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A behavioral polymorphism caused by a single gene inside a supergene

View ORCID ProfileJennifer R. Merritt, View ORCID ProfileKathleen E. Grogan, View ORCID ProfileWendy M. Zinzow-Kramer, Dan Sun, View ORCID ProfileEric A. Ortlund, Soojin V. Yi, View ORCID ProfileDonna L. Maney
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.13.897637
Jennifer R. Merritt
aDepartment of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
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  • For correspondence: jrmerri@emory.edu
Kathleen E. Grogan
aDepartment of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
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Wendy M. Zinzow-Kramer
aDepartment of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
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Dan Sun
bSchool of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
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Eric A. Ortlund
cDepartment of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
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Soojin V. Yi
bSchool of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
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Donna L. Maney
aDepartment of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
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Abstract

Behavioral evolution relies on genetic changes, yet few social behaviors can be traced to specific genetic sequences in vertebrates. Here, we show experimental evidence that differentiation of a single gene has contributed to divergent behavioral phenotypes in the white-throated sparrow, a common North American songbird. In this species, one of two alleles of ESR1, encoding estrogen receptor α (ERα), has been captured inside a differentiating supergene that segregates with an aggressive phenotype, such that ESR1 expression predicts aggression. Here, we show that the aggressive phenotype associated with the supergene is prevented by ESR1 knockdown in a single brain region. Next, we show that in a free-living population, aggression is predicted by allelic imbalance favoring the supergene allele. Cis-regulatory variation between the two alleles affects transcription factor binding sites, DNA methylation, and rates of transcription. This work provides a rare illustration of how genotypic divergence has led to behavioral phenotypic divergence in a vertebrate.

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  • Author identification updated.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC 4.0 International license.
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Posted January 16, 2020.
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A behavioral polymorphism caused by a single gene inside a supergene
Jennifer R. Merritt, Kathleen E. Grogan, Wendy M. Zinzow-Kramer, Dan Sun, Eric A. Ortlund, Soojin V. Yi, Donna L. Maney
bioRxiv 2020.01.13.897637; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.13.897637
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A behavioral polymorphism caused by a single gene inside a supergene
Jennifer R. Merritt, Kathleen E. Grogan, Wendy M. Zinzow-Kramer, Dan Sun, Eric A. Ortlund, Soojin V. Yi, Donna L. Maney
bioRxiv 2020.01.13.897637; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.13.897637

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