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Maternal programming of defensive responses through sustained effects on gene expression
Tie-Yuan Zhang1, Rose Bagot, Carine Parent
1McGill Program for the Study of Behavior, Genes and Environment, McGill University, Canada.
Biological Psychology
|March 4, 2006
Summary
Maternal effects significantly influence offspring defensive behaviors and stress responses. These effects, mediated by maternal care and gene expression, can enhance survival but increase pathology risk later in life.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Developmental biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Maternal effects shape offspring traits across diverse species, from plants to birds.
- These effects are often linked to environmental quality and maternal provisioning.
- In mammals, maternal behavior influences offspring gene expression and stress responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for maternal effects on defensive responses and stress in rats.
- To explore the mechanisms, including gene expression and maternal behavior, underlying these effects.
- To discuss the adaptive and potentially detrimental consequences of maternal programming.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing data on maternal effects in rat models.
- Analysis of how maternal behavior impacts offspring gene expression.
- Examination of the link between maternal care and offspring stress sensitivity.
Main Results:
- Maternal effects in rats influence defensive behaviors and stress responses.
- Maternal behavior can alter offspring gene expression, programming sensitivity to adversity.
- Enhanced defensive capacity in offspring under adversity is mediated by maternal effects.
Conclusions:
- Maternal effects are crucial in programming mammalian offspring for survival in adverse environments.
- This programming enhances defensive capacities but may increase the risk of later-life pathologies.
- Understanding maternal effects is key to comprehending individual differences in stress response and health outcomes.