Understanding the Loss of Maternal Care in Avian Brood Parasites Using Preoptic Area Transcriptome Comparisons in Brood Parasitic and Non-parasitic Blackbirds

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Kathleen S.,O’Connell,Lauren A.,Louder,Matthew I. M.,Bala Lynch (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Parental care is critical for offspring survival in many species. However, parental behaviors havebeen lost in roughly 1% of avian species known as the obligate brood parasites. To shed light on molecularand neurobiological mechanisms mediating brood parasitic behavior, we compared brain gene expressionpatterns between two brood parasitic species and one closely related non-parasitic Icterid (blackbird)species. Our analyses focused on gene expression changes specifically in the preoptic area (POA), a brainregion known to play a critical role in parental behavior across vertebrates. Using comparative transcriptomic approaches, we identified gene expression patterns associated with brood parasitism. Weevaluated three non-mutually exclusive alternatives for the evolution of brood parasitism: (1) retention ofjuvenile-like (neotenic) gene expression, (2) reduced expression of maternal care-related genes in the POA,and/or (3) increased expression of genes inhibiting maternal care. We find evidence for neotenic expressionpatterns in both species of parasitic cowbirds as compared to maternal, non-parasites. In addition, weobserved differential expression in a number of genes with previously established roles in mediatingmaternal care. Together, these results provide the first insight into transcriptomic and genetic mechanismsunderlying the loss of maternal behavior in avian brood parasites.

Additional Information

Publication

Other

Language: English

Date: 2019

Keywords

brood parasitism; maternal behavior; preoptic area; transcriptome; neoteny

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