Comparative proteomics reveals molecular correlates of population-level
variation in reproductive timing in a North American songbird
Abstract
Individuals and populations time annual events such as migration and
reproduction to match favorable times in their environment.
Physiological preparations for reproduction rely on predictive cues such
as day length to accurately time reproduction. In birds, preparation
typically begins with light reception by the hypothalamus, which
initiates multiple central and peripheral responses. We studied two
closely related populations of a songbird, the dark-eyed junco, that
live in a common winter environment but diverge in their timing of
reproduction as spring approaches. One population is resident and
initiates reproduction earlier than the other, which migrates northward
prior to reproducing. We caught resident and migrant juncos from the
field during early spring and collected hypothalamic and pituitary
tissues. We used isobaric tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling to identify
differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) as possible regulators of the
seasonal divergence in reproductive timing. We found 3038 unique
proteins expressed in the hypothalamus and pituitary proteome, among
which we identified 75 DEPs. These were associated with hormones,
neurotransmitter secretion, transport, neuropeptide synthesis,
prohormone synthesis, neurogenesis, GnRH synthesis, release and
stability, food intake, locomotion, and social behavior. Some of these
proteins were associated with early breeding in resident juncos, and
others were associated with increased food intake, fat metabolism,
locomotor activity and phenology in migratory juncos. Our results
provide new insight into the neuroendocrine regulation of the timing of
reproduction and migration. This study provides the first evidence of a
relationship between functional protein variation in the neuroendocrine
tissues and seasonal divergence in reproductive timing.