Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Masumi Ueno, Masami Nakata, Yoshiki Kaneko, Masafumi Iwami, Seika Takayanagi-Kiya, Taketoshi Kiya
Summary: Sexual dimorphisms of the silkmoth brain are regulated by the fruitless (fru) gene. Fru is highly expressed in the male larval testis and the adult female brain. Knockout experiments revealed the importance of fru in survival, testis development, and adult sexual behavior.
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michal Szpak, Stephan C. Collins, Yan Li, Xiao Liu, Qasim Ayub, Marie-Christine Fischer, Valerie E. Vancollie, Christopher J. Lelliott, Yali Xue, Binnaz Yalcin, Huanming Yang, Chris Tyler-Smith
Summary: The nonsense allele at rs1343879 in human MAGEE2 gene has shown to undergo strong positive selection in East Asia. Knockout of Magee2 in mice resulted in minor brain abnormalities and significantly associated with brain gray and white matter volume in a sex-specific manner.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Caihong Han, Qionglin Peng, Mengshi Sun, Xinyu Jiang, Xiangbin Su, Jiangtao Chen, Mingze Ma, Huan Zhu, Xiaoxiao Ji, Yufeng Pan
Summary: Most animal species exhibit dimorphic sexual behaviors, with males showing higher levels of aggression. Current models have focused on the male-specific product of the fruitless gene, fruM, which controls male courtship and male-specific aggression patterns in fruit flies and describes a male-specific mechanism underlying sexually dimorphic behaviors. This study demonstrates that the doublesex gene (dsx), which produces male-specific DsxM and female-specific DsxF transcription factors, also plays a role in the nervous system to control both male and female sexual and aggressive behaviors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Dong-Hwan Kim, Joonbum Lee, Boin Lee, Kichoon Lee
Summary: Sexual dimorphism refers to the phenotypic differences between males and females in the same species. This study focused on the reversed sexual dimorphism observed in quail, where females have larger body size and greater muscle mass than males. The researchers compared the weights and characteristics of different muscles between male and female quail and found that female quail had significantly heavier bodies and larger muscles. Further analysis revealed that the increased muscle size in female quail can be attributed to muscle hypertrophy rather than increased cell number. These findings provide insights into the understanding of sexual dimorphism in quail.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yoko Matsumura, Elena V. Gorb, Stanislav N. Gorb
Summary: Green dock beetles, Gastrophysa viridula, exhibit sexual dimorphism in tarsal attachment setae. Males possess discoidal setae in addition to the setae found in females, which may aid in adhering to females during copulation. This study investigated the attachment mechanism of G. viridula and found that discoidal setae enable males to adhere stronger to female surfaces. The divergence in setal composition and attachment ability between the sexes is likely due to stiffness differences and the specific shape of the setal tips.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Eerde H. Weening, Ali A. Al-Mubarak, Martin M. Dokter, Kenneth Dickstein, Chim C. Lang, Leong L. Ng, Marco Metra, Dirk J. van Veldhuisen, Daan J. Touw, Rudolf A. de Boer, Ron T. Gansevoort, Adriaan A. Voors, Stephan J. L. Bakker, Peter van der Meer, Nils Bomer
Summary: The study found that serum selenium levels are associated with the incidence of heart failure and metabolic syndrome. There are notable differences between males and females in food intake and micronutrient metabolism, possibly explaining different health outcomes.
CARDIOVASCULAR DIABETOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Allison J. Richard, Hardy Hang, Timothy D. Allerton, Peng Zhao, Tamra Mendoza, Sujoy Ghosh, Carrie M. Elks, Jacqueline M. Stephens
Summary: STAT5 is important for adipocyte differentiation and its deletion leads to increased subcutaneous and inguinal fat tissue, with no effect on visceral or gonadal fat tissue. Adipocyte size increases without changes in lipolysis, and adipose gene expression and whole-body energy expenditure are sex-dependent.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jose Borrero, Daniel Shane Wright, Caroline Nicole Bacquet, Richard M. M. Merrill
Summary: Animal vision is crucial for various complex behaviors, such as oviposition, foraging, and mate choice. Heliconius butterflies possess photoreceptors that are sensitive to ultraviolet (UV), blue, and long-wavelength light, and the expression of UV opsin varies widely among different species. In Heliconius erato, the expression of UV opsin is sexually dimorphic, but the reasons behind this difference and its impact on visual perception are still unknown. This study showed that UV vision is not essential for oviposition in female Heliconius butterflies, suggesting that UV wavelengths may play a role in other behaviors such as foraging or mate choice.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Philipp Kaufmann, R. Axel W. Wiberg, Konstantinos Papachristos, Douglas G. Scofield, Christian Tellgren-Roth, Elina Immonen
Summary: The Y chromosome in seed beetles has been found to affect male body size and sexual size dimorphism. Researchers discovered an additional copy of the gene target of rapamycin (TOR) on the Y chromosome, which may provide a male-specific opportunity to alter body size. Despite suppressed recombination, the Y chromosome has adaptive potential as a male-limited supergene.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Lia Nahomi Kajiki, Mariana de-Carvalho, Paulo Victor Resende Dos Santos, Samara de Albuquerque Teixeira, Regina H. Macedo
Summary: Males of the Helmeted Manakin hold individual territories with nesting sites and exhibit aggressive responses in central areas. The species has a polygamous mating system but is better classified as a resource-defence exploded-lek mating system. The distinct environmental conditions in which the species evolved may have played a significant role in modifying its behavior, resulting in patterns that deviate from the typical lekking system found among manakins. This study highlights the importance of investigating atypical manakins to further our understanding of alternative reproductive tactics among birds.
EMU-AUSTRAL ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fernando Rodriguez-Caro, Jennifer Fenner, Shivam Bhardwaj, Jared Cole, Caleb Benson, Alexandra M. Colombara, Riccardo Papa, Matthew W. Brown, Arnaud Martin, Ryan C. Range, Brian A. Counterman
Summary: This study explores the genetic basis of sexually dimorphic development through examining sex-specific differences in butterfly wing color patterns. The researchers discovered a novel duplication of the dsx gene associated with sexually dimorphic UV coloration, which may play a role in suppressing UV scale differentiation in females. The findings highlight the molecular flexibility of the dsx gene in mediating the differentiation of secondary sexual characteristics.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jennifer L. O'Connor, Jillian C. Nissen
Summary: Microglia, the primary immunocompetent cells in the CNS, play a critical role in maintaining CNS homeostasis and can exhibit a range of responses, from pro-inflammatory neurotoxic to anti-inflammatory protective, depending on their local cues. This review aims to define the developmental and environmental factors that influence microglial polarization and discusses the potential influence of sexually dimorphic factors. Furthermore, the review highlights the disparities in disease severity or diagnosis rates between males and females in various CNS disorders and proposes that microglial sexual dimorphism may underlie these differences.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Dong Gao, Junrou Huang, Genmei Lin, Jianguo Lu
Summary: This study used time-course transcriptome to explore gene expression profiles of yellow catfish in different gonad developmental stages and genders. Thirteen gonad development related genes were identified. The results provide crucial information on the molecular mechanism of gonad development in female and male yellow catfish.
Article
Biology
Jiang Li, Rebecca E. Ruggiero-Ruff, Yuxin He, Xinru Qiu, Nancy Lainez, Pedro Villa, Adam Godzik, Djurdjica Coss, Meera G. Nair
Summary: The incidence of obesity is increasing worldwide, and new therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Sex differences in immune cell activation play a role in obesity-related pathologies, with males being more susceptible to comorbidities and inflammation. This study demonstrates that the macrophage-secreted protein RELM alpha critically protects females against high-fat diet-induced obesity. The study identifies the role of the RELM alpha-macrophage-eosinophil axis in sex-specific protection against obesity and identifies new therapeutic targets for obesity.
Article
Biology
Michael L. Logan, Lauren K. Neel, Daniel J. Nicholson, Andrew J. Stokes, Christina L. Miller, Albert K. Chung, John David Curlis, Kaitlin M. Keegan, Adam A. Rosso, Inbar Maayan, Edite Folfas, Claire E. Williams, Brianna Casement, Maria A. Gallegos Koyner, Dylan J. Padilla Perez, Cleo H. Falvey, Sean M. Alexander, Kristin L. Charles, Zackary A. Graham, W. Owen McMillan, Jonathan B. Losos, Christian L. Cox
Summary: Sexual dimorphism can evolve if fitness optima for a given trait differ between males and females in a population. Differences in habitat use and thermal physiology may lead to sexual divergence in species with sexual size dimorphism. However, studies linking these differences to behavior or microhabitat use are rare, and differences in thermal physiology between sexes may arise from phenotypic plasticity or sex-specific selection rather than direct effects of thermal environments.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Therese Lamperty, Jordan Karubian, Amy E. Dunham
Summary: Local variation in habitat structure, specifically the density of pioneer tree species and conspecific plants, significantly influences fruit removal and frugivore diversity, indicating sensitivity of seed dispersal services to fine-scale changes in habitat structure.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zoe Diaz-Martin, Jordan Karubian
Summary: The study reveals that forest cover is positively associated with both male and female gametic diversity at a landscape scale, and that stronger fine-scale spatial genetic structure is observed for female gametes compared to male gametes in sites with low forest cover.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
John Anthony Jones, Jordan Boersma, Jiawen Liu, Doka Nason, Serena Ketaloya, Jordan Karubian
Summary: Studied the impact of natural and experimentally manipulated feather coloration on the aggressive behavior of female white-shouldered fairywrens, with results showing no significant effect of feather color on aggression.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jordan Boersma, John Anthony Jones, Erik D. Enbody, Joseph F. Welklin, Serena Ketaloya, Doka Nason, Jordan Karubian, Hubert Schwabl
Summary: Androgens like testosterone mediate suites of physical and behavioral traits across vertebrates, and the variations in circulating testosterone levels are influenced by agonistic interactions between males and male-female interactions, depending on the species.
HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Zoe Diaz-Martin, Luke Browne, Domingo Cabrera, Jorge Olivo, Jordan Karubian
Summary: This study investigated the coflowering density and corresponding pollination patterns of the insect-pollinated palm Oenocarpus bataua in northwestern Ecuador. The results showed that the influence of coflowering density on pollination patterns was scale dependent, with high neighborhood densities leading to reductions in pollen dispersal distance and gametic diversity of progeny arrays at smaller scales, but the opposite pattern observed at the landscape scale. In addition, neighborhood coflowering density also impacted forward pollen dispersal kernel parameters, indicating that low neighborhood densities promote pollen movement, gene flow, and genetic diversity. This research reveals how coflowering density at different spatial scales affects pollen movement and enhances our understanding of mechanisms underlying genetic diversity and gene flow patterns within plant populations.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Erik D. Enbody, Simon Y. W. Sin, Jordan Boersma, Scott Edwards, Serena Ketaloya, Hubert Schwabl, Michael S. Webster, Jordan Karubian
Summary: This study investigated the evolutionary history and gene regulation of female ornamentation in a tropical passerine bird species, the White-shouldered Fairywren. The results showed that female ornamentation is derived and evolves independently of male plumage changes. Experimental manipulation of testosterone levels in females induced partial ornamentation, and gene expression analysis identified genes associated with ornament production. The study also revealed a candidate gene involved in melanogenesis that is differentially expressed in feather follicles of different female plumages. These findings demonstrate the role of testosterone and gene regulation in the evolution of female ornamentation and contribute to the understanding of how ornamentation evolves in different sexes.
Article
Psychology, Biological
John Anthony Jones, Jordan Boersma, Jordan Karubian
Summary: Aggression in socially monogamous species can vary depending on contextual factors, including the aggression of their mate. This study used simulated territorial intrusion and mirror image simulation assays to explore how individuals of white-shouldered fairywrens respond to potential rivals. The results showed that male and female birds exhibited different levels of response and aggression depending on the assay used.
BEHAVIOURAL PROCESSES
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Joseph F. Welklin, Samantha M. Lantz, Sarah Khalil, Nicole M. Moody, Jordan Karubian, Michael S. Webster
Summary: Seasonally breeding animals exhibit different social structures during non-breeding and breeding periods, and this study reveals the environmental factors associated with seasonal shifts in social structure and initiation of breeding in the red-backed fairywren, an Australian songbird.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sebastian Escobar, Yves Vigouroux, Jordan Karubian, Leila Zekraoui, Henrik Balslev, Rommel Montufar
Summary: This study investigated the genetic patterns of Phytelephas aequatorialis using microsatellite markers. The results showed that seed dispersal mediated by rodents had shorter distances compared to pollen dispersal. Seed dispersal had a minor contribution to gene flow, with spatially limited seed dispersal being the main factor shaping the genetic structure. Pollen dispersal distances were influenced by the density of male palms.
Article
Ecology
Kyu Min Huh, Mike Ellis, Fernando Castillo, Luis Carrasco, Juan Rivero de Aguilar, Elisa Bonaccorso, Luke Browne, Jordan Karubian
Summary: Forest loss and fragmentation lead to declines in biodiversity, but hummingbirds show relative resilience to disturbance with increasing abundance and declining species richness and evenness. However, the extent and mechanisms of this pattern remain unclear. To investigate, we compared hummingbird diversity and community composition between continuous forest and disturbed fragments in northwestern Ecuador. We found higher species richness in fragments, driven by rare species captures, and differences in community composition. Canopy openness and tree density correlated with hummingbird diversity in fragments. Trade-offs between species richness in fragments and evenness in continuous forest are important for conserving this ecologically significant bird group in changing Neotropical landscapes.
Review
Ornithology
H. Luke Anderson, Jorge Olivo, Jordan Karubian
Summary: Lekking birds show variation in off-lek sociality, but this area has been understudied. This study provides a literature review and conceptual framework for understanding off-lek sociality in birds. It also presents evidence from the Long-wattled Umbrellabird that off-lek sociality in males is driven by reproductive incentives and benefits coordination during the breeding season. These findings suggest that off-lek interactions have important effects on sexual selection processes at leks.
Article
Ornithology
Trey C. Hendrix, Facundo Fernandez-Duque, Sarah Toner, Lauren G. Hitt, Robin G. Thady, Megan Massa, Samantha J. Hagler, Margaux Armfield, Nathalie Clarke, Phoebe Honscheid, Sarah Khalil, Carly E. Hawkins, Samantha M. Lantz, Joseph F. Welklin, John P. Swaddle, Michael S. Webster, Jordan Karubian
Summary: In this research, it was found that male Red-backed Fairywrens exhibit ornamented or unornamented plumage during the breeding season, representing different reproductive tactics. However, it is unclear how these plumage types are associated with behavior during the non-reproductive season. The study conducted behavioral observations over three years and found that ornamented males court and preen at higher rates than unornamented males. The findings suggest that ornamentation and courtship behavior may serve a mate attraction function outside of the breeding season.
EMU-AUSTRAL ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah Khalil, Erik D. Enbody, Carolina Frankl-Vilches, Joseph F. Welklin, Rebecca E. Koch, Matthew B. Toomey, Simon Yung Wa Sin, Scott Edwards, Manfred Gahr, Hubert Schwabl, Michael S. Webster, Jordan Karubian
Summary: Carotenoid pigments play a crucial role in mate choice among vertebrates by producing red, orange, and yellow visual signals. However, the processes involved in carotenoid-based trait production remain largely unknown. In this study, we induced the production of a carotenoid-based red plumage patch in male red-backed fairywrens through testosterone elevation. We compared gene expression in the liver and feather follicles of unornamented males, testosterone-implanted males, and naturally ornamented males. Our findings suggest that testosterone regulates the expression of carotenoid-associated genes and coordinaes the complex processes underlying the production of carotenoid-based traits.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Christophe W. Patterson, Erandi Bonillas-Monge, Adrian Brennan, Gregory F. Grether, Luis Mendoza-Cuenca, Rachel Tucker, Yesenia M. Vega-Sanchez, Jonathan Drury
Summary: This study reports the genome sequencing and assembly of the smoky rubyspot damselfly (Hetaerina titia Drury, 1773), a species that has become a model system for studying sexual selection and interspecific behavioral interference due to its highly variable wing pigmentation. By comparing its assembly to that of other damselflies, Hetaerina emerges as a genome-enabled genus for further studies on the ecological and evolutionary forces shaping biological diversity.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jordan Boersma, Erik D. Enbody, Jordan Karubian, Heather E. Watts, Hubert Schwabl
Summary: Climate change is expected to increase the prevalence and severity of extreme weather events, which can have significant impacts on the reproductive fitness of opportunistic breeding tropical bird species. This study focused on the White-shouldered Fairywren and found that males lost their sperm storage organ and experienced increased body molt during a drought period. Precipitation patterns prior to capture were associated with the size of the sperm storage organ and molt, and plasma androgens played a role in these physiological responses. Photoperiod also influenced molt, androgens, and male mass. These findings highlight the importance of understanding environmental regulation of life-history transitions in tropical taxa under a changing climate.
AVIAN CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGY
(2022)