Anterior Pituitary Transcriptome Suggests Differences in ACTH Release in Tame and Aggressive Foxes

G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics

article

Jessica P. Hekman¹  Jennifer L. Johnson¹  Whitney Edwards²  Anastasiya V. Vladimirova³  Rimma G. Gulevich³  Alexandra L. Ford¹  Anastasiya V. Kharlamova³  Yury Herbeck³  Gregory M. Acland⁵  Lori T. Raetzman²  Lyudmila N. Trut³  Anna V. Kukekova¹ 

[1]Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801

[2]Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801

[3]Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

[4]Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801

[5]Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York 14853

关键词: RNA-seq;    pituitary;    domestication;    hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis;    Vulpes vulpes;   

DOI  :  10.1534/g3.117.300508

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Genetics Society of America

【 摘 要 】

Domesticated species exhibit a suite of behavioral, endocrinological, and morphological changes referred to as “domestication syndrome.” These changes may include a reduction in reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and specifically reduced adrenocorticotropic hormone release from the anterior pituitary. To investigate the biological mechanisms targeted during domestication, we investigated gene expression in the pituitaries of experimentally domesticated foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ). RNA was sequenced from the anterior pituitary of six foxes selectively bred for tameness (“tame foxes”) and six foxes selectively bred for aggression (“aggressive foxes”). Expression, splicing, and network differences identified between the two lines indicated the importance of genes related to regulation of exocytosis, specifically mediated by cAMP, organization of pseudopodia, and cell motility. These findings provide new insights into biological mechanisms that may have been targeted when these lines of foxes were selected for behavior and suggest new directions for research into HPA axis regulation and the biological underpinnings of domestication.

【 授权许可】

CC BY|CC BY-NC