Meeting Abstract
The transition to reproduction requires major changes in the physiology and behavior of an organism. Research continues to elucidate crucial endocrine players and pathways associated with this fundamental transition to reproduction yet we know less about the underlying genomic activity that drives these behaviors. Using the rock dove (Columba livia), a socially monogamous species with biparental care, we ask, are the genetic mechanisms that facilitate similar behaviors in males and females the same across sex, or do they differ? Conversely, is the genomic origin of sex-specific behaviors the same or different? We also seek to determine key genes associated with transitions using phenotypic manipulations that test the role the interplay between offspring cues compared with biological schedule during reproduction. To address these questions, we used high-throughput sequencing to determine sex-biased differences in gene activity over the course of reproduction. At nine different time points that range from non-breeding through to neonate care, and 7 manipulations, we assessed levels of gene transcription in tissues critical for reproduction in vertebrates: the hypothalamus and lateral septum in the brain, the pituitary gland, and the gonads. We found a diversity of similar and sex-biased changes in gene expression across reproduction and in response to manipulations. The results of this large-scale study offer significant insight into the genomic mechanisms driving male and female reproductive behaviors, from genome to phenome.
