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Valiño G, Dunlap K, Quintana L. Androgen receptors rapidly modulate non-breeding aggression in male and female weakly electric fish (Gymnotus omarorum). Horm Behav 2024; 159:105475. [PMID: 38154435 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105475] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
The South American weakly electric fish, Gymnotus omarorum, displays territorial aggression year-round in both sexes. To examine the role of rapid androgen modulation in non-breeding aggression, we administered acetate cyproterone (CPA), a potent inhibitor of androgen receptors, to both male and females, just before staged agonistic interactions. Wild-caught fish were injected with CPA and, 30 min later, paired in intrasexual dyads. We then recorded the agonistic behavior which encompasses both locomotor displays and emission of social electric signals. We found that CPA had no discernible impact on the levels of aggression or the motivation to engage in aggressive behavior for either sex. However, CPA specifically decreased the expression of social electric signals in both males and female dyads. The effect was status-dependent as it only affected subordinate electrocommunication behavior, the emission of brief interruptions in their electric signaling ("offs"). This study is the first demonstration of a direct and rapid androgen effect mediated via androgen receptors on non-breeding aggression. Elucidating the mechanisms involved in non-breeding aggression in this teleost model allows us to better understand potentially conserved or convergent neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying aggression in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Valiño
- Departamento de Neurofisiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, MEC, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Kent Dunlap
- Department of Biology, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, United States
| | - Laura Quintana
- Departamento de Neurofisiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, MEC, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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2
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Schwark RW, Fuxjager MJ, Schmidt MF. Proposing a neural framework for the evolution of elaborate courtship displays. eLife 2022; 11:e74860. [PMID: 35639093 PMCID: PMC9154748 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In many vertebrates, courtship occurs through the performance of elaborate behavioral displays that are as spectacular as they are complex. The question of how sexual selection acts upon these animals' neuromuscular systems to transform a repertoire of pre-existing movements into such remarkable (if not unusual) display routines has received relatively little research attention. This is a surprising gap in knowledge, given that unraveling this extraordinary process is central to understanding the evolution of behavioral diversity and its neural control. In many vertebrates, courtship displays often push the limits of neuromuscular performance, and often in a ritualized manner. These displays can range from songs that require rapid switching between two independently controlled 'voice boxes' to precisely choreographed acrobatics. Here, we propose a framework for thinking about how the brain might not only control these displays, but also shape their evolution. Our framework focuses specifically on a major midbrain area, which we view as a likely important node in the orchestration of the complex neural control of behavior used in the courtship process. This area is the periaqueductal grey (PAG), as studies suggest that it is both necessary and sufficient for the production of many instinctive survival behaviors, including courtship vocalizations. Thus, we speculate about why the PAG, as well as its key inputs, might serve as targets of sexual selection for display behavior. In doing so, we attempt to combine core ideas about the neural control of behavior with principles of display evolution. Our intent is to spur research in this area and bring together neurobiologists and behavioral ecologists to more fully understand the role that the brain might play in behavioral innovation and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W Schwark
- Department of Biology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Marc F Schmidt
- Department of Biology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
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3
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Fulenwider HD, Caruso MA, Ryabinin AE. Manifestations of domination: Assessments of social dominance in rodents. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 21:e12731. [PMID: 33769667 PMCID: PMC8464621 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Social hierarchies are ubiquitous features of virtually all animal groups. The varying social ranks of members within these groups have profound effects on both physical and emotional health, with lower-ranked individuals typically being the most adversely affected by their respective ranks. Thus, reliable measures of social dominance in preclinical rodent models are necessary to better understand the effects of an individual's social rank on other behaviors and physiological processes. In this review, we outline the primary methodologies used to assess social dominance in various rodent species: those that are based on analyses of agonistic behaviors, and those that are based on resource competition. In synthesizing this review, we conclude that assays based on resource competition may be better suited to characterize social dominance in a wider variety of rodent species and strains, and in both males and females. Lastly, albeit expectedly, we demonstrate that similarly to many other areas of preclinical research, studies incorporating female subjects are lacking in comparison to those using males. These findings emphasize the need for an increased number of studies assessing social dominance in females to form a more comprehensive understanding of this behavioral phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah D. Fulenwider
- Department of Behavioral NeuroscienceOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| | - Maya A. Caruso
- Department of Behavioral NeuroscienceOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| | - Andrey E. Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral NeuroscienceOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
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4
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5
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Zhao X, Fuxjager MJ, McLamore Q, Marler CA. Rapid effects of testosterone on social decision-making in a monogamous California mice (Peromyscus californicus). Horm Behav 2019; 115:104544. [PMID: 31220461 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Social animals must cope with challenges and opportunities by adjusting how they react to a salient stimulus. Here we use California mice (Peromyscus californicus) and investigate the mechanisms underlying social decision-making by studying (i) rapid effects of testosterone (T) pulses on a male's decisions to approach a novel male (challenge) versus a receptive female (opportunity), and (ii) whether social experience shapes how such effects are manifested. In Experiment 1, we found that sexually naïve males administered saline injections preferentially approached unfamiliar females over unfamiliar males, in contrast, 10 min after receiving a single T-injection, males expressed a preference for approaching unfamiliar males. Such an effect of T only occurred in sexually naïve males, but not pair-bonded males, suggesting that the rapid effects of T on approach behavior may rely on the pair-bonding experiences. Experiment 2 investigated social decision-making across three repeated exposures to the challenge/opportunity situations. Only the initial decision, approach to the challenge, predicted future aggressive behaviors, and such an effect relied on the rapid actions of T. We also found that experience with the controlled challenge situation (the male intruder was restrained behind a wire mesh) dampened the approach to the male side (potential threat) when later exposed to the same conditions. This suggests that a resident's motivation to defend against a threatening individual may decrease as the threat posed by the "neighbors" is reduced. Overall rapid effects of post-encounter T pulses may play important roles in influencing behavioral decisions during social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhao
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Quinnehtukqut McLamore
- Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Catherine A Marler
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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6
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7
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Choleris E, Galea LAM, Sohrabji F, Frick KM. Sex differences in the brain: Implications for behavioral and biomedical research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 85:126-145. [PMID: 29287628 PMCID: PMC5751942 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Biological differences between males and females are found at multiple levels. However, females have too often been under-represented in behavioral neuroscience research, which has stymied the study of potential sex differences in neurobiology and behavior. This review focuses on the study of sex differences in the neurobiology of social behavior, memory, emotions, and recovery from brain injury, with particular emphasis on the role of estrogens in regulating forebrain function. This work, presented by the authors at the 2016 meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society, emphasizes varying approaches from several mammalian species in which sex differences have not only been documented, but also become the focus of efforts to understand the mechanistic basis underlying them. This information may provide readers with useful experimental tools to successfully address recently introduced regulations by granting agencies that either require (e.g. the National Institutes of Health in the United States and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in Canada) or recommend (e.g. Horizon 2020 in Europe) the inclusion of both sexes in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Bldg. Room 4020, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Farida Sohrabji
- Women's Health in Neuroscience Program, Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine, Bryan, TX 77807, United States
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States
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8
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Becker EA, Castelli FR, Yohn CN, Spencer L, Marler CA. Species differences in urine scent-marking and counter-marking in Peromyscus. Behav Processes 2017; 146:1-9. [PMID: 29100968 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Species comparisons indicate that scent-marking may differ as a function of mating system and co-housing with the opposite sex ("pairing"). We previously demonstrated that pairing may decrease male solicitation to unfamiliar females in the monogamous Peromyscus californicus but not in the non-monogamous P. leucopus. Whether urine scent-marking of females changes following pairing and whether scent-marking of paired males varies in response to scent-marks of their cagemate versus those of an unfamiliar female has not been examined. Therefore, we tested P. californicus and P. leucopus for within and between species differences in urine scent-marking of: 1) paired and non-paired females in an unscented arena, and 2) paired males in response to their female cagemate's or an unfamiliar female's scent-marks (counter-marking). Consistent with previous findings, P. californicus of both sexes deposited more urine scent-marks and covered greater surface area than P. leucopus. In both species, female scent-marking did not differ according to pairing status and male counter-marking did not differ in response to the scent-marks of their female cagemate versus an unfamiliar female. More females of both species and more P. leucopus, but not P. californicus, males scent-marked more around the perimeter than centrally. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Becker
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States; Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University 5600 City Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States.
| | - Frank R Castelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Christine N Yohn
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University 5600 City Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States
| | - Lindsey Spencer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Catherine A Marler
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States; Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 250 N Mills St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
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9
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Fernández-Vargas M. Rapid effects of estrogens and androgens on temporal and spectral features in ultrasonic vocalizations. Horm Behav 2017; 94:69-83. [PMID: 28687274 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Fuxjager MJ, Trainor BC, Marler CA. What can animal research tell us about the link between androgens and social competition in humans? Horm Behav 2017; 92:182-189. [PMID: 27914879 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. The relationship between androgenic hormones, like testosterone (T), and aggression is extensively studied in human populations. Yet, while this work has illuminated a variety of principals regarding the behavioral and phenotypic effects of T, it is also hindered by inherent limitations of performing research on people. In these instances, animal research can be used to gain further insight into the complex mechanisms by which T influences aggression. Here, we explore recent studies on T and aggression in numerous vertebrate species, although we focus primarily on males and on a New World rodent called the California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). This species is highly territorial and monogamous, resembling the modern human social disposition. We review (i) how baseline and dynamic T levels predict and/or impact aggressive behavior and disposition; (ii) how factors related to social and physical context influence T and aggression; (iii) the reinforcing or "rewarding" aspects of aggressive behavior; and (iv) the function of T on aggression before and during a combative encounter. Included are areas that may need further research. We argue that animal studies investigating these topics fill in gaps to help paint a more complete picture of how androgenic steroids drive the output of aggressive behavior in all animals, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Catherine A Marler
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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11
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Parsons MH, Apfelbach R, Banks PB, Cameron EZ, Dickman CR, Frank ASK, Jones ME, McGregor IS, McLean S, Müller-Schwarze D, Sparrow EE, Blumstein DT. Biologically meaningful scents: a framework for understanding predator-prey research across disciplines. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:98-114. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael H. Parsons
- Department of Biology; Hofstra University; Hempstead NY 11549 U.S.A
- Department of Biological Sciences; Fordham University; Bronx NY 10458 U.S.A
| | - Raimund Apfelbach
- Institut für Neurobiologie; Universität Tübingen; Tübingen 72076 Germany
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; The University of Sydney; Camperdown 2006 Australia
| | - Elissa Z. Cameron
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Chris R. Dickman
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences; The University of Sydney; Camperdown 2006 Australia
| | - Anke S. K. Frank
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
- Botanisches Institut, AG Linstädter; Universität zu Köln; D-50674 Köln Germany
| | - Menna E. Jones
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Ian S. McGregor
- School of Psychology, Brain and Mind Centre; University of Sydney; Camperdown 2050 Australia
| | - Stuart McLean
- School of Medicine; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Dietland Müller-Schwarze
- College of Environmental Science and Forestry; State University of New York; Syracuse NY 13210 U.S.A
| | - Elisa E. Sparrow
- Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges; Willunga 5172 Australia
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California; Los Angeles CA 90095-1606 U.S.A
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12
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Schell CJ, Young JK, Lonsdorf EV, Mateo JM, Santymire RM. Olfactory attractants and parity affect prenatal androgens and territoriality of coyote breeding pairs. Physiol Behav 2016; 165:43-54. [PMID: 27378509 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Hormones are fundamental mediators of personality traits intimately linked with reproductive success. Hence, alterations to endocrine factors may dramatically affect individual behavior that has subsequent fitness consequences. Yet it is unclear how hormonal or behavioral traits change with environmental stressors or over multiple reproductive opportunities, particularly for biparental fauna. To simulate an environmental stressor, we exposed captive coyote (Canis latrans) pairs to novel coyote odor attractants (i.e. commercial scent lures) mid-gestation to influence territorial behaviors, fecal glucocorticoid (FGMs) and fecal androgen metabolites (FAMs). In addition, we observed coyote pairs as first-time and experienced breeders to assess the influence of parity on our measures. Treatment pairs received the odors four times over a 20-day period, while control pairs received water. Odor-treated pairs scent-marked (e.g. urinated, ground scratched) and investigated odors more frequently than control pairs, and had higher FAMs when odors were provided. Pairs had higher FAMs as first-time versus experienced breeders, indicating that parity also affected androgen production during gestation. Moreover, repeatability in scent-marking behaviors corresponded with FGMs and FAMs, implying that coyote territoriality during gestation is underpinned by individually-specific hormone profiles. Our results suggest coyote androgens during gestation are sensitive to conspecific olfactory stimuli and prior breeding experience. Consequently, fluctuations in social or other environmental stimuli as well as increasing parity may acutely affect coyote traits essential to reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Schell
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, 1025 E. 57th Street, Culver Hall 402, Chicago, IL 60637, United States.
| | - Julie K Young
- USDA-WS-NWRC, Predator Research Facility, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, USU - BNR 163, Logan, UT 84322, United States
| | - Elizabeth V Lonsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, P.O. Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17603, United States
| | - Jill M Mateo
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, 1025 E. 57th Street, Culver Hall 402, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
| | - Rachel M Santymire
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, 1025 E. 57th Street, Culver Hall 402, Chicago, IL 60637, United States; Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614, United States
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13
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delBarco-Trillo J, Greene LK, Goncalves IB, Fenkes M, Wisse JH, Drewe JA, Manser MB, Clutton-Brock T, Drea CM. Beyond aggression: Androgen-receptor blockade modulates social interaction in wild meerkats. Horm Behav 2016; 78:95-106. [PMID: 26545817 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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: 04/26/2015] [Revised: 11/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
In male vertebrates, androgens are inextricably linked to reproduction, social dominance, and aggression, often at the cost of paternal investment or prosociality. Testosterone is invoked to explain rank-related reproductive differences, but its role within a status class, particularly among subordinates, is underappreciated. Recent evidence, especially for monogamous and cooperatively breeding species, suggests broader androgenic mediation of adult social interaction. We explored the actions of androgens in subordinate, male members of a cooperatively breeding species, the meerkat (Suricata suricatta). Although male meerkats show no rank-related testosterone differences, subordinate helpers rarely reproduce. We blocked androgen receptors, in the field, by treating subordinate males with the antiandrogen, flutamide. We monitored androgen concentrations (via baseline serum and time-sequential fecal sampling) and recorded behavior within their groups (via focal observation). Relative to controls, flutamide-treated animals initiated less and received more high-intensity aggression (biting, threatening, feeding competition), engaged in more prosocial behavior (social sniffing, grooming, huddling), and less frequently initiated play or assumed a 'dominant' role during play, revealing significant androgenic effects across a broad range of social behavior. By contrast, guarding or vigilance and measures of olfactory and vocal communication in subordinate males appeared unaffected by flutamide treatment. Thus, androgens in male meerkat helpers are aligned with the traditional trade-off between promoting reproductive and aggressive behavior at a cost to affiliation. Our findings, based on rare endocrine manipulation in wild mammals, show a more pervasive role for androgens in adult social behavior than is often recognized, with possible relevance for understanding tradeoffs in cooperative systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier delBarco-Trillo
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, USA; School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lydia K Greene
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, USA; University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, USA
| | - Ines Braga Goncalves
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Miriam Fenkes
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jillian H Wisse
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, USA
| | - Julian A Drewe
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa; Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Marta B Manser
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa; Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christine M Drea
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, USA; University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, USA.
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14
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Ervin KSJ, Lymer JM, Matta R, Clipperton-Allen AE, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. Estrogen involvement in social behavior in rodents: Rapid and long-term actions. Horm Behav 2015; 74:53-76. [PMID: 26122289 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue ("Estradiol and cognition"). Estrogens have repeatedly been shown to influence a wide array of social behaviors, which in rodents are predominantly olfactory-mediated. Estrogens are involved in social behavior at multiple levels of processing, from the detection and integration of socially relevant olfactory information to more complex social behaviors, including social preferences, aggression and dominance, and learning and memory for social stimuli (e.g. social recognition and social learning). Three estrogen receptors (ERs), ERα, ERβ, and the G protein-coupled ER 1 (GPER1), differently affect these behaviors. Social recognition, territorial aggression, and sexual preferences and mate choice, all requiring the integration of socially related olfactory information, seem to primarily involve ERα, with ERβ playing a lesser, modulatory role. In contrast, social learning consistently responds differently to estrogen manipulations than other social behaviors. This suggests differential ER involvement in brain regions important for specific social behaviors, such as the ventromedial and medial preoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus in social preferences and aggression, the medial amygdala and hippocampus in social recognition, and the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in social learning. While the long-term effects of ERα and ERβ on social behavior have been extensively investigated, our knowledge of the rapid, non-genomic, effects of estrogens is more limited and suggests that they may mediate some social behaviors (e.g. social learning) differently from long-term effects. Further research is required to compare ER involvement in regulating social behavior in male and female animals, and to further elucidate the roles of the more recently described G protein-coupled ERs, both the GPER1 and the Gq-mER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsy S J Ervin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Lymer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Matta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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15
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Pultorak JD, Fuxjager MJ, Kalcounis-Rueppell MC, Marler CA. Male fidelity expressed through rapid testosterone suppression of ultrasonic vocalizations to novel females in the monogamous California mouse. Horm Behav 2015; 70:47-56. [PMID: 25725427 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Revised: 02/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The steroid hormone testosterone (T) is a well-known mediator of male sexual behavior in vertebrates. However, less is known about T's rapid effects on sexual behavior, particularly those involving ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), a mode of communication that can influence mate acquisition in rodents. Using the monogamous California mouse, Peromyscus californicus, we tested whether T rapidly alters male USV production by giving T or saline injections to non-paired (sexually naïve) males and paired (paternally experienced and pair-bonded) males immediately prior to a brief exposure to an unrelated, novel female. Among non-paired males, no differences in the total number of USVs were observed; however, T increased the proportion of simple sweeps produced. Among paired males, T decreased the number of USVs produced, and this change was driven by a reduction in simple sweeps. These results suggest a differential rapid effect of T pulses between non-paired and paired males upon exposure to a novel female. Additionally, we observed a positive correlation in the production of USVs made between males and novel females, and this relationship was altered by T. Given the importance of USVs in sexual communication, our study supports an essential concept of monogamy in that mate fidelity is reinforced by decreased responsiveness to prospective mates outside of the pair bond. The central mechanism in pair bonded males that decreases their responsiveness to novel females appears to be one that T can trigger. This is among the first studies to demonstrate that T can inhibit sexually related behaviors and do so rapidly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Pultorak
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27106, USA
| | | | - Catherine A Marler
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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