Neurogenomic insights into paternal care and its relation to territorial aggression

Syed Abbas Bukhari, Michael C. Saul, Noelle James, Miles K. Bensky, Laura R. Stein, Rebecca Trapp and Alison M. Bell ()
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Syed Abbas Bukhari: University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Michael C. Saul: University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Noelle James: University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Miles K. Bensky: University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Laura R. Stein: University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Rebecca Trapp: University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Alison M. Bell: University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Motherhood is characterized by dramatic changes in brain and behavior, but less is known about fatherhood. Here we report that male sticklebacks—a small fish in which fathers provide care—experience dramatic changes in neurogenomic state as they become fathers. Some genes are unique to different stages of paternal care, some genes are shared across stages, and some genes are added to the previously acquired neurogenomic state. Comparative genomic analysis suggests that some of these neurogenomic dynamics resemble changes associated with pregnancy and reproduction in mammalian mothers. Moreover, gene regulatory analysis identifies transcription factors that are regulated in opposite directions in response to a territorial challenge versus during paternal care. Altogether these results show that some of the molecular mechanisms of parental care might be deeply conserved and might not be sex-specific, and suggest that tradeoffs between opposing social behaviors are managed at the gene regulatory level.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12212-7

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