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Houdelier C, Charrier M, Le Bot O, Aigueperse N, Marasco V, Lumineau S. The presence of a mother counteracts prenatal stress in a precocial bird. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Mezrai N, Houdelier C, Bertin A, Calandreau L, Arnould C, Darmaillacq AS, Dickel L, Lumineau S. Impact of natural and artificial prenatal stimulations on the behavioural profile of Japanese quail. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274521. [PMID: 35213895 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
As the sensory systems of vertebrates develop prenatally, embryos perceive many environmental stimuli that can influence the ontogeny of their behaviour. Whether the nature and intensity of prenatal stimuli affect differently this ontogeny remains to be investigated. In this context, this study aimed to analyse the effects of prenatal auditory stimulations (natural stimulations "NS": predator vocalisations, or artificial stimulations "AS": metallic sounds) on the subsequent behaviour of young Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). For that, behavioural variables recorded during ethological tests evaluating emotional and social reactivity were analysed using a principal component analysis. This analysis revealed significant differences between the behavioural profile of stimulated chicks and that of non-exposed chicks. Indeed, chicks exposed to NS expressed more intense emotional responses in fearful situations, but less neophobia in the presence of a novel environment or object, whereas chicks exposed to AS appeared more sensitive to social isolation. Our original results show that the acoustic environment of embryos can influence the way young birds subsequently interact with their social and physical environment after hatching, and face challenges in changing living conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawel Mezrai
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Cécilia Houdelier
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Aline Bertin
- INRAE, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, UMR 7247, IFCE, Université F. Rabelais, Nouzilly, France
| | - Ludovic Calandreau
- INRAE, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, UMR 7247, IFCE, Université F. Rabelais, Nouzilly, France
| | - Cécile Arnould
- INRAE, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, UMR 7247, IFCE, Université F. Rabelais, Nouzilly, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq
- Normandie Univ, Unicaen, CNRS, EthoS, 14000 Caen, France.,Univ Rennes, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Ludovic Dickel
- Normandie Univ, Unicaen, CNRS, EthoS, 14000 Caen, France.,Univ Rennes, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Sophie Lumineau
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
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Lonstein JS, Charlier TD, Pawluski JL, Aigueperse N, Meurisse M, Lévy F, Lumineau S. Fos expression in the medial preoptic area and nucleus accumbens of female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) after maternal induction and interaction with chicks. Physiol Behav 2021; 234:113357. [PMID: 33582165 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The neural system underlying maternal caregiving has often been studied using laboratory rodents and a few other mammalian species. This research shows that the medial preoptic area (mPOA) integrates sensory cues from the young that, along with hormonal and other environmental signals, control maternal acceptance of neonates. The mPOA then activates the mesolimbic system to drive maternal motivation and caregiving activities. How components of this neural system respond to maternal experience and exposure to young in non-mammals has rarely been examined. To gain more insight into this question, virgin female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were induced to be maternal through four days of continuous exposure to chicks (Maternal), or were not exposed to chicks (Non-Maternal). Chicks were removed overnight from the Maternal group and half the females from each group were then exposed to chicks for 90 minutes (Exposed), or not exposed to chicks (Non-Exposed), before euthanasia. The number of Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) cells was examined as a marker of neuronal activation. As expected, repeated exposure to chicks induced caregiving behavior in the Maternal females, which persisted after the overnight separation, suggesting the formation of a maternal memory. In contrast, Non-Maternal females were aggressive and rejected the chicks when exposed to them. Exposed females, whether or not they were given prior experience with chicks (i.e., regardless if they accepted or rejected chicks during the exposure before euthanasia), had more Fos-ir cells in the mPOA compared to Non-Exposed females. In the nucleus accumbens (NAC), the number of Fos-ir cells was high in all Maternal females whether or not they were Exposed to chicks again before euthanasia. In the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, a site involved in general stress responding, groups did not differ in the number of Fos-ir cells. These data indicate a conserved role for the mPOA and NAC in maternal caregiving across vertebrates, with the mPOA acutely responding to the salience rather than valence of offspring cues, and the NAC showing longer-term changes in activity after a positive maternal experience even without a recent exposure to young.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S Lonstein
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States.
| | - Thierry D Charlier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Jodi L Pawluski
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Nadege Aigueperse
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Maryse Meurisse
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportemenst (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Frédéric Lévy
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportemenst (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Sophie Lumineau
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
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