TY - JOUR
T1 - Early-life social experience affects offspring DNA methylation and later life stress phenotype
AU - Laubach, Zachary M.
AU - Greenberg, Julia R.
AU - Turner, Julie W.
AU - Montgomery, Tracy M.
AU - Pioon, Malit O.
AU - Sawdy, Maggie A.
AU - Smale, Laura
AU - Cavalcante, Raymond G.
AU - Padmanabhan, Karthik R.
AU - Lalancette, Claudia
AU - vonHoldt, Bridgett
AU - Faulk, Christopher D.
AU - Dolinoy, Dana C.
AU - Holekamp, Kay E.
AU - Perng, Wei
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12/1
Y1 - 2021/12/1
N2 - Studies in rodents and captive primates suggest that the early-life social environment affects future phenotype, potentially through alterations to DNA methylation. Little is known of these associations in wild animals. In a wild population of spotted hyenas, we test the hypothesis that maternal care during the first year of life and social connectedness during two periods of early development leads to differences in DNA methylation and fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs) later in life. Here we report that although maternal care and social connectedness during the den-dependent life stage are not associated with fGCMs, greater social connectedness during the subadult den-independent life stage is associated with lower adult fGCMs. Additionally, more maternal care and social connectedness after den independence correspond with higher global (%CCGG) DNA methylation. We also note differential DNA methylation near 5 genes involved in inflammation, immune response, and aging that may link maternal care with stress phenotype.
AB - Studies in rodents and captive primates suggest that the early-life social environment affects future phenotype, potentially through alterations to DNA methylation. Little is known of these associations in wild animals. In a wild population of spotted hyenas, we test the hypothesis that maternal care during the first year of life and social connectedness during two periods of early development leads to differences in DNA methylation and fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs) later in life. Here we report that although maternal care and social connectedness during the den-dependent life stage are not associated with fGCMs, greater social connectedness during the subadult den-independent life stage is associated with lower adult fGCMs. Additionally, more maternal care and social connectedness after den independence correspond with higher global (%CCGG) DNA methylation. We also note differential DNA methylation near 5 genes involved in inflammation, immune response, and aging that may link maternal care with stress phenotype.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41467-021-24583-x
DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-24583-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 34285226
AN - SCOPUS:85111081158
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 12
JO - Nature communications
JF - Nature communications
IS - 1
M1 - 4398
ER -