1
|
Fuxjager MJ, Ryder TB, Moody NM, Alfonso C, Balakrishnan CN, Barske J, Bosholn M, Boyle WA, Braun EL, Chiver I, Dakin R, Day LB, Driver R, Fusani L, Horton BM, Kimball RT, Lipshutz S, Mello CV, Miller ET, Webster MS, Wirthlin M, Wollman R, Moore IT, Schlinger BA. Systems biology as a framework to understand the physiological and endocrine bases of behavior and its evolution-From concepts to a case study in birds. Horm Behav 2023; 151:105340. [PMID: 36933440 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Organismal behavior, with its tremendous complexity and diversity, is generated by numerous physiological systems acting in coordination. Understanding how these systems evolve to support differences in behavior within and among species is a longstanding goal in biology that has captured the imagination of researchers who work on a multitude of taxa, including humans. Of particular importance are the physiological determinants of behavioral evolution, which are sometimes overlooked because we lack a robust conceptual framework to study mechanisms underlying adaptation and diversification of behavior. Here, we discuss a framework for such an analysis that applies a "systems view" to our understanding of behavioral control. This approach involves linking separate models that consider behavior and physiology as their own networks into a singular vertically integrated behavioral control system. In doing so, hormones commonly stand out as the links, or edges, among nodes within this system. To ground our discussion, we focus on studies of manakins (Pipridae), a family of Neotropical birds. These species have numerous physiological and endocrine specializations that support their elaborate reproductive displays. As a result, manakins provide a useful example to help imagine and visualize the way systems concepts can inform our appreciation of behavioral evolution. In particular, manakins help clarify how connectedness among physiological systems-which is maintained through endocrine signaling-potentiate and/or constrain the evolution of complex behavior to yield behavioral differences across taxa. Ultimately, we hope this review will continue to stimulate thought, discussion, and the emergence of research focused on integrated phenotypes in behavioral ecology and endocrinology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
| | - T Brandt Ryder
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Nicole M Moody
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Camilo Alfonso
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | | | - Julia Barske
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mariane Bosholn
- Animal Behavior Lab, Ecology Department, National Institute for Amazon Research, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - W Alice Boyle
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Edward L Braun
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Ioana Chiver
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, Liege, Belgium
| | - Roslyn Dakin
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Lainy B Day
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Robert Driver
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, and Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
| | - Brent M Horton
- Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, PA 17551, USA
| | - Rebecca T Kimball
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Sara Lipshutz
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Claudio V Mello
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | | | - Michael S Webster
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Morgan Wirthlin
- Computational Biology Department, Carnegie Melon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Roy Wollman
- Department of Physiology and Integrative Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ignacio T Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Barney A Schlinger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Physiology and Integrative Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Anderson NK, Goodwin SE, Schuppe ER, Dawn A, Preininger D, Mangiamele LA, Fuxjager MJ. Activational vs. organizational effects of sex steroids and their role in the evolution of reproductive behavior: Looking to foot-flagging frogs and beyond. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105248. [PMID: 36054981 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroids play an important role in regulation of the vertebrate reproductive phenotype. This is because sex steroids not only activate sexual behaviors that mediate copulation, courtship, and aggression, but they also help guide the development of neural and muscular systems that underlie these traits. Many biologists have therefore described the effects of sex steroid action on reproductive behavior as both "activational" and "organizational," respectively. Here, we focus on these phenomena from an evolutionary standpoint, highlighting that we know relatively little about the way that organizational effects evolve in the natural world to support the adaptation and diversification of reproductive behavior. We first review the evidence that such effects do in fact evolve to mediate the evolution of sexual behavior. We then introduce an emerging animal model - the foot-flagging frog, Staurois parvus - that will be useful to study how sex hormones shape neuromotor development necessary for sexual displays. The foot flag is nothing more than a waving display that males use to compete for access to female mates, and thus the neural circuits that control its production are likely laid down when limb control systems arise during the developmental transition from tadpole to frog. We provide data that highlights how sex steroids might organize foot-flagging behavior through its putative underlying mechanisms. Overall, we anticipate that future studies of foot-flagging frogs will open a powerful window from which to see how sex steroids influence the neuromotor systems to help germinate circuits that drive signaling behavior. In this way, our aim is to bring attention to the important frontier of endocrinological regulation of evolutionary developmental biology (endo-evo-devo) and its relationship to behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nigel K Anderson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Sarah E Goodwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America
| | - Eric R Schuppe
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - AllexAndrya Dawn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Vienna Zoo, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa A Mangiamele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United States of America.
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Boersma J, Jones JA, Enbody ED, Welklin JF, Ketaloya S, Nason D, Karubian J, Schwabl H. Male White-shouldered Fairywrens (Malurus alboscapulatus) elevate androgens greater when courting females than during territorial challenges. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105158. [PMID: 35378335 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Androgens like testosterone mediate suites of physical and behavioral traits across vertebrates, and circulation varies considerably across and within taxa. However, an understanding of the causal factors of variation in circulating testosterone has proven difficult despite decades of research. According to the challenge hypothesis, agonistic interactions between males immediately prior to the breeding season produce the highest levels of testosterone measured during this period. While many studies have provided support for this hypothesis, most species do not respond to male-male competition by elevating testosterone. As a result, a recent revision of the hypothesis ('challenge hypothesis 2.0') places male-female interactions as the primary cause of rapid elevations in testosterone circulation in male vertebrates. Here, we offer a test of both iterations of the challenge hypothesis in a tropical bird species. We first illustrate that male White-shouldered Fairywrens (Malurus alboscapulatus) differ by subspecies in plasma androgen concentrations. Then we use a social network approach to find that males of the subspecies with higher androgens are characterized by greater social interaction scores, including more time aggregating to perform sexual displays. Next, we use a controlled experiment to test whether males respond to simulated territorial intrusion and/or courtship competition contexts by elevating androgens. We found that males elevated androgens during territorial intrusions relative to flushed controls, however, males sampled during courtship competitions had greater plasma androgens both relative to controls and males sampled while defending territories. Ultimately, our results are consistent with challenge hypothesis 2.0, as sexual interactions with extra-pair females were associated with greater elevation of androgens than territorial disputes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Boersma
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - John Anthony Jones
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Erik D Enbody
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA; Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joseph F Welklin
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Serena Ketaloya
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA; Porotona Village, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
| | - Doka Nason
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA; Porotona Village, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
| | - Jordan Karubian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Hubert Schwabl
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fuxjager MJ, Fusani L, Schlinger BA. Physiological innovation and the evolutionary elaboration of courtship behaviour. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
5
|
Schlinger BA, Chiver I. Behavioral Sex Differences and Hormonal Control in a Bird with an Elaborate Courtship Display. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1319-1328. [PMID: 33885763 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadal hormones can activate performance of reproductive behavior in adult animals, but also organize sex-specific neural circuits developmentally. Few studies have examined the hormonal basis of sex differences in the performance of elaborate, physically complex and energetic male courtship displays. Here we describe our studies over more than 20 years examining sex difference and hormonal control of courtship in Golden-collared manakins (Manacus vitellinus) of Panamaian rainforests. Our recent studies of birds studied in an artificial "lek" in a rainforest aviary provide many new insights. Wild and captive males and females differ markedly in their performance of male-typical behaviors. Testosterone (T) treatment augments performance of virtually all of these behaviors in juvenile males with low levels of circulating T. By contrast, T-treatment of females (with low circulating T) either failed to activate some behaviors or activated male behaviors weakly or strongly. These results are discussed within a framework of our appreciation for hormonal vs genetic basis for sex differences in behavior with speculation about the neural mechanisms producing these patterns of hormonal activation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barney A Schlinger
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bhaisare LY, Paraste S, Kaushik S, Chaudhary DD, Al-Misned F, Mahboob S, Al-Ghanim K, Ansari MJ. Reproductive success in Zygogramma bicolorata: A role of post-insemination association of male and female. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:1539-1543. [PMID: 33732037 PMCID: PMC7938115 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.12.030] [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: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive success is attained by various mechanisms in insects. Prolonged post insemination association is one such mechanism to increase the reproductive success. The present study was conducted to assess the role of post insemination association of mating partners on reproductive performance in Chrysomelidae beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister. The matings were disrupted at different time intervals and fecundity and percent egg viability of the females were recorded. In addition, the mounting attempts, mating attempts, time to commencement of mating and latent period were also recorded. It was hypothesized that: (1) the mounting and mating attempts would not exist, (2) copulation duration, would not affect the reproductive performance, and (3) the beetle would not exhibit the mate guarding behaviour. Interestingly, results revealed that 6.00 ± 1.3 and 6.59 ± 0.93 mounting and mating attempts are needed to establish successful mating. The results revealed that males improved their percent egg viability with a mating duration ranging from nearly 30-50 min. While fecundity increased with a mating duration of above 30 min and up to a duration of 60 min. This result concluded that males of this beetle display post copulatory mate guarding behaviour after 60 min in which male rides on female's back with his aedeagus inserted in the female genital tract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lankesh Yashwant Bhaisare
- Behavioural & Molecular Ecology & Biocontrol Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh 484887, India
| | - Sweta Paraste
- Behavioural & Molecular Ecology & Biocontrol Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh 484887, India
| | - Sandeep Kaushik
- Department of Environmental Science, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh 484887, India
| | - Desh Deepak Chaudhary
- Behavioural & Molecular Ecology & Biocontrol Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh 484887, India
| | - Fahad Al-Misned
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shahid Mahboob
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Al-Ghanim
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Javed Ansari
- Department of Botany, Hindu College Moradabad (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University Bareilly), India
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Tobiansky DJ, Fuxjager MJ. Sex Steroids as Regulators of Gestural Communication. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5822602. [PMID: 32307535 PMCID: PMC7316366 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Gestural communication is ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom, occurring in species that range from humans to arthropods. Individuals produce gestural signals when their nervous system triggers the production of limb and body movement, which in turn functions to help mediate communication between or among individuals. Like many stereotyped motor patterns, the probability of a gestural display in a given social context can be modulated by sex steroid hormones. Here, we review how steroid hormones mediate the neural mechanisms that underly gestural communication in humans and nonhumans alike. This is a growing area of research, and thus we explore how sex steroids mediate brain areas involved in language production, social behavior, and motor performance. We also examine the way that sex steroids can regulate behavioral output by acting in the periphery via skeletal muscle. Altogether, we outline a new avenue of behavioral endocrinology research that aims to uncover the hormonal basis for one of the most common modes of communication among animals on Earth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Tobiansky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
- Correspondence: Daniel J. Tobiansky, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912.
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Moore IT, Vernasco BJ, Escallón C, Small TW, Ryder TB, Horton BM. Tales of testosterone: Advancing our understanding of environmental endocrinology through studies of neotropical birds. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 273:184-191. [PMID: 29990493 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Studies of birds have greatly advanced our understanding of how testosterone modulates complex phenotypes, specifically its role in mediating male reproductive and associated behaviors. Yet most of the foundational studies have been limited to northern latitude breeding species despite the fact that they represent only a small fraction of worldwide avian diversity. In contrast, phylogenetic, life-history, and mating system diversity all reach their apex in neotropical avifauna and yet these birds, along with more southern latitude species, remain very poorly understood from an endocrine perspective. Despite the relatively limited previous work on taxa breeding in Central and South America, empirical findings have had a disproportionately large impact on our understanding of testosterone's role in everything from geographic variation to behavioral roles and neuroplasticity. Here, we synthesize how studies of neotropical breeding avifauna have advanced our understanding of how testosterone's actions can and are associated with the broad patterns of phenotypic diversity that we see in birds. In addition, we outline how these studies can be used individually or in a comparative context to address fundamental questions about the environmental endocrinology of testosterone and to understand the diversity of roles that testosterone plays in mediating behavioral variation, reproductive strategies, and associated life-history trade-offs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I T Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - B J Vernasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - C Escallón
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de la Salle, Cra 2 No. 10-70, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - T W Small
- Department of Biology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - T B Ryder
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, PO Box 37012, MRC 5503, Washington DC 20013, USA
| | - B M Horton
- Department of Biology, Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Millersville, PA 17551, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
|
10
|
Bentz AB, Dossey EK, Rosvall KA. Tissue-specific gene regulation corresponds with seasonal plasticity in female testosterone. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 270:26-34. [PMID: 30291863 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone (T) is a sex steroid hormone that often varies seasonally and mediates trade-offs between territorial aggression and parental care. Prior work has provided key insights into the 'top-down' hypothalamic control of this seasonal plasticity in T, yet mechanisms acting outside of the brain may also influence circulating T levels. We hypothesized that peripheral mechanisms may be especially critical for females, because peripheral regulation may mitigate the costs of systemically elevated T. Here, we begin to test this hypothesis using a seasonal comparative approach, measuring gene expression in peripheral tissues in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), a songbird with intense female-female competition and T-mediated aggression. We focused on the gonad and liver for their role in T production and metabolism, respectively, and we contrasted females captured during territory establishment versus incubation. During territory establishment, when T levels are highest, we found elevated gene expression of the hepatic steroid metabolizing enzyme CYP2C19 along with several ovarian steroidogenic enzymes, including the androgenic 5α-reductase. Despite these seasonal changes in gene expression along the steroidogenic pathway, we did not observe seasonal changes in sensitivity to upstream signals, measured as ovarian mRNA abundance of luteinizing hormone receptor. Together, these data suggest that differential regulation of steroidogenic gene expression in the ovary is a potentially major contributor to seasonal changes in T levels in females. Furthermore, these data provide a unique and organismal glimpse into tissue-specific gene regulation and its potential role in hormonal plasticity in females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| | - Emma K Dossey
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Kimberly A Rosvall
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Barske J, Eghbali M, Kosarussavadi S, Choi E, Schlinger BA. The heart of an acrobatic bird. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2018; 228:9-17. [PMID: 30367962 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The courtship behavior of some species of birds can be energetically demanding, but it is unknown if cardiovascular specializations enable such behaviors. While performing a highly acrobatic courtship dance, heart rate in male golden-collared manakins increases briefly to 1300 beats per minute, among the highest heart rates recorded in any bird or mammal. We hypothesize that male manakins have enhanced cardiovascular capabilities to meet these demands on the heart. Using histological and molecular techniques, we examined manakin heart structure as well as expression of genes involved in Ca2+ handling, action potential duration, steroidal signaling and cardiac growth. These measures were also made on the hearts of zebra finches, a similar-sized bird with limited cardiovascular demands. Compared to the zebra finch, the manakin had a significantly thicker left ventricular (LV) muscle (cross-sectional thickness of the free LV wall and septum) with a smaller LV chamber. In addition, compared to zebra finches, manakin hearts had significantly greater gene expression of ryanodine receptors as well as androgen receptors. Testosterone (T) treatment of non-breeding manakins (with low T) increased gene expression of the Ca2+ pump SERCA. These observations suggest that hearts of breeding male manakins require specialized Ca2+ handling and androgens may facilitate manakin cardiovascular function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Barske
- Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Integrative Biology and Physiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
| | - M Eghbali
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - S Kosarussavadi
- Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Integrative Biology and Physiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - E Choi
- Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Integrative Biology and Physiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - B A Schlinger
- Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Integrative Biology and Physiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Schlinger BA, Paul K, Monks DA. Muscle, a conduit to brain for hormonal control of behavior. Horm Behav 2018; 105:58-65. [PMID: 30040953 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
SBN Elsevier Lecture Investigation into mechanisms whereby hormones control behavior often starts with actions on central nervous system (CNS) motivation and motor systems and is followed by assessment of CNS drive of coordinated striated muscle contractions. Here we turn this perspective on its head by discussing ways in which hormones might first act on muscle that then secondarily drive upstream the evolution and function of the CNS. While there is a lengthy history for consideration of this perspective, newly discovered properties of muscle signaling reveal novel mechanisms that may well be captured by endocrine systems and thus of interest to behavioral endocrinologists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barney A Schlinger
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama.
| | - Ketema Paul
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - D Ashley Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada; Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Evolution of the androgen-induced male phenotype. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 204:81-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1215-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
|
14
|
Chiver I, Schlinger BA. Clearing up the court: sex and the endocrine basis of display-court manipulation. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
|