Pair bonding and disruption impact lung transcriptome in monogamous Peromyscus californicus

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genomics
• Physiology

Background:

• Social interactions influence physiological and pathological processes.
• The direct impact of social bonding on peripheral tissues, like the lungs, is not well understood.
• Previous research indicated that pair bond disruption in Peromyscus californicus promotes lung tumorigenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how pair bonding status affects lung tissue gene expression in tumor-free Peromyscus.
• To determine if social experiences influence lung cancer cell behavior in vitro.
• To identify molecular signatures associated with social interactions that have prognostic value in human lung cancer.

Main Methods:

• Transcriptomic analysis of lung tissue from Peromyscus with varying bonding statuses.
• Serum proteome profiling of bonded and bond-disrupted animals.
• In vitro culture of lung cancer cells exposed to sera from Peromyscus with different social histories.
• Analysis of gene expression signatures in human lung cancer tissues.

Main Results:

• Lung transcriptomes are significantly altered by pair bonding status, independent of genetic relatedness.
• Affected pathways include response to hypoxia and heart development.
• Sera from deer mice, particularly those with different bonding experiences, modulated gene expression in lung cancer cells.
• An identified gene expression signature correlated with social interaction history predicted outcomes in human lung cancers.

Conclusions:

• Social experiences, including pair bonding, modulate peripheral tissue gene expression and physiological processes.
• Changes in oxygen metabolism associated with social experiences may contribute to adverse health outcomes after bond disruption.
• Social interaction history can generate prognostic biomarkers for human lung cancer.