Sex allocation plasticity on a transcriptome scale: socially-sensitive gene expression in a simultaneous hermaphrodite
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PROVIDER: PRJNA511444 | ENA |
REPOSITORIES: ENA
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Project description:We report gene expression patterns for the flatworm Macrostomum lignano in four different social envirionments expected to influence allocation to the male and female sex functions
2019-03-01 | GSE123594 | GEO
Project description:Memory allocation refers to the process by which neurons are recruited into the encoding ensemble to store learned information. This recruitment is regulated by neuronal selection based on differences in intrinsic excitability (IE) and the expression of the transcription factor CREB. However, whether other forms of plasticity influence memory allocation remains unknown. Here, we found that chromatin compaction and histone acetylation in the mouse lateral amygdala display a high degree of heterogeneity, a prerequisite for neuronal selection. Consequently, when we increased histone acetylation by overexpressing histone acetyl transferases (HATs), neurons with elevated histone acetylation were preferentially recruited into the encoding ensemble and memory retention was enhanced, while optogenetic silencing of the epigenetically altered neurons prevented memory expression. Mechanistically, using patch-clamp recordings and single-nucleus multi-ome sequencing, we observed that HAT overexpression increased IE and epitranscriptomic changes favoring synaptic plasticity. Lastly, by merging FRET-based epigenetic beacons with calcium indicators to simultaneously record histone acetylation and neuronal dynamics in real time, we found that epigenetic heterogeneity underlies IE in cell-autonomous manner. These results identify chromatin plasticity as a key factor catalyzing memory allocation.
2024-07-26 | GSE220696 | GEO
Project description:Linking the evolution of the phenotype to the underlying genotype is a key aim of evolutionary genetics and is crucial to our understanding of how natural selection shapes a trait. Here we consider the genetic basis of sex allocation behaviour in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis using a transcriptomics approach. Females allocate offspring sex in line with Local Mate Competition (LMC) theory. Female-biased sex ratios are produced when one or few females lay eggs on a patch. As the number of females contributing offspring to a patch increases, less female-biased sex ratios are favoured. We contrasted the transcriptomic responses of females as they oviposit under conditions known to influence sex allocation: foundress number (a social cue) and the state of the host (parasitised or not). We found, that when females encounter other females on a patch, or assess host quality with their ovipositors, the resulting changes in sex allocation is not associated with significant changes in whole-body gene expression. We also found that the gene expression changes produced by females, as they facultatively allocate sex in response to a host cue and a social cue, are very closely correlated. We expanded the list of candidate genes associated with oviposition behaviour in Nasonia, some of which may be involved in fundamental processes underlying the ability to facultatively allocate sex, including sperm storage and utilisation. 2 x 3 factorial design. Females were placed into 1 of 2 "foundress number" groups: 1) alone or 2) in the presence of 9 other females (co-foundresses). Females were further subdivided into host treatment groups: i) given no host, ii) given a fresh host and iii) given a pre-parasitised host. This gives a total of 6 possible treatment combinations. For each of these 6 groups, 7 pools of 10 females were sequenced giving 42 libraries altogether.
2015-11-11 | E-GEOD-74241 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Linking the evolution of the phenotype to the underlying genotype is a key aim of evolutionary genetics and is crucial to our understanding of how natural selection shapes a trait. Here we consider the genetic basis of sex allocation behaviour in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis using a transcriptomics approach. Females allocate offspring sex in line with Local Mate Competition (LMC) theory. Female-biased sex ratios are produced when one or few females lay eggs on a patch. As the number of females contributing offspring to a patch increases, less female-biased sex ratios are favoured. We contrasted the transcriptomic responses of females as they oviposit under conditions known to influence sex allocation: foundress number (a social cue) and the state of the host (parasitised or not). We found, that when females encounter other females on a patch, or assess host quality with their ovipositors, the resulting changes in sex allocation is not associated with significant changes in whole-body gene expression. We also found that the gene expression changes produced by females, as they facultatively allocate sex in response to a host cue and a social cue, are very closely correlated. We expanded the list of candidate genes associated with oviposition behaviour in Nasonia, some of which may be involved in fundamental processes underlying the ability to facultatively allocate sex, including sperm storage and utilisation.
2015-11-11 | GSE74241 | GEO
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Project description:Female Nasonia facultatively vary their offspring sex ratio in line with Hamilton’s theory of Local Mate Competition (LMC). A single female or “foundress” laying eggs on a patch will lay just enough sons to fertilise her daughters. As the number of “foundresses” laying eggs on a patch increases (and LMC declines) females produce increasingly male-biased sex ratios. Phenotypic studies have revealed the cues females use to estimate the level of LMC their sons will experience but our understanding of the genetics underlying sex allocation is limited. Here, we exposed females to three foundress number conditions, i.e. three LMC conditions, and allowed them to oviposit. mRNA was extracted from only the heads of these females to target the brain tissue. The subsequent RNA-seq experiment confirmed that differential gene expression is not associated with the response to sex allocation cues and that we must instead turn to the underlying neuroscience to reveal the underpinnings of this impressive behavioural plasticity.
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Project description:Identifying the signals that regulate the survival, lineage allocation and specification of pancreas progenitors will help elucidate the embryonic origins of pancreas dysfunction and provide important cues for the efficient conversion of pluripotent stem cells into fully functional β cells. Several transcription factors regulating the conversion of the early pancreatic progenitors into terminally differentiated cells have been identified but extracellular signals regulating pancreas development are less well understood. Using a combination of genetic approaches, organotypic cultures of embryonic pancreata and genomics we have found that sphingosine-1-phosphate signalling through plays a key role in this process. S1p signalling stabilizes the Hippo pathway effector YAP to promote progenitor survival, acinar and endocrine specification. Endocrine cell specification relies on Gai subunits revealing an unexpected dependence of lineage specification on selected intracellular signalling components. Independently of YAP stabilization, S1p signalling attenuates Notch levels, thus regulating lineage allocation. These findings identify S1p signalling as a key pathway coordinating cell survival, lineage allocation and specification during pancreas development.
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Project description:A selection experiment has been set that selects females Mercurialis annua for increased allocation in male functions by depriving selected populations of all males. This resulted in a drastic phenotypic shift in sex allocation in females of the selected lines. The present RNA sequencing of control and selected lines after four generations of selection permits us to track the expression levels of previously identified male- and female-biased genes in females of the selected lines.
2018-08-01 | E-MTAB-6905 | biostudies-arrayexpress