Unknown,Transcriptomics,Genomics,Proteomics

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Alterations in the gene expression pattern of the pituitary is consistent with the domesticated phenotype in chickens

ABSTRACT: Domesticated animals share a unique set of morphological and behavioural traits, jointly referred to as the domesticated phenotype. These include modified growth, reproduction, metabolism, pubertal development and stress response. Striking similarities amongst a range of unrelated domesticated species suggest that similar regulatory mechanisms may underlie the domesticated phenotype. Several previous studies have focused on the brain to find mechanisms underlying domestication effects on the stress response, whereas the potential role of the pituitary gland as a target of domestication is highly overlooked. Here, we study gene expression in the pituitary gland of the domesticated White Leghorn chicken and its ancestor, the Red Junglefowl. We exposed chicken of both breeds to 15 minutes of restraint stress. We then culled the animals and dissected out the pituitary gland and snap froze them. RNA was later extracted from the pituitaries and gene expression was measured using Agilent microarray.

ORGANISM(S): Gallus gallus

SUBMITTER: Pia Løtvedt

PROVIDER: E-MTAB-6269 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress

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Project description:Domesticated animal populations often show profound reductions in predator avoidance and fear-related behavior compared to wild populations. These reductions are remarkably consistent and have been observed in a diverse array of taxa including fish, birds, and mammals. Experiments conducted in common environments indicate that these behavioral differences have a genetic basis. In this study, we quantified differences in fear-related behavior between wild and domesticated zebrafish strains and used microarray analysis to identify genes that may be associated with this variation. Compared to wild zebrafish, domesticated zebrafish spent more time near the water surface and were more likely to occupy the front of the aquarium nearest a human observer. Microarray analysis of the brain transcriptome identified high levels of population variation in gene expression, with 1,749 genes significantly differentially expressed among populations. Genes that varied among populations belonged to functional categories that included DNA repair, DNA photolyase activity, response to light stimulus, neuron development and axon guidance, cell death, iron-binding, chromatin reorganization, and homeobox genes. Comparatively fewer genes (112) differed between domesticated and wild strains with notable genes including gpr177 (wntless), selenoprotein P1a, synaptophysin and synaptoporin, and acyl-CoA binding domain containing proteins (acbd3 and acbd4). Microarray analysis identified a large number of genes that differed among zebrafish populations and may underlie behavioral domestication. Comparisons with similar microarray studies of domestication in rainbow trout and canids identified sixteen evolutionarily or functionally related genes that may represent components of shared molecular mechanisms underlying convergent behavioral evolution during vertebrate domestication. However, this conclusion must be tempered by limitations associated with comparisons among microarray studies and the low level of population-level replication inherent to these studies. RNA was extracted from the brains of fish from four behaviorally distinct strains of zebrafish and hybridized on Affymetrix microarrays. Brains from 2-5 individual fish of the same sex were pooled and homogenized together, for a total of two biological replicate pools per sex per strain (16 microarrays total).

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Alterations in the gene expression pattern of the pituitary is consistent with the domesticated phenotype in chickens

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