title: Progesterone Response Element Variation in the OXTR Promoter Region and Paternal Care in New World Monkeys.
abstract: Paternal care is a complex social behavior common in primate species with socially monogamous mating systems and twin births. Evolutionary causes and consequences of such behavior are not well understood, nor are their neuroendocrine and genetic bases. However, the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) and its receptor (OXTR) are associated with parental care in mammalian lineages. Here we investigated the interspecific variation in the number of progesterone response elements (PREs) in the OXTR promoter region of 32 primate species, correlating genetic data with behavior, social systems, and ecological/life-history parameters, while controlling for phylogeny. We verified that PREs are only present in New World monkeys and that PRE number is significantly correlated with the presence of paternal care in this branch. We suggest that PRE number could be an essential part of the genetic repertoire that allowed the emergence of taxon-specific complex social behaviors, such as paternal care in marmosets and tamarins.
authors: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: Vargas-Pinilla
authors: Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, SCTR Room 10-130 Bldg. 421, 3400 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Babb
authors: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
authors: Leandro
authors: L
authors: Nunes
authors: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
authors: Pâmela
authors: P
authors: Paré
authors: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
authors: Gabrielle
authors: G
authors: Rosa
authors: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
authors: Aline
authors: A
authors: Felkl
authors: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
authors: Dânae
authors: D
authors: Longo
authors: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
authors: Francisco M
authors: FM
authors: Salzano
authors: Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Campus de Ondina, Salvador, BA, 40170-290, Brazil.
authors: Vanessa R
authors: VR
authors: Paixão-Côrtes
authors: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
authors: Gislene Lopes
authors: GL
authors: Gonçalves
authors: Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15053, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil. maria.bortolini@ufrgs.br.
authors: Maria Cátira
authors: MC
authors: Bortolini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D051078:Platyrrhini; D011374:Progesterone / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000235:genetics*; D012098:Reproduction; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; D011374:Progesterone
keywords: Behavioral genetics; Callitrichinae; Molecular evolution; Oxytocin system