Genetic backgrounds and sex modulate indirect genetic effects of Epha4 in laboratory mice
- 1Centre de Regulacio Genomica
Abstract
The phenotype of a focal individual can be affected not only by the individuals own genes (direct genetic effects, DGE) but also by genes of other individuals it interacts with (indirect genetic effects, IGE). Better understanding IGE can help better understand the impact and mechanisms of social effects. Here, we investigated, in laboratory mice, the modulation of IGE by genetic background of the focal individual (social epistasis) and by sex. We focused on IGE arising from Epha4, a gene that has been associated with the individuals own stress-related and social behaviours (i.e. DGE) and the stress-coping behaviour and wound healing of the other mice in the cage (i.e. IGE). Among four different genetic backgrounds for focal mice, significant IGE from Epha4 were detected in CBA females only. A formal model selection analysis was consistent with the modulation of IGE by the similarity of the genetic backgrounds of the focal mouse and its Epha4 cage mate, as well as by sex. Observations of fighting in cages of males with dissimilar genetic backgrounds suggested aggression might underpin these modulatory effects, which prompted to us to expand the conceptual framework describing the mechanisms of social epistasis. Thus, our results strengthen the emerging view that IGE are not fixed properties of social genotypes but can depend on the genetic and sex context of interacting individuals, revealing an underexplored layer of their genetic architecture.
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BibTeX
@misc{baud2026genetic,
title = {{Genetic backgrounds and sex modulate indirect genetic effects of Epha4 in laboratory mice}},
author = {A. Baud and P. Matani and M. Stedile and A. S. Nacht},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.30.755759},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.755759v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Genetic backgrounds and sex modulate indirect genetic effects of Epha4 in laboratory mice
AU - A. Baud
AU - P. Matani
AU - M. Stedile
AU - A. S. Nacht
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.30.755759
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.755759v1
AB - The phenotype of a focal individual can be affected not only by the individuals own genes (direct genetic effects, DGE) but also by genes of other individuals it interacts with (indirect genetic effects, IGE). Better understanding IGE can help better understand the impact and mechanisms of social effects. Here, we investigated, in laboratory mice, the modulation of IGE by genetic background of the focal individual (social epistasis) and by sex. We focused on IGE arising from Epha4, a gene that has been associated with the individuals own stress-related and social behaviours (i.e. DGE) and the stress-coping behaviour and wound healing of the other mice in the cage (i.e. IGE). Among four different genetic backgrounds for focal mice, significant IGE from Epha4 were detected in CBA females only. A formal model selection analysis was consistent with the modulation of IGE by the similarity of the genetic backgrounds of the focal mouse and its Epha4 cage mate, as well as by sex. Observations of fighting in cages of males with dissimilar genetic backgrounds suggested aggression might underpin these modulatory effects, which prompted to us to expand the conceptual framework describing the mechanisms of social epistasis. Thus, our results strengthen the emerging view that IGE are not fixed properties of social genotypes but can depend on the genetic and sex context of interacting individuals, revealing an underexplored layer of their genetic architecture.
ER -