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Dromard Y, Borie AM, Chakraborty P, Muscatelli F, Guillon G, Desarménien MG, Jeanneteau F. Disengagement of somatostatin neurons from lateral septum circuitry by oxytocin and vasopressin restores social-fear extinction and suppresses aggression outbursts in Prader-Willi syndrome model. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:785-799. [PMID: 38952926 PMCID: PMC11216544 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Background Responding to social signals by expressing the correct behavior is not only challenged in autism, but also in diseases with high prevalence of autism, like Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). Clinical evidence suggests aberrant pro-social behavior in patients can be regulated by intranasal oxytocin (OXT) or vasopressin (AVP). However, what neuronal mechanisms underlie impaired behavioral responses in a socially-aversive context, and how can they be corrected, remains largely unknown. Methods Using the Magel2 knocked-out (KO) mouse model of PWS (crossed with CRE-dependent transgenic lines), we devised optogenetic, physiological and pharmacological strategies in a social-fear-conditioning paradigm. Pathway specific roles of OXT and AVP signaling were investigated converging on the lateral septum (LS), a region which receives dense hypothalamic inputs. Results OXT and AVP signaling promoted inhibitory synaptic transmission in the LS, which failure in Magel2KO mice disinhibited somatostatin (SST) neurons and disrupted social-fear extinction. The source of OXT and AVP deficits mapped specifically in the supraoptic nucleus→LS pathway of Magel2KO mice disrupting social-fear extinction, which could be corrected by optogenetic or pharmacological inhibition of SST-neurons in the LS. Interestingly, LS SST-neurons also gated the expression of aggressive behavior, possibly as part of functional units operating beyond local septal circuits. Conclusions SST cells in the LS play a crucial role in integration and expression of disrupted neuropeptide signals in autism, thereby altering the balance in expression of safety versus fear. Our results uncover novel mechanisms underlying dysfunction in a socially-aversive context, and provides a new framework for future treatments in autism-spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Dromard
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, France
| | - Amélie M. Borie
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, France
| | - Prabahan Chakraborty
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, France
| | - Françoise Muscatelli
- Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée, INSERM, University of Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Gilles Guillon
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, France
| | - Michel G. Desarménien
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, France
| | - Freddy Jeanneteau
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, France
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2
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Jiménez A, Jiménez P, Inoue K, Young LJ, González-Mariscal G. Oxytocin antagonist does not disrupt rabbit maternal behavior despite binding to brain oxytocin receptors. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13236. [PMID: 36762715 PMCID: PMC10363570 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
We explored a possible role of oxytocin (OXT) for the onset and maintenance of rabbit maternal behavior by: (a) confirming that a selective oxytocin receptor antagonist (OTA) widely used in rodents selectively binds to OXT receptors (OXTR) in the rabbit brain and (b) determining the effect of daily intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of OTA to primiparous and multiparous does from gestation day 29 to lactation day 3. OTA efficiently displaced the high affinity, selective oxytocin receptor (OXTR) radioligand, 125 I-labeled ornithine vasotocin analog (125 I-OVTA), but was much less effective at displacing the selective V1a vasopressin receptor radioligand, 125 I-labeled linear vasopressin, thus showing high affinity and selectivity of OTA for rabbit OXTR as in rodents. Further, ICV OTA injections did not modify nest-building, latency to enter the nest box, time spent nursing or the amount of milk produced, relative to vehicle-injected does. The percentage of mothers suckling the litter was also similar between both groups, regardless of parity. Together, our results do not support a role of OXT for the initiation or maintenance of rabbit maternal behavior. Future studies are warranted to determine if OXT participates in fine-tuning additional aspects of the maternal ethogram, for example, circadian periodicity of nursing and nest defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeles Jiménez
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
| | - Pedro Jiménez
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, México
| | - Kiyoshi Inoue
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Larry J. Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
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3
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Powell JM, Inoue K, Wallace KJ, Seifert AW, Young LJ, Kelly AM. Distribution of vasopressin 1a and oxytocin receptor protein and mRNA in the basal forebrain and midbrain of the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus). Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:413-431. [PMID: 36271259 PMCID: PMC9974677 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02581-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The nonapeptide system modulates numerous social behaviors through oxytocin and vasopressin activation of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and vasopressin receptor (AVPR1A) in the brain. OXTRs and AVPR1As are widely distributed throughout the brain and binding densities exhibit substantial variation within and across species. Although OXTR and AVPR1A binding distributions have been mapped for several rodents, this system has yet to be characterized in the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus). Here we conducted receptor autoradiography and in situ hybridization to map distributions of OXTR and AVPR1A binding and Oxtr and Avpr1a mRNA expression throughout the basal forebrain and midbrain of male and female spiny mice. We found that nonapeptide receptor mRNA is diffuse throughout the forebrain and midbrain and does not always align with OXTR and AVPR1A binding. Analyses of sex differences in brain regions involved in social behavior and reward revealed that males exhibit higher OXTR binding densities in the lateral septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and anterior hypothalamus. However, no association with gonadal sex was observed for AVPR1A binding. Hierarchical clustering analysis further revealed that co-expression patterns of OXTR and AVPR1A binding across brain regions involved in social behavior and reward differ between males and females. These findings provide mapping distributions and sex differences in nonapeptide receptors in spiny mice. Spiny mice are an excellent organism for studying grouping behaviors such as cooperation and prosociality, and the nonapeptide receptor mapping here can inform the study of nonapeptide-mediated behavior in a highly social, large group-living rodent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne M Powell
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Kiyoshi Inoue
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Kelly J Wallace
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ashley W Seifert
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, 101 Morgan Building, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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4
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Rosvall KA. Evolutionary endocrinology and the problem of Darwin's tangled bank. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105246. [PMID: 36029721 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Like Darwin's tangled bank of biodiversity, the endocrine mechanisms that give rise to phenotypic diversity also exhibit nearly endless forms. This tangled bank of mechanistic diversity can prove problematic as we seek general principles on the role of endocrine mechanisms in phenotypic evolution. A key unresolved question is therefore: to what degree are specific endocrine mechanisms re-used to bring about replicated phenotypic evolution? Related areas of inquiry are booming in molecular ecology, but behavioral traits are underrepresented in this literature. Here, I leverage the rich comparative tradition in evolutionary endocrinology to evaluate whether and how certain mechanisms may be repeated hotspots of behavioral evolutionary change. At one extreme, mechanisms may be parallel, such that evolution repeatedly uses the same gene or pathway to arrive at multiple independent (or, convergent) origins of a particular behavioral trait. At the other extreme, the building blocks of behavior may be unique, such that outwardly similar phenotypes are generated via lineage-specific mechanisms. This review synthesizes existing case studies, phylogenetic analyses, and experimental evolutionary research on mechanistic parallelism in animal behavior. These examples show that the endocrine building blocks of behavior have some elements of parallelism across replicated evolutionary events. However, support for parallelism is variable among studies, at least some of which relates to the level of complexity at which we consider sameness (i.e. pathway vs. gene level). Moving forward, we need continued experimentation and better testing of neutral models to understand whether, how - and critically, why - mechanism A is used in one lineage and mechanism B is used in another. We also need continued growth of large-scale comparative analyses, especially those that can evaluate which endocrine parameters are more or less likely to undergo parallel evolution alongside specific behavioral traits. These efforts will ultimately deepen understanding of how and why hormone-mediated behaviors are constructed the way that they are.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Rosvall
- Indiana University, Bloomington, USA; Department of Biology, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, USA.
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5
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Abstract
The question of the heritability of behavior has been of long fascination to scientists and the broader public. It is now widely accepted that most behavioral variation has a genetic component, although the degree of genetic influence differs widely across behaviors. Starting with Mendel's remarkable discovery of "inheritance factors," it has become increasingly clear that specific genetic variants that influence behavior can be identified. This goal is not without its challenges: Unlike pea morphology, most natural behavioral variation has a complex genetic architecture. However, we can now apply powerful genome-wide approaches to connect variation in DNA to variation in behavior as well as analyses of behaviorally related variation in brain gene expression, which together have provided insights into both the genetic mechanisms underlying behavior and the dynamic relationship between genes and behavior, respectively, in a wide range of species and for a diversity of behaviors. Here, we focus on two systems to illustrate both of these approaches: the genetic basis of burrowing in deer mice and transcriptomic analyses of division of labor in honey bees. Finally, we discuss the troubled relationship between the field of behavioral genetics and eugenics, which reminds us that we must be cautious about how we discuss and contextualize the connections between genes and behavior, especially in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hopi E. Hoekstra
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- HHMI, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Gene E. Robinson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
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Haakenson CM, Balthazart J, Madison FN, Ball GF. The neural distribution of the avian homologue of oxytocin, mesotocin, in two songbird species, the zebra finch and the canary: A potential role in song perception and production. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2402-2414. [PMID: 35599378 PMCID: PMC9283256 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The avian homologue of oxytocin (OT), formerly called mesotocin, influences social behaviors in songbirds and potentially song production. We sought to characterize the distribution of OT peptide in the brain of two songbird species: canaries (Serinus canaria) and zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). To visualize OT, we performed immunocytochemistry using an antibody previously shown to identify OT in avian species. In both canaries and zebra finches, dense OT‐ir perikarya were located in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), preoptic area (POA), supraoptic nucleus (SON), and medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTm). We also observed morphologically distinct OT‐ir cells scattered throughout the mesopallium. OT‐ir fibers were observed in the PVN, ventral medial hypothalamus (VMH), periaqueductal gray (PAG), intercollicular nucleus (ICo), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). We also observed punctate OT‐ir fibers in the song control nucleus HVC. In both male and female canaries, OT‐ir fibers were present in the lateral septum (LS), but innervation was greater in males. We did not observe this sex difference in zebra finches. Much of the OT staining observed is consistent with general distributions within the vertebrate hypothalamus, indicating a possible conserved function. However, some extra‐hypothalamic distributions, such as perikarya in the mesopallium, may be specific to songbirds and play a role in song perception and production. The presence of OT‐ir fibers in HVC and song control nuclei projecting dopaminergic regions provides anatomical evidence in support of the idea that OT can influence singing behavior—either directly via HVC or indirectly via the PAG, VTA, or POA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea M. Haakenson
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, Department of Psychology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neurosciences University of Liege Liege Belgium
| | - Farrah N. Madison
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, Department of Psychology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
- Department of Biology Hope College Holland Michigan USA
| | - Gregory F. Ball
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, Department of Psychology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
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Oxytocin promotes social proximity and decreases vigilance in groups of African lions. iScience 2022; 25:104049. [PMID: 35496998 PMCID: PMC9042884 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin modulates mammalian social behavior; however, behavioral responses to intranasal oxytocin can vary across species and contexts. The complexity of social interactions increases with group dynamics, and the impacts of oxytocin on both within- and between-group contexts are unknown. We tested the effects of intranasal administration of oxytocin on social and non-social behaviors within in-group and out-group contexts in African lions. We hypothesized that, post intranasal oxytocin administration, lions would be in closer proximity with fellow group members, whereas out-group stimuli could either produce a heightened vigilance response or an attenuated one. Compared to control trials, post oxytocin administration, lions increased their time spent in close proximity (reducing their distance to the nearest neighbor) and decreased vigilance toward out-group intruders (reducing their vocalizations following a roar-playback). These results not only have important implications for understanding the evolution of social circuitry but may also have practical applications for conservation efforts. We administered oxytocin to groups of African lions Relative to control conditions, oxytocin administration enhanced social proximity Oxytocin administration decreased vigilance (roars following roar playback)
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8
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Duclot F, Sailer L, Koutakis P, Wang Z, Kabbaj M. Transcriptomic Regulations Underlying Pair-bond Formation and Maintenance in the Socially Monogamous Male and Female Prairie Vole. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:141-151. [PMID: 33549315 PMCID: PMC8187463 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to form enduring social bonds is characteristic of human nature, and impairments in social affiliation are central features of severe neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Owing to its ability to form long-term pair-bonds, the socially monogamous prairie vole has emerged as an excellent model to study the neurobiology of social attachment. Despite the enduring nature of the bond, however, surprisingly few genes have been implicated in the pair-bonding process in either sex. METHODS Male and female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) were cohabitated with an opposite-sex partner for 24 hours or 3 weeks, and transcriptomic regulations in the nucleus accumbens were measured by RNA sequencing. RESULTS We found sex-specific response patterns despite similar behavioral indicators of pair-bond establishment. Indeed, 24 hours of cohabitation with an opposite-sex partner induced widespread transcriptomic changes that remained sustained to some extent in females after 3 weeks but returned to baseline before a second set of regulations in males. This led to a highly sexually biased nucleus accumbens transcriptome at 3 weeks related to processes such as neurotransmission, protein turnover, and DNA transcription. In particular, we found sex-specific alterations of mitochondrial dynamics following cohabitation, with a shift toward fission in males. CONCLUSIONS In addition to identifying the genes, networks, and pathways involved in the pair-bonding process in the nucleus accumbens, our work illustrates the vast extent of sex differences in the molecular mechanisms underlying pair-bonding in prairie voles and paves the way to further our understanding of the complex social bonding process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Duclot
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida; Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
| | - Lindsay Sailer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida; Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Panagiotis Koutakis
- Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Mohamed Kabbaj
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida; Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
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9
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Pouso P, Perrone R, Silva A. Immunohistochemical description of isotocin neurons and the anatomo-functional comparative analysis between isotocin and vasotocin systems in the weakly electric fish, Gymnotus omaroum. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 313:113886. [PMID: 34411583 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The vasopressin-vasotocin (AVP-AVT) and oxytocin-mesotocin-isotocin (OT-MT-IT) families of nonapeptides are of great importance in shaping context-dependent modulations of a conserved and yet highly plastic network of brain areas involved in social behavior: the social behavior network. The nonapeptide systems of teleost fish are highly conserved and share a common general organization. In this study, we first describe the presence of IT cells and projections in the brain of an electric fish, Gymnotus omarorum. Second, we confirm that IT neuron types and distribution in the preoptic area (POA) follow the same general pattern previously described in other teleost species. Third, we show that although IT and AVT neurons occur intermingled within the POA of G. omarorum and can be classified into the same subgroups, they present subtle but remarkable differences in size, number, and location. Finally, we show that unlike AVT, IT has no effect on basal electric signaling, reinforcing the specificity in the actions that each one of these nonapeptides has on social behavior and communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Pouso
- Depto. Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay; Unidad Bases Neurales de la Conducta, Depto Neurofisiologia Celular y Molecular, IIBCE, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Rossana Perrone
- Unidad Bases Neurales de la Conducta, Depto Neurofisiologia Celular y Molecular, IIBCE, Montevideo, Uruguay; Instituto de Fundamentos y Métodos, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República
| | - Ana Silva
- Unidad Bases Neurales de la Conducta, Depto Neurofisiologia Celular y Molecular, IIBCE, Montevideo, Uruguay; Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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10
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Anderson NK, Schuppe ER, Gururaja KV, Mangiamele LA, Martinez JCC, Priti H, May RV, Preininger D, Fuxjager MJ. A Common Endocrine Signature Marks the Convergent Evolution of an Elaborate Dance Display in Frogs. Am Nat 2021; 198:522-539. [PMID: 34559606 DOI: 10.1086/716213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractUnrelated species often evolve similar phenotypic solutions to the same environmental problem, a phenomenon known as convergent evolution. But how do these common traits arise? We address this question from a physiological perspective by assessing how convergence of an elaborate gestural display in frogs (foot-flagging) is linked to changes in the androgenic hormone systems that underlie it. We show that the emergence of this rare display in unrelated anuran taxa is marked by a robust increase in the expression of androgen receptor (AR) messenger RNA in the musculature that actuates leg and foot movements, but we find no evidence of changes in the abundance of AR expression in these frogs' central nervous systems. Meanwhile, the magnitude of the evolutionary change in muscular AR and its association with the origin of foot-flagging differ among clades, suggesting that these variables evolve together in a mosaic fashion. Finally, while gestural displays do differ between species, variation in the complexity of a foot-flagging routine does not predict differences in muscular AR. Altogether, these findings suggest that androgen-muscle interactions provide a conduit for convergence in sexual display behavior, potentially providing a path of least resistance for the evolution of motor performance.
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11
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Rogers Flattery CN, Coppeto DJ, Inoue K, Rilling JK, Preuss TM, Young LJ. Distribution of brain oxytocin and vasopressin V1a receptors in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): comparison with humans and other primate species. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:1907-1919. [PMID: 34482474 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02369-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Despite our close genetic relationship with chimpanzees, there are notable differences between chimpanzee and human social behavior. Oxytocin and vasopressin are neuropeptides involved in regulating social behavior across vertebrate taxa, including pair bonding, social communication, and aggression, yet little is known about the neuroanatomy of these systems in primates, particularly in great apes. Here, we used receptor autoradiography to localize oxytocin and vasopressin V1a receptors, OXTR and AVPR1a respectively, in seven chimpanzee brains. OXTR binding was detected in the lateral septum, hypothalamus, medial amygdala, and substantia nigra. AVPR1a binding was observed in the cortex, lateral septum, hypothalamus, mammillary body, entire amygdala, hilus of the dentate gyrus, and substantia nigra. Chimpanzee OXTR/AVPR1a receptor distribution is compared to previous studies in several other primate species. One notable difference is the lack of OXTR in reward regions such as the ventral pallidum and nucleus accumbens in chimpanzees, whereas OXTR is found in these regions in humans. Our results suggest that in chimpanzees, like in most other anthropoid primates studied to date, OXTR has a more restricted distribution than AVPR1a, while in humans the reverse pattern has been reported. Altogether, our study provides a neuroanatomical basis for understanding the function of the oxytocin and vasopressin systems in chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina N Rogers Flattery
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA. .,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA. .,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA. .,Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Daniel J Coppeto
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Kiyoshi Inoue
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Todd M Preuss
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
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12
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Carollo A, Bonassi A, Cataldo I, Gabrieli G, Tandiono M, Foo JN, Lepri B, Esposito G. The relation between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms, adult attachment and Instagram sociability: An exploratory analysis. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07894. [PMID: 34611556 PMCID: PMC8477146 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is a primary neuropeptide which coordinates affiliative behavior. Previous researchers pointed to the association between genetic vulnerability on Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) and environmental factors (e.g., social relationships) to comprehend social behavior. Although an extensive knowledge of in-person social interactions has been obtained, little is known about online sociability. A gene-environment perspective is adopted to examine how OXTR and adult attachment moderate Instagram behavior. The genetic factors within the regions OXTR/rs53576 (A/A homozygotes vs G-carriers) and OXTR/rs2254298 (G/G homozygotes vs A-carriers) were assessed. The Experience in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire was used to collect participants' (N = 57, 16 males) attachment with a partner. The number of posts, followed people ("followings") and followers were obtained from Instagram, and the Social Desirability Index (SDI) was calculated as the ratio of followers to followings. Interaction effects between OXTR groups and ECR-R scores on the number of posts and SDI were hypothesized. Results showed an effect of rs53576 on the number of Instagram followings. Specifically, people with A/A OXTR/rs53576 genotype had more followings than G-carriers independent of the anxiety or avoidance felt towards their partner. These preliminary results offer insights into future investigations on social media behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Carollo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonassi
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Mobile and Social Computing Lab, Foundation Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Ilaria Cataldo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Giulio Gabrieli
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Moses Tandiono
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jia Nee Foo
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bruno Lepri
- Mobile and Social Computing Lab, Foundation Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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13
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Hou W, Ma H, Xun Y, Zhang X, Cai W, Huang S, He Z, Tai F, Jia R. Sex-Dependent Effects of Chronic Social Defeat on Emotional and Social Behaviors, and Parameters of Oxytocin and Vasopressin Systems in Mandarin Voles ( Microtus mandarinus). Front Neurosci 2021; 15:625116. [PMID: 34045941 PMCID: PMC8144301 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.625116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the regulation of emotional and social behaviors, both oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are sex specific. Although significant sex differences have been reported in the context of behavioral and hormonal responses to social stress, such differences in response to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) and the underlying neural mechanisms remain largely unknown. By investigating monogamous mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), CSDS was found to decrease the percentages of time spent in the central area of the open field, in the open arms of the elevated plus maze, as well as in the light area of the light and dark boxes in both male and female voles. CSDS also increased the observed level of social withdrawal in both sex groups. However, CSDS exposure increased the percentages of immobile time in both the tail suspension test and the forced swim test and reduced the locomotor activity in the open field (in females only). Along with these behavioral changes, the oxytocin receptor (OTR) levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) were significantly lower in CSDS-exposed voles of both sexes; however, in males, the levels of OTR in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were reduced. CSDS-exposed males showed lower levels of V1aR in the NAc than CSDS-exposed females. Furthermore, induced by a single social defeat event, CSDS reduced c-Fos and OT double labeling in the PVN of females but increased c-Fos and AVP double-labeled neurons in the PVN of males exposed to a single social defeat event. Collectively, the present study indicates that OT and AVP systems may play important regulatory roles in the sex differences of behavioral performances in response to CSDS. These findings suggest mandarin voles as a useful animal model for studying sex-specific behavioral performance and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of stress-related mental disorders in preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Hou
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yufeng Xun
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenqi Cai
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shuying Huang
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rui Jia
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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14
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Beery AK, Shambaugh KL. Comparative Assessment of Familiarity/Novelty Preferences in Rodents. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:648830. [PMID: 33927601 PMCID: PMC8076734 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.648830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sociality-i.e., life in social groups-has evolved many times in rodents, and there is considerable variation in the nature of these groups. While many species-typical behaviors have been described in field settings, the use of consistent behavioral assays in the laboratory provides key data for comparisons across species. The preference for interaction with familiar or novel individuals is an important dimension of social behavior. Familiarity preference, in particular, may be associated with more closed, less flexible social groups. The dimension from selectivity to gregariousness has been used as a factor in classification of social group types. Laboratory tests of social choice range from brief (10 minutes) to extended (e.g., 3 hours). As familiarity preferences typically need long testing intervals to manifest, we used 3-hour peer partner preference tests to test for the presence of familiarity preferences in same-sex cage-mates and strangers in rats. We then conducted an aggregated analysis of familiarity preferences across multiple rodent species (adult male and female rats, mice, prairie voles, meadow voles, and female degus) tested with the same protocol. We found a high degree of consistency within species across data sets, supporting the existence of strong, species-typical familiarity preferences in prairie voles and meadow voles, and a lack of familiarity preferences in other species tested. Sociability, or total time spent near conspecifics, was unrelated to selectivity in social preference. These findings provide important background for interpreting the neurobiological mechanisms involved in social behavior in these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annaliese K Beery
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States.,Neuroscience Program, Departments of Psychology and Biology, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States
| | - Katharine L Shambaugh
- Neuroscience Program, Departments of Psychology and Biology, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States
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15
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Loth MK, Donaldson ZR. Oxytocin, Dopamine, and Opioid Interactions Underlying Pair Bonding: Highlighting a Potential Role for Microglia. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6046188. [PMID: 33367612 PMCID: PMC7787427 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pair bonds represent some of the strongest attachments we form as humans. These relationships positively modulate health and well-being. Conversely, the loss of a spouse is an emotionally painful event that leads to numerous deleterious physiological effects, including increased risk for cardiac dysfunction and mental illness. Much of our understanding of the neuroendocrine basis of pair bonding has come from studies of monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), laboratory-amenable rodents that, unlike laboratory mice and rats, form lifelong pair bonds. Specifically, research using prairie voles has delineated a role for multiple neuromodulatory and neuroendocrine systems in the formation and maintenance of pair bonds, including the oxytocinergic, dopaminergic, and opioidergic systems. However, while these studies have contributed to our understanding of selective attachment, few studies have examined how interactions among these 3 systems may be essential for expression of complex social behaviors, such as pair bonding. Therefore, in this review, we focus on how the social neuropeptide, oxytocin, interacts with classical reward system modulators, including dopamine and endogenous opioids, during bond formation and maintenance. We argue that an understanding of these interactions has important clinical implications and is required to understand the evolution and encoding of complex social behaviors more generally. Finally, we provide a brief consideration of future directions, including a discussion of the possible roles that glia, specifically microglia, may have in modulating social behavior by acting as a functional regulator of these 3 neuromodulatory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith K Loth
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Zoe R Donaldson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Correspondence: Zoe R. Donaldson, PhD, University of Colorado Boulder, 347 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
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16
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Behavioral Manipulation by Toxoplasma gondii: Does Brain Residence Matter? Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:381-390. [PMID: 33461902 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii infects a wide range of intermediate hosts. The parasite produces brain cysts during the latent phase of its infection, in parallel to causing a loss of innate aversion in the rat host towards cat odors. Host behavioral change presumably reflects a parasitic manipulation to increase predation by definitive felid hosts, although evidence for increased predation is not yet available. In this opinion piece, we propose a neuroendocrine loop to explain the role of gonadal steroids in the parasitized hosts in mediating the behavioral manipulation. We argue that the presence of tissue cysts within the host brain is merely incidental to the behavioral change, without a necessary or sufficient role.
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17
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Coen CW, Bennett NC, Holmes MM, Faulkes CG. Neuropeptidergic and Neuroendocrine Systems Underlying Eusociality and the Concomitant Social Regulation of Reproduction in Naked Mole-Rats: A Comparative Approach. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1319:59-103. [PMID: 34424513 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The African mole-rat family (Bathyergidae) includes the first mammalian species identified as eusocial: naked mole-rats. Comparative studies of eusocial and solitary mole-rat species have identified differences in neuropeptidergic systems that may underlie the phenomenon of eusociality. These differences are found in the oxytocin, vasopressin and corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) systems within the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and lateral septal nucleus. As a corollary of their eusociality, most naked mole-rats remain pre-pubertal throughout life because of the presence of the colony's only reproductive female, the queen. To elucidate the neuroendocrine mechanisms that mediate this social regulation of reproduction, research on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis in naked mole-rats has identified differences between the many individuals that are reproductively suppressed and the few that are reproductively mature: the queen and her male consorts. These differences involve gonadal steroids, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone-1 (GnRH-1), kisspeptin, gonadotrophin-inhibitory hormone/RFamide-related peptide-3 (GnIH/RFRP-3) and prolactin. The comparative findings in eusocial and solitary mole-rat species are assessed with reference to a broad range of studies on other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clive W Coen
- Reproductive Neurobiology, Division of Women's Health, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Melissa M Holmes
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Christopher G Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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18
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Kelly AM, Wilson LC. Aggression: Perspectives from social and systems neuroscience. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104523. [PMID: 31002771 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Exhibiting behavioral plasticity in order to mount appropriate responses to dynamic and novel social environments is crucial to the survival of all animals. Thus, how animals regulate flexibility in the timing, duration, and intensity of specific behaviors is of great interest to biologists. In this review, we discuss how animals rapidly respond to social challenges, with a particular focus on aggression. We utilize a conceptual framework to understand the neural mechanisms of aggression that is grounded in Wingfield and colleagues' Challenge Hypothesis, which has profoundly influenced how scientists think about aggression and the mechanisms that allow animals to exhibit flexible responses to social instability. Because aggressive behavior is rooted in social interactions, we propose that mechanisms modulating prosocial behavior may be intricately tied to mechanisms of aggression. Therefore, in order to better understand how aggressive behavior is mediated, we draw on perspectives from social neuroscience and discuss how social context, species-typical behavioral phenotype, and neural systems commonly studied in relation to prosocial behavior (i.e., neuropeptides) contribute to organizing rapid responses to social challenges. Because complex behaviors are not the result of one mechanism or a single neural system, we consider how multiple neural systems important for prosocial and aggressive behavior (i.e., neuropeptides and neurosteroids) interact in the brain to produce behavior in a rapid, context-appropriate manner. Applying a systems neuroscience perspective and seeking to understand how multiple systems functionally integrate to rapidly modulate behavior holds great promise for expanding our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying social behavioral plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Leah C Wilson
- Department of Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
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19
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Stress in groups: Lessons from non-traditional rodent species and housing models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:354-372. [PMID: 32278793 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A major feature of life in groups is that individuals experience social stressors of varying intensity and type. Social stress can have profound effects on health, social behavior, and ongoing relationships. Relationships can also buffer the experience of exogenous stressors. Social stress has most commonly been investigated in dyadic contexts in mice and rats that produce intense stress. Here we review findings from studies of diverse rodents and non-traditional group housing paradigms, focusing on laboratory studies of mice and rats housed in visible burrow systems, prairie and meadow voles, and mole-rats. We argue that the use of methods informed by the natural ecology of rodent species provides novel insights into the relationship between social stress, behavior and physiology. In particular, we describe how this ethologically inspired approach reveals how individuals vary in their experience of and response to social stress, and how ecological and social contexts impact the effects of stress. Social stress induces adaptive changes, as well as long-term disruptive effects on behavior and physiology.
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20
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Freeman AR, Aulino EA, Caldwell HK, Ophir AG. Comparison of the distribution of oxytocin and vasopressin 1a receptors in rodents reveals conserved and derived patterns of nonapeptide evolution. J Neuroendocrinol 2020; 32:e12828. [PMID: 31925983 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) are known modulators of social behaviour across rodents. Research has revealed the location of action of these nonapeptides through localization of their associated receptors, which include the oxytocin receptor (OTR) and the vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR). As research into these complex systems has progressed, studies investigating how these systems modulate behaviour have remained relatively narrow in scope (ie, focused on how a single brain region shapes behaviour in only a handful of species). However, the brain regions that regulate social behaviour are part of interconnected neural networks for which coordinated activity enables behavioural variation. Thus, to better understand how nonapeptide systems have evolved under different selective pressures among rodent species, we conducted a meta-analysis using a multivariate comparative method to examine the patterns of OTR and V1aR density expression in this taxon. Several brain regions were highly correlated based on their OTR and V1aR binding patterns across species, supporting the notion that the distribution of these receptors is highly conserved in rodents. However, our results also revealed that specific patterns of V1aR density differed from OTR density, and within-genus variance for V1aR was low compared to between-genus variance, suggesting that these systems have responded and evolved quite differently to selective pressures over evolutionary time. We propose that, in addition to examining single brain regions of interest, taking a broad comparative approach when studying the OT and VP systems is important for understanding how the systemic action of nonapeptides modulate social behaviour across species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Heather K Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
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21
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Ramachandran CD, Gholami K, Lam SK, Hoe SZ. A preliminary study of the effect of a high-salt diet on transcriptome dynamics in rat hypothalamic forebrain and brainstem cardiovascular control centers. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8528. [PMID: 32175184 PMCID: PMC7059759 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High dietary salt intake is strongly correlated with cardiovascular (CV) diseases and it is regarded as a major risk factor associated with the pathogenesis of hypertension. The CV control centres in the brainstem (the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM)) and hypothalamic forebrain (the subfornical organ, SFO; the supraoptic nucleus, SON and the paraventricular nucleus, PVN) have critical roles in regulating CV autonomic motor outflows, and thus maintaining blood pressure (BP). Growing evidence has implicated autonomic regulatory networks in salt-sensitive HPN (SSH), but the genetic basis remains to be delineated. We hypothesized that the development and/ or maintenance of SSH is reliant on the change in the expression of genes in brain regions controlling the CV system. METHODOLOGY We used RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) to describe the differential expression of genes in SFO, SON, PVN, NTS and RVLM of rats being chronically fed with high-salt (HS) diet. Subsequently, a selection of putatively regulated genes was validated with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in both Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. RESULTS The findings enabled us to identify number of differentially expressed genes in SFO, SON, PVN, NTS and RVLM; that are either up-regulated in both strains of rats (SON- Caprin2, Sctr), down-regulated in both strains of rats (PVN- Orc, Gkap1), up-regulated only in SHRs (SFO- Apopt1, Lin52, AVP, OXT; SON- AVP, OXT; PVN- Caprin2, Sclt; RVLM- A4galt, Slc29a4, Cmc1) or down-regulated only in SHRs (SON- Ndufaf2, Kcnv1; PVN- Pi4k2a; NTS- Snrpd2l, Ankrd29, St6galnac6, Rnf157, Iglon5, Csrnp3, Rprd1a; RVLM- Ttr, Faim). CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrated the adverse effects of HS diet on BP, which may be mediated via modulating the signaling systems in CV centers in the hypothalamic forebrain and brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chitra Devi Ramachandran
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Perseketuan, Malaysia
| | - Khadijeh Gholami
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Perseketuan, Malaysia
- Human Biology Division, School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Perseketuan, Malaysia
| | - Sau Kuen Lam
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Perseketuan, Malaysia
- Department of Pre-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Sungai Long, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - See Ziau Hoe
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Perseketuan, Malaysia
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22
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Hou W, He Z, Yang Y, Yuan W, Wang L, Zhang J, Zhang X, Cai W, Guo Q, Tai F. The involvement of oxytocin in the effects of chronic social defeat stress on emotional behaviours in adult female mandarin voles. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:2853-2872. [PMID: 32011013 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) can induce anxiety and depression in male rodents, but the prevalence of anxiety and depression is much higher in females, and effects of CSDS on adult females and its underlying mechanism remain unclear. Oxytocin is a stress-buffering hormone in the brain that modulates the physiological effects of stress. Strikingly, research regarding the effect of oxytocin on emotional changes caused by CSDS is still lacking in females. Thus, we focused on the involvement of the oxytocin system in changes in emotional regulation induced by CSDS in female voles. Seventy-day-old female mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) were exposed to aggressive adult females for 14 days, and the effects of CSDS on emotion and regulation of oxytocin system were characterized. In addition, we injected vehicle, oxytocin and oxytocin receptor antagonist into the nucleus accumbens (Nacc) of female voles to investigate the involvement of Nacc oxytocin in the effect of CSDS on emotion. Herein, we reported that CSDS increased anxiety and depression-like behaviour and the circulating level of corticosterone, but decreased the number of oxytocin projections and the protein and mRNA expression levels of oxytocin receptor in the Nacc. Injection of oxytocin into the Nacc reversed the effects of CSDS on anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviour, whereas combined injections of oxytocin and oxytocin receptor antagonist eliminated these effects. In conclusion, CSDS increases the levels of anxiety and depression possibly via a reduction in oxytocin projections and the oxytocin receptor level in the Nacc. Nacc oxytocin may be involved in the effects of CSDS on emotional behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Limin Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xueni Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenqi Cai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qianqian Guo
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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23
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Bruno A, Celebre L, Mento C, Rizzo A, Silvestri MC, De Stefano R, Zoccali RA, Muscatello MRA. When Fathers Begin to Falter: A Comprehensive Review on Paternal Perinatal Depression. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17041139. [PMID: 32053929 PMCID: PMC7068539 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17041139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The transition to parenthood is considered to be a major life transition that can increase the vulnerability to parental depressive disorders, including paternal perinatal depression (PPND). Although it is known that many fathers experience anxiety and depression during the perinatal period, PPND is a recent diagnostic entity and there are not enough published studies on it. Accordingly, its prevalence and epidemiology are still not well defined, although the majority of studies agree that PPND is less frequent than maternal perinatal depression and postpartum depression. Nevertheless, PPND is different from maternal perinatal mental health disorders, usually, fathers have less severe symptoms, and mood alterations are often in comorbidity with other affective disorders. Despite the absence of DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and the fluctuation of prevalence rates, clinical symptoms have been defined. The main symptoms are mood alterations and anxiety, followed by behavioral disturbances and concerns about the progress of pregnancy and the child’s health. Moreover, PPND negatively impacts on family functioning, on couples’ relationships, and on family members’ well-being. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the current understandings on PPND and the potential screening, prevention, and treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Bruno
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Laura Celebre
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Carmela Mento
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Amelia Rizzo
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | | | - Rosa De Stefano
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Rocco Antonio Zoccali
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
- Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
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24
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Kelly EM, Adkins-Regan E. Do nonapeptides regulate parental care depending on experience in zebra finches? Horm Behav 2020; 117:104603. [PMID: 31669456 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent research suggests that the nonapeptide neurohormones regulate parental behaviors in a diverse array of vertebrates. However, it remains unclear how these neurohormones regulate parental care among birds, especially those which exhibit biparental care, or whether hormonal effects are contingent on a bird's previous experience as a parent. We measured the effects of nonapeptides on parental behaviors by peripherally injecting, over three treatment days, a short-acting nonapeptide receptor antagonist (OTA) or a saline control into breeding pairs of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) that either did or did not have previous parental experience. We then compared how the duration of parental behaviors changed over the five days of observation (including one day before and two days after injections were administered). To compare treatment effects on parental outcomes, we also measured chick growth and mortality rates for each pair. There was a nearly significant interaction between treatment and experience for the amount of time birds spent in the nest, with time in the nest declining across the experiment inexperienced and experienced OTA birds. There was also a significant treatment by trial day interaction for nest guarding and a treatment by experience by trial day interaction for nest maintenance. Chicks reared by parents that received the OTA had significantly lower growth rates than chicks reared by control parents and, among experienced birds, higher mortality relative to control birds. Together, these results provide some support for the hypothesis that nonapeptides play a role in regulating parental outcomes and some parental behaviors in both experienced and inexperienced zebra finches.
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Affiliation(s)
- E McKenna Kelly
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Seeley G. Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America.
| | - Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Seeley G. Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America; Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
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25
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Sinervo B, Chaine AS, Miles DB. Social Games and Genic Selection Drive Mammalian Mating System Evolution and Speciation. Am Nat 2019; 195:247-274. [PMID: 32017620 DOI: 10.1086/706810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Mating system theory based on economics of resource defense has been applied to describe social system diversity across taxa. Such models are generally successful but fail to account for stable mating systems across different environments or shifts in mating system without a change in ecological conditions. We propose an alternative approach to resource defense theory based on frequency-dependent competition among genetically determined alternative behavioral strategies characterizing many social systems (polygyny, monogamy, sneak). We modeled payoffs for competition, neighborhood choice, and paternal care to determine evolutionary transitions among mating systems. Our model predicts four stable outcomes driven by the balance between cooperative and agonistic behaviors: promiscuity (two or three strategies), polygyny, and monogamy. Phylogenetic analysis of 288 rodent species supports assumptions of our model and is consistent with patterns of evolutionarily stable states and mating system transitions. Support for model assumptions include that monogamy and polygyny evolve from promiscuity and that paternal care and monogamy are coadapted in rodents. As predicted by our model, monogamy and polygyny occur in sister taxa among rodents more often than by chance. Transitions to monogamy also favor higher speciation rates in subsequent lineages, relative to polygynous sister lineages. Taken together, our results suggest that genetically based neighborhood choice behavior and paternal care can drive transitions in mating system evolution. While our genic mating system theory could complement resource-based theory, it can explain mating system transitions regardless of resource distribution and provides alternative explanations, such as evolutionary inertia, when resource ecology and mating systems do not match.
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26
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Fischer EK, Nowicki JP, O'Connell LA. Evolution of affiliation: patterns of convergence from genomes to behaviour. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180242. [PMID: 31154971 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Affiliative behaviours have evolved many times across animals. Research on the mechanisms underlying affiliative behaviour demonstrates remarkable convergence across species spanning wide evolutionary distances. Shared mechanisms have been identified with genomic approaches analysing genetic variants and gene expression differences as well as neuroendocrine and molecular approaches exploring the role of hormones and signalling molecules. We review the genomic and neural basis of pair bonding and parental care across diverse taxa to shed light on mechanistic patterns that underpin the convergent evolution of affiliative behaviour. We emphasize that mechanisms underlying convergence in complex phenotypes like affiliation should be evaluated on a continuum, where signatures of convergence may vary across levels of biological organization. In particular, additional comparative studies within and across major vertebrate lineages will be essential in resolving when and why shared neural substrates are repeatedly targeted in the independent evolution of affiliation, and how similar mechanisms are evolutionarily tuned to give rise to species-specific variations in behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'Convergent evolution in the genomics era: new insights and directions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 95305 , USA
| | - Jessica P Nowicki
- Department of Biology, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 95305 , USA
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27
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Greenwood MA, Hammock EAD. Oxytocin Receptor Binding Sites in the Periphery of the Neonatal Prairie Vole. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:474. [PMID: 31178680 PMCID: PMC6542991 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The oxytocin receptor (OXTR) has been observed in the periphery of neonatal C57BL/6J mice (Mus musculus), including facial regions and the anogenital area. In those studies, ligand specificity was confirmed with a congenital OXTR knockout mouse as well as competitive binding techniques. The aim of this study was to determine if OXTR is present in the same peripheral sites in the neonatal prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) for cross-species comparisons. Receptor autoradiography was performed on 20 μm sagittal sections of whole postnatal day 0 (P0) male and female prairie voles using the 125iodinated-ornithine vasotocin ([125I]-OVTA) radioligand. A competition binding assay was used to assess the selectivity of [125I]-OVTA for peripheral OXTR. Radioactive ligand (0.05 nM [125I]-OVTA) was competed against concentrations of 0 and 1000 nM excess unlabeled oxytocin (OXT). Previously identified regions of significant OXTR ligand binding in the mouse were analyzed for comparison: rostral and lateral periodontium, olfactory epithelium, ciliary bodies of the eye, whisker pads, adrenal gland, and anogenital area. We also evaluated the liver and scapular brown adipose tissue, which displayed strong but non-specific signal on film in mice. While there were some areas that showed conserved OXTR ligand binding in the prairie vole (e.g., ciliary body of the eye and the anogenital area), areas showing OXTR ligand binding in the neonatal prairie vole were not identical to OXTR ligand binding in the periphery of the C57BL/6J neonatal mouse. Further, some of the regions measured in the prairie vole suggest sex differences in OXTR ligand binding. Collectively, as is well-established in the central nervous system, these data indicate that patterns of OXTR ligand binding in the infant periphery are species-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Greenwood
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.,Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Elizabeth A D Hammock
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.,Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
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28
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29
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Abstract
The tremendous diversity of animal behaviors has inspired generations of scientists from an array of biological disciplines. To complement investigations of ecological and evolutionary factors contributing to behavioral evolution, modern sequencing, gene editing, computational and neuroscience tools now provide a means to discover the proximate mechanisms upon which natural selection acts to generate behavioral diversity. Social behaviors are motivated behaviors that can differ tremendously between closely related species, suggesting phylogenetic plasticity in their underlying biological mechanisms. In addition, convergent evolution has repeatedly given rise to similar forms of social behavior and mating systems in distantly related species. Social behavioral divergence and convergence provides an entry point for understanding the neurogenetic mechanisms contributing to behavioral diversity. We argue that the greatest strides in discovering mechanisms contributing to social behavioral diversity will be achieved through integration of interdisciplinary comparative approaches with modern tools in diverse species systems. We review recent advances and future potential for discovering mechanisms underlying social behavioral variation; highlighting patterns of social behavioral evolution, oxytocin and vasopressin neuropeptide systems, genetic/transcriptional "toolkits," modern experimental tools, and alternative species systems, with particular emphasis on Microtine rodents and Lake Malawi cichlid fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary V Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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30
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Perkeybile AM, Carter CS, Wroblewski KL, Puglia MH, Kenkel WM, Lillard TS, Karaoli T, Gregory SG, Mohammadi N, Epstein L, Bales KL, Connelly JJ. Early nurture epigenetically tunes the oxytocin receptor. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 99:128-136. [PMID: 30227351 PMCID: PMC6231974 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian sociality is regulated in part by the neuropeptide oxytocin. In prairie voles, subtle variation in early life experience changes oxytocin receptor-mediated social behaviors. We report that low levels of early care in voles leads to de novo DNA methylation at specific regulatory sites in the oxytocin receptor gene (Oxtr), impacting gene expression and protein distribution in the nucleus accumbens. DNA methylation state of the blood predicts expression in the brain indicating the utility of the blood as a biomarker for the transcription state of the brain. These experience-sensitive CpG sites are conserved in humans, are related to gene expression in the brain, and have been associated with psychiatric disorders and individual differences in neural response to social stimuli. These results identify a mechanism by which early care regulates later displays of typical prairie vole social behavior and suggest the potential for nurture driven epigenetic tuning of OXTR in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M. Perkeybile
- Indiana University, The Kinsey Institute, 1165 E 3rd St, Morrison Hall 313, Bloomington, IN, 47405
| | - C. Sue Carter
- Indiana University, The Kinsey Institute, 1165 E 3rd St, Morrison Hall 313, Bloomington, IN, 47405
| | - Kelly L. Wroblewski
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville VA, 22904
| | - Meghan H. Puglia
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville VA, 22904
| | - William M. Kenkel
- Indiana University, The Kinsey Institute, 1165 E 3rd St, Morrison Hall 313, Bloomington, IN, 47405
| | - Travis S. Lillard
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville VA, 22904
| | - Themistoclis Karaoli
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville VA, 22904
| | - Simon G. Gregory
- Duke University, Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, 300 N Duke St, Durham, NC, 27701
| | - Niaz Mohammadi
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616
| | - Larissa Epstein
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616
| | - Karen L. Bales
- University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616
| | - Jessica J. Connelly
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville VA, 22904
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31
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Dunbar RIM. The Anatomy of Friendship. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:32-51. [PMID: 29273112 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Friendship is the single most important factor influencing our health, well-being, and happiness. Creating and maintaining friendships is, however, extremely costly, in terms of both the time that has to be invested and the cognitive mechanisms that underpin them. Nonetheless, personal social networks exhibit many constancies, notably in their size and their hierarchical structuring. Understanding the processes that give rise to these patterns and their evolutionary origins requires a multidisciplinary approach that combines social and neuropsychology as well as evolutionary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- R I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, New Richards Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK.
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32
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Inhibition of lysine-specific demethylase enzyme disrupts sexually conditioned mate guarding in the female rat. Physiol Behav 2018; 196:78-83. [PMID: 30138634 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Although female rats are typically described as having a promiscuous mating strategy, if sexually naïve females have their formative sexually rewarding experiences paired with the same male, they will recognize that male and display mate-guarding behavior towards him in the presence of a female competitor. Female rats that display mate guarding behavior also show enhanced activation of oxytocin and vasopressin neurons in the supraoptic and paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus. Here, we examined the potential role that histone demethylation might have in establishing this pair-bonded behavior, and whether the corresponding changes in oxytocin and vasopressin neuronal activation depended on demethylation. To accomplish this, we examined the effect of a lysine-specific demethylase-1 inhibitor to block the action of demethylase enzymes and maintain the methylation state of corresponding genes. Female rats treated with the demethylase inhibitor failed to show any measure of mate guarding, whereas females treated with vehicle displayed mate guarding behavior. Demethylase inhibitor treatment also blocked the ability of familiar male cues to activate oxytocin and vasopressin neurons, whereas vehicle-treated females showed this enhanced activation. These data indicate that histone demethylation is a crucial component in the epigenetic modification of neural circuitry that underlies conditioned mate guarding in female rats. These results are the first to demonstrate the role of histone demethylation underlying changes in mating strategy.
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33
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Herbeck YE, Gulevich RG. Neuropeptides as facilitators of domestication. Cell Tissue Res 2018; 375:295-307. [DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2939-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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34
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Oxytocin and vasopressin flatten dominance hierarchy and enhance behavioral synchrony in part via anterior cingulate cortex. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8201. [PMID: 29844336 PMCID: PMC5974023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25607-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) influence social functions in many mammals. In humans and rhesus macaques, OT delivered intranasally can promote prosocial behavior in certain contexts. Yet the precise neural mechanisms mediating these behavioral effects remain unclear. Here we show that treating a group of male macaque monkeys intranasally with aerosolized OT relaxes their spontaneous social interactions with other monkeys. OT reduces differences in social behavior between dominant and subordinate monkeys, thereby flattening the status hierarchy. OT also increases behavioral synchrony within a pair. Intranasal delivery of aerosolized AVP reproduces the effects of OT with greater efficacy. Remarkably, all behavioral effects are replicated when OT or AVP is injected focally into the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACCg), a brain area linked to empathy and other-regarding behavior. ACCg lacks OT receptors but is rich in AVP receptors, suggesting exogenous OT may shape social behavior, in part, via nonspecific binding. Notably, OT and AVP alter behaviors of both the treated monkey and his untreated partner, consistent with enhanced feedback through reciprocal social interactions. These findings bear important implications for use of OT in both basic research and as a therapy for social impairments in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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35
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Kelly AM, Saunders AG, Ophir AG. Mechanistic substrates of a life history transition in male prairie voles: Developmental plasticity in affiliation and aggression corresponds to nonapeptide neuronal function. Horm Behav 2018; 99:14-24. [PMID: 29407458 PMCID: PMC5880752 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Although prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) social behavior is well-characterized in adults, surprisingly little is known about the development of social behavior in voles. Further, the overwhelming majority of studies in prairie voles examine social behavior in a reproductive context. Here, we examine developmental plasticity in affiliation and aggression and their underlying neural correlates. Using sexually naïve males, we characterized interactions with an age-matched, novel, same-sex conspecific in four different age groups that span pre-weaning to adulthood. We found that prosocial behavior decreased and aggression increased as males matured. Additionally, pre-weaning males were more prosocial than nonsocial, whereas post-weaning males were more nonsocial than prosocial. We also examined nonapeptide neural activity in response to a novel conspecific in brain regions important for promoting sociality and aggression using the immediate early gene cFos. Assessment of developmental changes in neural activity showed that vasopressin neurons in the medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis exhibit functional plasticity, providing a potential functional mechanism that contributes to this change in sociality as prairie voles mature. This behavioral shift corresponds to the transition from a period of allopatric cohabitation with siblings to a period of time when voles disperse and presumably attempt to establish and defend territories. Taken together our data provide a putative mechanism by which brain and behavior prepare for the opportunity to pairbond (characterized by selective affiliation with a partner and aggression toward unfamiliar conspecifics) by undergoing changes away from general affiliation and toward selective aggression, accounting for this important life history event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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36
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Cataldo I, Azhari A, Esposito G. A Review of Oxytocin and Arginine-Vasopressin Receptors and Their Modulation of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:27. [PMID: 29487501 PMCID: PMC5816822 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) play a key regulatory part in social and affiliative behaviors; two aspects highly compromised in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Furthermore, variants in the adjacent oxytocin-vasopressin gene regions have been found to be associated with ASD diagnosis and endophenotypes. This review focuses mainly on common OXTr single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), AVPR1a microsatellites and AVPR1b polymorphisms in relation to the development of autism. Although these genes did not surface in genome-wide association studies, evidence supports the hypothesis that these receptors and their polymorphisms are widely involved in the regulation of social behavior, and in modulating neural and physiological pathways contributing to the etiology of ASD. With a specific focus on variants considered to be among the most prevalent in the development of ASD, these issues will be discussed in-depth and suggestions to approach inconsistencies in the present literature will be provided. Translational implications and future directions are deliberated from a short-term and a forward-looking perspective. While the scientific community has made significant progress in enhancing our understanding of ASD, more research is required for the ontology of this disorder to be fully elucidated. By supplementing information related to genetics, highlighting the differences across male and female sexes, this review provides a wider view of the current state of knowledge of OXTr and AVPr mechanisms of functioning, eventually addressing future research in the identification of further risk factors, to build new strategies for early interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Cataldo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.,Mobile and Social Computing Lab, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Atiqah Azhari
- Division of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.,Division of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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37
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Abstract
Biosynthesis and secretion of the hypothalamic nonapeptide oxytocin largely depends on steroid hormones. Estradiol, corticosterone, and vitamin D seem to be the most prominent actors. Due to their lipophilic nature, systemic steroids are thought to be capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, thus mediating central functions including neuroendocrine and behavioral control. The actual mode of action of steroids in hypothalamic circuitry is still unknown: Most of the oxytocinergic perikarya lack nuclear steroid receptors but express proteins suspected to be membrane receptors for steroids. Oxytocin expressing neurons contain enzymes important for intrinsic steroid metabolism. Furthermore, they produce and probably liberate specific steroid-binding globulins. Rapid responses to steroid hormones may involve these binding proteins and membrane-associated receptors, rather than classic nuclear receptors and genomic pathways. Neuroendocrine regulation, reproductive behaviors, and stress response seem to depend on these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott D Ochs
- Dept. of Pharmacology, Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Spartanburg, SC, USA
| | - Jack D Caldwell
- Dept. of Pharmacology, Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Spartanburg, SC, USA
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38
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Garcia AN, Depena C, Bezner K, Yin W, Gore AC. The timing and duration of estradiol treatment in a rat model of the perimenopause: Influences on social behavior and the neuromolecular phenotype. Horm Behav 2018; 97:75-84. [PMID: 29108778 PMCID: PMC5771824 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
This study tested the effects of timing and duration of estradiol (E2) treatment, factors that are clinically relevant to hormone replacement in perimenopausal women, on social behavior and expression of genes in brain regions that regulate these behaviors. Female rats were ovariectomized (OVX) at 1year of age, roughly equivalent to middle-age in women, and given E2 or vehicle for different durations (3 or 6months) and timing (immediately or after a 3-month delay) relative to OVX. Social and ultrasonic vocalization (USV) behaviors were assessed at the 3 and 6month timepoints, and the rats' brains were then used for gene expression profiling in hypothalamus (supraoptic nucleus, paraventricular nucleus), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial amygdala, and prefrontal cortex using a 48-gene qPCR platform. At the 3-month post-OVX testing period, E2 treatment significantly decreased the number of frequency-modulated USVs emitted. No effects of hormone were found at the 6-month testing period. There were few effects of timing and duration of E2 in a test of social preference of a rat given a choice between her same-sex cagemate and a novel conspecific. For gene expression, effects of timing and duration of E2 were region-specific, with the majority of changes found for genes involved in regulating social behavior such as neuropeptides (Oxt, Oxtr &Avp), neurotransmitters (Drd1, Drd2, Htr2a, Grin2d &Gabbr1), and steroid hormone receptors (Esr2, Ar, Pgr). These data suggest that the mode of E2 treatment has specific effects on social behavior and expression of target genes involved in the regulation of these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra N Garcia
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Christina Depena
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kelsey Bezner
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Weiling Yin
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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39
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Flasbeck V, Moser D, Kumsta R, Brüne M. The OXTR Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism rs53576 Moderates the Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on Empathy for Social Pain in Female Participants: Evidence for Differential Susceptibility. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:359. [PMID: 30135663 PMCID: PMC6092568 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has associated genetic variations of the oxytocin receptor with individual differences in human social behavior. Specifically, homozygous carriers of the G-allele of the single nucleotide polymorphism rs53576 have been reported to display more trust, empathy, and prosocial behavior and were less sensitive toward stress and maltreatment during childhood when compared to A-allele carriers. With regard to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), a psychiatric condition that is often associated with the experience of childhood adversity, it has been suggested that A-allele carriers are more vulnerable to developing psychopathological signs and symptoms. In the present study we investigated whether childhood trauma, as assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), affects empathy for somatic and psychological pain, and how this is moderated by genotype, in a sample of 302 individuals (148 of whom were diagnosed with BPD). We found a three-way interaction between genotype, group and pain condition. Posthoc comparisons revealed that patients with BPD carrying at least one A-allele, rated psychological pain as more intense compared to controls, whereas no difference between groups emerged in GG homozygotes. Moreover, a moderating effect of genotype appeared on the impact of childhood trauma on empathy for psychological pain. In addition, a positive correlation of CTQ scores and empathy appeared only in A-allele carriers (GA + AA), independent of diagnosis. Together, A-allele carriers, especially those with BPD, seemed to be responsive to the impact of adversity on empathy-for-pain, while GG homozygotes were not, which is compatible with the idea of differential susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Flasbeck
- Division of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry and Psychiatric Preventive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dirk Moser
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Robert Kumsta
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Brüne
- Division of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry and Psychiatric Preventive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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40
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Remage-Healey L, Krentzel AA, Macedo-Lima M, Vahaba D. Species Diversity Matters in Biological Research. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/2372732217719908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Species diversity in experimental neuroscience research provides a vital resource. Addressing contemporary questions using nontraditional model systems (i.e., studies of species other than rats or mice) have regularly led to serendipitous breakthroughs in this discipline. The “comparative” approach to neuroscience and neuroendocrinology harnesses the diversity of organisms—and their nervous systems—that have been refined and differentiated over evolutionary timescales. Here, we review some recent examples of unexpected and impactful outcomes resulting from research on nontraditional study species. This work shows that maintaining broad diversity in study species will continue to provide the best path forward for extraordinary advances and insights into the neural mechanisms of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Matheus Macedo-Lima
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
- CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Distrito Federal, Brazil
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41
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Kelly AM, Vitousek MN. Dynamic modulation of sociality and aggression: an examination of plasticity within endocrine and neuroendocrine systems. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160243. [PMID: 28673919 PMCID: PMC5498303 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Endocrine and neuroendocrine systems are key mediators of behavioural plasticity and allow for the ability to shift social behaviour across dynamic contexts. These systems operate across timescales, modulating both rapid responses to environmental changes and developmental plasticity in behavioural phenotypes. Thus, not only do endocrine systems mediate behavioural plasticity, but also the systems themselves exhibit plasticity in functional capabilities. This flexibility at both the mechanistic and behavioural levels can be crucial for reproduction and survival. Here, we discuss how plasticity in nonapeptide and steroid actions may influence the expression of, and allow rapid shifts between, sociality and aggression-behavioural shifts that can be particularly important for social interactions. Recent findings of overlap in the mechanisms that modulate social and aggressive behaviour suggest the potential for a mechanistic continuum between these behaviours. We briefly discuss the potential for a sociality-aggression continuum and novel techniques that will enable probing of the functional connectivity of social behaviours. From an evolutionary perspective, we suggest that plasticity in endocrine and neuroendocrine mechanisms of behaviour may be important targets of selection, and discuss the conditions under which we would predict selection to have resulted in differences in endocrine plasticity across species that differ in social organization.This article is part of the themed issue 'Physiological determinants of social behaviour in animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 229 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, E237 Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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42
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Keane B, Castelli FR, Davis H, Crist TO, Solomon NG. Effects of
avpr1a
length polymorphism on male social behavior and reproduction in semi‐natural populations of prairie voles (
Microtus ochrogaster
). Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Keane
- Department of Biology Center for Animal Behavior Miami University‐Hamilton Hamilton OH USA
| | - Frank R. Castelli
- Department of Biology Center for Animal Behavior Miami University Oxford OH USA
| | - Haley Davis
- Department of Biology Center for Animal Behavior Miami University Oxford OH USA
| | - Thomas O. Crist
- Department of Biology Center for Animal Behavior Miami University Oxford OH USA
| | - Nancy G. Solomon
- Department of Biology Center for Animal Behavior Miami University Oxford OH USA
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43
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Meylan S, Lallemand F, Haussy C, Bleu J, Miles D. Arginine vasotocin inhibits social interactions and enhances essential activities in male common lizards (Zootoca vivipara). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 243:10-14. [PMID: 27570058 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is known to play an important role in the regulation of social behavior in a number of vertebrate species. Nevertheless, the relationship between AVT and intraspecific interactions appears complex and in some cases contradictory. Moreover, AVT influences other behaviors, which are not primarily social including exploratory behavior, locomotion and thermoregulation. Some of these behavioral effects may be side-effects from a general influence of AVT on physiology. Indeed AVT can regulate metabolism and osmoregulation. Because most studies have been conducted using mammals and birds, its role in modulating behavior in other vertebrate groups is largely unknown. In this study we examined the effect of AVT on the social behavior of male common lizards, Zootoca vivipara. Moreover, considering the variety of pathways AVT could be involved in, we investigated its consequences on thermoregulatory behavior and physiological performance. In mid-June 2010, 74 males were captured from field sites (Mont-Lozère, South-eastern France) and kept in the laboratory for three weeks to obtain behavioral (reaction to conspecific odors, thermoregulation) and physiological (endurance, testosterone level) measurements. We demonstrated that injection of AVT reduced testosterone level and affected social behavior in different ways depending on the size of an individual. Specifically, small males injected with AVT were less attracted by conspecific odors than small control males, and no effect was detected in large males. Moreover, AVT promoted thermoregulatory behavior and enhanced endurance. These results are concordant with previous results obtained in this species in studies on stress suggesting that AVT may act through its influence on corticosterone secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Meylan
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris) - UPMC-CNRS, Bat. A, 7ème étage, quai Saint Bernard, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France; ESPE de Paris-Université Paris Sorbonne, 10 rue Molitor, 75016 Paris, France.
| | - Félix Lallemand
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris) - UPMC-CNRS, Bat. A, 7ème étage, quai Saint Bernard, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Claudy Haussy
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris) - UPMC-CNRS, Bat. A, 7ème étage, quai Saint Bernard, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Josefa Bleu
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris) - UPMC-CNRS, Bat. A, 7ème étage, quai Saint Bernard, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Donald Miles
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, 131 Life Sciences Building, Athens, OH 4570, USA
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44
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Garcia AN, Bezner K, Depena C, Yin W, Gore AC. The effects of long-term estradiol treatment on social behavior and gene expression in adult female rats. Horm Behav 2017; 87:145-154. [PMID: 27871902 PMCID: PMC5203957 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
This study tested the effects of long-term estradiol (E2) replacement on social behavior and gene expression in brain nuclei involved in the regulation of these social behaviors in adult female rats. We developed an ultrasonic vocalization (USV) test and a sociability test to examine communications, social interactions, and social preference, using young adult female cagemates. All rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and implanted with a Silastic capsule containing E2 or vehicle, and housed in same-treatment pairs for a 3-month period. Then, rats were behaviorally tested, euthanized, and 5 nuclei in the brain's social decision-making circuit were selected for neuromolecular profiling by a multiplex qPCR method. Our novel USV test proved to be a robust tool to measure numbers and types of calls emitted by cagemates that had been reintroduced after a 1-week separation. Results also showed that E2-treated OVX rats had profoundly decreased numbers of USV calls compared to vehicle-treated OVX rats. In a test of sociability, in which a female was allowed to choose between her cagemate or a same-treatment novel rat, we found few effects of E2 compared to vehicle, although interestingly, rats chose the cagemate over an unfamiliar conspecific. Gene expression results revealed that the supraoptic nucleus had the greatest number of gene changes caused by E2: Oxt, Oxtr and Avp were increased, and Drd2, Htr1a, Grin2b, and Gabbr1 were decreased, by E2. No genes were affected in the prefrontal cortex, and 1-4 genes were changed in paraventricular nucleus (Pgr), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (Oxtr, Esr2, Dnmt3a), and medial amygdala (Oxtr, Ar, Foxp1, Tac3). Thus, E2 changes communicative interactions between adult female rats, together with selected expression of genes in the brain, especially in the supraoptic nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra N Garcia
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kelsey Bezner
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Christina Depena
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Weiling Yin
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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45
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Abstract
Social relationships throughout life are vital for well-being and physical and mental health. A significant amount of research in animal models as well as in humans suggests that oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in the development of the capacity to form social bonds, the mediation of the positive aspects of early-life nurturing on adult bonding capacity, and the maintenance of social bonding. Here, we focus on the extensive research on a socially monogamous rodent model organism, the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster). OT facilitates mating-induced pair bonds in adults through interaction with the mesolimbic dopamine system. Variation in striatal OT receptor density predicts resilience and susceptibility to neonatal social neglect in female prairie voles. Finally, in adults, loss of a partner results in multiple disruptions in OT signaling, including decreased OT release in the striatum, which is caused by an activation of the brain corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) system. The dramatic behavioral consequence of partner loss is increased depressive-like behavior reminiscent of bereavement. Importantly, infusions of OT into the striatum of adults prevents the onset of depressive-like behavior following partner loss, and evoking endogenous OT release using melanocortin agonists during neonatal social isolation rescues impairments in social bonding in adulthood. This work has important translational implications relevant to the disruptions of social bonds in childhood and in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 93053, Germany.
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
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46
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Tabbaa M, Paedae B, Liu Y, Wang Z. Neuropeptide Regulation of Social Attachment: The Prairie Vole Model. Compr Physiol 2016; 7:81-104. [PMID: 28135000 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c150055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Social attachments are ubiquitous among humans and integral to human health. Although great efforts have been made to elucidate the neural underpinnings regulating social attachments, we still know relatively little about the neuronal and neurochemical regulation of social attachments. As a laboratory animal research model, the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) displays behaviors paralleling human social attachments and thus has provided unique insights into the neural regulation of social behaviors. Research in prairie voles has particularly highlighted the significance of neuropeptidergic regulation of social behaviors, especially of the roles of oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP). This article aims to review these findings. We begin by discussing the role of the OT and AVP systems in regulating social behaviors relevant to social attachments, and thereafter restrict our discussion to studies in prairie voles. Specifically, we discuss the role of OT and AVP in adult mate attachments, biparental care, social isolation, and social buffering as informed by studies utilizing the prairie vole model. Not only do these studies offer insight into social attachments in humans, but they also point to dysregulated mechanisms in several mental disorders. We conclude by discussing these implications for human health. © 2017 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 7:81-104, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manal Tabbaa
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Brennan Paedae
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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47
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Bernhard RM, Chaponis J, Siburian R, Gallagher P, Ransohoff K, Wikler D, Perlis RH, Greene JD. Variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is associated with differences in moral judgment. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:1872-1881. [PMID: 27497314 PMCID: PMC5141955 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Moral judgments are produced through the coordinated interaction of multiple neural systems, each of which relies on a characteristic set of neurotransmitters. Genes that produce or regulate these neurotransmitters may have distinctive influences on moral judgment. Two studies examined potential genetic influences on moral judgment using dilemmas that reliably elicit competing automatic and controlled responses, generated by dissociable neural systems. Study 1 (N = 228) examined 49 common variants (SNPs) within 10 candidate genes and identified a nominal association between a polymorphism (rs237889) of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and variation in deontological vs utilitarian moral judgment (that is, judgments favoring individual rights vs the greater good). An association was likewise observed for rs1042615 of the arginine vasopressin receptor gene (AVPR1A). Study 2 (N = 322) aimed to replicate these findings using the aforementioned dilemmas as well as a new set of structurally similar medical dilemmas. Study 2 failed to replicate the association with AVPR1A, but replicated the OXTR finding using both the original and new dilemmas. Together, these findings suggest that moral judgment is influenced by variation in the oxytocin receptor gene and, more generally, that single genetic polymorphisms can have a detectable effect on complex decision processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regan M Bernhard
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 02138, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan Chaponis
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA
| | - Richie Siburian
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA
| | - Patience Gallagher
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA
| | | | - Daniel Wikler
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, 02115, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roy H Perlis
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA.,Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 02114, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua D Greene
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 02138, Cambridge, MA, USA
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48
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Vaidyanathan R, Hammock EA. Oxytocin receptor dynamics in the brain across development and species. Dev Neurobiol 2016; 77:143-157. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Radhika Vaidyanathan
- Department of Psychology; Florida State University; Tallahassee FL
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University; Tallahassee FL
| | - Elizabeth A.D. Hammock
- Department of Psychology; Florida State University; Tallahassee FL
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University; Tallahassee FL
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49
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Social stress during lactation, depressed maternal care, and neuropeptidergic gene expression. Behav Pharmacol 2016; 26:642-53. [PMID: 26061353 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Depression and anxiety can be severely detrimental to the health of both the affected woman and her offspring. In a rodent model of postpartum depression and anxiety, chronic social stress exposure during lactation induces deficits in maternal care and increases anxiety. Here, we extend previous findings by expanding the behavioral analyses, assessing lactation, and examining several neural systems within amygdalar and hypothalamic regions involved in the control of the stress response and expression of maternal care that may be mediating the behavioral changes in stressed dams. Compared with control dams, those exposed to chronic social stress beginning on day 2 of lactation show impaired maternal care and lactation and increased maternal anxiety on day 9 of lactation. Saccharin-based anhedonia and maternal aggression were increased and lactation was also impaired on day 16 of lactation. These behavioral changes were correlated with a decrease in oxytocin mRNA expression in the medial amygdala, and increases in the expressions of corticotrophin-releasing hormone mRNA in the central nucleus of the amygdala, glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus, and orexin 2 receptor mRNA in the supraoptic nucleus of stressed compared with control dams. The increase in glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus was negatively correlated with methylation of a CpG site in the promoter region. In conclusion, the data support the hypothesis that social stress during lactation can have profound effects on maternal care, lactation, and anxiety, and that these behavioral effects are mediated by central changes in stress and maternally relevant neuropeptide systems.
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50
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Johnson ZV, Walum H, Jamal YA, Xiao Y, Keebaugh AC, Inoue K, Young LJ. Central oxytocin receptors mediate mating-induced partner preferences and enhance correlated activation across forebrain nuclei in male prairie voles. Horm Behav 2016; 79:8-17. [PMID: 26643557 PMCID: PMC4768463 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a deeply conserved nonapeptide that acts both peripherally and centrally to modulate reproductive physiology and sociosexual behavior across divergent taxa, including humans. In vertebrates, the distribution of the oxytocin receptor (OTR) in the brain is variable within and across species, and OTR signaling is critical for a variety of species-typical social and reproductive behaviors, including affiliative and pair bonding behaviors in multiple socially monogamous lineages of fishes, birds, and mammals. Early work in prairie voles suggested that the endogenous OT system modulates mating-induced partner preference formation in females but not males; however, there is significant evidence that central OTRs may modulate pair bonding behavior in both sexes. In addition, it remains unclear how transient windows of central OTR signaling during sociosexual interaction modulate neural activity to produce enduring shifts in sociobehavioral phenotypes, including the formation of selective social bonds. Here we re-examine the role of the central OT system in partner preference formation in male prairie voles using a selective OTR antagonist delivered intracranially. We then use the same antagonist to examine how central OTRs modulate behavior and immediate early gene (Fos) expression, a metric of neuronal activation, in males during brief sociosexual interaction with a female. Our results suggest that, as in females, OTR signaling is critical for partner preference formation in males and enhances correlated activation across sensory and reward processing brain areas during sociosexual interaction. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that central OTR signaling facilitates social bond formation by coordinating activity across a pair bonding neural network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary V Johnson
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Hasse Walum
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Yaseen A Jamal
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Yao Xiao
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Alaine C Keebaugh
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Kiyoshi Inoue
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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