Transcriptomic regulations underlying pair-bond formation and maintenance in the socially monogamous male and female prairie vole
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PROVIDER: PRJNA631040 | ENA |
REPOSITORIES: ENA
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Project description:Background: The ability to form enduring social bonds is characteristic of human nature and as a result, impairments in social affiliation are central features of severe neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Due to its ability to form long-term pair-bonds, the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) has emerged as an excellent model to study the neurobiology of social attachment. Despite the enduring nature of the bond, however, surprisingly few genes have been implicated in the pair-bonding process in either sex. Results: Using RNA-sequencing, we aimed at identifying the transcriptomic regulations in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) underlying the formation and maintenance of a pair-bond in male and female prairie voles and found sex-specific response patterns despite similar behavioral indicators of pair-bond establishment. Indeed, 24 hrs of cohabitation with an opposite-sex partner induced widespread transcriptomic changes that remained sustained to some extent in females after 3 weeks, but returned to baseline before a second set of regulations in males. This led to a highly sexually-biased NAc transcriptome in the later phase of the bond related to processes such as neurotransmission, protein turnover, and DNA transcription. In particular, we found sex-specific alterations of mitochondrial dynamics following cohabitation, with a shift towards fission in males. Conclusions: In addition to identifying the genes, networks, and pathways involved in the pair-bonding process in the NAc, our work illustrates the vast extent of sex differences in the molecular mechanisms underlying pair-bonding in prairie voles, and paves the way to further our understanding of the complex social bonding process.
2023-04-28 | GSE150080 | GEO
Project description:This dataset contains RNA sequencing results from adult male prairie voles that were in either opposite-sex or same-sex pairs that were subsequently either separated from or remained paired with their partner for either 48 hours or 4 weeks prior to collecting nucleus accumbens tissue. The goal of this experiment was to determine the nucleus accumbens transcriptional response specific to separation from an opposite-sex partner. RNA sequencing was done on polyA enriched transcripts using Illumina single-end sequencing. Samples from 3 groups were from a Ribo-seq protocol using a virally delievered, vole optimized Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification construct (Heiman et al., 2008). These samples contain files for both the input fraction and the pulldown fraction (denoted with a _P suffix).
2023-04-17 | GSE192661 | GEO
Project description:The importance of fathers' engagement in care and its critical role in the offspring’s cognitive and emotional development is now well established. Yet, little is known on the underlying neurobiology due to the lack of appropriate animal models. In the socially monogamous and bi-parental prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), while most virgin males show spontaneous paternal behaviors (Paternal), others display pup-directed aggression (Attackers). Here we took advantage of this phenotypic dichotomy and used RNA-sequencing in three important brain areas to characterize gene expression associated with paternal behaviors of Paternal males and compare it to experienced fathers and mothers. This strategy allowed the identification of spontaneous paternal behaviors independently from fatherhood and pair-bonding. While Paternal males displayed the same range and extent of paternal behaviors than experienced Fathers, the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial preoptic area (MPOA) transcriptomes mainly reflected pair-bonded status or sex differences, respectively. The lateral septum (LS) transcriptome, however, primarily reflected phenotypic differences between Paternal and Attackers and suggested the involvement of the mitochondria, RNA translation, and protein degradation processes. Altogether, these observations highlight a marked structure- and phenotype-specific pattern of gene expression underlying paternal behaviors in prairie voles and highlight similarities and differences from those underlying fatherhood.
2022-10-05 | GSE190213 | GEO
Project description:prairie vole gut metagenome pilot, raw sequence reads and assembly
| PRJNA449069 | ENA
Project description:We use ChIP-seq targeting histone 3 lysine 4 mono-methylation (H3K4me1) to identify putative enhancer sites genome-wide, in the retrosplenial cortex of adult prairie vole males. ChIP samples were generated by targeting a known enhancer mark (H3K4me1) in chromatin extracted from the retrosplenial cortex of 8 males. Illumina libraries were prepared from ChIP and INPUT DNA and sequenced on Illimuna HiSeq 2500 platform.
2015-12-11 | E-GEOD-73670 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:We use ChIP-seq targeting histone 3 lysine 4 mono-methylation (H3K4me1) to identify putative enhancer sites genome-wide, in the retrosplenial cortex of adult prairie vole males.
2015-12-11 | GSE73670 | GEO
Project description:In socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), parental behaviors not only occur in mothers and fathers, but also can exist in virgin males. However, some virgin males display aggressive behaviors towards conspecific pups. Although this behavioral dichotomy in response to pup exposure has been well documented in male virgin voles, little is known about the gene expression changes underlie the parental behavioral differences and their regulatory mechanisms. To address this, we profiled the transcriptome and DNA methylome of hippocampal dentate gyrus of four prairie vole groups, attacker virgin males, parental virgin males, fathers, and mothers. We found a concordant pattern of gene transcription in parental virgin males and fathers, when comparing to the attacker group. The methylome analysis also revealed pathways with genes enriched for epigenetic changes involving both receptor-mediated and secondary messenger signaling across both behavioral phenotypes and sexual experiences. Furthermore, we found correlations between gene expression changes and DNA methylation differences between attacker and parental virgin males, which suggests a canonical gene expression regulatory role of DNA methylation in paternal care. Therefore, our study presents an integrated view of transcriptome and epigenome that provides a DNA epigenetic based molecular insight of paternal behavior.
2023-07-12 | GSE214798 | GEO
Project description:In socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), parental behaviors not only occur in mothers and fathers, but also can exist in virgin males. However, some virgin males display aggressive behaviors towards conspecific pups. Although this behavioral dichotomy in response to pup exposure has been well documented in male virgin voles, little is known about the gene expression changes underlie the parental behavioral differences and their regulatory mechanisms. To address this, we profiled the transcriptome and DNA methylome of hippocampal dentate gyrus of four prairie vole groups, attacker virgin males, parental virgin males, fathers, and mothers. We found a concordant pattern of gene transcription in parental virgin males and fathers, when comparing to the attacker group. The methylome analysis also revealed pathways with genes enriched for epigenetic changes involving both receptor-mediated and secondary messenger signaling across both behavioral phenotypes and sexual experiences. Furthermore, we found correlations between gene expression changes and DNA methylation differences between attacker and parental virgin males, which suggests a canonical gene expression regulatory role of DNA methylation in paternal care. Therefore, our study presents an integrated view of transcriptome and epigenome that provides a DNA epigenetic based molecular insight of paternal behavior.
2023-07-12 | GSE214797 | GEO
Project description:Sexual bonds are central to the social lives of many species, including humans, and monogamous prairie voles have become the predominant model for investigating such attachments. We developed an automated whole-brain mapping pipeline to identify brain circuits underlying pair-bonding behavior. We identified bonding-related c-Fos induction in 68 brain regions clustered in seven major brain-wide neuronal circuits. These circuits include known regulators of bonding, such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular hypothalamus, ventral pallidum, and prefrontal cortex. They also include brain regions previously unknown to shape bonding, such as ventromedial hypothalamus, medial preoptic area and the medial amygdala, but that play essential roles in bonding-relevant processes, such as sexual behavior, social reward and territorial aggression. Contrary to some hypotheses, we found that circuits active during mating and bonding were largely sexually monomorphic. Moreover, c-Fos induction across regions was strikingly consistent between members of a pair, with activity best predicted by rates of ejaculation. A novel cluster of regions centered in the amygdala remained coordinated after bonds had formed, suggesting novel substrates for bond maintenance. Our tools and results provide an unprecedented resource for elucidating the networks that translate sexual experience into an enduring bond.
| S-EPMC10402037 | biostudies-literature
Project description:To address the mechanism underlying the immun-modulation of T cells in socially defeated mice, we wondered whether microbiota transcribe new virulent genes that challenge the murine immune system. So, full meta-transcriptomics was conducted of these 2 groups of mice.
2019-05-09 | E-MTAB-7943 | biostudies-arrayexpress