scholarly journals Prolactin maintains parental responses and alters reproductive axis gene expression, but not courtship behaviors, in both sexes of a biparental bird

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria S Farrar ◽  
Laura Flores ◽  
Rechelle C Viernes ◽  
Laura Ornelas Pereira ◽  
Susan Mushtari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Columba Livia ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Hpg Axis ◽  
Reproductive Behaviors ◽  
Courtship Behaviors ◽  
Parental Responses

Prolactin, a hormone involved in vertebrate parental care, is hypothesized to inhibit reproductive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis activity during parenting, thus maintaining investment in the current brood as opposed to new reproductive efforts. While prolactin underlies many parental behaviors in birds, its effects on other reproductive behaviors, such as courtship, remain unstudied. How prolactin affects neuropeptide and hormone receptor expression across the avian HPG axis also remains unknown. To address these questions, we administered ovine prolactin (oPRL) or a vehicle control to both sexes in experienced pairs of the biparental rock dove (Columba livia), after nest removal at the end of incubation. We found that oPRL promoted parental responses to novel chicks and stimulated crop growth compared to controls, consistent with other studies. However, we found that neither courtship behaviors, copulation rates nor pair maintenance differed with oPRL treatment. Across the HPG, we found oPRL had little effect on gene expression in hypothalamic nuclei, but increased expression of FSHB and hypothalamic hormone receptor genes in the pituitary. In the gonads, oPRL increased testes size and gonadotropin receptor expression, but did not affect ovarian state or small white follicle gene expression. However, the oviducts of oPRL-treated females were smaller and had lower estrogen receptor expression compared with controls. Our results highlight that some species, especially those that show multiple brooding, may be able to maintain mating behavior despite elevated prolactin. Thus, mechanisms may exist for prolactin to promote investment in parental care without concurrent inhibition of reproductive function or HPG axis activity.

scholarly journals Prolactin and prolactin receptor expression in the HPG axis and crop during parental care in both sexes of a biparental bird (Columba livia)

2021 ◽  
pp. 113940
Author(s):  
Victoria S. Farrar ◽  
Rayna M. Harris ◽  
Suzanne H. Austin ◽  
Brandon M. Nava Ultreras ◽  
April M. Booth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Prolactin Receptor ◽  
Columba Livia ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Hpg Axis

scholarly journals Seasonally sympatric but allochronic: differential expression of hypothalamic genes in a songbird during gonadal development

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1889) ◽  
pp. 20181735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn M. Bauer ◽  
Adam M. Fudickar ◽  
Skylar Anderson-Buckingham ◽  
Mikus Abolins-Abols ◽  
Jonathan W. Atwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Gonadal Development ◽  
Luteinizing Hormone Receptor ◽  
Hpg Axis ◽  
Oestrogen Receptor Alpha ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Gonadal Recrudescence ◽  
Gonadotropin Inhibitory Hormone

Allochrony, the mismatch of reproductive schedules, is one mechanism that can mediate sympatric speciation and diversification. In songbirds, the transition into breeding condition and gonadal growth is regulated by the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis at multiple levels. We investigated whether the difference in reproductive timing between two seasonally sympatric subspecies of dark-eyed juncos ( Junco hyemalis ) was related to gene expression along the HPG axis. During the sympatric pre-breeding stage, we measured hypothalamic and testicular mRNA expression of candidate genes via qPCR in captive male juncos. For hypothalamic mRNA, we found our earlier breeding subspecies had increased expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone ( GnRH ) and decreased expression of androgen receptor, oestrogen receptor alpha and mineralocorticoid receptor ( MR ). Subspecies did not differ in expression of hypothalamic gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone ( GnIH ) and glucocorticoid receptor ( GR ). While our earlier breeding subspecies had higher mRNA expression of testicular GR , subspecies did not differ in testicular luteinizing hormone receptor, follicle-stimulating hormone receptor or MR mRNA expression levels. Our findings indicate increased GnRH production and decreased hypothalamic sensitivity to sex steroid negative feedback as factors promoting differences in the timing of gonadal recrudescence between recently diverged populations. Differential gene expression along the HPG axis may facilitate species diversification under seasonal sympatry.

scholarly journals Hormone Receptor-Status Prediction in Breast Cancer Using Gene Expression Profiles and Their Macroscopic Landscape

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1165
Author(s):  
Seokhyun Yoon ◽  
Hye Sung Won ◽  
Keunsoo Kang ◽  
Kexin Qiu ◽  
Woong June Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Luminal Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Intrinsic Subtypes ◽  
Receptor Status

The cost of next-generation sequencing technologies is rapidly declining, making RNA-seq-based gene expression profiling (GEP) an affordable technique for predicting receptor expression status and intrinsic subtypes in breast cancer patients. Based on the expression levels of co-expressed genes, GEP-based receptor-status prediction can classify clinical subtypes more accurately than can immunohistochemistry (IHC). Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Breast Invasive Carcinoma (TCGA BRCA) and Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) datasets, we identified common predictor genes found in both datasets and performed receptor-status prediction based on these genes. By assessing the survival outcomes of patients classified using GEP- or IHC-based receptor status, we compared the prognostic value of the two methods. We found that GEP-based HR prediction provided higher concordance with the intrinsic subtypes and a stronger association with treatment outcomes than did IHC-based hormone receptor (HR) status. GEP-based prediction improved the identification of patients who could benefit from hormone therapy, even in patients with non-luminal breast cancer. We also confirmed that non-matching subgroup classification affected the survival of breast cancer patients and that this could be largely overcome by GEP-based receptor-status prediction. In conclusion, GEP-based prediction provides more reliable classification of HR status, improving therapeutic decision making for breast cancer patients.

scholarly journals Hormone Receptor-status Prediction in Breast Cancer Using Gene Expression Profiles and Their Macroscopic Landscape

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seokhyun Yoon ◽  
Hye Sung Won ◽  
Keunsoo Kang ◽  
Kexin Qiu ◽  
Woong June Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Gene Expression ◽  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Gene Expression Profiles ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Intrinsic Subtypes ◽  
Receptor Status

AbstractThe cost of next-generation sequencing technologies is rapidly declining, making RNA-seq-based gene expression profiling (GEP) an affordable technique for predicting receptor expression status and intrinsic subtypes in breast cancer (BRCA) patients. Based on the expression levels of co-expressed genes, GEP-based receptor-status prediction can classify clinical subtypes more accurately than can immunohistochemistry (IHC). Using data from the cancer genome atlas TCGA BRCA and METABRIC datasets, we identified common predictor genes found in both datasets and performed receptor-status prediction based on these genes. By assessing the survival outcomes of patients classified using GEP- or IHC-based receptor status, we compared the prognostic value of the two methods. We found that GEP-based HR prediction provided higher concordance with the intrinsic subtypes and a stronger association with treatment outcomes than did IHC-based hormone receptor (HR) status. GEP-based prediction improved the identification of patients who could benefit from hormone therapy, even in patients with non-luminal BRCA. We also confirmed that non-matching subgroup classification affected the survival of BRCA patients and that this could be largely overcome by GEP-based receptor-status prediction. In conclusion, GEP-based prediction provides more reliable classification of HR status, improving therapeutic decision making for breast cancer patients.

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