Strains of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) with markedly different behavioural phenotypes have been developed in the famous long-term selective breeding programme known as the Russian farm-fox experiment. Here we sequenced and assembled the red fox genome and re-sequenced a subset of foxes from the tame, aggressive and conventional farm-bred populations to identify genomic regions associated with the response to selection for behaviour. Analysis of the re-sequenced genomes identified 103 regions with either significantly decreased heterozygosity in one of the three populations or increased divergence between the populations. A strong positional candidate gene for tame behaviour was highlighted: SorCS1, which encodes the main trafficking protein for AMPA glutamate receptors and neurexins and suggests a role for synaptic plasticity in fox domestication. Other regions identified as likely to have been under selection in foxes include genes implicated in human neurological disorders, mouse behaviour and dog domestication. The fox represents a powerful model for the genetic analysis of affiliative and aggressive behaviours that can benefit genetic studies of behaviour in dogs and other mammals, including humans.

Domesticated species exhibit a suite of behavioral, endocrinological, and morphological changes referred to as “domestication syndrome.” These changes may include a reduction in reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and specifically reduced adrenocorticotropic hormone release from the anterior pituitary. To investigate the biological mechanisms targeted during domestication, we investigated gene expression in the pituitaries of experimentally domesticated foxes (Vulpes vulpes). RNA was sequenced from the anterior pituitary of six foxes selectively bred for tameness (“tame foxes”) and six foxes selectively bred for aggression (“aggressive foxes”). Expression, splicing, and network differences identified between the two lines indicated the importance of genes related to regulation of exocytosis, specifically mediated by cAMP, organization of pseudopodia, and cell motility. These findings provide new insights into biological mechanisms that may have been targeted when these lines of foxes were selected for behavior and suggest new directions for research into HPA axis regulation and the biological underpinnings of domestication.

show significant allele frequency differences between tame and aggressive population (1% 12 FDR), including genes with a role in neural crest cell fate determination.

Animal domestication efforts have led to a shared spectrum of striking behavioral and morphological changes. To recapitulate this process, silver foxes have been selectively bred for tame and aggressive behaviors for more than 50 generations at the Institute for Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia. To understand the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotypic changes, we profiled gene expression levels and coding SNP allele frequencies in two brain tissue specimens from 12 aggressive foxes and 12 tame foxes. Expression analysis revealed 146 genes in the prefrontal cortex and 33 genes in the basal forebrain that were differentially expressed, with a 5% false discovery rate (FDR). These candidates include genes in key pathways known to be critical to neurologic processing, including the serotonin and glutamate receptor pathways. In addition, 295 of the 31,000 exonic SNPs show significant allele frequency differences between the tame and aggressive populations (1% FDR), including genes with a role in neural crest cell fate determination.

Work on laboratory and wild rodents suggests that domestication may impact on the extent of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and its responsiveness to regulatory factors. There is, however, no model of laboratory rodents and their nondomesticated conspecifics that would allow a controlled comparison of the effect of domestication. Here, we present a controlled within-species comparison of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in farm-bred foxes (Vulpes vulpes) that differ in their genetically determined degree of tameness. Quantitative comparisons of cell proliferation (Ki67) and differentiating cells of neuronal lineage (doublecortin, DCX) in the hippocampus of foxes were performed as a proxy for neurogenesis. Higher neurogenesis was observed in tameness-selected foxes, notably in an extended subgranular zone of the middle and temporal compartments of the hippocampus. Increased neurogenesis is negatively associated with aggressive behavior. Across all animals, strong septotemporal gradients were found, with higher numbers of proliferating cells and young neurons relative to resident granule cells in the temporal than in the septal hippocampus. The opposite gradient was found for the ratio of DCX/Ki67- positive cells. When tameness-selected and unselected foxes are compared with rodents and primates, proliferation is similar, while the number of young neurons is higher. The difference may be mediated by an extended period of differentiation or higher rate of survival. On the background of this species-specific neurogenic pattern, selection of foxes for a single behavioral trait key to domestication, i.e., genetic tameness, is accompanied by global and region-specific increases in neurogenesis.

It is well known that the early life experiences affect stress responses and other physiological and behavioral traits in adulthood. Both rat and human studies have shown that early postnatal effects are associated with methylation of the hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor gene exon 1(7) (rat) and 1-F (human) promoters. Methylation of these sites is also seen following methionine administration in adult rats. However, it remains unclear whether similar alterations in DNA methylation profiles can result from prenatal influences. To address this question, we fed pregnant rats a methyl-supplemented diet that resulted in alteration of the stress response. However, methylation analysis revealed no effect of methyl supplements on methylation patterns of the glucocorticoid receptor gene exon 1(7) promoter in offspring. These results suggest that the pre- and postnatal effects of methyl supplementation have different mechanisms.

No abstract

No abstract