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Luchiari AC, Maximino C. Fish personality: meta-theoretical issues, personality dimensions, and applications to neuroscience and psychopathology. PERSONALITY NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 6:e9. [PMID: 38107778 PMCID: PMC10725779 DOI: 10.1017/pen.2023.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
While the field of personality neuroscience has extensively focused on humans and, in a few cases, primates and rodents, a wide range of research on fish personality has emerged in the last decades. This research is focused mainly on the ecological and evolutionary causes of individual differences and also aimed less extensively at proximal mechanisms (e.g., neurochemistry or genetics). We argue that, if consistent and intentional work is made to solve some of the meta-theoretical issues of personality research both on fish and mammals, fish personality research can lead to important advances in personality neuroscience as a whole. The five dimensions of personality in fish (shyness-boldness, exploration-avoidance, activity, aggressiveness, and sociability) need to be translated into models that explicitly recognize the impacts of personality in psychopathology, synergizing research on fish as model organisms in experimental psychopathology, personality neuroscience, and ecological-ethological approaches to the evolutionary underpinnings of personality to produce a powerful framework to understand individual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Luchiari
- Department of Physiology & Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Caio Maximino
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil
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2
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do Nascimento BG, Maximino C. Social investigation and social novelty in zebrafish: Roles of salience and novelty. Behav Processes 2023:104903. [PMID: 37286113 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Social preference tests can be used to analyze variables that influence and modify social behaviors, and to investigate effects of substances such as medications, drugs, and hormones. They may become important tools for finding a valid model to study neuropsychiatric changes and to study human neurodevelopmental processes that have been impaired by social events. While a preference for conspecifics has been shown for different species, social novelty has been used as a model for anxiety-like behavior in rodents. The goal of this research was to understand the roles of stimulus salience (numerousness) and novelty in social investigation and social novelty tests in zebrafish (Danio rerio Hamilton 1822). We used a sequential design, in which animals are exposed first to a social investigation test (with dichotomous presentation of novel conspecifics vs. empty tank) and then to a social novelty test (with dichotomous presentation of the already known conspecific and a novel conspecific). In experiment 1, animals were presented to either 1 or 3 (vs. an empty tank) conspecifics as stimuli. In experiment 2, animals were presented to 1 vs. 3 conspecifics as stimuli. In experiment 3, animals were observed in the social investigation and social novelty tests for 3 consecutive days. The results showed equivalence between 1 or 3 conspecifics in the social investigation and social novelty tests, although animals were able to discriminate between different shoal sizes. These preferences do not change with repeated test exposure, suggesting novelty to be a minor contributor to social investigation and social novelty in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Gomes do Nascimento
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá/PA, Brazil
| | - Caio Maximino
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá/PA, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém/PA, Brazil; Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Brazil
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3
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Culbert BM, Border SE, Fialkowski RJ, Bolitho I, Dijkstra PD. Social status influences relationships between hormones and oxidative stress in a cichlid fish. Horm Behav 2023; 152:105365. [PMID: 37119610 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
An individual's social environment can have widespread effects on their physiology, including effects on oxidative stress and hormone levels. Many studies have suggested that variation in oxidative stress experienced by individuals of different social statuses might be due to endocrine differences, however, few studies have evaluated this hypothesis. Here, we assessed whether a suite of markers associated with oxidative stress in different tissues (blood/plasma, liver, and gonads) had social status-specific relationships with circulating testosterone or cortisol levels in males of a cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni. Across all fish, blood DNA damage (a global marker of oxidative stress) and gonadal synthesis of reactive oxygen species [as indicated by NADPH-oxidase (NOX) activity] were lower when testosterone was high. However, high DNA damage in both the blood and gonads was associated with high cortisol in subordinates, but low cortisol in dominants. Additionally, high cortisol was associated with greater production of reactive oxygen species (greater NOX activity) in both the gonads (dominants only) and liver (dominants and subordinates). In general, high testosterone was associated with lower oxidative stress across both social statuses, whereas high cortisol was associated with lower oxidative stress in dominants and higher oxidative stress in subordinates. Taken together, our results show that differences in the social environment can lead to contrasting relationships between hormones and oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Culbert
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Shana E Border
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Illinois State University, School of Biological Sciences, Normal, IL, USA
| | | | - Isobel Bolitho
- University of Manchester, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Manchester, UK
| | - Peter D Dijkstra
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Neuroscience Program, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA; Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA.
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A Mini-Review Regarding the Modalities to Study Neurodevelopmental Disorders-Like Impairments in Zebrafish—Focussing on Neurobehavioural and Psychological Responses. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12091147. [PMID: 36138883 PMCID: PMC9496774 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are complex disorders which can be associated with many comorbidities and exhibit multifactorial-dependent phenotypes. An important characteristic is represented by the early onset of the symptoms, during childhood or young adulthood, with a great impact on the socio-cognitive functioning of the affected individuals. Thus, the aim of our review is to describe and to argue the necessity of early developmental stages zebrafish models, focusing on NDDs, especially autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and also on schizophrenia. The utility of the animal models in NDDs or schizophrenia research remains quite controversial. Relevant discussions can be opened regarding the specific characteristics of the animal models and the relationship with the etiologies, physiopathology, and development of these disorders. The zebrafish models behaviors displayed as early as during the pre-hatching embryo stage (locomotor activity prone to repetitive behavior), and post-hatching embryo stage, such as memory, perception, affective-like, and social behaviors can be relevant in ASD and schizophrenia research. The neurophysiological processes impaired in both ASD and schizophrenia are generally highly conserved across all vertebrates. However, the relatively late individual development and conscious social behavior exhibited later in the larval stage are some of the most important limitations of these model animal species.
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5
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Neuro-molecular characterization of fish cleaning interactions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8468. [PMID: 35589869 PMCID: PMC9119974 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12363-6] [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: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reef fish exhibit a large variety of behaviours crucial for fitness and survival. The cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus displays cognitive abilities during interspecific interactions by providing services of ectoparasite cleaning, thus serving as a good example to understand the processes of complex social behaviour. However, little is known about the molecular underpinnings of cooperative behaviour between L. dimidiatus and a potential client fish (Acanthurus leucosternon). Therefore, we investigated the molecular mechanisms in three regions of the brain (Fore-, Mid-, and Hindbrain) during the interaction of these fishes. Here we show, using transcriptomics, that most of the transcriptional response in both species was regulated in the Hindbrain and Forebrain regions and that the interacting behaviour responses of L. dimidiatus involved immediate early gene alteration, dopaminergic and glutamatergic pathways, the expression of neurohormones (such as isotocin) and steroids (e.g. progesterone and estrogen). In contrast, in the client, fewer molecular alterations were found, mostly involving pituitary hormone responses. The particular pathways found suggested synaptic plasticity, learning and memory processes in the cleaner wrasse, while the client indicated stress relief.
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6
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Soares MC, Maximino C. Editorial: Emotional Function of Sociability in Fish. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:909352. [PMID: 35600990 PMCID: PMC9116191 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.909352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marta C. Soares
- CIBIO, Centro De Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade Do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Marta C. Soares
| | - Caio Maximino
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento “Frederico Guilherme Graeff”, Faculdade De Psicologia, Instituto De Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal Do Sul e Sudeste Do Pará, Marabá, Brazil
- Grupo De Pesquisas em Neurociências, Comportamento & Cognição, Universidade Federal Do Sul e Sudeste Do Pará, Marabá, Brazil
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Mathuru AS, Vyas A. Social plasticity and decision making. Brain Res 2022; 1785:147890. [PMID: 35339429 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ajay S Mathuru
- Yale-NUS College, 12 College Avenue West, Singapore; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore; Dept. of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Ajai Vyas
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551, Singapore
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Bozi B, Rodrigues J, Lima-Maximino M, de Siqueira-Silva DH, Soares MC, Maximino C. Social Stress Increases Anxiety-Like Behavior Equally in Male and Female Zebrafish. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:785656. [PMID: 34987363 PMCID: PMC8721036 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.785656] [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: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish anxiety-like behavior was assessed in the novel tank test after the formation of dominant-subordinate hierarchies. Ten pairs of animals were subjected to dyadic interactions for 5 days, and compared with control animals. After this period, a clear dominance hierarchy was established across all dyads, irrespective of sex. Social status affected parameters of anxiety-like behavior in the novel tank test, with subordinate males and females displaying more bottom-dwelling, absolute turn angle, and freezing than dominant animals and controls. The results suggest that subordinate male and female zebrafish show higher anxiety-like behavior, which together with previous literature suggests that subordination stress is conserved across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenno Bozi
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil.,Grupo de Pesquisas em Neurociências, Comportamento & Cognição, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil
| | - Jeane Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reprodução Animal da Amazônia, ReproAmazon-Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil.,Grupo de Estudos da Reprodução Animal, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil
| | - Monica Lima-Maximino
- Grupo de Pesquisas em Neurociências, Comportamento & Cognição, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil.,Departamento de Morfologia e Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Campus VIII, Marabá, Brazil
| | - Diógenes Henrique de Siqueira-Silva
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil.,Grupo de Estudos da Reprodução Animal, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil
| | - Marta Candeias Soares
- CIBIO/InBIO-Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Caio Maximino
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Faculdade de Psicologia, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil.,Grupo de Pesquisas em Neurociências, Comportamento & Cognição, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil
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9
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Hubená P, Horký P, Slavík O. Fish self-awareness: limits of current knowledge and theoretical expectations. Anim Cogn 2021; 25:447-461. [PMID: 34655023 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01566-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Animal self-awareness is divided into three levels: bodily, social, and introspective self-awareness. Research has focused mainly on the introspection of so-called higher organisms such as mammals. Herein, we turn our attention to fish and provide opinions on their self-awareness based on a review of the scientific literature. Our specific aims are to discuss whether fish (A) could have a neural substrate supporting self-awareness and whether they display signs of (B) social and (C) introspective self-awareness. The present knowledge does not exclude the possibility that fish could have a simple neocortex or other structures that support certain higher cognitive processes, as the function of the primate cerebral cortex can be replaced by other neurological structures. Fish are known to display winner, loser, and audience effects, which could be interpreted as signs of social self-awareness. The audience effect may be explained not only by ethological cost and benefit theory but also by the concept of public self-awareness, which comes from human studies. The behavioural and neural manifestations of depression may be induced in fish under social subordination and may be viewed as certain awareness of a social status. The current findings on fish introspective self-awareness have been debated in the scientific community and, therefore, demand replication to provide more evidence. Further research is needed to verify the outlined ideas; however, the current knowledge indicates that fish are capable of certain higher cognitive processes, which raises questions and implications regarding ethics and welfare in fish-related research and husbandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavla Hubená
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6, 165 00, Suchdol, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Horký
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6, 165 00, Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Slavík
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6, 165 00, Suchdol, Czech Republic
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10
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Casas L, Saborido-Rey F. Environmental Cues and Mechanisms Underpinning Sex Change in Fish. Sex Dev 2021; 15:108-121. [PMID: 34111868 DOI: 10.1159/000515274] [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: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fishes are the only vertebrates that undergo sex change during their lifetime, but even within this group, a unique reproductive strategy is displayed by only 1.5% of the teleosts. This lability in alternating sexual fate is the result of the simultaneous suppression and activation of opposing male and female networks. Here, we provide a brief review summarizing recent advances in our understanding of the environmental cues that trigger sex change and their perception, integration, and translation into molecular cascades that convert the sex of an individual. We particularly focus on molecular events underpinning the complex behavioral and morphological transformation involved in sex change, dissecting the main molecular players and regulatory networks that shape the transformation of one sex into the opposite. We show that histological changes and molecular pathways governing gonadal reorganization are better described than the neuroendocrine basis of sex change and that, despite important advances, information is lacking for the majority of hermaphrodite species. We highlight significant gaps in our knowledge of how sex change takes place and suggest future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Casas
- Ecology and Marine Resources, Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC), Vigo, Spain
| | - Fran Saborido-Rey
- Ecology and Marine Resources, Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC), Vigo, Spain
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11
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James N, Bell A. Minimally invasive brain injections for viral-mediated transgenesis: New tools for behavioral genetics in sticklebacks. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251653. [PMID: 33999965 PMCID: PMC8128275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral genetics in non-model organisms is currently gated by technological limitations. However, with the growing availability of genome editing and functional genomic tools, complex behavioral traits such as social behavior can now be explored in diverse organisms. Here we present a minimally invasive neurosurgical procedure for a classic behavioral, ecological and evolutionary system: threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Direct brain injection enables viral-mediated transgenesis and pharmaceutical delivery which bypasses the blood-brain barrier. This method is flexible, fast, and amenable to statistically powerful within-subject experimental designs, making it well-suited for use in genetically diverse animals such as those collected from natural populations. Developing this minimally invasive neurosurgical protocol required 1) refining the anesthesia process, 2) building a custom surgical rig, and 3) determining the normal recovery pattern allowing us to clearly identify warning signs of failure to thrive. Our custom-built surgical rig (publicly available) and optimized anesthetization methods resulted in high (90%) survival rates and quick behavioral recovery. Using this method, we detected changes in aggression from the overexpression of either of two different genes, arginine vasopressin (AVP) and monoamine oxidase (MAOA), in outbred animals in less than one month. We successfully used multiple promoters to drive expression, allowing for tailored expression profiles through time. In addition, we demonstrate that widely available mammalian plasmids work with this method, lowering the barrier of entry to the technique. By using repeated measures of behavior on the same fish before and after transfection, we were able to drastically reduce the necessary sample size needed to detect significant changes in behavior, making this a viable approach for examining genetic mechanisms underlying complex social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle James
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Alison Bell
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
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12
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Reichmann F, Rimmer N, Tilley CA, Dalla Vecchia E, Pinion J, Al Oustah A, Carreño Gutiérrez H, Young AMJ, McDearmid JR, Winter MJ, Norton WHJ. The zebrafish histamine H3 receptor modulates aggression, neural activity and forebrain functional connectivity. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2020; 230:e13543. [PMID: 32743878 DOI: 10.1111/apha.13543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
AIM Aggression is a behavioural trait characterized by the intention to harm others for offensive or defensive purposes. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine are important mediators of aggression. However, the physiological role of the histaminergic system during this behaviour is currently unclear. Here, we aimed to better understand histaminergic signalling during aggression by characterizing the involvement of the histamine H3 receptor (Hrh3). METHODS We have generated a novel zebrafish Hrh3 null mutant line using CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering and investigated behavioural changes and alterations to neural activity using whole brain Ca2+ imaging in zebrafish larvae and ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6) immunohistochemistry in adults. RESULTS We show that genetic inactivation of the histamine H3 receptor (Hrh3) reduces aggression in zebrafish, an effect that can be reproduced by pharmacological inhibition. In addition, hrh3-/- zebrafish show behavioural impairments consistent with heightened anxiety. Larval in vivo whole brain Ca2+ imaging reveals higher neuronal activity in the forebrain of mutants, but lower activity in specific hindbrain areas and changes in measures of functional connectivity between subregions. Adult hrh3-/- zebrafish display brain region-specific neural activity changes in response to aggression of both key regions of the social decision-making network, and the areas containing histaminergic neurons in the zebrafish brain. CONCLUSION These results highlight the importance of zebrafish Hrh3 signalling for aggression and anxiety and uncover the brain areas involved. Targeting this receptor might be a potential novel therapeutic route for human conditions characterized by heightened aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Reichmann
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Centre for Vascular Biology, Immunology and Inflammation, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Neal Rimmer
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Ceinwen A Tilley
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Elisa Dalla Vecchia
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Joseph Pinion
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Amir Al Oustah
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Hector Carreño Gutiérrez
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Andrew M J Young
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Jonathan R McDearmid
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Matthew J Winter
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - William H J Norton
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
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Testosterone causes pleiotropic effects on cleanerfish behaviour. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15829. [PMID: 31676821 PMCID: PMC6825177 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51960-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mathematical modelling regarding evolutionary theory typically assumes that optimal strategies are not constrained through mechanistic processes. In contrast, recent studies on brain anatomy and neurobiology suggest that flexibility in social behaviour is rather constrained by the physiological state of the social decision-making network. Changing its state may yield selective advantages in some social contexts but neutral or even detrimental effects in others. Here we provide field evidence for such physiological trade-offs. We subjected wild female cleaner wrasse to injections of testosterone or of saline solution (control) and then observed both intraspecific interactions and interspecific cleaning behaviour with other reef fish, referred to as clients. Testosterone-treated females intensified intraspecific social interactions, showing more aggression towards smaller females and tendencies of increased aggressive and affiliative contacts with dominant males. Such testosterone-mediated changes fit the hypothesis that an increase in testosterone mediates female's focus on status in this protogynous hermaphrodite species, where females eventually change sex to become males. Moreover, we also identified other effects on interspecific social interactions: testosterone-treated females interacted less with client reef fishes and hence obtained less food. Most importantly, they selectively reduced service quality for species that were less likely to punish after being cheated. Overall, our findings suggest that testosterone causes pleiotropic effects on intra and interspecific social behaviour by broadly influencing female cleaners' decision-making.
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14
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Geng Y, Peterson RT. The zebrafish subcortical social brain as a model for studying social behavior disorders. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm039446. [PMID: 31413047 PMCID: PMC6737945 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.039446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors are essential for the survival and reproduction of social species. Many, if not most, neuropsychiatric disorders in humans are either associated with underlying social deficits or are accompanied by social dysfunctions. Traditionally, rodent models have been used to model these behavioral impairments. However, rodent assays are often difficult to scale up and adapt to high-throughput formats, which severely limits their use for systems-level science. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have used zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model system to study social behavior. These studies have demonstrated clear potential in overcoming some of the limitations of rodent models. In this Review, we explore the evolutionary conservation of a subcortical social brain between teleosts and mammals as the biological basis for using zebrafish to model human social behavior disorders, while summarizing relevant experimental tools and assays. We then discuss the recent advances gleaned from zebrafish social behavior assays, the applications of these assays to studying related disorders, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Geng
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, 30 S. 2000 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Randall T Peterson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, 30 S. 2000 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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15
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Gubert C, Hannan AJ. Environmental enrichment as an experience-dependent modulator of social plasticity and cognition. Brain Res 2019; 1717:1-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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