Functional genomic insights into the environmental determinants of mammalian fitness

Abstract

Both the social and physical environment shape health, reproduction, and survival across many species, and identifying how these effects manifest at the molecular level has long been a priority in medicine and evolutionary biology. The recent rise of functional genomics has enabled researchers to gain new insights into how environmental inputs shape variation in gene regulation, and consequently, downstream organism-level traits. Here, we discuss recent work on this topic, as well as key knowledge gaps. Research in this area spans a wide range of taxa, but we focus our review on mammalian species because of their close evolutionary proximity to humans and because of their relevance for understanding human health. Improving our understanding of how the environment and the genome are connected promises to shed new light on the mechanisms underlying environmentally-induced disease in humans, as well as the evolution of environmental sensitivity more generally.

Contrasting effects of Western vs Mediterranean diets on monocyte inflammatory gene expression and social behavior in a primate model

“…In addition to diet, psychosocial stress is also known to impact immune phenotypes. In particular, multiple sources of social adversity, such as low social status and poor social integration, have been shown to increase the expression of inflammatory genes in primary white blood cells in humans and other animals ( Cole, 2013 ; Cole, 2019 ; Cole et al, 2015 ; Snyder-Mackler et al, 2016 ; Snyder-Mackler and Lea, 2018 ; Tung and Gilad, 2013 ). Given that some food constituents can directly alter social behaviors themselves ( Hollis et al, 2018 ; Kaplan et al, 1991 ; Kasprowska-Liśkiewicz et al, 2017 ; Kougias et al, 2018 ; Warden and Fisler, 2008 ), it is therefore possible that diet effects on immune cell regulation may, to some degree, be mediated through changes in these behaviors.…”

The “telomereless” erythrocytes and telomere‐length dependent erythropoiesis

“…Though gene–environment interactions drive mammalian evolution (Snyder‐Mackler & Lea, 2018 ), environments now affecting residents of Boston and London differ drastically from those that molded TL‐linked erythropoiesis in archaic humans. That is why population‐based telomere research will benefit from longitudinal studies of HC TL dynamics starting at birth in peoples of diverse ancestries and geographies.…”

Understanding the links between social ties and fitness over the life cycle in primates

“…It is clear that many researchers at several ongoing field sites are doing just that (Snyder-Mackler et al, 2016;Kalbitzer et al, 2017;Ostner & Schülke, 2018). This comes, in part, after several theoretical advances concerning the costs and benefits of ties (Silk, 2002(Silk, , 2007Massen et al, 2010;Seyfarth & Cheney, 2012;Cords & Thompson, 2017;Ostner & Schülke, 2018), the technology to monitor behavioural, genetic, and endocrinological states Higham, 2016;Snyder-Mackler & Lea, 2018), and the long-term data to evaluate fitness outcomes (Clutton-Brock & Sheldon, 2010;Alberts, 2018). With strong hypotheses about the functions and benefits of social ties, tailored to specific study systems, evidence spanning several species will continue to elucidate how social tendencies and larger social organizations have come to evolve in primates.…”