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Bjørklund G, Meguid NA, Hemimi M, Sahakyan E, Fereshetyan K, Yenkoyan K. The Role of Dietary Peptides Gluten and Casein in the Development of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Biochemical Perspectives. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04099-3. [PMID: 38472652 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04099-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
This paper examines the role of dietary peptides gluten and casein in modulating brain function in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from a biochemical perspective. Neurotransmitter systems and neural networks are crucial for brain function, and alterations at the biochemical level can contribute to the characteristic symptoms and behaviors of ASD. The paper explores how dietary peptides influence neurotransmitter systems and neural networks, highlighting their potential as interventions to improve brain function in ASD. The evidence suggests that dietary peptides can impact neurotransmitter synthesis, release, and receptor interactions, disrupting the balance of neurotransmitter systems and affecting neural network function. The findings underscore the potential of dietary interventions in modulating brain function in ASD and call for further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and optimize clinical practice. Considering individual dietary sensitivities and preferences, personalized dietary approaches may be necessary for optimal outcomes. Dietary interventions' timing, duration, and integration with other evidence-based treatments are crucial considerations. Safety considerations and regular monitoring are important to ensure the implementation of dietary interventions safely and effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geir Bjørklund
- Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Toften 24, 8610, Mo i Rana, Norway.
| | - Nagwa A Meguid
- Research on Children with Special Needs Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
- CONEM Egypt Child Brain Research Group, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - Maha Hemimi
- Research on Children with Special Needs Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - Elen Sahakyan
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Cobrain Center, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, 2 Koryun, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
- Department of Pharmacy, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Katarine Fereshetyan
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Cobrain Center, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, 2 Koryun, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
- Department of Biochemistry, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Konstantin Yenkoyan
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Cobrain Center, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, 2 Koryun, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia.
- Department of Biochemistry, Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, Yerevan, Armenia.
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Hosseinzadeh Sahafi O, Sardari M, Alijanpour S, Rezayof A. Shared Mechanisms of GABAergic and Opioidergic Transmission Regulate Corticolimbic Reward Systems and Cognitive Aspects of Motivational Behaviors. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050815. [PMID: 37239287 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050815] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional interplay between the corticolimbic GABAergic and opioidergic systems plays a crucial role in regulating the reward system and cognitive aspects of motivational behaviors leading to the development of addictive behaviors and disorders. This review provides a summary of the shared mechanisms of GABAergic and opioidergic transmission, which modulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons located in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the central hub of the reward mechanisms. This review comprehensively covers the neuroanatomical and neurobiological aspects of corticolimbic inhibitory neurons that express opioid receptors, which act as modulators of corticolimbic GABAergic transmission. The presence of opioid and GABA receptors on the same neurons allows for the modulation of the activity of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, which plays a key role in the reward mechanisms of the brain. This colocalization of receptors and their immunochemical markers can provide a comprehensive understanding for clinicians and researchers, revealing the neuronal circuits that contribute to the reward system. Moreover, this review highlights the importance of GABAergic transmission-induced neuroplasticity under the modulation of opioid receptors. It discusses their interactive role in reinforcement learning, network oscillation, aversive behaviors, and local feedback or feedforward inhibitions in reward mechanisms. Understanding the shared mechanisms of these systems may lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches for addiction, reward-related disorders, and drug-induced cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oveis Hosseinzadeh Sahafi
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Maryam Sardari
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
| | - Sakineh Alijanpour
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous 4971799151, Iran
| | - Ameneh Rezayof
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
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Prichard MR, Grogan KE, Merritt JR, Root J, Maney DL. Allele-specific cis-regulatory methylation of the gene for vasoactive intestinal peptide in white-throated sparrows. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 21:e12831. [PMID: 36220804 PMCID: PMC9744568 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) offer a unique opportunity to connect genotype with behavioral phenotype. In this species, a rearrangement of the second chromosome is linked with territorial aggression; birds with a copy of this "supergene" rearrangement are more aggressive than those without it. The supergene has captured the gene VIP, which encodes vasoactive intestinal peptide, a neuromodulator that drives aggression in other songbirds. In white-throated sparrows, VIP expression is higher in the anterior hypothalamus of birds with the supergene than those without it, and expression of VIP in this region predicts the level of territorial aggression regardless of genotype. Here, we aimed to identify epigenetic mechanisms that could contribute to differential expression of VIP both in breeding adults, which exhibit morph differences in territorial aggression, and in nestlings, before territorial behavior develops. We extracted and bisulfite-converted DNA from samples of the hypothalamus in wild-caught adults and nestlings and used high-throughput sequencing to measure DNA methylation of a region upstream of the VIP start site. We found that the allele inside the supergene was less methylated than the alternative allele in both adults and nestlings. The differential methylation was attributed primarily to CpG sites that were shared between the alleles, not to polymorphic sites, which suggests that epigenetic regulation is occurring independently of the genetic differentiation within the supergene. This work represents an initial step toward understanding how epigenetic differentiation inside chromosomal inversions leads to the development of alternative behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathleen E. Grogan
- Department of PsychologyEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Present address:
Departments of Anthropology and BiologyUniversity of CincinnatiCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Jennifer R. Merritt
- Department of PsychologyEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Present address:
Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental BiologyColumbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Jessica Root
- Department of PsychologyEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Present address:
Department of Pharmacology and Chemical BiologyEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Donna L. Maney
- Department of PsychologyEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
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Ni R, Shu Y, Luo P, Zhou J. Sexual dimorphism in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial preoptic area and suprachiasmatic nucleus in male and female tree shrews. J Anat 2022; 240:528-540. [PMID: 34642936 PMCID: PMC8819044 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in behaviour partly arise from the sexual dimorphism of brain anatomy between males and females. However, the sexual dimorphism of the tree shrew brain is unclear. In the present study, we examined the detailed distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-immunoreactive (VIP-ir) neurons and fibres in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and VIP-ir fibres in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) of male and female tree shrews. The overall volume of the SCN in male tree shrews was comparable with that in females. However, males showed a significantly higher density of VIP-ir cells and fibres in the SCN than females. The shape of the VIP-stained area in coronal sections was arched, elongated or oval in the lateral division (STL) and the anterior part of the medial division (STMA) of the BST and oval or round in the posterior part of the medial division of the BST (STMP). The volume of the VIP-stained BST in male tree shrews was similar to that in females. The overall distribution of VIP-ir fibres was similar between the sexes throughout the BST except within the STMA, where darkly stained fibres were observed in males, whereas lightly stained fibres were observed in females. Furthermore, male tree shrews showed a significantly higher intensity of Nissl staining in the medial preoptic area (MPA) and the ventral part of the medial division of the BST than females. These findings are the first to reveal sexual dimorphism in the SCN, BST and MPA of the tree shrew brain, providing neuroanatomical evidence of sexual dimorphism in these regions related to their roles in sex differences in physiology and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong‐Jun Ni
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health CenterWest China Hospital of Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Huaxi Brain Research CenterWest China Hospital of Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yu‐Mian Shu
- School of Architecture and Civil EngineeringChengdu UniversityChengduChina
| | - Peng‐Hao Luo
- Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Brain Function and DiseasesSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiChina
| | - Jiang‐Ning Zhou
- Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Brain Function and DiseasesSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiChina
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Mandwie M, Karunia J, Niaz A, Keay KA, Musumeci G, Rennie C, McGrath K, Al-Badri G, Castorina A. Metformin Treatment Attenuates Brain Inflammation and Rescues PACAP/VIP Neuropeptide Alterations in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413660. [PMID: 34948457 PMCID: PMC8706124 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
High-fat diet (HFD)-induced comorbid cognitive and behavioural impairments are thought to be the result of persistent low-grade neuroinflammation. Metformin, a first-line medication for the treatment of type-2 diabetes, seems to ameliorate these comorbidities, but the underlying mechanism(s) are not clear. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) are neuroprotective peptides endowed with anti-inflammatory properties. Alterations to the PACAP/VIP system could be pivotal during the development of HFD-induced neuroinflammation. To unveil the pathogenic mechanisms underlying HFD-induced neuroinflammation and assess metformin’s therapeutic activities, (1) we determined if HFD-induced proinflammatory activity was present in vulnerable brain regions associated with the development of comorbid behaviors, (2) investigated if the PACAP/VIP system is altered by HFD, and (3) assessed if metformin rescues such diet-induced neurochemical alterations. C57BL/6J male mice were divided into two groups to receive either standard chow (SC) or HFD for 16 weeks. A further HFD group received metformin (HFD + M) (300 mg/kg BW daily for 5 weeks) via oral gavage. Body weight, fasting glucose, and insulin levels were measured. After 16 weeks, the proinflammatory profile, glial activation markers, and changes within the PI3K/AKT intracellular pathway and the PACAP/VIP system were evaluated by real-time qPCR and/or Western blot in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. Our data showed that HFD causes widespread low-grade neuroinflammation and gliosis, with regional-specific differences across brain regions. HFD also diminished phospho-AKT(Ser473) expression and caused significant disruptions to the PACAP/VIP system. Treatment with metformin attenuated these neuroinflammatory signatures and reversed PI3K/AKT and PACAP/VIP alterations caused by HFD. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that metformin treatment rescues HFD-induced neuroinflammation in vulnerable brain regions, most likely by a mechanism involving the reinstatement of PACAP/VIP system homeostasis. Data also suggests that the PI3K/AKT pathway, at least in part, mediates some of metformin’s beneficial effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mawj Mandwie
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN), School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (M.M.); (J.K.); (A.N.); (G.A.-B.)
| | - Jocelyn Karunia
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN), School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (M.M.); (J.K.); (A.N.); (G.A.-B.)
| | - Aram Niaz
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN), School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (M.M.); (J.K.); (A.N.); (G.A.-B.)
| | - Kevin A. Keay
- Laboratory of Neural Structure and Function, School of Medical Science (Neuroscience), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
| | - Giuseppe Musumeci
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Anatomy, Histology and Movement Sciences Section, School of Medicine, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy;
| | - Claire Rennie
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (C.R.); (K.M.)
| | - Kristine McGrath
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (C.R.); (K.M.)
| | - Ghaith Al-Badri
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN), School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (M.M.); (J.K.); (A.N.); (G.A.-B.)
| | - Alessandro Castorina
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (LCMN), School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (M.M.); (J.K.); (A.N.); (G.A.-B.)
- Laboratory of Neural Structure and Function, School of Medical Science (Neuroscience), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
- Correspondence:
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Maney DL, Merritt JR, Prichard MR, Horton BM, Yi SV. Inside the supergene of the bird with four sexes. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104850. [PMID: 32937166 PMCID: PMC7725849 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) offers unique opportunities to understand the adaptive value of supergenes, particularly their role in alternative phenotypes. In this species, alternative plumage morphs segregate with a nonrecombining segment of chromosome 2, which has been called a 'supergene'. The species mates disassortatively with respect to the supergene; that is, each breeding pair consists of one individual with it and one without it. This species has therefore been called the "bird with four sexes". The supergene segregates with a behavioral phenotype; birds with it are more aggressive and less parental than birds without it. Here, we review our efforts to identify the genes inside the supergene that are responsible for the behavioral polymorphism. The gene ESR1, which encodes estrogen receptor α, differs between the morphs and predicts both territorial and parental behavior. Variation in the regulatory regions of ESR1 causes an imbalance in expression of the two alleles, and the degree to which this imbalance favors the supergene allele predicts territorial singing. In heterozygotes, knockdown of ESR1 causes a phenotypic switch, from more aggressive to less aggressive. We recently showed that another gene important for social behavior, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), is differentially expressed between the morphs and predicts territorial singing. We hypothesize that ESR1 and VIP contribute to behavior in a coordinated way and could represent co-adapted alleles. Because the supergene contains more than 1000 individual genes, this species provides rich possibilities for discovering alleles that work together to mediate life-history trade-offs and maximize the fitness of alternative complex phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna L Maney
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | | | | | - Brent M Horton
- Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, PA, USA
| | - Soojin V Yi
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Horton BM, Michael CM, Prichard MR, Maney DL. Vasoactive intestinal peptide as a mediator of the effects of a supergene on social behaviour. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200196. [PMID: 32259472 PMCID: PMC7209063 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Supergenes, or linked groups of alleles that are inherited together, present excellent opportunities to understand gene-behaviour relationships. In white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), a supergene on the second chromosome associates with a more aggressive and less parental phenotype. This supergene includes the gene for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a neuropeptide known to play a causal role in both aggression and parental behaviour. Here, using a free-living population, we compared the levels of VIP mRNA between birds with and without the supergene. We focused on the anterior hypothalamus and infundibular region, two brain regions containing VIP neurons known to play a causal role in aggression and parental behaviour, respectively. First, we show that the supergene enhances VIP expression in the anterior hypothalamus and that expression positively predicts vocal aggression independently of genotype in both sexes. Next, we show that the supergene reduces VIP expression in the infundibular region, which suggests reduced secretion of prolactin, a pro-parental hormone. Thus, the patterns of VIP expression in these two regions are consistent with the enhanced aggression and reduced parental behaviour of birds with the supergene allele. Our results illustrate mechanisms by which elements of genomic architecture, such as supergenes, can contribute to the evolution of alternative behavioural phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent M. Horton
- Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | | | - Donna L. Maney
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Smiley KO, Adkins-Regan E. Factors that influence the onset of parental care in zebra finches: Roles for egg stimuli and prolactin. Behav Processes 2018; 153:47-54. [PMID: 29752978 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Parental care is a critical component for determining reproductive success both for a current set of offspring but also over the lifetime of the individual. The hormone prolactin has often been implicated as a parental care hormone across taxa but causal relationships have only been strongly demonstrated in mammals and in a few select species of birds. For instance, in mammals, maternal care towards foster pups can be induced by exogenous treatment with prolactin, in concert with other reproductive hormones involved in pregnancy. We aimed to address this causal mechanism in birds by artificially elevating prolactin during the nest building and egg laying stages using vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and then exposing them to foster chicks. We predicted that increasing prolactin would increase brooding and feeding behaviors towards foster chicks compared to the saline control group. Parental behavior towards foster chicks was only shown by individuals who had initiated clutches regardless of treatment. VIP treatment had no effect on parental behavior; however, a positive relationship was found between male and female feeding rates in the VIP but not control group. Our results suggest that both eggs and chicks are sufficient to stimulate foster care, perhaps through endogenous prolactin signalling, while further elevations of prolactin may serve to synchronize parental behaviors between pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina O Smiley
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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Kingsbury MA, Wilson LC. The Role of VIP in Social Behavior: Neural Hotspots for the Modulation of Affiliation, Aggression, and Parental Care. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 56:1238-1249. [PMID: 27940615 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the modulation of social behaviors by most major neurochemical systems has been explored, there are still standouts, including the study of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). VIP is a modulator of circadian, reproductive, and seasonal rhythms and is well known for its role in reproductive behavior, as it is the main vertebrate prolactin-releasing hormone. Originally isolated as a gut peptide, VIP and its cognate receptors are present in virtually every brain area that is important for social behavior, including all nodes of the core "social behavior network" (SBN). Furthermore, VIP cells show increased transcriptional activity throughout the SBN in response to social stimuli. Using a combination of comparative and mechanistic approaches in socially diverse species of estrildid finches and emberizid sparrows, we have identified neural "hotspots" in the SBN that relate to avian affiliative behavior, as well as neural "hotspots" that may represent critical nodes underlying a trade-off between aggression and parental care. Specifically, we have found that: (1) VIP fiber densities and VIP receptor binding in specific brain sites, such as the lateral septum, medial extended amygdala, arcopallium, and medial nidopallium, correlate with species and/or seasonal differences in flocking behavior, and (2) VIP cells and fibers within the anterior hypothalamus-caudocentral septal circuit relate positively to aggression and negatively to parental care while VIP elements in the mediobasal hypothalamus relate negatively to aggression and positively to parental care. Thus, while a given behavior or social context likely activates VIP circuitry throughout the SBN and beyond, key brain sites emerge as potential "hotspots" for the modulation of affiliation, aggression, and parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcy A Kingsbury
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Leah C Wilson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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Wilson LC, Goodson JL, Kingsbury MA. Seasonal Variation in Group Size Is Related to Seasonal Variation in Neuropeptide Receptor Density. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2016; 88:111-126. [PMID: 27788503 DOI: 10.1159/000448372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In many species, seasonal variation in grouping behavior is widespread, with shifts towards territoriality in the breeding season and grouping in the winter. Compared to the hormonal and neural mechanisms of seasonal territorial aggression, the mechanisms that promote seasonal grouping have received little attention. We collected brains in spring and winter from wild-caught males of two species of emberizid sparrows that seasonally flock (the field sparrow, Spizella pusilla, and the dark-eyed junco, Junco hyemalis) and two species that do not seasonally flock (the song sparrow, Melospiza melodia, and the eastern towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus). We used receptor autoradiography to quantify seasonal plasticity in available binding sites for three neuropeptides known to influence social behavior. We examined binding sites for 125I-vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), 125I-sauvagine (SG, a ligand for corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors) and 125I-ornithine vasotocin analog (OVTA, a ligand for the VT3 nonapeptide). For all species and ligands, brain areas that exhibited a seasonal pattern in binding density were characterized by a winter increase. Compared to nonflocking species, seasonally flocking species showed different binding patterns in multiple brain areas. Furthermore, we found that winter flocking was associated with elevated winter 125I-VIP binding density in the medial amygdala, as well as 125I-VIP and 125I-OVTA binding density in the rostral arcopallium. While the functional significance of the avian rostral arcopallium is unclear, it may incorporate parts of the pallial amygdala. Our results point to this previously undescribed area as a likely hot spot of social modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah C Wilson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind., USA
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