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Modular genetic control of social status in a cichlid fish

View ORCID ProfileBeau Alward, Vibhav Laud, Christopher J. Skalnik, Ryan A. York, View ORCID ProfileScott A. Juntti, View ORCID ProfileRussell D. Fernald
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.03.024190
Beau Alward
1University of Houston, Department of Psychology
2Stanford University, Department of Biology
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  • For correspondence: balward@uh.edu
Vibhav Laud
3Lynbrook High School
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Christopher J. Skalnik
2Stanford University, Department of Biology
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Ryan A. York
2Stanford University, Department of Biology
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Scott A. Juntti
2Stanford University, Department of Biology
4University of Maryland at College Park, Department of Biology
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Russell D. Fernald
2Stanford University, Department of Biology
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  • ORCID record for Russell D. Fernald
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Abstract

Social hierarchies are ubiquitous in social species, yet the mechanisms underlying social status are unclear. In the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni, males stratify along a dominance hierarchy that varies based on testes mass, coloration, and behavior. Using androgen receptor (AR) mutant A. burtoni generated using CRISPR/Cas9, we find that two AR genes control social dominance. ARβ, but not ARα, is required for testes growth and bright coloration, while ARα, but not ARβ, is required for the performance of reproductive behavior and aggressive displays. Neither receptor is required for attacking males. Analysis of AR double mutants revealed that either AR is sufficient for attacking males. Social status in A. burtoni males is modularly controlled by ARα and ARβ, indicating that these genes have undergone subfunctionalization.

One Sentence Summary Genetic dissection of social dominance in a cichlid using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing reveals dissociable roles for distinct androgen receptor genes.

Footnotes

  • Competing interest: We have no competing interests.

Copyright 
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-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted April 05, 2020.
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Modular genetic control of social status in a cichlid fish
Beau Alward, Vibhav Laud, Christopher J. Skalnik, Ryan A. York, Scott A. Juntti, Russell D. Fernald
bioRxiv 2020.04.03.024190; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.03.024190
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Modular genetic control of social status in a cichlid fish
Beau Alward, Vibhav Laud, Christopher J. Skalnik, Ryan A. York, Scott A. Juntti, Russell D. Fernald
bioRxiv 2020.04.03.024190; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.03.024190

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