Distinct gene regulatory signatures of dominance rank and social bond strength in wild baboons.

ABSTRACT: The social environment is a major determinant of morbidity, mortality and Darwinian fitness in social animals. Recent studies have begun to uncover the molecular processes associated with these relationships, but the degree to which they vary across different dimensions of the social environment remains unclear. Here, we draw on a long-term field study of wild baboons to compare the signatures of affiliative and competitive aspects of the social environment in white blood cell gene regulation, under both immune-stimulated and non-stimulated conditions. We find that the effects of dominance rank on gene expression are directionally opposite in males versus females, such that high-ranking males resemble low-ranking females, and vice versa. Among females, rank and social bond strength are bot

SUBMITTER: Anderson JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8743882 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature