Parental care is essential for the survival of mammals, yet the mechanisms underlying its evolution remain largely unknown. Here we show that two sister species of mice, Peromyscus polionotus and Peromyscus maniculatus, have large and heritable differences in parental behaviour. Using quantitative genetics, we identify 12 genomic regions that affect parental care, 8 of which have sex-specific effects, suggesting that parental care can evolve independently in males and females. Furthermore, some regions affect parental care broadly, whereas others affect specific behaviours, such as nest building. Of the genes linked to differences in nest-building behaviour, vasopressin is differentially expressed in the hypothalamus of the two species, with increased levels associated with less nest building. Using pharmacology in Peromyscus and chemogenetics in Mus, we show that vasopressin inhibits nest building but not other parental behaviours. Together, our results indicate that variation in an ancient neuropeptide contributes to interspecific differences in parental care.

/pdf/the-genetic-basis-of-parental-care-evolution-in-monogamous-3biu8rqk9i.pdf

The genetic basis of parental care evolution in monogamous mice

The deer mouse (genus Peromyscus) is the most abundant mammal in North America, and it occupies almost every type of terrestrial habitat. It is not surprising therefore that the natural history of Peromyscus is among the best studied of any small mammal. For decades, the deer mouse has contributed to our understanding of population genetics, disease ecology, longevity, endocrinology and behavior. Over a century's worth of detailed descriptive studies of Peromyscus in the wild, coupled with emerging genetic and genomic techniques, have now positioned these mice as model organisms for the study of natural variation and adaptation. Recent work, combining field observations and laboratory experiments, has lead to exciting advances in a number of fields—from evolution and genetics, to physiology and neurobiology.

/pdf/peromyscus-mice-as-a-model-for-studying-natural-variation-2nyff8btjf.pdf

Peromyscus mice as a model for studying natural variation

The laboratory rat was the first mammal domesticated for research purposes. It is descended from wild Norway rats, Rattus norvegicus, which despite their name likely originated in Asia. Exceptionally adaptable, these rodents now inhabit almost all environments on Earth, especially near human settlements where they are often seen as pests. The laboratory rat thrives in captivity, and its domestication has produced many inbred and outbred lines that are used for different purposes, including medical trials and behavioral studies. Differences between wild Norway rats and their laboratory counterparts were first noted in the early 20 century and led some researchers to later question its value as a model organism. While these views are probably unjustified, the advanced domestication of the laboratory rat does suggest that resuming studies of wild rats could benefit the wider research community. KLAUDIA MODLINSKA* AND WOJCIECH PISULA Introduction The Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus, is known by many names such as the brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norwegian rat, city rat, water rat and wharf rat. Living in close proximity to humans, wild Norway rats are often considered pests (Khlyap et al., 2012). They are well known for invading and damaging property, spoiling food supplies and spreading diseases (Kosoy et al., 2015). Their seemingly unrestricted capacity to reproduce, their ferocious appetite (which can result in cannibalism) and their remarkable ability to survive in adverse and often unsanitary conditions only seem to worsen their reputation among many in the general public. For all of these reasons and more, rats are the targets of intensive pest control strategies. In spite of their bad reputation in the wild, the laboratory rat is perhaps the archetypal model organism. Widely used in fields such as neuroscience, physiology and toxicology, ‘lab rats’ account for 13.9% of all animals used in research in Europe (European commission, 2012), second only to mice which account for 60.9%. First domesticated from wild Norway rats over 170 years ago (Richter, 1959), today laboratory rats owe their popularity as a model organism largely due to their widespread availability, low breeding costs, short reproductive cycle and ability to thrive in captive environments. Laboratory rats differ from Norway rats in the wild, just like many other model organisms (Alfred and Baldwin, 2015). In the mid-20 century, these differences led some researchers to suggest that the laboratory rat had become a degenerated form of its wild cousins and lost its value as a study model (Beach, 1950; Lockard, 1968). While these views are probably unjustified, researchers working with laboratory rats should remain aware of its advanced domestication. While few modern laboratories study wild R. norvegicus colonies, a better appreciation of the rat’s natural history would expand its value as a model organism. Resuming studies of wild rats would give the opportunity to not only ‘refresh’ genetic lines and create new highly specialized strains, but also document the many changes that have taken place in wild *For correspondence: kmodlinska@psych.pan.pl Competing interests: The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

The natural history of model organisms

The rodent Peromyscus leucopus is the natural reservoir of several tick-borne infections, including Lyme disease. To expand the knowledge base for this key species in life cycles of several pathogens, we assembled and scaffolded the P. leucopus genome. The resulting assembly was 2.45 Gb in total length, with 24 chromosome-length scaffolds harboring 97% of predicted genes. RNA sequencing following infection of P. leucopus with Borreliella burgdorferi, a Lyme disease agent, shows that, unlike blood, the skin is actively responding to the infection after several weeks. P. leucopus has a high level of segregating nucleotide variation, suggesting that natural resistance alleles to Crispr gene targeting constructs are likely segregating in wild populations. The reference genome will allow for experiments aimed at elucidating the mechanisms by which this widely distributed rodent serves as natural reservoir for several infectious diseases of public health importance, potentially enabling intervention strategies.

https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/advances/5/7/eaaw6441.full.pdf

The genome of Peromyscus leucopus, natural host for Lyme disease and other emerging infections.

Peromyscus burrowing: A model system for behavioral evolution

The rodent genus Peromyscus is the most numerous and species-rich mammalian group in North America. The naturally occurring diversity within this genus allows opportunities to investigate the genetic basis of adaptation, monogamy, behavioral and physiological phenotypes, growth control, genomic imprinting, and disease processes. Increased genomic resources including a high quality genetic map are needed to capitalize on these opportunities. We produced interspecific hybrids between the prairie deer mouse (P. maniculatus bairdii) and the oldfield mouse (P. polionotus) and scored meiotic recombination events in backcross progeny. A genetic map was constructed by genotyping of backcross progeny at 185 gene-based and 155 microsatellite markers representing all autosomes and the X-chromosome. Comparison of the constructed genetic map with the molecular maps of Mus and Rattus and consideration of previous results from interspecific reciprocal whole chromosome painting allowed most linkage groups to be unambiguously assigned to specific Peromyscus chromosomes. Based on genomic comparisons, this Peromyscus genetic map covers ~83 % of the Rattus genome and 79 % of the Mus genome. This map supports previous results that the Peromyscus genome is more similar to Rattus than Mus. For example, coverage of the 20 Rattus autosomes and the X-chromosome is accomplished with only 28 segments of the Peromyscus map, but coverage of the 19 Mus autosomes and the X-chromosome requires 40 chromosomal segments of the Peromyscus map. Furthermore, a single Peromyscus linkage group corresponds to about 91 % of the rat and only 76 % of the mouse X-chromosomes.

/pdf/a-genetic-map-of-peromyscus-with-chromosomal-assignment-of-1x2u28li7s.pdf

A Genetic Map of Peromyscus with Chromosomal Assignment of Linkage Groups (A Peromyscus Genetic Map)

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A Genetic Map of Peromyscus with Chromosomal Assignment of Linkage Groups (A Peromyscus Genetic Map)