Journal of Translational Neurosciences

Description

The study of hormones, the brain, and behavior are all being transformed by genome technologies. Numerous avian species are rapidly assembling annotated reference genome assemblies. In this section, we provide a brief summary of genomics' fundamental ideas and instruments. After that, we look at how these are influencing the study of avian behavioral neuroendocrinology, with a focus on the lessons learned from studying songbirds. We discuss the effects of having an organism's complete "parts list"; the transformative potential of studying a large number of genes simultaneously as opposed to just one gene; the increasing recognition that environmental and behavioral cues alter brain gene expression dramatically; as well as the possibilities of applying comparative genomics to the discovery of the genetic causes of behavioral variation. Throughout, we identify promising new directions for expanding the use of genomic data to better understand the brain and behavior of birds. A tsunami of genomics has swept through all of biology since the human genome was sequenced. The wave has now spread to avian biology, affecting research on brain, behavior, and endocrinology-relevant model organisms. Scientists who are trained in the study of hormones, the brain, and behavior may find the resources and tools of genomics to be foreign, but they are a useful addition to existing research strategies. With a focus on the future, we present a summary of the current state of avian genomics in this review: Where will the most impact of genomics be on the study and comprehension of avian brain and behavior?

Impact of Genome Sequencing

We will emphasize the zebra finch as a behavioral neuroendocrinology model organism, but we will also discuss relevant examples from other species and contexts. The impact of genome sequencing is already being felt in three main areas. The first step is to complete an organism's parts list, which is a comprehensive description of all the molecules encoded by the genome. We demonstrate how, by providing a precise accounting of all gene products, biology-related issues can be resolved and current research can be steered. Second, genomics has the ability to perform analyses of biological organization at a level that is beyond the scope of conventional approaches that concentrate on a small number of genes or gene products. Gene expression patterns and gene networks on a large scale are already providing surprising insights into the molecular bases of things like sex differences and vocal communication. Thirdly, genomics makes it easier to study natural variation between species and within species. Understanding variation is essential to comprehending biological systems on every scale, from the molecular to the cellular (for instance, what is the mechanism of this mutation?) to the environment.

Fundamental Significance of Hormones in Brain Function and Behavior

The term genomics refers to a variety of techniques for ascertaining a piece of DNA's sequence and/or chromosomal location. The DNA sequence that is being looked at could either come from an organism's RNA or be the organism's genomic DNA. The ability to access and precisely measure genetic variation is one of the new genomics' most potent features. When functional phenotypic variation and genetic variation can be correlated, it can be easy to draw conclusions about how the function works. The tools for efficiently analyzing genetic variation in large populations of organisms at the whole-genome level are provided by genome technologies. The fundamental significance of hormones in brain function and behavior has been firmly established by the discipline of behavioral neuroendocrinology. The integration of multiple levels of investigation—from small molecules across tissues to the animal as a whole and complex environments has been one of its strengths. Genomes present a fantastic new opportunity to add an additional level of analysis to our understanding of intricate biological systems. Unexpected behavioral potentials, variations in the machinery of neuroendocrine signaling, and a possible role for epigenetic processes in the integration of signals and behavior across shifting environments have all been discovered through research on avian genomes. We have demonstrated that even the finished genome is inherently a work in progress due, in part, to the difficulties of assembling a complete and accurate genome and, in part, to the fact that each person's genome is unique.