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Zuniga A, Han J, Miller-Crews I, Agee LA, Hofmann HA, Drew MR. Extinction Training Suppresses Activity of Fear Memory Ensembles Across the Hippocampus and Alters Transcriptomes of Fear-Encoding Cells. bioRxiv 2024:2023.12.31.573787. [PMID: 38260411 PMCID: PMC10802378 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.31.573787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Contextual fear conditioning has been shown to activate a set of "fear ensemble" cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) whose reactivation is necessary and sufficient for expression of contextual fear. We previously demonstrated that extinction learning suppresses reactivation of these fear ensemble cells and activates a competing set of DG cells - the "extinction ensemble." Here, we tested whether extinction was sufficient to suppress reactivation in other regions and used single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) of cells in the dorsal dentate gyrus to examine how extinction affects the transcriptomic activity of fear ensemble and fear recall-activated cells. Our results confirm the suppressive effects of extinction in the dorsal and ventral dentate gyrus and demonstrate that this same effect extends to fear ensemble cells located in the dorsal CA1. Interestingly, the extinction-induced suppression of fear ensemble activity was not detected in ventral CA1. Our snRNA-seq analysis demonstrates that extinction training markedly changes transcription patterns in fear ensemble cells and that cells activated during recall of fear and recall of extinction have distinct transcriptomic profiles. Together, our results indicate that extinction training suppresses a broad portion of the fear ensemble in the hippocampus, and this suppression is accompanied by changes in the transcriptomes of fear ensemble cells and the emergence of a transcriptionally unique extinction ensemble.
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2
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DeAngelis RS, Hofmann HA. The spread of fear in an empathetic fish. Science 2023; 379:1186-1187. [PMID: 36952409 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh0769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
An evolutionarily ancient signaling pathway mediates emotional contagion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross S DeAngelis
- Department of Integrative Biology and Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology and Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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3
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Clites BL, Hofmann HA, Pierce JT. The Promise of an Evolutionary Perspective of Alcohol Consumption. Neurosci Insights 2023; 18:26331055231163589. [PMID: 37051560 PMCID: PMC10084549 DOI: 10.1177/26331055231163589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The urgent need for medical treatments of alcohol use disorders has motivated the search for novel molecular targets of alcohol response. Most studies exploit the strengths of lab animals without considering how these and other species may have adapted to respond to alcohol in an ecological context. Here, we provide an evolutionary perspective on the molecular and genetic underpinnings of alcohol consumption by reviewing evidence that alcohol metabolic enzymes have undergone adaptive evolution at 2 evolutionary junctures: first, to enable alcohol consumption accompanying the advent of a frugivorous diet in a primate ancestor, and second, to decrease the likelihood of excessive alcohol consumption concurrent with the spread of agriculture and fermentation in East Asia. By similarly considering how diverse vertebrate and invertebrate species have undergone natural selection for alcohol responses, novel conserved molecular targets of alcohol are likely be discovered that may represent promising therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Clites
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Cellular & Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Institute for Cellular & Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jonathan T Pierce
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Cellular & Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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4
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Solomon-Lane TK, Butler RM, Hofmann HA. Vasopressin mediates nonapeptide and glucocorticoid signaling and social dynamics in juvenile dominance hierarchies of a highly social cichlid fish. Horm Behav 2022; 145:105238. [PMID: 35932752 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105238] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Early-life social experience can strongly affect adult behavior, yet the behavioral mechanisms underlying developmental trajectories are poorly understood. Here, we use the highly social cichlid, Burton's Mouthbrooder (Astatotilapia burtoni) to investigate juvenile social status and behavior, as well as the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms. We placed juveniles in pairs or triads and found that they readily establish social status hierarchies, with some group structural variation depending on group size, as well as the relative body size of the group members. Next, we used intracerebroventricular injections to test the hypothesis that arginine vasopressin (AVP) regulates juvenile social behavior and status, similar to adult A. burtoni. While we found no direct behavioral effects of experimentally increasing (via vasotocin) or decreasing (via antagonist Manning Compound) AVP signaling, social interactions directed at the treated individual were significantly altered. This group-level effect of central AVP manipulation was also reflected in a significant shift in whole brain expression of genes involved in nonapeptide signaling (AVP, oxytocin, and oxytocin receptor) and the neuroendocrine stress axis (corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), glucocorticoid receptors (GR) 1a and 1b). Further, social status was associated with the expression of genes involved in glucocorticoid signaling (GR1a, GR1b, GR2, mineralocorticoid receptor), social interactions with the dominant fish, and nonapeptide signaling activity (AVP, AVP receptor V1aR2, OTR). Together, our results considerably expand our understanding of the context-specific emergence of social dominance hierarchies in juveniles and demonstrate a role for nonapeptide and stress axis signaling in the regulation of social status and social group dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa K Solomon-Lane
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
| | - Rebecca M Butler
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Institute for Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
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5
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Friesen CN, Maclaine KD, Hofmann HA. Social status mediates behavioral, endocrine, and neural responses to an intruder challenge in a social cichlid, Astatotilapia burtoni. Horm Behav 2022; 145:105241. [PMID: 35964525 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Most animals encounter social challenges throughout their lives as they compete for resources. Individual responses to such challenges can depend on social status, sex, and community-level attributes, yet most of our knowledge of the behavioral and physiological mechanisms by which individuals respond to challenges has come from dyadic interactions between a resource holder and a challenger (usually both males). To incorporate differences in individual behavior that are influenced by surrounding group members, we use naturalistic communities of the cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, and examine resident dominant male responses to a territorial intrusion within the social group. We measured behavior and steroid hormones (testosterone and cortisol), and neural activity in key brain regions implicated in regulating territorial and social dominance behavior. In response to a male intruder, resident dominant males shifted from border defense to overt attack behavior, accompanied by decreased basolateral amygdala activity. These differences were context dependent - resident dominant males only exhibited increased border defense when the intruder secured dominance. Neither subordinate males nor females changed their behavior in response to a territorial intrusion in their community. However, neural activity in both hippocampus and lateral septum of subordinates increased when the intruder failed to establish dominance. Our results demonstrate how a social challenge results in multi-faceted behavioral, hormonal, and neural changes, depending on social status, sex, and the outcome of an intruder challenge. Taken together, our work provides novel insights into the mechanisms through which individual group members display context- and status-appropriate challenge responses in dynamic social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin N Friesen
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, USA; Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, USA.
| | - Kendra D Maclaine
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, USA; Institute for Cellular & Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, USA; Institute for Cellular & Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
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6
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Abstract
Learning and decision-making are greatly influenced by context. When navigating a complex social world, individuals must quickly ascertain where to gain important resources and which group members are useful sources of such information. Such dynamic behavioural processes require neural mechanisms that are flexible across contexts. Here we examine how the social context influences the learning response during a cue discrimination task and the neural activity patterns that underlie acquisition of this novel information. Using the cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, we show that learning of the task is faster in social groups than in a non-social context. We quantify the neural activity patterns by examining the expression of Fos, an immediate-early gene, across brain regions known to play a role in social behaviour and learning (such as the putative teleost homologues of the mammalian hippocampus, basolateral amygdala and medial amygdala/BNST complex). We find that neural activity patterns differ between social and non-social contexts. Taken together, our results suggest that while the same brain regions may be involved in the learning of a cue association, the activity in each region reflects an individual's social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Rodriguez-Santiago
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Alex Jordan
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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7
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Wallace KJ, Choudhary KD, Kutty LA, Le DH, Lee MT, Wu K, Hofmann HA. Social ascent changes cognition, behaviour and physiology in a highly social cichlid fish. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200448. [PMID: 35000445 PMCID: PMC8743896 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
When an individual ascends in dominance status within their social community, they often undergo a suite of behavioural, physiological and neuromolecular changes. While these changes have been extensively characterized across a number of species, we know much less about the degree to which these changes in turn influence cognitive processes like associative learning, memory and spatial navigation. Here, we assessed male Astatotilapia burtoni, an African cichlid fish known for its dynamic social dominance hierarchies, in a set of cognitive tasks both before and after a community perturbation in which some individuals ascended in dominance status. We assayed steroid hormone (cortisol, testosterone) levels before and after the community experienced a social perturbation. We found that ascending males changed their physiology and novel object recognition preference during the perturbation, and they subsequently differed in social competence from non-ascenders. Additionally, using a principal component analysis we were able to identify specific cognitive and physiological attributes that appear to predispose certain individuals to ascend in social status once a perturbation occurs. These previously undiscovered relationships between social ascent and cognition further emphasize the broad influence of social dominance on animal decision-making. 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)
- Kelly J. Wallace
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kavyaa D. Choudhary
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Layla A. Kutty
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Don H. Le
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Matthew T. Lee
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Karleen Wu
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Hans A. Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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8
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Weitekamp CA, Hofmann HA. Human Population Density and Reproductive Health: A Changing World Needs Endocrinology. Endocrinology 2021; 162:bqab198. [PMID: 34525211 PMCID: PMC8549112 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A. Weitekamp
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Hans A. Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas
at Austin, Austin, TX
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at
Austin, Austin, TX
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9
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Miller-Crews I, Matz MV, Hofmann HA. A 2b-RAD parentage analysis pipeline for complex and mixed DNA samples. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2021; 55:102590. [PMID: 34509741 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102590] [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: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing technology has revolutionized genotyping in many fields of study, yet parentage analysis often still relies on microsatellite markers that are costly to generate and are currently available only for a limited number of species. 2b-RAD sequencing (2b-RAD) is a DNA sequencing technique developed for ecological population genomics that utilizes type IIB restriction enzymes to generate consistent, uniform fragments across samples. This technology is inexpensive, effective with low DNA inputs, and robust to DNA degradation. Here, we developed a probabilistic genotyping-by-sequencing genetic testing pipeline for parentage analysis by using 2b-RAD for inferring familial relationships from mixed DNA samples and populations. Our approach to partial paternity assignment utilizes a novel weighted outlier paternity index (WOPI) adapted for next-generation sequencing data and an identity-by-state (IBS) matrix-based clustering method for pedigree reconstruction. The combination of these two parentage assignment methods overcomes two major obstacles faced by other genetic testing methods: 1) It allows detection of parentage when closely related or inbred individuals are in the alleged parent population (e.g., in laboratory strains); and 2) it resolves mixed DNA samples. We successfully demonstrate this novel approach by correctly inferring paternity for samples pooled from multiple offspring (i.e., entire clutches) in a highly inbred population of an East African cichlid fish. The unique advantages of 2b-RAD in combination with our bioinformatics pipeline enable straightforward and cost-effective parentage analysis in any species regardless of genomic resources available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Miller-Crews
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Mikhail V Matz
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institue for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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10
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Chan ME, Bhamidipati PS, Goldsby HJ, Hintze A, Hofmann HA, Young RL. Comparative Transcriptomics Reveals Distinct Patterns of Gene Expression Conservation through Vertebrate Embryogenesis. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6319027. [PMID: 34247223 PMCID: PMC8358226 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab160] [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] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite life's diversity, studies of variation often remind us of our shared evolutionary past. Abundant genome sequencing and analyses of gene regulatory networks illustrate that genes and entire pathways are conserved, reused, and elaborated in the evolution of diversity. Predating these discoveries, 19th-century embryologists observed that though morphology at birth varies tremendously, certain stages of vertebrate embryogenesis appear remarkably similar across vertebrates. In the mid to late 20th century, anatomical variability of early and late-stage embryos and conservation of mid-stages embryos (the "phylotypic" stage) was named the hourglass model of diversification. This model has found mixed support in recent analyses comparing gene expression across species possibly owing to differences in species, embryonic stages, and gene sets compared. We compare 186 microarray and RNA-seq data sets covering embryogenesis in six vertebrate species. We use an unbiased clustering approach to group stages of embryogenesis by transcriptomic similarity and ask whether gene expression similarity of clustered embryonic stages deviates from a null expectation. We characterize expression conservation patterns of each gene at each evolutionary node after correcting for phylogenetic nonindependence. We find significant enrichment of genes exhibiting early conservation, hourglass, late conservation patterns in both microarray and RNA-seq data sets. Enrichment of genes showing patterned conservation through embryogenesis indicates diversification of embryogenesis may be temporally constrained. However, the circumstances under which each pattern emerges remain unknown and require both broad evolutionary sampling and systematic examination of embryogenesis across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Chan
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA.,Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Pranav S Bhamidipati
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA.,Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Heather J Goldsby
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Arend Hintze
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA.,Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA.,Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Rebecca L Young
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA.,Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA
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11
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Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a growing literature from both epidemiologic and experimental animal studies suggesting that exposure to air pollution can lead to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we suggest that effects of air pollutant exposure on the brain may be even broader, with the potential to affect social decision-making in general. METHODS We discuss how the neurobiological substrates of social behavior are vulnerable to air pollution, then briefly present studies that examine the effects of air pollutant exposure on social behavior-related outcomes. RESULTS Few experimental studies have investigated the effects of air pollution on social behavior and those that have focus on standard laboratory tests in rodent model systems. Nonetheless, there is sufficient evidence to support a critical need for more research. CONCLUSION For future research, we suggest a comparative approach that utilizes diverse model systems to probe the effects of air pollution on a wider range of social behaviors, brain regions, and neurochemical pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A. Weitekamp
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC USA
| | - Hans A. Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas At Austin, Austin, TX USA
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas At Austin, Austin, TX USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas At Austin, Austin, TX USA
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12
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Maguire SM, DeAngelis R, Dijkstra PD, Jordan A, Hofmann HA. Social network dynamics predict hormone levels and behavior in a highly social cichlid fish. Horm Behav 2021; 132:104994. [PMID: 33991797 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Group living confers many benefits while simultaneously exposing group members to intense competition. An individual's rise to prominence within a group may conflict with the overall functioning of the group. There is therefore a complex and dynamic relationship between the behavioral displays that directly benefit an individual, the consequences of these actions for the community, and how they feed back on individual-level fitness. We used a network analysis approach to study the link between behavior, social stability, and steroid hormone levels in replicate communities of the cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, which live in social groups with a dominance hierarchy. We demonstrate that individual behavior can have direct and indirect effects on the behavior of others while also affecting group characteristics. Our results show that A. burtoni males form stable social networks, where dominant individuals act as hubs for social interactions. However, there was variation in the temporal stability in these networks, and this variation in stability impacted hormone levels. Dominant males had higher testosterone levels, however, the differences in testosterone levels between dominant and subordinate males were greatest in stable communities. In sum, our analyses provide novel insights into the processes by which individual and community properties interact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Maguire
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Ross DeAngelis
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Peter D Dijkstra
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alex Jordan
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institue for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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13
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Hernandez Scudder ME, Young RL, Thompson LM, Kore P, Crews D, Hofmann HA, Gore AC. EDCs Reorganize Brain-Behavior Phenotypic Relationships in Rats. J Endocr Soc 2021; 5:bvab021. [PMID: 33928200 PMCID: PMC8055178 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvab021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
All species, including humans, are exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Previous experiments have shown behavioral deficits caused by EDCs that have implications for social competence and sexual selection. The neuromolecular mechanisms for these behavioral changes induced by EDCs have not been thoroughly explored. Here, we tested the hypothesis that EDCs administered to rats during a critical period of embryonic brain development would lead to the disruption of normal social preference behavior, and that this involves a network of underlying gene pathways in brain regions that regulate these behaviors. Rats were exposed prenatally to human-relevant concentrations of EDCs (polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], vinclozolin [VIN]), or vehicle. In adulthood, a sociosexual preference test was administered. We profiled gene expression of in preoptic area, medial amygdala, and ventromedial nucleus. Prenatal PCBs impaired sociosexual preference in both sexes, and VIN disrupted this behavior in males. Each brain region had unique sets of genes altered in a sex- and EDC-specific manner. The effects of EDCs on individual traits were typically small, but robust; EDC exposure changed the relationships between gene expression and behavior, a pattern we refer to as dis-integration and reconstitution. These findings underscore the effects that developmental exposure to EDCs can have on adult social behavior, highlight sex-specific and individual variation in responses, and provide a foundation for further work on the disruption of genes and behavior after prenatal exposure to EDCs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca L Young
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Pragati Kore
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - David Crews
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.,Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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14
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Arasappan D, Eickhoff SB, Nemeroff CB, Hofmann HA, Jabbi M. Transcription Factor Motifs Associated with Anterior Insula Gene Expression Underlying Mood Disorder Phenotypes. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:1978-1989. [PMID: 33411239 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02195-8] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Mood disorders represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide but the brain-related molecular pathophysiology in mood disorders remains largely undefined. Because the anterior insula is reduced in volume in patients with mood disorders, RNA was extracted from the anterior insula postmortem anterior insula of mood disorder samples and compared with unaffected controls for RNA-sequencing identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in (a) bipolar disorder (BD; n = 37) versus (vs.) controls (n = 33), and (b) major depressive disorder (MDD n = 30) vs. controls, and (c) low vs. high axis I comorbidity (a measure of cumulative psychiatric disease burden). Given the regulatory role of transcription factors (TFs) in gene expression via specific-DNA-binding domains (motifs), we used JASPAR TF binding database to identify TF-motifs. We found that DEGs in BD vs. controls, MDD vs. controls, and high vs. low axis I comorbidity were associated with TF-motifs that are known to regulate expression of toll-like receptor genes, cellular homeostatic-control genes, and genes involved in embryonic, cellular/organ, and brain development. Robust imaging-guided transcriptomics by using meta-analytic imaging results to guide independent postmortem dissection for RNA-sequencing was applied by targeting the gray matter volume reduction in the anterior insula in mood disorders, to guide independent postmortem identification of TF motifs regulating DEG. Our findings of TF-motifs that regulate the expression of immune, cellular homeostatic-control, and developmental genes provide novel information about the hierarchical relationship between gene regulatory networks, the TFs that control them, and proximate underlying neuroanatomical phenotypes in mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhivya Arasappan
- Center for Biomedical Research Support, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Charles B Nemeroff
- Department of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- The Mulva Clinic for Neurosciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Mbemba Jabbi
- Department of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
- The Mulva Clinic for Neurosciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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15
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Wallace KJ, Hofmann HA. Equal performance but distinct behaviors: sex differences in a novel object recognition task and spatial maze in a highly social cichlid fish. Anim Cogn 2021; 24:1057-1073. [PMID: 33718996 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01498-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in behavior and cognition can be driven by differential selection pressures from the environment and in the underlying neuromolecular mechanisms of decision-making. The highly social cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni exhibits dynamic and complex social hierarchies, yet explicit cognitive testing (outside of social contexts) and investigations of sex differences in cognition have yet to be fully explored. Here we assessed male and female A. burtoni in two cognitive tasks: a novel object recognition task and a spatial task. We hypothesized that males outperform females in a spatial learning task and exhibit more neophilic/exploratory behavior across both tasks. In the present study we find that both sexes prefer the familiar object in a novel object recognition task, but the time at which they exhibit this preference differs between the sexes. Females more frequently learned the spatial task, exhibiting longer decision latencies and quicker error correction, suggesting a potential speed-accuracy tradeoff. Furthermore, the sexes differ in space use in both tasks and in a principal component analysis of the spatial task. A model selection analysis finds that preference, approach, and interaction duration in the novel object recognition task reach a threshold of importance averaged across all models. This work highlights the need to explicitly test for sex differences in cognition to better understand how individuals navigate dynamic social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Wallace
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, 1 University Station C0990, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, 1 University Station C0990, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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16
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Sinha S, Jones BM, Traniello IM, Bukhari SA, Halfon MS, Hofmann HA, Huang S, Katz PS, Keagy J, Lynch VJ, Sokolowski MB, Stubbs LJ, Tabe-Bordbar S, Wolfner MF, Robinson GE. Behavior-related gene regulatory networks: A new level of organization in the brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:23270-23279. [PMID: 32661177 PMCID: PMC7519311 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1921625117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [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: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal networks are the standard heuristic model today for describing brain activity associated with animal behavior. Recent studies have revealed an extensive role for a completely distinct layer of networked activities in the brain-the gene regulatory network (GRN)-that orchestrates expression levels of hundreds to thousands of genes in a behavior-related manner. We examine emerging insights into the relationships between these two types of networks and discuss their interplay in spatial as well as temporal dimensions, across multiple scales of organization. We discuss properties expected of behavior-related GRNs by drawing inspiration from the rich literature on GRNs related to animal development, comparing and contrasting these two broad classes of GRNs as they relate to their respective phenotypic manifestations. Developmental GRNs also represent a third layer of network biology, playing out over a third timescale, which is believed to play a crucial mediatory role between neuronal networks and behavioral GRNs. We end with a special emphasis on social behavior, discuss whether unique GRN organization and cis-regulatory architecture underlies this special class of behavior, and review literature that suggests an affirmative answer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Sinha
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801;
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Beryl M Jones
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Ian M Traniello
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Syed A Bukhari
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
- Informatics Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61820
| | - Marc S Halfon
- Department of Biochemistry, University at Buffalo-State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Sui Huang
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109
| | - Paul S Katz
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003
| | - Jason Keagy
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Vincent J Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo-State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260
| | - Marla B Sokolowski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
- Program in Child and Brain Development, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Lisa J Stubbs
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Shayan Tabe-Bordbar
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850
| | - Gene E Robinson
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801;
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801
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17
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Abstract
Female mate choice is a dynamic process that allows individuals to selectively mate with those of the opposite sex that display a preferred set of traits. Because in many species males compete with each other for fertilization opportunities, female mate choice can be a powerful agent of sexual selection, often resulting in highly conspicuous traits in males. Although the evolutionary causes and consequences of the ornamentation and behaviors displayed by males to attract mates have been well studied, embarrassingly little is known about the proximate neural mechanisms through which female choice occurs. In vertebrates, female mate choice is inherently a social behavior, and although much remains to be discovered about this process, recent evidence suggests the neural substrates and circuits underlying other fundamental social behaviors (such as pair bonding, aggression and parental care) are likely similarly recruited during mate choice. Notably, female mate choice is not static, as social and ecological environments can shape the brain and, consequently, behavior in specific ways. In this Review, we discuss how social and/or ecological influences mediate female choice and how this occurs within the brain. We then discuss our current understanding of the neural substrates underlying female mate choice, with a specific focus on those that also play a role in regulating other social behaviors. Finally, we propose several promising avenues for future research by highlighting novel model systems and new methodological approaches, which together will transform our understanding of the causes and consequences of female mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross S DeAngelis
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA .,Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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18
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Wylie DC, Hofmann HA, Zemelman BV. SArKS: de novo discovery of gene expression regulatory motif sites and domains by suffix array kernel smoothing. Bioinformatics 2020; 35:3944-3952. [PMID: 30903136 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btz198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION We set out to develop an algorithm that can mine differential gene expression data to identify candidate cell type-specific DNA regulatory sequences. Differential expression is usually quantified as a continuous score-fold-change, test-statistic, P-value-comparing biological classes. Unlike existing approaches, our de novo strategy, termed SArKS, applies non-parametric kernel smoothing to uncover promoter motif sites that correlate with elevated differential expression scores. SArKS detects motif k-mers by smoothing sequence scores over sequence similarity. A second round of smoothing over spatial proximity reveals multi-motif domains (MMDs). Discovered motif sites can then be merged or extended based on adjacency within MMDs. False positive rates are estimated and controlled by permutation testing. RESULTS We applied SArKS to published gene expression data representing distinct neocortical neuron classes in Mus musculus and interneuron developmental states in Homo sapiens. When benchmarked against several existing algorithms using a cross-validation procedure, SArKS identified larger motif sets that formed the basis for regression models with higher correlative power. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION https://github.com/denniscwylie/sarks. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis C Wylie
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Boris V Zemelman
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Center for Learning and Memory, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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19
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Yin W, Borniger JC, Wang X, Maguire SM, Munselle ML, Bezner KS, Tesfamariam HM, Garcia AN, Hofmann HA, Nelson RJ, Gore AC. Estradiol treatment improves biological rhythms in a preclinical rat model of menopause. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 83:1-10. [PMID: 31585360 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The perimenopausal transition at middle age is often associated with hot flashes and sleep disruptions, metabolic changes, and other symptoms. Whereas the mechanisms for these processes are incompletely understood, both aging (AG) and a loss of ovarian estrogens play contributing roles. Furthermore, the timing of when estradiol (E) treatment should commence and for how long are key clinical questions in the management of symptoms. Using a rat model of surgical menopause, we determined the effects of regimens of E treatment with differing time at onset and duration of treatment on diurnal rhythms of activity and core temperature and on food intake and body weight. Reproductively mature (MAT, ∼4 months) or AG (∼11 months) female rats were ovariectomized, implanted intraperitoneally with a telemetry device, and given either a vehicle (V) or E subcutaneous capsule implantation. Rats were remotely recorded for 10 days per month for 3 (MAT) or 6 (AG) months. To ascertain whether delayed onset of treatment affected rhythms, a subset of AG-V rats had their capsules switched to E at the end of 3 months. Another set of AG-E rats had their capsules removed at 3 months to determine whether beneficial effects of E would persist. Overall, activity and temperature mesor, robustness, and amplitude declined with AG. Compared to V treatment, E-treated rats showed (1) better maintenance of body weight and food intake; (2) higher, more consolidated activity and temperature rhythms; and (3) higher activity and temperature robustness and amplitude. In the AG arm of the study, switching treatment from V to E or E to V quickly reversed these patterns. Thus, the presence of E was the dominant factor in determining stability and amplitude of locomotor activity and temperature rhythms. As a whole, the results show benefits of E treatment, even with a delay, on biological rhythms and physiological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiling Yin
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jeremy C Borniger
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xutong Wang
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Sean M Maguire
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Mercedes L Munselle
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Kelsey S Bezner
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Haben M Tesfamariam
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alexandra N Garcia
- Psychology Department, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Randy J Nelson
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Psychology Department, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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20
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Still MB, Lea AM, Hofmann HA, Ryan MJ. Multimodal stimuli regulate reproductive behavior and physiology in male túngara frogs. Horm Behav 2019; 115:104546. [PMID: 31233717 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Unlike in terrestrial animals, the boundary between internal (e.g., hormones) and external (e.g., social) stimulation can be blurred for aquatic and amphibious species. When chemicals such as hormones and glandular secretions leach into the water, they can further interact with other signaling systems, creating multimodal stimuli. It is unclear, however, whether water-borne chemical secretions from courting male frogs affect the physiology and behavior of their rivals. In order to address this question we first established non-invasive, continuous sampling methods for simultaneously measuring both hormones and behavior in amphibious species. Then, we examined whether interactions between water-borne chemical secretions and conspecific calls affect reproductive behavior and physiology (testosterone and corticosterone) of courting male túngara frogs. Our results demonstrate that conspecific acoustic stimulation alone increases locomotor activity, decreases latency to call, and increases calling behavior but does not alter the amount of hormones excreted. In response to water containing chemical secretions from rivals, but in the absence of calls from other males, males excrete more testosterone. Interestingly, the combined acoustic and chemical stimulus causes a multiplicative increase in both calling behavior and hormonal excretion. Taken together, our results suggest that a multimodal chemical-acoustic stimulus physiologically primes males for aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan B Still
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Amanda M Lea
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa Ancon, Panama
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21
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Solomon-Lane TK, Hofmann HA. Early-life social environment alters juvenile behavior and neuroendocrine function in a highly social cichlid fish. Horm Behav 2019; 115:104552. [PMID: 31276665 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Early-life experiences can shape adult behavior, with consequences for fitness and health, yet fundamental questions remain unanswered about how early-life social experiences are translated into variation in brain and behavior. The African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni, a model system in social neuroscience, is well known for its highly plastic social phenotypes in adulthood. Here, we rear juveniles in either social groups or pairs to investigate the effects of early-life social environments on behavior and neuroendocrine gene expression. We find that both juvenile behavior and neuroendocrine function are sensitive to early-life effects. Behavior robustly co-varies across multiple contexts (open field, social cue investigation, and dominance behavior assays) to form a behavioral syndrome, with pair-reared juveniles towards the end of syndrome that is less active and socially interactive. Pair-reared juveniles also submit more readily as subordinates. In a separate cohort, we measured whole brain expression of stress and sex hormone genes. Expression of glucocorticoid receptor 1a was elevated in group-reared juveniles, supporting a highly-conserved role for the stress axis mediating early-life effects. The effect of rearing environment on androgen receptor α and estrogen receptor α expression was mediated by treatment duration (1 vs. 5 weeks). Finally, expression of corticotropin-releasing factor and glucocorticoid receptor 2 decreased significantly over time. Rearing environment also caused striking differences in gene co-expression, such that expression was tightly integrated in pair-reared juveniles but not group-reared or isolates. Together, this research demonstrates the important developmental origins of behavioral phenotypes and identifies potential behavioral and neuroendocrine mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa K Solomon-Lane
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
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22
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Rubenstein DR, Ågren JA, Carbone L, Elde NC, Hoekstra HE, Kapheim KM, Keller L, Moreau CS, Toth AL, Yeaman S, Hofmann HA. Coevolution of Genome Architecture and Social Behavior. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:844-855. [PMID: 31130318 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [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: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Although social behavior can have a strong genetic component, it can also result in selection on genome structure and function, thereby influencing the evolution of the genome itself. Here we explore the bidirectional links between social behavior and genome architecture by considering variation in social and/or mating behavior among populations (social polymorphisms) and across closely related species. We propose that social behavior can influence genome architecture via associated demographic changes due to social living. We establish guidelines to exploit emerging whole-genome sequences using analytical approaches that examine genome structure and function at different levels (regulatory vs structural variation) from the perspective of both molecular biology and population genetics in an ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin R Rubenstein
- Columbia University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology and Center for Integrative Animal Behavior, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - J Arvid Ågren
- Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Lucia Carbone
- Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Medicine, KCVI, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Oregon National Primate Research Center, Division of Genetics, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Nels C Elde
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Hopi E Hoekstra
- Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Harvard University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Karen M Kapheim
- Utah State University, Department of Biology, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Laurent Keller
- University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, UNIL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Corrie S Moreau
- Cornell University, Departments of Entomology and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Amy L Toth
- Iowa State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology and Department of Entomology, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Sam Yeaman
- University of Calgary, Department of Biological Sciences, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Integrative Biology and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2415 Speedway C-0990, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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23
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Harris RM, Kao HY, Alarcon JM, Hofmann HA, Fenton AA. Hippocampal transcriptomic responses to enzyme-mediated cellular dissociation. Hippocampus 2019; 29:876-882. [PMID: 31087609 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Single-neuron gene expression studies may be especially important for understanding nervous system structure and function because of the neuron-specific functionality and plasticity that defines functional neural circuits. Cellular dissociation is a prerequisite technical manipulation for single-cell and single cell-population studies, but the extent to which the cellular dissociation process affects neural gene expression has not been determined. This information is necessary for interpreting the results of experimental manipulations that affect neural function such as learning and memory. The goal of this research was to determine the impact of cellular dissociation on brain transcriptomes. We compared gene expression of microdissected samples from the dentate gyrus (DG), CA3, and CA1 subfields of the mouse hippocampus either prepared by a standard tissue homogenization protocol or subjected to enzymatic digestion used to dissociate cells within tissues. We report that compared to homogenization, enzymatic dissociation alters about 350 genes or 2% of the hippocampal transcriptome. While only a few genes canonically implicated in long-term potentiation and fear memory change expression levels in response to the dissociation procedure, these data indicate that sample preparation can affect gene expression profiles, which might confound interpretation of results depending on the research question. This study is important for the investigation of any complex tissues as research effort moves from subfield level analysis to single cell analysis of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayna M Harris
- Department of Integrative Biology, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.,Neural Systems and Behavior Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
| | - Hsin-Yi Kao
- Neural Systems and Behavior Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Juan Marcos Alarcon
- Neural Systems and Behavior Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.,Department of Pathology, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA.,The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.,Neural Systems and Behavior Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
| | - André A Fenton
- Neural Systems and Behavior Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York.,The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA.,Neuroscience Institute at the New York University Langone Medical Center, New York University, New York, New York
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24
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Nugent BM, Stiver KA, Hofmann HA, Alonzo SH. Experimentally induced variation in neuroendocrine processes affects male reproductive behaviour, sperm characteristics and social interactions. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3464-3481. [PMID: 30586201 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
While extensive research has focused on how social interactions evolve, the fitness consequences of the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying these interactions have rarely been documented, especially in the wild. Here, we measure how the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying male behaviour affect mating success and sperm competition in the ocellated wrasse (Symphodus ocellatus). In this species, males exhibit three alternative reproductive types. "Nesting males" provide parental care, defend territories and form cooperative associations with unrelated "satellites," who cheat by sneaking fertilizations but help by reducing sperm competition from "sneakers" who do not cooperate or provide care. To measure the fitness consequences of the mechanisms underlying these social interactions, we used "phenotypic engineering" that involved administering an androgen receptor antagonist (flutamide) to wild, free-living fish. Nesting males treated with flutamide shifted their aggression from sneakers to satellite males and experienced decreased submissiveness by sneaker males (which correlated with decreased nesting male mating success). The preoptic area (POA), a region controlling male reproductive behaviours, exhibited dramatic down-regulation of androgen receptor (AR) and vasotocin 1a receptor (V1aR) mRNA following experimental manipulation of androgen signalling. We did not find a direct effect of the manipulation on male mating success, paternity or larval production. However, variation in neuroendocrine mechanisms generated by the experimental manipulation was significantly correlated with changes in behaviour and mating success: V1aR expression was negatively correlated with satellite-directed aggression, and expression of its ligand arginine vasotocin (AVT) was positively correlated with courtship and mating success, thus revealing the potential for sexual selection on these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget M Nugent
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Integrative Biology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Kelly A Stiver
- Department of Psychology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Suzanne H Alonzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California
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25
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Li CY, Hofmann HA, Harris ML, Earley RL. Real or fake? Natural and artificial social stimuli elicit divergent behavioural and neural responses in mangrove rivulus, Kryptolebias marmoratus. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1610. [PMID: 30429304 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how the brain processes social information and generates adaptive behavioural responses is a major goal in neuroscience. We examined behaviour and neural activity patterns in socially relevant brain nuclei of hermaphroditic mangrove rivulus fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus) provided with different types of social stimuli: stationary model opponent, regular mirror, non-reversing mirror and live opponent. We found that: (i) individuals faced with a regular mirror were less willing to interact with, delivered fewer attacks towards and switched their orientation relative to the opponent more frequently than fish exposed to a non-reversing mirror image or live opponent; (ii) fighting with a regular mirror image caused higher expression of immediate-early genes (IEGs: egr-1 and c-Fos) in the teleost homologues of the basolateral amygdala and hippocampus, but lower IEG expression in the preoptic area, than fighting with a non-reversing mirror image or live opponent; (iii) stationary models elicited the least behavioural and IEG responses among the four stimuli; and (iv) the non-reversing mirror image and live opponent drove similar behavioural and neurobiological responses. These results suggest that the various stimuli provide different types of information related to conspecific recognition in the context of aggressive contests, which ultimately drive different neurobiological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Yu Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Melissa L Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Ryan L Earley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
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26
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kabelik
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA.
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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27
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Kabelik D, Weitekamp CA, Choudhury SC, Hartline JT, Smith AN, Hofmann HA. Neural activity in the social decision-making network of the brown anole during reproductive and agonistic encounters. Horm Behav 2018; 106:178-188. [PMID: 30342012 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Animals have evolved flexible strategies that allow them to evaluate and respond to their social environment by integrating the salience of external stimuli with internal physiological cues into adaptive behavioral responses. A highly conserved social decision-making network (SDMN), consisting of interconnected social behavior and mesolimbic reward networks, has been proposed to underlie such adaptive behaviors across all vertebrates, although our understanding of this system in reptiles is very limited. Here we measure neural activation across the SDMN and associated regions in the male brown anole (Anolis sagrei), within both reproductive and agonistic contexts, by quantifying the expression density of the immediate early gene product Fos. We then relate this neural activity measure to social context, behavioral expression, and activation (as measured by colocalization with Fos) of different phenotypes of 'source' node neurons that produce neurotransmitters and neuropeptides known to modulate SDMN 'target' node activity. Our results demonstrate that measures of neural activation across the SDMN network are generally independent of specific behavioral output, although Fos induction in a few select nodes of the social behavior network component of the SDMN does vary with social environment and behavioral output. Under control conditions, the mesolimbic reward nodes of the SDMN actually correlate little with the social behavior nodes, but the interconnectivity of these SDMN components increases dramatically within a reproductive context. When relating behavioral output to specific source node activation profiles, we found that catecholaminergic activation is associated with the frequency and intensity of reproductive behavior output, as well as with aggression intensity. Finally, in terms of the effects of source node activation on SDMN activity, we found that Ile8-oxytocin (mesotocin) populations correlate positively, while Ile3-vasopressin (vasotocin), catecholamine, and serotonin populations correlate negatively with SDMN activity. Taken together, our findings present evidence for a highly dynamic SDMN in reptiles that is responsive to salient cues in a social context-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kabelik
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA.
| | - Chelsea A Weitekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Shelley C Choudhury
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Jacob T Hartline
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Alexandra N Smith
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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28
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Abstract
The diversity of mating systems among animals is astounding. Importantly, similar mating systems have evolved even across distantly related taxa. However, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these convergently evolved phenotypes is limited. Here, we examine on a genomic scale the neuromolecular basis of social organization in cichlids of the tribe Ectodini from Lake Tanganyika. Using field-collected males and females of four closely related species representing two independent evolutionary transitions from polygyny to monogamy, we take a comparative transcriptomic approach to test the hypothesis that these independent transitions have recruited similar gene sets. Our results demonstrate that while lineage and species exert a strong influence on neural gene expression profiles, social phenotype can also drive gene expression evolution. Specifically, 331 genes (∼6% of those assayed) were associated with monogamous mating systems independent of species or sex. Among these genes, we find a strong bias (4:1 ratio) toward genes with increased expression in monogamous individuals. A highly conserved nonapeptide system known to be involved in the regulation of social behavior across animals was not associated with mating system in our analysis. Overall, our findings suggest deep molecular homologies underlying the convergent or parallel evolution of monogamy in different cichlid lineages of Ectodini.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heather E. Machado
- Department of Biology, Reed College
- Department of Biology, Stanford University
| | - Nina Duftner
- Department of Integrative Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
| | - Anna K. Sessa
- Department of Integrative Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
| | - Rayna M. Harris
- Department of Integrative Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
| | - Hans A. Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Institute for Neuroscience, the University of Texas at Austin
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29
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Renn SCP, O'Rourke CF, Aubin-Horth N, Fraser EJ, Hofmann HA. Dissecting the Transcriptional Patterns of Social Dominance across Teleosts. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 56:1250-1265. [PMID: 27940616 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In many species, under varying ecological conditions, social interactions among individuals result in the formation of dominance hierarchies. Despite general similarities, there are robust differences among dominance hierarchies across species, populations, environments, life stages, sexes, and individuals. Understanding the proximate mechanisms underlying the variation is an important step toward understanding the evolution of social behavior. However, physiological changes associated with dominance, such as gonadal maturation and somatic growth, often complicate efforts to identify the specific underlying mechanisms. Traditional gene expression analyses are useful for generating candidate gene lists, but are biased by choice of significance cut-offs and difficult to use for between-study comparisons. In contrast, complementary analysis tools allow one to both test a priori hypotheses and generate new hypotheses. Here we employ a meta-analysis of high-throughput expression profiling experiments to investigate the gene expression patterns that underlie mechanisms and evolution of behavioral social phenotypes. Specifically, we use a collection of datasets on social dominance in fish across social contexts, sex, and species. Using experimental manipulation to produce female dominance hierarchies in the cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni, heralded as a genomic model of social dominance, we generate gene lists, and assess molecular gene modules. In the dominant female gene expression profile, we demonstrate a strong pattern of up-regulation of genes previously identified as having male-biased expression and furthermore, compare expression biases between male and female dominance phenotypes. Using a threshold-free approach to identify correlation throughout ranked gene lists, we query previously published datasets associated with maternal behavior, alternative reproductive tactics, cooperative breeding, and sex-role reversal to describe correlations among these various neural gene expression profiles associated with different instances of social dominance. These complementary approaches capitalize on the high-throughput gene expression profiling from similar behavioral phenotypes in order to address the mechanisms associated with social dominance behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzy C P Renn
- *Department of Biology, Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock blvd, Portland, OR 97202, USA
| | - Cynthia F O'Rourke
- *Department of Biology, Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock blvd, Portland, OR 97202, USA
| | - Nadia Aubin-Horth
- Département de Biologie & Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, 1030 Avenue de la Médecine - Local 1242 Québec G1V 0A6, QC Canada
| | - Eleanor J Fraser
- UCSF School of Medicine, 513 Parnassus Ave, Med Sci, San Francisco, CA 94122, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, The University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway - C0990, Austin, TX 78705, USA
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30
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Dijkstra PD, Maguire SM, Harris RM, Rodriguez AA, DeAngelis RS, Flores SA, Hofmann HA. The melanocortin system regulates body pigmentation and social behaviour in a colour polymorphic cichlid fish. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2838. [PMID: 28356453 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The melanocortin system is a neuroendocrine system that regulates a range of physiological and behavioural processes. We examined the extent to which the melanocortin system simultaneously regulates colour and behaviour in the cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni We found that yellow males are more aggressive than blue males, in line with previous studies. We then found that exogenous α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) increases yellowness of the body and dispersal of xanthophore pigments in both morphs. However, α-MSH had a morph-specific effect on aggression, with only blue males showing an increase in the rate of aggression. Exogenous agouti signalling peptide (ASIP), a melanocortin antagonist, did not affect coloration but reduced the rate of aggression in both colour morphs. Blue males had higher cortisol levels than yellow males. Neural gene expression of melanocortin receptors (mcr) and ligands was not differentially regulated between colour morphs. In the skin, however, mc1r and pro-opiomelanocortin (pomc) β were upregulated in blue males, while asip 1 was upregulated in yellow males. The effects of α-MSH on behaviour and body coloration, combined with morph-specific regulation of the stress response and the melanocortin system, suggest that the melanocortin system contributes to the polymorphism in behaviour and coloration in A. burtoni.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Dijkstra
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA .,Behavioural Biology, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA
| | - Sean M Maguire
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Rayna M Harris
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Institute for Cellular & Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Agosto A Rodriguez
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Ross S DeAngelis
- Program for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Stephanie A Flores
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Institute for Cellular & Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.,Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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31
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Abstract
Nervous systems are among the most spectacular products of evolution. Their provenance and evolution have been of interest and often the subjects of intense debate since the late nineteenth century. The genomics era has provided researchers with a new set of tools with which to study the early evolution of neurons, and recent progress on the molecular evolution of the first neurons has been both exciting and frustrating. It has become increasingly obvious that genomic data are often insufficient to reconstruct complex phenotypes in deep evolutionary time because too little is known about how gene function evolves over deep time. Therefore, additional functional data across the animal tree are a prerequisite to a fuller understanding of cell evolution. To this end, we review the functional modules of neurons and the evolution of their molecular components, and we introduce the idea of hierarchical molecular evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Liebeskind
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Hans A. Hofmann
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - David M. Hillis
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Harold H. Zakon
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
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32
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Weitekamp CA, Nguyen J, Hofmann HA. Neuromolecular Regulation of Aggression Differs by Social Role during Joint Territory Defense. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:631-639. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
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33
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Weitekamp CA, Solomon-Lane TK, Del Valle P, Triki Z, Nugent BM, Hofmann HA. A Role for Oxytocin-Like Receptor in Social Habituation in a Teleost. Brain Behav Evol 2017; 89:153-161. [PMID: 28448987 DOI: 10.1159/000464098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) mediates social habituation in rodent model systems, but its role in mediating this effect in other vertebrates is unknown. We used males of the African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, to investigate two aspects of isotocin (IT; an OT homolog) signaling in social habituation. First, we examined the expression of IT receptor 2 (ITR2) as well as two immediate early genes in brain regions implicated in social recognition. Next, we examined IT neuron activity using immunohistochemistry. Patterns of gene expression in homologs of the amygdala and hippocampus implicate IT signaling in these regions in social habituation to a territorial neighbor. In the preoptic area, the expression of the ITR2 subtype and IT neuron activity respond to the presence of a male, independent of familiarity. Our results implicate IT in mediating social habituation in a teleost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A Weitekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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34
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Weitekamp CA, Hofmann HA. Neuromolecular correlates of cooperation and conflict during territory defense in a cichlid fish. Horm Behav 2017; 89:145-156. [PMID: 28108326 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cooperative behavior is widespread among animals, yet the neural mechanisms have not been studied in detail. We examined cooperative territory defense behavior and associated neural activity in candidate forebrain regions in the cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni. We find that a territorial male neighbor will engage in territory defense dependent on the perceived threat of the intruder. The resident male, on the other hand, engages in defense based on the size and behavior of his partner, the neighbor. In the neighbor, we find that an index of engagement correlates with neural activity in the putative homolog of the mammalian basolateral amygdala and in the preoptic area, as well as in preoptic dopaminergic neurons. In the resident, neighbor behavior is correlated with neural activity in the homolog of the mammalian hippocampus. Overall, we find distinct neural activity patterns between the neighbor and the resident, suggesting that an individual perceives and processes an intruder challenge differently during cooperative territory defense depending on its own behavioral role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A Weitekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USA.
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35
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Rodriguez-Santiago M, Nguyen J, Winton LS, Weitekamp CA, Hofmann HA. Arginine Vasotocin Preprohormone Is Expressed in Surprising Regions of the Teleost Forebrain. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:195. [PMID: 28855890 PMCID: PMC5557731 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonapeptides play a fundamental role in the regulation of social behavior, among numerous other functions. In particular, arginine vasopressin and its non-mammalian homolog, arginine vasotocin (AVT), have been implicated in regulating affiliative, reproductive, and aggressive behavior in many vertebrate species. Where these nonapeptides are synthesized in the brain has been studied extensively in most vertebrate lineages. While several hypothalamic and forebrain populations of vasopressinergic neurons have been described in amniotes, the consensus suggests that the expression of AVT in the brain of teleost fish is limited to the hypothalamus, specifically the preoptic area (POA) and the anterior tuberal nucleus (putative homolog of the mammalian ventromedial hypothalamus). However, as most studies in teleosts have focused on the POA, there may be an ascertainment bias. Here, we revisit the distribution of AVT preprohormone mRNA across the dorsal and ventral telencephalon of a highly social African cichlid fish. We first use in situ hybridization to map the distribution of AVT preprohormone mRNA across the telencephalon. We then use quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to assay AVT expression in the dorsomedial telencephalon, the putative homolog of the mammalian basolateral amygdala. We find evidence for AVT preprohormone mRNA in regions previously not associated with the expression of this nonapeptide, including the putative homologs of the mammalian extended amygdala, hippocampus, striatum, and septum. In addition, AVT preprohormone mRNA expression within the basolateral amygdala homolog differs across social contexts, suggesting a possible role in behavioral regulation. We conclude that the surprising presence of AVT preprohormone mRNA within dorsal and medial telencephalic regions warrants a closer examination of possible AVT synthesis locations in teleost fish, and that these may be more similar to what is observed in mammals and birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Rodriguez-Santiago
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Jessica Nguyen
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Lin S. Winton
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Chelsea A. Weitekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Hans A. Hofmann
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Hans A. Hofmann,
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36
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Hofmann HA, Renn SCP, Rubenstein DR. Introduction to Symposium: New Frontiers in the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior: Nothing in Neuroscience Makes Sense Except in the Light of Behavior. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:1192-1196. [PMID: 27940612 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hans A Hofmann
- *Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA .,Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Suzy C P Renn
- Department of Biology, Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97202, USA
| | - Dustin R Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Center for Integrative Animal Behavior, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
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37
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Abstract
Extended phenotypes offer a unique opportunity to experimentally manipulate and identify sources of selection acting on traits under natural conditions. The social cichlid fish Neolamprologus multifasciatus builds nests by digging up aquatic snail shells, creating an extended sexual phenotype that is highly amenable to experimental manipulation through addition of extra shells. Here, we find sources of both positive sexual selection and opposing natural selection acting on this trait; augmenting shell nests increases access to mates, but also increases social aggression and predation risk. Increasing the attractiveness of one male also changed social interactions throughout the social network and altered the entire community structure. Manipulated males produced and received more displays from neighbouring females, who also joined augmented male territories at higher rates than unmanipulated groups. However, males in more attractive territories received more aggression from neighbouring males, potentially as a form of social policing. We also detected a significant ecological cost of the ‘over-extended' phenotype; heterospecific predators usurped augmented nests at higher rates, using them as breeding sites and displacing residents. Using these natural experiments, we find that both social and ecological interactions generate clear sources of selection mediating the expression of an extended phenotype in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyndon Alexander Jordan
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany Laboratory of Animal Sociology, Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Japan Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Sean M Maguire
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Masanori Kohda
- Laboratory of Animal Sociology, Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Japan
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38
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Göppert C, Harris RM, Theis A, Boila A, Hohl S, Rüegg A, Hofmann HA, Salzburger W, Böhne A. Inhibition of Aromatase Induces Partial Sex Change in a Cichlid Fish: Distinct Functions for Sex Steroids in Brains and Gonads. Sex Dev 2016; 10:97-110. [DOI: 10.1159/000445463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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39
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Liebeskind BJ, Hillis DM, Zakon HH, Hofmann HA. Complex Homology and the Evolution of Nervous Systems. Trends Ecol Evol 2015; 31:127-135. [PMID: 26746806 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We examine the complex evolution of animal nervous systems and discuss the ramifications of this complexity for inferring the nature of early animals. Although reconstructing the origins of nervous systems remains a central challenge in biology, and the phenotypic complexity of early animals remains controversial, a compelling picture is emerging. We now know that the nervous system and other key animal innovations contain a large degree of homoplasy, at least on the molecular level. Conflicting hypotheses about early nervous system evolution are due primarily to differences in the interpretation of this homoplasy. We highlight the need for explicit discussion of assumptions and discuss the limitations of current approaches for inferring ancient phenotypic states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Liebeskind
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712.
| | - David M Hillis
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Harold H Zakon
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712; Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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40
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41
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42
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Ockendon NF, O'Connell LA, Bush SJ, Monzón-Sandoval J, Barnes H, Székely T, Hofmann HA, Dorus S, Urrutia AO. Optimization of next-generation sequencing transcriptome annotation for species lacking sequenced genomes. Mol Ecol Resour 2015; 16:446-58. [PMID: 26358618 PMCID: PMC4982090 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Revised: 08/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Next‐generation sequencing methods, such as RNA‐seq, have permitted the exploration of gene expression in a range of organisms which have been studied in ecological contexts but lack a sequenced genome. However, the efficacy and accuracy of RNA‐seq annotation methods using reference genomes from related species have yet to be robustly characterized. Here we conduct a comprehensive power analysis employing RNA‐seq data from Drosophila melanogaster in conjunction with 11 additional genomes from related Drosophila species to compare annotation methods and quantify the impact of evolutionary divergence between transcriptome and the reference genome. Our analyses demonstrate that, regardless of the level of sequence divergence, direct genome mapping (DGM), where transcript short reads are aligned directly to the reference genome, significantly outperforms the widely used de novo and guided assembly‐based methods in both the quantity and accuracy of gene detection. Our analysis also reveals that DGM recovers a more representative profile of Gene Ontology functional categories, which are often used to interpret emergent patterns in genomewide expression analyses. Lastly, analysis of available primate RNA‐seq data demonstrates the applicability of our observations across diverse taxa. Our quantification of annotation accuracy and reduced gene detection associated with sequence divergence thus provides empirically derived guidelines for the design of future gene expression studies in species without sequenced genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina F Ockendon
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.,Milner Centre, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Lauren A O'Connell
- FAS Centre for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Stephen J Bush
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.,Milner Centre, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Jimena Monzón-Sandoval
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.,Milner Centre, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Holly Barnes
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.,Milner Centre, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Tamás Székely
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.,Milner Centre, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Steve Dorus
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Araxi O Urrutia
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.,Milner Centre, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
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Abstract
The ultimate-level factors that drive the evolution of mating systems have been well studied, but an evolutionarily conserved neural mechanism involved in shaping behaviour and social organization across species has remained elusive. Here, we review studies that have investigated the role of neural arginine vasopressin (AVP), vasotocin (AVT), and their receptor V1a in mediating variation in territorial behaviour. First, we discuss how aggression and territoriality are a function of population density in an inverted-U relationship according to resource defence theory, and how territoriality influences some mating systems. Next, we find that neural AVP, AVT, and V1a expression, especially in one particular neural circuit involving the lateral septum of the forebrain, are associated with territorial behaviour in males of diverse species, most likely due to their role in enhancing social cognition. Then we review studies that examined multiple species and find that neural AVP, AVT, and V1a expression is associated with territory size in mammals and fishes. Because territoriality plays an important role in shaping mating systems in many species, we present the idea that neural AVP, AVT, and V1a expression that is selected to mediate territory size may also influence the evolution of different mating systems. Future research that interprets proximate-level neuro-molecular mechanisms in the context of ultimate-level ecological theory may provide deep insight into the brain-behaviour relationships that underlie the diversity of social organization and mating systems seen across the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald G Oldfield
- Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341 USA; Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA; Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Rayna M Harris
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA
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44
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Yin W, Maguire SM, Pham B, Garcia AN, Dang NV, Liang J, Wolfe A, Hofmann HA, Gore AC. Testing the Critical Window Hypothesis of Timing and Duration of Estradiol Treatment on Hypothalamic Gene Networks in Reproductively Mature and Aging Female Rats. Endocrinology 2015; 156:2918-33. [PMID: 26018250 PMCID: PMC4511137 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
At menopause, the dramatic loss of ovarian estradiol (E2) necessitates the adaptation of estrogen-sensitive neurons in the hypothalamus to an estrogen-depleted environment. We developed a rat model to test the "critical window" hypothesis of the effects of timing and duration of E2 treatment after deprivation on the hypothalamic neuronal gene network in the arcuate nucleus and the medial preoptic area. Rats at 2 ages (reproductively mature or aging) were ovariectomized and given E2 or vehicle replacement regimes of differing timing and duration. Using a 48-gene quantitative low-density PCR array and weighted gene coexpression network analysis, we identified gene modules differentially regulated by age, timing, and duration of E2 treatment. Of particular interest, E2 status differentially affected suites of genes in the hypothalamus involved in energy balance, circadian rhythms, and reproduction. In fact, E2 status was the dominant factor in determining gene modules and hormone levels; age, timing, and duration had more subtle effects. Our results highlight the plasticity of hypothalamic neuroendocrine systems during reproductive aging and its surprising ability to adapt to diverse E2 replacement regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiling Yin
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (W.Y., B.P., N.-V.D., J.L., A.C.G.), Departments of Integrative Biology (S.M.M., H.A.H.) and Psychology (A.N.G., A.C.G.), and Institute for Neuroscience (H.A.H., A.C.G.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (A.W.), Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Sean M Maguire
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (W.Y., B.P., N.-V.D., J.L., A.C.G.), Departments of Integrative Biology (S.M.M., H.A.H.) and Psychology (A.N.G., A.C.G.), and Institute for Neuroscience (H.A.H., A.C.G.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (A.W.), Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Brian Pham
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (W.Y., B.P., N.-V.D., J.L., A.C.G.), Departments of Integrative Biology (S.M.M., H.A.H.) and Psychology (A.N.G., A.C.G.), and Institute for Neuroscience (H.A.H., A.C.G.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (A.W.), Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Alexandra N Garcia
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (W.Y., B.P., N.-V.D., J.L., A.C.G.), Departments of Integrative Biology (S.M.M., H.A.H.) and Psychology (A.N.G., A.C.G.), and Institute for Neuroscience (H.A.H., A.C.G.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (A.W.), Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Nguyen-Vy Dang
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (W.Y., B.P., N.-V.D., J.L., A.C.G.), Departments of Integrative Biology (S.M.M., H.A.H.) and Psychology (A.N.G., A.C.G.), and Institute for Neuroscience (H.A.H., A.C.G.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (A.W.), Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Jingya Liang
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (W.Y., B.P., N.-V.D., J.L., A.C.G.), Departments of Integrative Biology (S.M.M., H.A.H.) and Psychology (A.N.G., A.C.G.), and Institute for Neuroscience (H.A.H., A.C.G.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (A.W.), Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Andrew Wolfe
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (W.Y., B.P., N.-V.D., J.L., A.C.G.), Departments of Integrative Biology (S.M.M., H.A.H.) and Psychology (A.N.G., A.C.G.), and Institute for Neuroscience (H.A.H., A.C.G.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (A.W.), Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (W.Y., B.P., N.-V.D., J.L., A.C.G.), Departments of Integrative Biology (S.M.M., H.A.H.) and Psychology (A.N.G., A.C.G.), and Institute for Neuroscience (H.A.H., A.C.G.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (A.W.), Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (W.Y., B.P., N.-V.D., J.L., A.C.G.), Departments of Integrative Biology (S.M.M., H.A.H.) and Psychology (A.N.G., A.C.G.), and Institute for Neuroscience (H.A.H., A.C.G.), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (A.W.), Baltimore, Maryland 21287
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Simões JM, Barata EN, Harris RM, O'Connell LA, Hofmann HA, Oliveira RF. Social odors conveying dominance and reproductive information induce rapid physiological and neuromolecular changes in a cichlid fish. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:114. [PMID: 25766511 PMCID: PMC4344806 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1255-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social plasticity is a pervasive feature of animal behavior. Animals adjust the expression of their social behavior to the daily changes in social life and to transitions between life-history stages, and this ability has an impact in their Darwinian fitness. This behavioral plasticity may be achieved either by rewiring or by biochemically switching nodes of the neural network underlying social behavior in response to perceived social information. Independent of the proximate mechanisms, at the neuromolecular level social plasticity relies on the regulation of gene expression, such that different neurogenomic states emerge in response to different social stimuli and the switches between states are orchestrated by signaling pathways that interface the social environment and the genotype. Here, we test this hypothesis by characterizing the changes in the brain profile of gene expression in response to social odors in the Mozambique Tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus. This species has a rich repertoire of social behaviors during which both visual and chemical information are conveyed to conspecifics. Specifically, dominant males increase their urination frequency during agonist encounters and during courtship to convey chemical information reflecting their dominance status. Results We recorded electro-olfactograms to test the extent to which the olfactory epithelium can discriminate between olfactory information from dominant and subordinate males as well as from pre- and post-spawning females. We then performed a genome-scale gene expression analysis of the olfactory bulb and the olfactory cortex homolog in order to identify the neuromolecular systems involved in processing these social stimuli. Conclusions Our results show that different olfactory stimuli from conspecifics’ have a major impact in the brain transcriptome, with different chemical social cues eliciting specific patterns of gene expression in the brain. These results confirm the role of rapid changes in gene expression in the brain as a genomic mechanism underlying behavioral plasticity and reinforce the idea of an extensive transcriptional plasticity of cichlid genomes, especially in response to rapid changes in their social environment. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1255-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Simões
- Unidade de Investigação em Eco-Etologia, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041, Lisbon, Portugal. .,Integrative Behavioural Biology Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal. .,Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Eduardo N Barata
- CCMAR-CIMAR Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal. .,Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Évora, Apartado 94, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal.
| | - Rayna M Harris
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. .,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Lauren A O'Connell
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. .,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. .,Current address: FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. .,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. .,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Rui F Oliveira
- Unidade de Investigação em Eco-Etologia, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041, Lisbon, Portugal. .,Integrative Behavioural Biology Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal. .,Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.
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46
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Taborsky M, Hofmann HA, Beery AK, Blumstein DT, Hayes LD, Lacey EA, Martins EP, Phelps SM, Solomon NG, Rubenstein DR. Taxon matters: promoting integrative studies of social behavior: NESCent Working Group on Integrative Models of Vertebrate Sociality: Evolution, Mechanisms, and Emergent Properties. Trends Neurosci 2015; 38:189-91. [PMID: 25656466 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2015.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 09/29/2014] [Revised: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The neural and molecular mechanisms underlying social behavior - including their functional significance and evolution - can only be fully understood using data obtained under multiple social, environmental, and physiological conditions. Understanding the complexity of social behavior requires integration across levels of analysis in both laboratory and field settings. However, there is currently a disconnect between the systems studied in the laboratory versus the field. We argue that recent conceptual and technical advances provide exciting new opportunities to close this gap by making non-model organisms accessible to modern approaches in both laboratory and nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Taborsky
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Division of Behavioural Ecology, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Annaliese K Beery
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Loren D Hayes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA
| | - Eileen A Lacey
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA 94720-3160, USA
| | - Emília P Martins
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington IN 47405, USA
| | - Steven M Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Nancy G Solomon
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Dustin R Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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47
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Huffman LS, Hinz FI, Wojcik S, Aubin-Horth N, Hofmann HA. Arginine vasotocin regulates social ascent in the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 212:106-13. [PMID: 24662391 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides modulate many aspects of behavior and physiology in a broad range of animals. Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is implicated in mediating social behavior in teleost fish, although its specific role varies between species, sexes, life stages, and social context. To investigate whether the effects of AVT on behavior depend on social context, we used the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni, which is well-known for its remarkable behavioral plasticity. We pharmacologically manipulated the AVT system in established socially dominant and subordinate A. burtoni males, as well as in males ascending to dominance status in a socially unstable environment. Our results show that exogenous AVT causes a stress response, as evidenced by reduced behavioral activity and increased circulating levels of cortisol in established dominant and subordinate males. Administration of the AVT antagonist Manning compound, on the other hand, did not affect established subordinate or dominant males. However, AVT antagonist-treated males ascending from subordinate to dominant status exhibited reduced aggressive and increased courtship behavior compared to vehicle-treated animals. Finally, we measured circulating cortisol levels and brain gene expression levels of AVT and its behaviorally relevant V1a2 receptor in all three social phenotypes and found that plasma cortisol and mRNA levels of both genes were increased in ascending males compared to dominant and subordinate males. Our results provide a more detailed understanding of the role of the AVT system in the regulation of complex behavior in a dynamically changing social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin S Huffman
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Integrative Biology, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain, Behavior, and Evolution, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Flora I Hinz
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Integrative Biology, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain, Behavior, and Evolution, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sophie Wojcik
- Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, Québec H2V 2S9, Canada
| | - Nadia Aubin-Horth
- Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, Québec H2V 2S9, Canada; Université Laval, Département de Biologie & Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Integrative Biology, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain, Behavior, and Evolution, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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48
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Striedter GF, Belgard TG, Chen CC, Davis FP, Finlay BL, Güntürkün O, Hale ME, Harris JA, Hecht EE, Hof PR, Hofmann HA, Holland LZ, Iwaniuk AN, Jarvis ED, Karten HJ, Katz PS, Kristan WB, Macagno ER, Mitra PP, Moroz LL, Preuss TM, Ragsdale CW, Sherwood CC, Stevens CF, Stüttgen MC, Tsumoto T, Wilczynski W. NSF workshop report: discovering general principles of nervous system organization by comparing brain maps across species. J Comp Neurol 2014; 522:1445-53. [PMID: 24596113 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Efforts to understand nervous system structure and function have received new impetus from the federal Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. Comparative analyses can contribute to this effort by leading to the discovery of general principles of neural circuit design, information processing, and gene-structure-function relationships that are not apparent from studies on single species. We here propose to extend the comparative approach to nervous system 'maps' comprising molecular, anatomical, and physiological data. This research will identify which neural features are likely to generalize across species, and which are unlikely to be broadly conserved. It will also suggest causal relationships between genes, development, adult anatomy, physiology, and, ultimately, behavior. These causal hypotheses can then be tested experimentally. Finally, insights from comparative research can inspire and guide technological development. To promote this research agenda, we recommend that teams of investigators coalesce around specific research questions and select a set of 'reference species' to anchor their comparative analyses. These reference species should be chosen not just for practical advantages, but also with regard for their phylogenetic position, behavioral repertoire, well-annotated genome, or other strategic reasons. We envision that the nervous systems of these reference species will be mapped in more detail than those of other species. The collected data may range from the molecular to the behavioral, depending on the research question. To integrate across levels of analysis and across species, standards for data collection, annotation, archiving, and distribution must be developed and respected. To that end, it will help to form networks or consortia of researchers and centers for science, technology, and education that focus on organized data collection, distribution, and training. These activities could be supported, at least in part, through existing mechanisms at NSF, NIH, and other agencies. It will also be important to develop new integrated software and database systems for cross-species data analyses. Multidisciplinary efforts to develop such analytical tools should be supported financially. Finally, training opportunities should be created to stimulate multidisciplinary, integrative research into brain structure, function, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg F Striedter
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
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49
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Stiver KA, Harris RM, Townsend JP, Hofmann HA, Alonzo SH. Neural Gene Expression Profiles and Androgen Levels Underlie Alternative Reproductive Tactics in the Ocellated Wrasse,Symphodus ocellatus. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A. Stiver
- Psychology Department; Southern Connecticut State University; New Haven CT USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Yale University; New Haven CT USA
| | - Rayna M. Harris
- Department of Integrative Biology; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics; The University of Texas at Austin; Austin TX USA
| | | | - Hans A. Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics; The University of Texas at Austin; Austin TX USA
| | - Suzanne H. Alonzo
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Yale University; New Haven CT USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Earth and Marine Sciences Building; University of California Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz CA USA
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50
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Hofmann HA, Beery AK, Blumstein DT, Couzin ID, Earley RL, Hayes LD, Hurd PL, Lacey EA, Phelps SM, Solomon NG, Taborsky M, Young LJ, Rubenstein DR. An evolutionary framework for studying mechanisms of social behavior. Trends Ecol Evol 2014; 29:581-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2013] [Revised: 07/13/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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