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Oxytocin variation and brain region-specific gene expression in a domesticated avian species.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Tobari, Y; Theofanopoulou, C; Mori, C; Sato, Y; Marutani, M; Fujioka, S; Konno, N; Suzuki, K; Furutani, A; Hakataya, S; Yao, C-T; Yang, E-Y ...
Published in: Genes Brain Behav
February 2022

The Bengalese finch was domesticated more than 250 years ago from the wild white-rumped munia (WRM). Similar to other domesticated species, Bengalese finches show a reduced fear response and have lower corticosterone levels, compared to WRMs. Bengalese finches and munias also have different song types. Since oxytocin (OT) has been found to be involved in stress coping and auditory processing, we tested whether the OT sequence and brain expression pattern and content differ in wild munias and domesticated Bengalese finches. We sequenced the OT from 10 wild munias and 11 Bengalese finches and identified intra-strain variability in both the untranslated and protein-coding regions of the sequence, with all the latter giving rise to synonymous mutations. Several of these changes fall in specific transcription factor-binding sites, and show either a conserved or a relaxed evolutionary trend in the avian lineage, and in vertebrates in general. Although in situ hybridization in several hypothalamic nuclei did not reveal significant differences in the number of cells expressing OT between the two strains, real-time quantitative PCR showed a significantly higher OT mRNA expression in the cerebrum of the Bengalese finches relative to munias, but a significantly lower expression in their diencephalon. Our study thus points to a brain region-specific pattern of neurochemical expression in domesticated and wild avian strains, which could be linked to domestication and the behavioral changes associated with it.

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Published In

Genes Brain Behav

DOI

EISSN

1601-183X

Publication Date

February 2022

Volume

21

Issue

2

Start / End Page

e12780

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Vocalization, Animal
  • Oxytocin
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Gene Expression
  • Finches
  • Brain
  • Animals
  • 3209 Neurosciences
  • 3105 Genetics
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
 

Citation

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Tobari, Y., Theofanopoulou, C., Mori, C., Sato, Y., Marutani, M., Fujioka, S., … Okanoya, K. (2022). Oxytocin variation and brain region-specific gene expression in a domesticated avian species. Genes Brain Behav, 21(2), e12780. https://doi.org/10.1111/gbb.12780
Tobari, Yasuko, Constantina Theofanopoulou, Chihiro Mori, Yoshimi Sato, Momoka Marutani, Sayaka Fujioka, Norifumi Konno, et al. “Oxytocin variation and brain region-specific gene expression in a domesticated avian species.Genes Brain Behav 21, no. 2 (February 2022): e12780. https://doi.org/10.1111/gbb.12780.
Tobari Y, Theofanopoulou C, Mori C, Sato Y, Marutani M, Fujioka S, et al. Oxytocin variation and brain region-specific gene expression in a domesticated avian species. Genes Brain Behav. 2022 Feb;21(2):e12780.
Tobari, Yasuko, et al. “Oxytocin variation and brain region-specific gene expression in a domesticated avian species.Genes Brain Behav, vol. 21, no. 2, Feb. 2022, p. e12780. Pubmed, doi:10.1111/gbb.12780.
Tobari Y, Theofanopoulou C, Mori C, Sato Y, Marutani M, Fujioka S, Konno N, Suzuki K, Furutani A, Hakataya S, Yao C-T, Yang E-Y, Tsai C-R, Tang P-C, Chen C-F, Boeckx C, Jarvis ED, Okanoya K. Oxytocin variation and brain region-specific gene expression in a domesticated avian species. Genes Brain Behav. 2022 Feb;21(2):e12780.
Journal cover image

Published In

Genes Brain Behav

DOI

EISSN

1601-183X

Publication Date

February 2022

Volume

21

Issue

2

Start / End Page

e12780

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Vocalization, Animal
  • Oxytocin
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Gene Expression
  • Finches
  • Brain
  • Animals
  • 3209 Neurosciences
  • 3105 Genetics
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences