Molecular origins and outcomes of status and stress in primates

Friesen and Hofmann discuss the study by Snyder-Mackler et al which examine social interactions in 45 captive, unrelated female rhesus macaques, to uncover the molecular mechanisms involved in social status and stress. Previous research by Snyder-Mackler et al demonstrated that low-ranking females exhibit a proinflammatory profile in their blood cells compared with high-ranking females. In their new study, Snyder-Mackler et al evaluate GC signaling using in vitro treatment with the synthetic GC dexamethasone (Dex). To further explore the relationship between social status and immune regulation. Lea et al examine social interactions in wild yellow baboons (monitored by the Amboseli Baboon Research Project), where males and females exhibit different types of status hierarchies. Both Snyder-Mackler et al and Lea et al explore the effects of social status and stress on behavior and gene expression at the level of the transcriptome and epigenome.