Behavioral Genomics

Given rapid advances in genomic techniques we are now able to assay, at the whole genome level, gene expression level, genomic content and epigenetic state for a broad range of organisms not previously amenable to genetic/genomic techniques. Genetic systems that underlie sensory processing, emotion and motivation, neuronal development and plasticity are all essential for generating behaviors. By studying how these genetic programs vary between and within species we can begin to understand how they giving rise to behavioral diversity.

Student pairs should select one paper from this list or a similar paper published within the past 24 months that has been approved by Suzy. When appropriate, students should also select a relevant review paper (publication date not specified).

Recent Reviews that may point you to good papers
Anholt RRH, Mackay TFC. 2012. Genetics of Aggression  In Annual Review of Genetics, Vol 46, pp. 145-64

Bendesky A, Bargmann CI. 2011. Genetic contributions to behavioural diversity at the gene-environment interface. Nature Reviews Genetics 12: 809-20

Champagne FA. 2012. Interplay Between Social Experiences and the Genome: Epigenetic Consequences for Behavior  In Gene-Environment Interplay, pp. 33-57

Zayed A, Robinson GE. 2012. Understanding the Relationship Between Brain Gene Expression and Social Behavior: Lessons from the Honey Bee  In Annual Review of Genetics, Vol 46, pp. 591-615

Page RE, Jr., Rueppell O, Amdam GV. 2012. Genetics of Reproduction and Regulation of Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) Social Behavior  In Annual Review of Genetics, Vol 46, pp. 97-119

Kukekova AV, Temnykh SV, Johnson JL, Trut LN, Acland GM. 2012. Genetics of behavior in the silver fox. Mammalian Genome 23: 164-77

Potential papers to present
Herb BR, Wolschin F, Hansen KD, Aryee MJ, Langmead B, et al. 2012. Reversible switching between epigenetic states in honeybee behavioral subcastes. Nature Neuroscience 15: 1371-73

Sanogo YO, Band M, Blatti C, Sinha S, Bell AM. 2012. Transcriptional regulation of brain gene expression in response to a territorial intrusion. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences 279: 4929-38

Wheat CW, Fescemyer HW, Kvist J, Tas E, Vera JC, et al. 2011. Functional genomics of life history variation in a butterfly metapopulation. Molecular Ecology 20: 1813-28

Weber JN, Peterson BK, Hoekstra HE. 2013. Discrete genetic modules are responsible for complex burrow evolution in Peromyscus mice. Nature 493: 402-5

Toth AL, Varala K, Henshaw MT, Rodriguez-Zas SL, Hudson ME, Robinson GE. 2010. Brain transcriptomic analysis in paper wasps identifies genes associated with behaviour across social insect lineages. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences 277: 2139-48

Schumer M, Krishnakant K, Renn SCP. 2011. Comparative gene expression profiles for highly similar aggressive phenotypes in male and female cichlid fishes (Julidochromis). Journal of Experimental Biology 214: 3269-78

Wayne RK, vonHoldt BM. 2012. Evolutionary genomics of dog domestication. Mammalian Genome 23: 3-18