Data from: Head color morph- and sex-specific differences in follistatin gene expression in the Gouldian finch brain
Data files
May 01, 2026 version files 61.16 KB
Abstract
The Gouldian finch exhibits a head color polymorphism, which is tightly coupled to distinct differences in aggression, stress responses, and parental care. In competitive environments, red-headed birds are more aggressive, less parental, and exhibit a heightened stress response relative to black-headed birds. The head color polymorphism has been associated with genetic variation in a small non-coding region near the follistatin (FST) gene. Given the regulatory nature of this gene, we hypothesized that FST mRNA would be differentially expressed in association with morph and sex-specific differences in the brains of red- and black-headed morphs. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed FST gene expression in the Gouldian finch brain using RNAscope in situ hybridization assay. Our results revealed significant differences in FST gene expression between morphs and sex. Specifically, black-headed morphs, regardless of sex, displayed higher FST mRNA levels across multiple brain regions associated with aggression, stress responses, and parental care compared to red-headed morphs. Furthermore, males consistently showed greater FST mRNA levels within the same morph type than females. These findings suggest that head color morph and sex-specific differences in FST gene expression may underlie the observed morph and sex-specific differences in aggression, stress responses, and parental care in Gouldian finches.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.7pvmcvf5x
Description of the data and file structure
The RNAscope ISH assay generates punctate dots each representing a single mRNA molecule. We quantified FST mRNA expression by calculating the average number of punctate dots per cell.
Files and variables
File: FST_RNAscope_quantification_cell_density.xlsx
Description: Cell density in target regions of the Gouldian finch brain. The number of cells per target region (cell density) was enumerated by counting DAPI positive nuclei.
- Sheet1: black-headed male
- Sheet2: black-headed female
- Sheet3: red-headed male
- Sheet4: red-headed female
- Sheet5: summary of the cell density in black-headed male, black-headed female, red-headed male and red-headed female
- Number 5, 6, 7, 8 represent animal ID.
Variables
- B-M: black-headed male
- B-F: black-headed female
- R-M: red-headed male
- R-F: red-headed female
File: FST_RNAscope_quantification_number_of_average_punctate_dots_per_cell.xlsx
Description: Quantitative analyses of FST mRNA expression in ten brain regions involved in stress responses, aggression and parental care of Gouldian finches. FST mRNA was assessed by the average punctate dot number per cell.
- Sheet1: black-headed male
- Sheet2: black-headed female
- Sheet3: red-headed male
- Sheet4: red-headed female
- Sheet5: summary of the average dot number per cell in black-headed male, black-headed female, red-headed male and red-headed female
- Number 5, 6, 7, 8 represent animal ID.
Variables
- Note: the variables described for FST_RNAscope_quantification_number_of_average_punctate_dots_per_cell.xlsx are also used in FST_RNAscope_quantification_number_of_average_punctate_dots_per_cell.xlsx
- B-M: black-headed male
- B-F: black-headed female
- R-M: red-headed male
- R-F: red-headed female
- BSTL, lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis
- BSTM, medial bed nucleus of stria terminalis
- FST, follistatin
- HPC, caudal hippocampal formation
- HPR, rostral hippocampal formation
- NHpC, nucleus of the hippocampal commissure
- PAG, periaqueductal gray
- PVNL, lateral part of the paraventricular nucleus
- TnA, nucleus taeniae of the amygdala
- VMH, ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus
- VTA, ventral tegmental area
- n/a, no data available
Code/software
Microsoft Excel is needed to view the data.