DNA methylation associates with sex-specific effects of experimentally increased yolk testosterone in wild nestlings

Maternal hormones can profoundly impact offspring physiology and behaviour in sex-dependent ways. Yet little is known on the molecular mechanisms linking these maternal effects to offspring phenotypes. DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism, is suggested to facilitate maternal androgens’ effects. To assess whether phenotypic changes induced by maternal androgens associate with DNA methylation changes, we experimentally manipulated yolk testosterone levels in wild great tit eggs (Parus major) and quantified phenotypic and DNA methylation changes in the hatched offspring. While we found no effect on the handing stress response, increased yolk testosterone levels decreased the begging probability, emphasised sex-differences in fledging mass and affected methylation at 763 CpG sites, but always in a sex-specific way. These sites associated with genes involved in growth, oxidative stress and reproduction, suggesting sex-specific trade-offs to balance the costs and benefits of exposure to h..., , , # DNA methylation associates with sex-specific effects of experimentally increased yolk testosterone in wild nestlings All data and scripts related to the manuscript \"DNA methylation associates with sex-specific effects of experimentally increased yolk testosterone in wild nestlings\" by Bernice Sepers, Suvi Ruuskanen, Tjomme van Mastrigt and Kees van Oers. --- Explanation of column names that are included in many data files: ID = identity of an individual great tit (Parus major); brood_origin = brood of origin, the number of the nest box where an individual was born; brood_rearing = brood of rearing, the number of the nest box where an individual was raised; treatment = experimental treatment group, either testosterone (i.e. hatched from egg injected with testosterone + sesame oil) or control (i.e. hatched from egg injected with sesame oil); sex = sex of the individual. * \"HS_data.xlsx\" includes the raw handling stress data (sheet HS) and the handling stress estimates (sheet HS_ESTI...母体激素可通过性别依赖的方式，对后代的生理与行为产生显著影响。然而，目前对于连接这些母体效应与后代表型的分子机制，我们仍知之甚少。DNA甲基化（DNA methylation）作为一种表观遗传调控机制，被认为可介导母体雄激素的效应。为探究母体雄激素诱导的表型变化是否与DNA甲基化改变相关，本研究对野生大山雀（Parus major）的卵黄睾酮水平进行了实验调控，并对孵化出的后代的表型与DNA甲基化变化进行了定量分析。尽管本研究未发现其对处理应激反应存在影响，但升高的卵黄睾酮水平降低了雏鸟的乞食概率，强化了离巢体重的性别差异，并在763个CpG位点上影响了甲基化水平，且这些影响均呈现性别特异性。这些甲基化位点与生长、氧化应激及生殖相关的基因存在关联，提示存在性别特异性的权衡机制，以平衡暴露于[原文此处截断]的代价与收益。# 野生雏鸟实验性升高卵黄睾酮的性别特异性效应与DNA甲基化的关联 本数据集包含与论文《野生雏鸟实验性升高卵黄睾酮的性别特异性效应与DNA甲基化的关联》相关的全部数据与脚本，作者为Bernice Sepers、Suvi Ruuskanen、Tjomme van Mastrigt及Kees van Oers。 --- 多数数据文件中包含的列名说明如下： ID：个体大山雀（Parus major）的唯一标识； brood_origin：亲代巢窝标识，即个体出生所在的巢箱编号； brood_rearing：育雏巢窝标识，即个体被抚育所在的巢箱编号； treatment：实验处理组，分为睾酮处理组（即从注射了睾酮+芝麻油的卵中孵化出的个体）与对照组（即从仅注射芝麻油的卵中孵化出的个体）； sex：个体性别。 * 《HS_data.xlsx》包含原始处理应激数据（工作表HS）与处理应激评估值（工作表HS_ESTI……）