Domestication Effects on Stress Induced Steroid Secretion and Adrenal Gene Expression in Chickens

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

Understanding the genetic basis of phenotypic diversity is a challenge in contemporary biology. Domestication provides a model for unravelling aspects of the genetic basis of stress sensitivity. The ancestral Red Junglefowl (RJF) exhibits greater fear-related behaviour and a more pronounced HPA-axis reactivity than its domesticated counterpart, the White Leghorn (WL). By comparing hormones (plasmatic) and adrenal global gene transcription profiles between WL and RJF in response to an acute stress event, we investigated the molecular basis for the altered physiological stress responsiveness in domesticated chickens. Basal levels of pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone as well as corticosterone response were lower in WL. Microarray analysis of gene expression in adrenal glands showed a significant breed effect in a large number of transcripts with over-representation of genes in the channel activity pathway. The expression of the best-known steroidogenesis genes were similar across the breeds used. Transcription levels of acute stress response genes such as StAR, CH25 and POMC were upregulated in response to acute stress. Dampened HPA reactivity in domesticated chickens was associated with changes in the expression of several genes that presents potentially minor regulatory effects rather than by means of change in expression of critical steroidogenic genes in the adrenal.

Related collections

Most cited references 46

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Overview of steroidogenic enzymes in the pathway from cholesterol to active steroid hormones.

Anita Payne, Dale B Hales (2004)

Significant advances have taken place in our knowledge of the enzymes involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis since the last comprehensive review in 1988. Major developments include the cloning, identification, and characterization of multiple isoforms of 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which play a critical role in the biosynthesis of all steroid hormones and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase where specific isoforms are essential for the final step in active steroid hormone biosynthesis. Advances have taken place in our understanding of the unique manner that determines tissue-specific expression of P450aromatase through the utilization of alternative promoters. In recent years, evidence has been obtained for the expression of steroidogenic enzymes in the nervous system and in cardiac tissue, indicating that these tissues may be involved in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones acting in an autocrine or paracrine manner. This review presents a detailed description of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of active steroid hormones, with emphasis on the human and mouse enzymes and their expression in gonads, adrenal glands, and placenta.

0 comments Cited 326 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

The “Domestication Syndrome” in Mammals: A Unified Explanation Based on Neural Crest Cell Behavior and Genetics

Adam S. Wilkins, Richard Wrangham, W. Tecumseh Fitch (2014)

Charles Darwin, while trying to devise a general theory of heredity from the observations of animal and plant breeders, discovered that domesticated mammals possess a distinctive and unusual suite of heritable traits not seen in their wild progenitors. Some of these traits also appear in domesticated birds and fish. The origin of Darwin’s “domestication syndrome” has remained a conundrum for more than 140 years. Most explanations focus on particular traits, while neglecting others, or on the possible selective factors involved in domestication rather than the underlying developmental and genetic causes of these traits. Here, we propose that the domestication syndrome results predominantly from mild neural crest cell deficits during embryonic development. Most of the modified traits, both morphological and physiological, can be readily explained as direct consequences of such deficiencies, while other traits are explicable as indirect consequences. We first show how the hypothesis can account for the multiple, apparently unrelated traits of the syndrome and then explore its genetic dimensions and predictions, reviewing the available genetic evidence. The article concludes with a brief discussion of some genetic and developmental questions raised by the idea, along with specific predictions and experimental tests.

0 comments Cited 252 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency.

P C White, P Speiser (2000)

More than 90% of cases of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH, the inherited inability to synthesize cortisol) are caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Females with severe, classic 21-hydroxylase deficiency are exposed to excess androgens prenatally and are born with virilized external genitalia. Most patients cannot synthesize sufficient aldosterone to maintain sodium balance and may develop potentially fatal "salt wasting" crises if not treated. The disease is caused by mutations in the CYP21 gene encoding the steroid 21-hydroxylase enzyme. More than 90% of these mutations result from intergenic recombinations between CYP21 and the closely linked CYP21P pseudogene. Approximately 20% are gene deletions due to unequal crossing over during meiosis, whereas the remainder are gene conversions--transfers to CYP21 of deleterious mutations normally present in CYP21P. The degree to which each mutation compromises enzymatic activity is strongly correlated with the clinical severity of the disease in patients carrying it. Prenatal diagnosis by direct mutation detection permits prenatal treatment of affected females to minimize genital virilization. Neonatal screening by hormonal methods identifies affected children before salt wasting crises develop, reducing mortality from this condition. Glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement are the mainstays of treatment, but more rational dosing and additional therapies are being developed.

0 comments Cited 159 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

All references

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Sci Rep

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Sci Rep

Title: Scientific Reports

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

ISSN (Electronic): 2045-2322

Publication date (Electronic): 16 October 2015

Publication date Collection: 2015

Volume: 5

Electronic Location Identifier: 15345

Affiliations

[1 ]AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFMBiology, Linköping University , 58183 Linköping, Sweden

[2 ]Department of Chemistry – Biomedical Center, Analytical Chemistry and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University , Box 599, BMC, SE-75124, Uppsala, Sweden

Author notes

[a ] perje@ 123456ifm.liu.se

Article

Publisher Item ID: srep15345

DOI: 10.1038/srep15345

PMC ID: 4608001

PubMed ID: 26471470

SO-VID: db28ea07-f00a-42c1-8d1c-ba7b49a5aed1

License:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

History

Date received : 22 June 2015

Date accepted : 23 September 2015

Comments

Comment on this article

scite_

Cited by 19

See all cited by

Domestication Effects on Stress Induced Steroid Secretion and Adrenal Gene Expression in Chickens

Read this article at

Abstract

Related collections

Stress signalling in stem cells

Most cited references 46

Overview of steroidogenic enzymes in the pathway from cholesterol to active steroid hormones.

The “Domestication Syndrome” in Mammals: A Unified Explanation Based on Neural Crest Cell Behavior and Genetics

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency.

Author and article information

Journal

Affiliations

Author notes

Article

History

Categories

Comments

Comment on this article

Similar content 301

Cited by 19