Oxytocin and arginine vasopressin systems in the domestication process

• Published in: Genetics and molecular biology Vol. 41; no. 1 suppl 1; pp. 235 - 242
• Main Authors: Fam, Bibiana S.O., Paré, Pamela, Felkl, Aline B., Vargas-Pinilla, Pedro, Paixão-Côrtes, Vanessa R., Viscardi, Lucas Henriques, Bortolini, Maria Cátira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Genetica 01.01.2018; Sociedade Brasileira de Genética
• Subjects: animal domestication; Argipressin; BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY; Biological evolution; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Domestication; Evolutionary genetics; Gene sequencing; Genes; GENETICS & HEREDITY; Molecular evolution; Nucleotide sequence; Oxytocin; Oxytocin and receptors; Physiology; Positive selection; Social behavior; Vasopressin; vasopressin and receptors; Oxytocin and receptors; animal domestication; positive selection; molecular evolution; vasopressin and receptors
• ISSN: 1415-4757; 1678-4685; 1678-4685
• DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2017-0069

Domestication is of unquestionable importance to the technological revolution that has given rise to modern human societies. In this study, we analyzed the DNA and protein sequences of six genes of the oxytocin and arginine vasopressin systems (OXT-OXTR; AVP-AVPR1a, AVPR1b and AVPR2) in 40 placental mammals. These systems play an important role in the control of physiology and behavior. According to our analyses, neutrality does not explain the pattern of molecular evolution found in some of these genes. We observed specific sites under positive selection in AVPR1b (ω = 1.429, p = 0.001) and AVPR2 (ω= 1.49, p = 0.001), suggesting that they could be involved in behavior and physiological changes, including those related to the domestication process. Furthermore, AVPR1a, which plays a role in social behavior, is under relaxed selective constraint in domesticated species. These results provide new insights into the nature of the domestication process and its impact on the OXT-AVP system.