we showed that the transcriptome is globally buffered at the genetic level mainly due to trans-regulatory variation in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Tsouris
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, GMGM UMR, 7156 Strasbourg, France
| | - Gauthier Brach
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, GMGM UMR, 7156 Strasbourg, France
| | - Joseph Schacherer
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, GMGM UMR, 7156 Strasbourg, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France.
| | - Jing Hou
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, GMGM UMR, 7156 Strasbourg, France.
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4
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Louder MIM, Justen H, Kimmitt AA, Lawley KS, Turner LM, Dickman JD, Delmore KE. Gene regulation and speciation in a migratory divide between songbirds. Nat Commun 2024; 15:98. [PMID: 38167733 PMCID: PMC10761872 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44352-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioral variation abounds in nature. This variation is important for adaptation and speciation, but its molecular basis remains elusive. Here, we use a hybrid zone between two subspecies of songbirds that differ in migration - an ecologically important and taxonomically widespread behavior---to gain insight into this topic. We measure gene expression in five brain regions. Differential expression between migratory states was dominated by circadian genes in all brain regions. The remaining patterns were largely brain-region specific. For example, expression differences between the subspecies that interact with migratory state likely help maintain reproductive isolation in this system and were documented in only three brain regions. Contrary to existing work on regulatory mechanisms underlying species-specific traits, two lines of evidence suggest that trans- (vs. cis) regulatory changes underlie these patterns - no evidence for allele-specific expression in hybrids and minimal associations between genomic differentiation and expression differences. Additional work with hybrids shows expression levels were often distinct (transgressive) from parental forms. Behavioral contrasts and functional enrichment analyses allowed us to connect these patterns to mitonuclear incompatibilities and compensatory responses to stress that could exacerbate selection on hybrids and contribute to speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Justen
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Koedi S Lawley
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Leslie M Turner
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - J David Dickman
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kira E Delmore
- Biology Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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5
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Recuerda M, Palacios M, Frías O, Hobson K, Nabholz B, Blanco G, Milá B. Adaptive phenotypic and genomic divergence in the common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) following niche expansion within a small oceanic island. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1226-1241. [PMID: 37485603 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
According to models of ecological speciation, adaptation to adjacent, contrasting habitat types can lead to population divergence given strong enough environment-driven selection to counteract the homogenizing effect of gene flow. We tested this hypothesis in the common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) on the small island of La Palma, Canary Islands, where it occupies two markedly different habitats. Isotopic (δ13 C, δ15 N) analysis of feathers indicated that birds in the two habitats differed in ecosystem and/or diet, and analysis of phenotypic traits revealed significant differences in morphology and plumage colouration that are consistent with ecomorphological and ecogeographical predictions respectively. A genome-wide survey of single-nucleotide polymorphism revealed marked neutral structure that was consistent with geography and isolation by distance, suggesting low dispersal. In contrast, loci putatively under selection identified through genome-wide association and genotype-environment association analyses, revealed amarked adaptive divergence between birds in both habitats. Loci associated with phenotypic and environmental differences among habitats were distributed across the genome, as expected for polygenic traits involved in local adaptation. Our results suggest a strong role for habitat-driven local adaptation in population divergence in the chaffinches of La Palma, a process that appears to be facilitated by a strong reduction in effective dispersal distances despite the birds' high dispersal capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Recuerda
- National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercè Palacios
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Frías
- National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Keith Hobson
- Biology Department, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benoit Nabholz
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Guillermo Blanco
- National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Borja Milá
- National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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6
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Secomandi S, Gallo GR, Sozzoni M, Iannucci A, Galati E, Abueg L, Balacco J, Caprioli M, Chow W, Ciofi C, Collins J, Fedrigo O, Ferretti L, Fungtammasan A, Haase B, Howe K, Kwak W, Lombardo G, Masterson P, Messina G, Møller AP, Mountcastle J, Mousseau TA, Ferrer Obiol J, Olivieri A, Rhie A, Rubolini D, Saclier M, Stanyon R, Stucki D, Thibaud-Nissen F, Torrance J, Torroni A, Weber K, Ambrosini R, Bonisoli-Alquati A, Jarvis ED, Gianfranceschi L, Formenti G. A chromosome-level reference genome and pangenome for barn swallow population genomics. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111992. [PMID: 36662619 PMCID: PMC10044405 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.111992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Insights into the evolution of non-model organisms are limited by the lack of reference genomes of high accuracy, completeness, and contiguity. Here, we present a chromosome-level, karyotype-validated reference genome and pangenome for the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica). We complement these resources with a reference-free multialignment of the reference genome with other bird genomes and with the most comprehensive catalog of genetic markers for the barn swallow. We identify potentially conserved and accelerated genes using the multialignment and estimate genome-wide linkage disequilibrium using the catalog. We use the pangenome to infer core and accessory genes and to detect variants using it as a reference. Overall, these resources will foster population genomics studies in the barn swallow, enable detection of candidate genes in comparative genomics studies, and help reduce bias toward a single reference genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Secomandi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Guido R Gallo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Alessio Iannucci
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Elena Galati
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Linelle Abueg
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer Balacco
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Manuela Caprioli
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Claudio Ciofi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | | | - Olivier Fedrigo
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luca Ferretti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Bettina Haase
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Woori Kwak
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 14662, Korea
| | - Gianluca Lombardo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Patrick Masterson
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | | | - Anders P Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay Cedex, France
| | | | - Timothy A Mousseau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Joan Ferrer Obiol
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Olivieri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Arang Rhie
- Genome Informatics Section, Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Roscoe Stanyon
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | | | - Françoise Thibaud-Nissen
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | | | - Antonio Torroni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA; The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | | | - Giulio Formenti
- Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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Huang Y, Shang R, Lu GA, Zeng W, Huang C, Zou C, Tang T. Spatiotemporal Regulation of a Single Adaptively Evolving Trans-Regulatory Element Contributes to Spermatogenetic Expression Divergence in Drosophila. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6605656. [PMID: 35687719 PMCID: PMC9254010 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to extensive pleiotropy, trans-acting elements are often thought to be evolutionarily constrained. While the impact of trans-acting elements on gene expression evolution has been extensively studied, relatively little is understood about the contribution of a single trans regulator to interspecific expression and phenotypic divergence. Here, we disentangle the effects of genomic context and miR-983, an adaptively evolving young microRNA, on expression divergence between Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans. We show miR-983 effects promote interspecific expression divergence in testis despite its antagonism with the often-predominant context effects. Single-cyst RNA-seq reveals that distinct sets of genes gain and lose miR-983 influence under disruptive or diversifying selection at different stages of spermatogenesis, potentially helping minimize antagonistic pleiotropy. At the round spermatid stage, the effects of miR-983 are weak and distributed, coincident with the transcriptome undergoing drastic expression changes. Knocking out miR-983 causes reduced sperm length with increased within-individual variation in D. melanogaster but not in D. simulans, and the D. melanogaster knockout also exhibits compromised sperm defense ability. Our results provide empirical evidence for the resolution of antagonistic pleiotropy and also have broad implications for the function and evolution of new trans regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Rui Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Guang-An Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Weishun Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Chenglong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Chuangchao Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Tian Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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8
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Hu CK, York RA, Metz HC, Bedford NL, Fraser HB, Hoekstra HE. cis-Regulatory changes in locomotor genes are associated with the evolution of burrowing behavior. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110360. [PMID: 35172153 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
How evolution modifies complex, innate behaviors is largely unknown. Divergence in many morphological traits, and some behaviors, is linked to cis-regulatory changes in gene expression. Given this, we compare brain gene expression of two interfertile sister species of Peromyscus mice that show large and heritable differences in burrowing behavior. Species-level differential expression and allele-specific expression in F1 hybrids indicate a preponderance of cis-regulatory divergence, including many genes whose cis-regulation is affected by burrowing behavior. Genes related to locomotor coordination show the strongest signals of lineage-specific selection on burrowing-induced cis-regulatory changes. Furthermore, genetic markers closest to these candidate genes associate with variation in burrow shape in a genetic cross, suggesting an enrichment for loci affecting burrowing behavior near these candidate locomotor genes. Our results provide insight into how cis-regulated gene expression can depend on behavioral context and how this dynamic regulatory divergence between species may contribute to behavioral evolution.
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9
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Konner M. Nine Levels of Explanation : A Proposed Expansion of Tinbergen's Four-Level Framework for Understanding the Causes of Behavior. Hum Nat 2021; 32:748-93. [PMID: 34739657 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-021-09414-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Tinbergen's classic "On Aims and Methods of Ethology" (Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie, 20, 1963) proposed four levels of explanation of behavior, which he thought would soon apply to humans. This paper discusses the need for multilevel explanation; Huxley and Mayr's prior models, and others that followed; Tinbergen's differences with Lorenz on "the innate"; and Mayr's ultimate/proximate distinction. It synthesizes these approaches with nine levels of explanation in three categories: phylogeny, natural selection, and genomics (ultimate causes); maturation, sensitive period effects, and routine environmental effects (intermediate causes); and hormonal/metabolic processes, neural circuitry, and eliciting stimuli (proximate causes), as a respectful extension of Tinbergen's levels. The proposed classification supports and builds on Tinbergen's multilevel model and Mayr's ultimate/proximate continuum, adding intermediate causes in accord with Tinbergen's emphasis on ontogeny. It requires no modification of Standard Evolutionary Theory or The Modern Synthesis, but shows that much that critics claim was missing was in fact part of Neo-Darwinian theory (so named by J. Mark Baldwin in The American Naturalist in 1896) all along, notably reciprocal causation in ontogeny, niche construction, cultural evolution, and multilevel selection. Updates of classical examples in ethology are offered at each of the nine levels, including the neuroethological and genomic findings Tinbergen foresaw. Finally, human examples are supplied at each level, fulfilling his hope of human applications as part of the biology of behavior. This broad ethological framework empowers us to explain human behavior-eventually completely-and vindicates the idea of human nature, and of humans as a part of nature.
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Hayase S, Shao C, Kobayashi M, Mori C, Liu WC, Wada K. Seasonal regulation of singing-driven gene expression associated with song plasticity in the canary, an open-ended vocal learner. Mol Brain 2021; 14:160. [PMID: 34715888 PMCID: PMC8556994 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00869-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Songbirds are one of the few animal taxa that possess vocal learning abilities. Different species of songbirds exhibit species-specific learning programs during song acquisition. Songbirds with open-ended vocal learning capacity, such as the canary, modify their songs during adulthood. Nevertheless, the neural molecular mechanisms underlying open-ended vocal learning are not fully understood. We investigated the singing-driven expression of neural activity-dependent genes (Arc, Egr1, c-fos, Nr4a1, Sik1, Dusp6, and Gadd45β) in the canary to examine a potential relationship between the gene expression level and the degree of seasonal vocal plasticity at different ages. The expression of these genes was differently regulated throughout the critical period of vocal learning in the zebra finch, a closed-ended song learner. In the canary, the neural activity-dependent genes were induced by singing in the song nuclei throughout the year. However, in the vocal motor nucleus, the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA), all genes were regulated with a higher induction rate by singing in the fall than in the spring. The singing-driven expression of these genes showed a similar induction rate in the fall between the first year juvenile and the second year adult canaries, suggesting a seasonal, not age-dependent, regulation of the neural activity-dependent genes. By measuring seasonal vocal plasticity and singing-driven gene expression, we found that in RA, the induction intensity of the neural activity-dependent genes was correlated with the state of vocal plasticity. These results demonstrate a correlation between vocal plasticity and the singing-driven expression of neural activity-dependent genes in RA through song development, regardless of whether a songbird species possesses an open- or closed-ended vocal learning capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Hayase
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Chengru Shao
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Masahiko Kobayashi
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Chihiro Mori
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.,Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wan-Chun Liu
- Department of Psychology, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA
| | - Kazuhiro Wada
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. .,Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, North 10, West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
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11
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Lewis V, Laberge F, Heyland A. Transcriptomic signature of extinction learning in the brain of the fire-bellied toad, Bombina orientalis. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 184:107502. [PMID: 34391934 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of learning and memory from a diverse array of taxa contributes to our understanding of the evolution of these processes. The fire-bellied toad, Bombina orientalis, is a basal anuran amphibian model species who could help us describe shared and divergent characteristics of learning and memory mechanisms between amphibians and other vertebrates, and hence answer questions about the evolution of learning. Utilizing next generation sequencing techniques, we profiled gene expression patterns associated with the extinction of prey-catching conditioning in the brain of the fire-bellied toad. For this purpose, gene expression was at first compared between toads sacrificed after acquisition and extinction of the conditioned response. A second comparison was done between toads submitted to extinction following either short or long acquisition training, which results in toads displaying response extinction or resistance to extinction, respectively. We analyzed brain tissue transcription profiles common to both acquisition and extinction learning, or unique to extinction learning and resistance to extinction, and found significant overlap in gene expression related to molecular pathways involving neuronal plasticity (e.g. structural modification, transcription). However, extinction learning induced a unique GABAergic transcriptomic signal, which may be responsible for suppression of the original response memory. Further, when comparing extinction learning in short- and long-trained groups, short training engaged many pathways related to neuronal plasticity, as expected, but long training engaged molecular pathways related to the suppression of learning through epigenetic mediated transcriptional suppression and inhibitory neurotransmission. Overall, gene expression patterns associated with extinction learning in the fire-bellied toad were similar to those found in mammals submitted to extinction, although some divergent profiles highlighted potential differences in the mechanisms of learning and memory among tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vern Lewis
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Frédéric Laberge
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Andreas Heyland
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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Goymann W, Schwabl H. The tyranny of phylogeny-A plea for a less dogmatic stance on two-species comparisons: Funding bodies, journals and referees discourage two- or few-species comparisons, but such studies provide essential insights complementary to phylogenetic comparative studies. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2100071. [PMID: 34155665 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Phylogenetically controlled studies across multiple species correct for taxonomic confounds in physiological performance traits. Therefore, they are preferred over comparisons of two or few closely-related species. Funding bodies, referees and journal editors nowadays often even reject to consider detailed comparisons of two or few closely related species. Here, we plea for a less dogmatic stance on such comparisons, because phylogenetic studies come with their own limitations similar in magnitude as those of two-species comparisons. Two-species comparisons are particularly relevant and instructive for understanding physiological pathways and de novo mutations in three contexts: in a purely mechanistic context, when differences in the regulation of a trait are the focus of investigation, when a physiological trait lacks a direct connection to fitness, and when physiological measures cannot easily be standardized among laboratories. In conclusion, phylogenetic comparative and two-species studies have different strengths and weaknesses and combining these complementary approaches will help integrating biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Goymann
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Hubert Schwabl
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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Hauber ME, Louder MI, Griffith SC. Neurogenomic insights into the behavioral and vocal development of the zebra finch. eLife 2021; 10:61849. [PMID: 34106827 PMCID: PMC8238503 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a socially monogamous and colonial opportunistic breeder with pronounced sexual differences in singing and plumage coloration. Its natural history has led to it becoming a model species for research into sex differences in vocal communication, as well as behavioral, neural and genomic studies of imitative auditory learning. As scientists tap into the genetic and behavioral diversity of both wild and captive lineages, the zebra finch will continue to inform research into culture, learning, and social bonding, as well as adaptability to a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, United States
| | - Matthew Im Louder
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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James LS, Davies R, Mori C, Wada K, Sakata JT. Manipulations of sensory experiences during development reveal mechanisms underlying vocal learning biases in zebra finches. Dev Neurobiol 2020; 80:132-146. [PMID: 32330360 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Biological predispositions in learning can bias and constrain the cultural evolution of social and communicative behaviors (e.g., speech and birdsong), and lead to the emergence of behavioral and cultural "universals." For example, surveys of laboratory and wild populations of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) document consistent patterning of vocal elements ("syllables") with respect to their acoustic properties (e.g., duration, mean frequency). Furthermore, such universal patterns are also produced by birds that are experimentally tutored with songs containing randomly sequenced syllables ("tutored birds"). Despite extensive demonstrations of learning biases, much remains to be uncovered about the nature of biological predispositions that bias song learning and production in songbirds. Here, we examined the degree to which "innate" auditory templates and/or biases in vocal motor production contribute to vocal learning biases and production in zebra finches. Such contributions can be revealed by examining acoustic patterns in the songs of birds raised without sensory exposure to song ("untutored birds") or of birds that are unable to hear from early in development ("early-deafened birds"). We observed that untutored zebra finches and early-deafened zebra finches produce songs with positional variation in some acoustic features (e.g., mean frequency) that resemble universal patterns observed in tutored birds. Similar to tutored birds, early-deafened birds also produced song motifs with alternation in acoustic features across adjacent syllables. That universal acoustic patterns are observed in the songs of both untutored and early-deafened birds highlights the contribution motor production biases to the emergence of universals in culturally transmitted behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ronald Davies
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Chihiro Mori
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Wada
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Jon T Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Center for Studies of Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Lewis V, Laberge F, Heyland A. Temporal Profile of Brain Gene Expression After Prey Catching Conditioning in an Anuran Amphibian. Front Neurosci 2020; 13:1407. [PMID: 31992968 PMCID: PMC6971186 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A key goal in modern neurobiology is to understand the mechanisms underlying learning and memory. To that end, it is essential to identify the patterns of gene expression and the temporal sequence of molecular events associated with learning and memory processes. It is also important to ascertain if and how these molecular events vary between organisms. In vertebrates, learning and memory processes are characterized by distinct phases of molecular activity involving gene transcription, structural change, and long-term maintenance of such structural change in the nervous system. Utilizing next generation sequencing techniques, we profiled the temporal expression patterns of genes in the brain of the fire-bellied toad Bombina orientalis after prey catching conditioning. The fire-bellied toad is a basal tetrapod whose neural architecture and molecular pathways may help us understand the ancestral state of learning and memory mechanisms in tetrapods. Differential gene expression following conditioning revealed activity in molecular pathways related to immediate early genes (IEG), cytoskeletal modification, axon guidance activity, and apoptotic processes. Conditioning induced early IEG activity coinciding with transcriptional activity and neuron structural modification, followed by axon guidance and cell adhesion activity, and late neuronal pruning. While some of these gene expression patterns are similar to those found in mammals submitted to conditioning, some interesting divergent expression profiles were seen, and differential expression of some well-known learning-related mammalian genes is missing altogether. These results highlight the importance of using a comparative approach in the study of the mechanisms of leaning and memory and provide molecular resources for a novel vertebrate model in the relatively poorly studied Amphibia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vern Lewis
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Andreas Heyland
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Abstract
Vocal communication is critical for social interactions across a diversity of animals. A subset of those animals, including humans and songbirds, must learn how to produce their vocal communication signals. In this issue of PLOS Biology, Wang and colleagues use genome-wide investigations of gene expression in species hybrids to uncover transcriptional networks that could influence species differences in song learning and production. We provide an overview of birdsong learning and discuss how the study by Wang and colleagues advances our understanding of mechanisms of song learning and evolution. This Primer explores vocal learning in songbirds, focusing on the use of cross-fostering and species hybrids methods employed in a recent study to uncover transcriptional networks important for between-species differences in song learning and production.
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