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Betancourth-Cundar M, Canoine V, Fusani L, Cadena CD. Does testosterone underly the interplay between male traits and territorial behavior in neotropical poison frogs? Horm Behav 2024; 162:105547. [PMID: 38677262 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
The ability of individual animals to defend a territory as well as various phenotypic and behavioral traits may be targets of sexual selection used by males to evaluate their competitors or by females to choose males. A frequent question in animal behavior is whether male traits and characteristics of their territory are correlated and what are the mechanisms that may mediate such associations when they exist. Because hormones link phenotype to behavior, by studying the role of testosterone in territoriality one may come closer to understanding the mechanisms mediating correlations or lack thereof between characteristics of territories and of males. We evaluated whether variation in characteristics of territories (size and quality) are correlated with variation in morphology, coloration, testosterone, heterozygosity, and calls in two species of poison frogs. The Amazonian frog Allobates aff. trilineatus exhibits male care and defends territories only during the breeding season, while the endangered frog Oophaga lehmanni displays maternal care and defends territories throughout the year. We found that morphological traits (body length, weight, thigh size), call activity, and testosterone levels correlated with size and various indicators of quality of the territory. However, the direction of these correlations (whether positive or negative) and which specific morphological, acoustic traits or testosterone level variables covaried depended on the species. Our findings highlight an endocrine pathway as part of the physiological machinery that may underlie the interplay between male traits and territorial behavior. We were able to identify some male traits related to territory attributes, but whether females choose males based on these traits requires further research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Virginie Canoine
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Love N, Preininger D, Fuxjager MJ. Social regulation of androgenic hormones and gestural display behavior in a tropical frog. Horm Behav 2023; 155:105425. [PMID: 37683499 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Many animals use forms of gesture and dance to communicate with conspecifics in the breeding season, though the mechanisms of this behavior are rarely studied. Here, we investigate the hormone basis of such visual signal behavior in Bornean rocks frogs (Staurois parvus). Our results show that males aggregating at breeding waterfalls have higher testosterone (T) levels, and we speculate that this hormone increase is caused by social cues associated with sexual competition. To this end, we find that T levels in frogs at the waterfall positively predict the number waving gestures-or "foot flags"-that males perform while competing with rivals. By contrast, T does not predict differences in male calling behavior. In these frogs, vocal displays are used largely as an alert signal to direct a rival's attention to the foot flag; thus, our results are consistent with the view that factors related to reproductive context drive up T levels to mediate displays most closely linked to male-male combat, which in this case is the frog's elaborate gestural routine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nya Love
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, USA
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Vienna Zoo, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, USA.
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3
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Rogers LS, Coffin AB, Sisneros JA. Reproductive state modulates utricular auditory sensitivity in a vocal fish. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:1344-1354. [PMID: 36286323 PMCID: PMC9678424 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00315.2022] [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: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The plainfin midshipman, Porichthys notatus, is a seasonally breeding vocal fish that relies on acoustic communication to mediate nocturnal reproductive behaviors. Reproductive females use their auditory senses to detect and localize "singing" males that produce multiharmonic advertisement (mate) calls during the breeding season. Previous work showed that the midshipman saccule, which is considered the primary end organ used for hearing in midshipman and most other fishes, exhibits reproductive state and hormone-dependent changes that enhance saccular auditory sensitivity. In contrast, the utricle was previously posited to serve primarily a vestibular function, but recent evidence in midshipman and related toadfish suggests that it may also serve an auditory function and aid in the detection of behaviorally relevant acoustic stimuli. Here, we characterized the auditory-evoked potentials recorded from utricular hair cells in reproductive and nonreproductive female midshipman in response to underwater sound to test the hypothesis that variation in reproductive state affects utricular auditory sensitivity. We show that utricular hair cells in reproductive females exhibit up to a sixfold increase in the utricular potential magnitude and have thresholds based on measures of particle acceleration (re: 1 ms-2) that are 7-10 dB lower than nonreproductive females across a broad range of frequencies, which include the dominant harmonics of male advertisement calls. This enhanced auditory sensitivity of the utricle likely plays an essential role in facilitating midshipman social and reproductive acoustic communication.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In many animals, vocal-acoustic communication is fundamental for facilitating social behaviors. For the vocal plainfin midshipman fish, the detection and localization of social acoustic signals are critical to the species' reproductive success. Here, we show that the utricle, an inner ear end organ often thought to primarily serve a vestibular function, serves an auditory function that is seasonally plastic and modulated by the animal's reproductive state effectively enhancing auditory sensitivity to courting male advertisement calls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loranzie S Rogers
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Allison B Coffin
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington
| | - Joseph A Sisneros
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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4
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Tison R, Poirier P. Communication as Socially Extended Active Inference: An Ecological Approach to Communicative Behavior. ECOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/10407413.2021.1965480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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5
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Maruska KP, Butler JM. Reproductive- and Social-State Plasticity of Multiple Sensory Systems in a Cichlid Fish. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:249-268. [PMID: 33963407 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Intra- and inter-sexual communications are vital to the survival and reproductive success of animals. In species that cycle in and out of breeding or other physiological condition, sensory function can be modulated to optimize communication at crucial times. Little is known, however, about how widespread this sensory plasticity is across taxa, whether it occurs in multiple senses or both sexes within a species, and what potential modulatory substances and substrates are involved. Thus, studying modulation of sensory communication in a single species can provide valuable insights for understanding how sensory abilities can be altered to optimize detection of salient signals in different sensory channels and social contexts. The African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni uses multimodal communication in social contexts such as courtship, territoriality, and parental care and shows plasticity in sensory abilities. In this review, we synthesize what is known about how visual, acoustic, and chemosensory communication is used in A. burtoni in inter- and intra-specific social contexts, how sensory funtion is modulated by an individual's reproductive, metabolic, and social state, and discuss evidence for plasticity in potential modulators that may contribute to changes in sensory abilities and behaviors. Sensory plasticity in females is primarily associated with the natural reproductive cycle and functions to improve detection of courtship signals (visual, auditory, chemosensory, and likely mechanosensory) from high-quality males for reproduction. Plasticity in male sensory abilities seems to function in altering their ability to detect the status of other males in the service of territory ownership and future reproductive opportunities. Changes in different classes of potential modulators or their receptors (steroids, neuropeptides, and biogenic amines) occur at both peripheral sensory organs (eye, inner ear, and olfactory epithelium) and central visual, olfactory, and auditory processing regions, suggesting complex mechanisms contributing to plasticity of sensory function. This type of sensory plasticity revealed in males and females of A. burtoni is likely more widespread among diverse animals than currently realized, and future studies should take an integrative and comparative approach to better understand the proximate and ultimate mechanisms modulating communication abilities across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen P Maruska
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Julie M Butler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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6
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Titon SCM, Titon Junior B, Assis VR, Vasconcelos-Teixeira R, Garcia Neto PG, Lima AS, Ferreira LDF, Fernandes PA, Gomes FR, Markus RP. Hormonal daily variation co-varies with immunity in captive male bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 303:113702. [PMID: 33359060 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Almost all physiological processes within the organism, including immune parameters and hormones, follow a circadian rhythm. These daily fluctuations are often observed in free-living organisms; however, little is known regarding hormonal and immune daily variations in anurans, particularly under laboratory conditions. This study aimed to investigate the hormonal and immune daily variation in captive-bred Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) under constant conditions (21 °C and 12:12 LD cycle). Our results showed a daily variation for plasma corticosterone (CORT), testosterone (T), and melatonin (MEL), as well as for blood leukocyte profile, phagocytic activity, and plasma bacterial killing ability (BKA). Hormonal profile and immune activity were higher at the dark when compared with the light phase; however, monocytes and lymphocytes followed the opposite pattern. Moreover, CORT was positively correlated with phagocytosis percentage of blood cells, BKA, and monocytes, while MEL and T showed a positive correlation with PP. Our results demonstrate the daily covariation of different immune variables and immunomodulatory hormones. These 24 h-day variations and covariation certainly have broad implications and need to be considered for better understanding anuran physiology both in the context of laboratory and field studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Braz Titon Junior
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vania Regina Assis
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Alan Siqueira Lima
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Letícia de França Ferreira
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro A Fernandes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Regina P Markus
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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7
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Kime NM, Goutte S, Ryan MJ. Arginine vasotocin affects vocal behavior but not selective responses to conspecific calls in male túngara frogs. Horm Behav 2021; 128:104891. [PMID: 33197465 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasotocin (AVT) and its homolog arginine vasopressin (AVP) modulate social behavior, including social communication. In anuran amphibians, male-male competition and female mate choice rely heavily on acoustic signaling. Behavioral experiments show that AVT influences motivation to call and vocal production. It may also influence how males process and respond to socially relevant auditory stimuli, but few studies have explored this possibility in this taxon. Túngara frogs produce a "whine" that is used for species recognition; in competition with other males they append one or more attractive "chucks" to the whine. Frequency modulation in the whine is an important cue for recognizing conspecifics, and gating of conspecific signals begins in the auditory midbrain. We used dynamic playback experiments to investigate the effects of exogenous AVT on males' responses to stimuli with species-typical and altered frequency modulation. We used avoidance of call overlap as evidence that a male recognizes a stimulus as salient and the production of attractive chucks as evidence of his competitive response to a proximate rival. We used call rate, whine duration, and whine frequency as measures of motivation and motor production. Males responded selectively to a stimulus with species-typical frequency modulation. Following treatment with AVT, they increased call rate and altered whines and chucks in a way that suggests increased air flow during the whine. We did not, however, find evidence that treatment with AVT alters the salience of frequency modulation in recognizing and responding to acoustic signals, at least for the stimuli used in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Kime
- Department of Biological Sciences, Edgewood College, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, Madison, WI 53711, USA.
| | - Sandra Goutte
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, 45 rue d'Ulm, Paris, France.
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway Avenue C0930, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Panama.
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8
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Abstract
Amphibians represent a diverse group of animals with highly varied behaviors depending on their anatomy, physiology, and ecological niche. Behavioral and welfare issues in amphibians are frequent in captive settings and warrant evaluation. Welfare criteria and clinical diagnostic assays when combined with a comprehension of the natural history of a species are useful tools to improve both the well-being of the individual animal and the population. Correction of environmental factors that affect behavior and, secondarily, survival and reproduction is important in captivity and for the conservation of wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon T Ferrell
- Zoo de Granby, 525, rue Saint-Hubert, Granby, Quebec J2G 5P3, Canada.
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9
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Campos SM, Rojas V, Wilczynski W. Arginine vasotocin impacts chemosensory behavior during social interactions of Anolis carolinensis lizards. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104772. [PMID: 32439348 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In reptiles, arginine vasotocin (AVT) impacts the performance of and response to visual social signals, but whether AVT also operates within the chemosensory system as arginine vasopressin (AVP) does in mammals is unknown, despite social odors being potent modifiers of competitive and appetitive behavior in reptiles. Here, we ask whether elevated levels of exogenous AVT impact rates of chemical display behavior (e.g. tongue flicks) in adult males, and whether conspecific males or females can chemically discriminate between competitor males based on differing levels of exogenous AVT in green anoles (Anolis carolinensis). We injected wild-caught green anole males with either AVT (AVT-Males) or a vehicle control (CON-Males) solution, then presented treated males with a conspecific stimulus (Intruder-Male or Intruder-Female) and filmed 30-minute interactions. We found that AVT-Males were faster than CON-Males to perform a tongue flick to conspecifics, and faster to chemically display toward Intruder-Females, suggesting AVT increased male interest in available chemical information during social encounters. Intruders performed more lip smack behavior when interacting with AVT-Males than with CON-Males, and Intruder-Males performed more tongue flick behavior when interacting with AVT-Males than with CON-Males, suggesting anoles can discriminate between conspecifics based on exogenous AVT levels. We also found a reduction in Intruder movement behavior when Intruders were paired with AVT-Males. This study provides empirical support for AVT-mediated chemosensory behavior in reptilian social interactions, in a microsmatic lizard species, suggesting the mechanism by which mammalian AVP and non-mammalian AVT mediate chemosensory behavior during social interactions may be evolutionarily conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Campos
- Georgia State University, Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Valentina Rojas
- Universidad del Bío-Bío, Concepción, Chile; Universidad Catolica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Walter Wilczynski
- Georgia State University, Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, USA
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10
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Robitaille J, Langlois VS. Consequences of steroid-5α-reductase deficiency and inhibition in vertebrates. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 290:113400. [PMID: 31981690 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
In 1974, a lack of 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT), the most potent androgen across species except for fish, was shown to be the origin of a type of pseudohermaphrodism in which boys have female-like external genitalia. This human intersex condition is linked to a mutation in the steroid-5α-reductase type 2 (SRD5α2) gene, which usually produces an important enzyme capable of reducing the Δ4-ene of steroid C-19 and C-21 into a 5α-stereoisomer. Seeing the potential of SRD5α2 as a target for androgen synthesis, pharmaceutical companies developed 5α-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs), such as finasteride (FIN) and dutasteride (DUT) to target SRD5α2 in benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenic alopecia. In addition to human treatment, the development of 5ARIs also enabled further research of SRD5α functions. Therefore, this review details the morphological, physiological, and molecular effects of the lack of SRD5α activity induced by both SRD5α mutations and inhibitor exposures across species. More specifically, data highlights 1) the role of 5α-DHT in the development of male secondary sexual organs in vertebrates and sex determination in non-mammalian vertebrates, 2) the role of SRD5α1 in the synthesis of the neurosteroid allopregnanolone (ALLO) and 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (3α-diol), which are involved in anxiety and sexual behavior, respectively, and 3) the role of SRD5α3 in N-glycosylation. This review also features the lesser known functions of SRD5αs in steroid degradation in the uterus during pregnancy and glucocorticoid clearance in the liver. Additionally, the review describes the regulation of SRD5αs by the receptors of androgens, progesterone, estrogen, and thyroid hormones, as well as their differential DNA methylation. Factors known to be involved in their differential methylation are age, inflammation, and mental stimulation. Overall, this review helps shed light on the various essential functions of SRD5αs across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Robitaille
- Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Valerie S Langlois
- Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), Quebec City, QC, Canada.
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11
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Fischer EK, O'Connell LA. Hormonal and neural correlates of care in active versus observing poison frog parents. Horm Behav 2020; 120:104696. [PMID: 31987899 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The occasional reversal of sex-typical behavior suggests that many of the neural circuits underlying behavior are conserved between males and females and can be activated in response to the appropriate social condition or stimulus. Most poison frog species (Family Dendrobatidae) exhibit male uniparental care, but flexible compensation has been observed in some species, where females will take over parental care duties when males disappear. We investigated hormonal and neural correlates of sex-typical and sex-reversed parental care in a typically male uniparental species, the Dyeing Poison Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius). We first characterized hormone levels and whole brain gene expression across parental care stages during sex-typical care. Surprisingly, hormonal changes and brain gene expression differences associated with active parental behavior in males were mirrored in their non-caregiving female partners. To further explore the disconnect between neuroendocrine patterns and behavior, we characterized hormone levels and neural activity patterns in females performing sex-reversed parental care. In contrast to hormone and gene expression patterns, we found that patterns of neural activity were linked to the active performance of parental behavior, with sex-reversed tadpole transporting females exhibiting neural activity patterns more similar to those of transporting males than non-caregiving females. We suggest that parallels in hormones and brain gene expression in active and observing parents are related to females' ability to flexibly take over parental care in the absence of their male partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Lauren A O'Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America.
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12
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Walkowski WG, Crother BI, Valverde RA. Testosterone and Corticosterone Profiles and Body Condition of Calling and Non-calling Lithobates grylio. COPEIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1643/cp-18-134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Whitney G. Walkowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana 70402; (WGW) . Send reprint requests to WGW
| | - Brian I. Crother
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana 70402; (WGW) . Send reprint requests to WGW
| | - Roldán A. Valverde
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana 70402; (WGW) . Send reprint requests to WGW
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13
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Taylor RC, Akre K, Wilczynski W, Ryan MJ. Behavioral and neural auditory thresholds in a frog. Curr Zool 2019; 65:333-341. [PMID: 31263492 PMCID: PMC6595421 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Vocalizations play a critical role in mate recognition and mate choice in a number of taxa, especially, but not limited to, orthopterans, frogs, and birds. But receivers can only recognize and prefer sounds that they can hear. Thus a fundamental question linking neurobiology and sexual selection asks—what is the threshold for detecting acoustic sexual displays? In this study, we use 3 methods to assess such thresholds in túngara frogs: behavioral responses, auditory brainstem responses, and multiunit electrophysiological recordings from the midbrain. We show that thresholds are lowest for multiunit recordings (ca. 45 dB SPL), and then for behavioral responses (ca. 61 dB SPL), with auditory brainstem responses exhibiting the highest thresholds (ca. 71 dB SPL). We discuss why these estimates differ and why, as with other studies, it is unlikely that they should be the same. Although all of these studies estimate thresholds they are not measuring the same thresholds; behavioral thresholds are based on signal salience whereas the 2 neural assays estimate physiological thresholds. All 3 estimates, however, make it clear that to have an appreciation for detection and salience of acoustic signals we must listen to those signals through the ears of the receivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Taylor
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Karin Akre
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Walter Wilczynski
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael J Ryan
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
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14
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Boyd SK. Effects of intracerebroventricular arginine vasotocin on a female amphibian proceptive behavior. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:505-513. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01340-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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15
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Hoskins TD, Dellapina M, Boone MD. Short-term atrazine exposure at breeding has no impact on Blanchard's cricket frog (Acris blanchardi) reproductive success. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2017; 36:3284-3288. [PMID: 28657116 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Studies of endocrine-disrupting contaminants have focused on early-life exposures, but later exposures could impact fitness. We exposed adult frogs (Acris blanchardi) at reproduction to ecologically relevant atrazine concentrations (0, 1, or 10 µg/L) in outdoor arenas. We measured likelihood of breeding and number of resulting tadpoles. Atrazine impacted neither the probability of breeding nor the number of tadpoles produced, suggesting anuran reproductive success may not be impacted by short-term exposure to low concentrations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3284-3288. © 2017 SETAC.
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16
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Chaves MF, Moura GJBD, Tenório FDC, Baptista JDS, Lapa Neto CJ, Texeira VW, Texeira ÁA. Influence of rainfall and temperature on the spermatogenesis of Leptodactylus macrosternum (Anura: Leptodactylidae). ZOOLOGIA 2017. [DOI: 10.3897/zoologia.34.e20782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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17
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Lucas AR, Richards DY, Ramirez LM, Lutterschmidt DI. Arginine Vasotocin and Neuropeptide Y Vary with Seasonal Life-History Transitions in Garter Snakes. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:1166-1183. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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18
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Kelleher SR, Silla AJ, Dingemanse NJ, Byrne PG. Body size predicts between-individual differences in exploration behaviour in the southern corroboree frog. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Muller MN. Testosterone and reproductive effort in male primates. Horm Behav 2017; 91:36-51. [PMID: 27616559 PMCID: PMC5342957 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Considerable evidence suggests that the steroid hormone testosterone mediates major life-history trade-offs in vertebrates, promoting mating effort at the expense of parenting effort or survival. Observations from a range of wild primates support the "Challenge Hypothesis," which posits that variation in male testosterone is more closely associated with aggressive mating competition than with reproductive physiology. In both seasonally and non-seasonally breeding species, males increase testosterone production primarily when competing for fecund females. In species where males compete to maintain long-term access to females, testosterone increases when males are threatened with losing access to females, rather than during mating periods. And when male status is linked to mating success, and dependent on aggression, high-ranking males normally maintain higher testosterone levels than subordinates, particularly when dominance hierarchies are unstable. Trade-offs between parenting effort and mating effort appear to be weak in most primates, because direct investment in the form of infant transport and provisioning is rare. Instead, infant protection is the primary form of paternal investment in the order. Testosterone does not inhibit this form of investment, which relies on male aggression. Testosterone has a wide range of effects in primates that plausibly function to support male competitive behavior. These include psychological effects related to dominance striving, analgesic effects, and effects on the development and maintenance of the armaments and adornments that males employ in mating competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin N Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, United States.
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20
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LaDage LD, Roth TC, Downs CJ, Sinervo B, Pravosudov VV. Increased Testosterone Decreases Medial Cortical Volume and Neurogenesis in Territorial Side-Blotched Lizards ( Uta stansburiana). Front Neurosci 2017; 11:97. [PMID: 28298883 PMCID: PMC5331184 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in an animal's spatial environment can induce variation in the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in spatial cognitive processing. Specifically, increased spatial area use is correlated with increased hippocampal attributes, such as volume and neurogenesis. In the side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana), males demonstrate alternative reproductive tactics and are either territorial—defending large, clearly defined spatial boundaries—or non-territorial—traversing home ranges that are smaller than the territorial males' territories. Our previous work demonstrated cortical volume (reptilian hippocampal homolog) correlates with these spatial niches. We found that territorial holders have larger medial cortices than non-territory holders, yet these differences in the neural architecture demonstrated some degree of plasticity as well. Although we have demonstrated a link among territoriality, spatial use, and brain plasticity, the mechanisms that underlie this relationship are unclear. Previous studies found that higher testosterone levels can induce increased use of the spatial area and can cause an upregulation in hippocampal attributes. Thus, testosterone may be the mechanistic link between spatial area use and the brain. What remains unclear, however, is if testosterone can affect the cortices independent of spatial experiences and whether testosterone differentially interacts with territorial status to produce the resultant cortical phenotype. In this study, we compared neurogenesis as measured by the total number of doublecortin-positive cells and cortical volume between territorial and non-territorial males supplemented with testosterone. We found no significant differences in the number of doublecortin-positive cells or cortical volume among control territorial, control non-territorial, and testosterone-supplemented non-territorial males, while testosterone-supplemented territorial males had smaller medial cortices containing fewer doublecortin-positive cells. These results demonstrate that testosterone can modulate medial cortical attributes outside of differential spatial processing experiences but that territorial males appear to be more sensitive to alterations in testosterone levels compared with non-territorial males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara D LaDage
- Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Penn State University Altoona Altoona, PA, USA
| | - Timothy C Roth
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA, USA
| | | | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Baugh AT, Ryan MJ. Vasotocin induces sexually dimorphic effects on acoustically-guided behavior in a tropical frog. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:265-273. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1155-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Searching for hormonal facilitators: Are vasotocin and mesotocin involved in parental care behaviors in poison frogs? Physiol Behav 2017; 174:74-82. [PMID: 28283464 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although the involvement of peptide hormones in parental care behaviors is well investigated in vertebrates, in amphibians the physiological basis of parental care is largely unknown. This is all the more surprising as parental care behaviors in these tetrapods are remarkably diverse. The poison frog Ranitomeya imitator performs biparental care, including clutch guarding, tadpole transportation and nutrient provisioning. Here we tested whether the nonapeptides arginine-vasotocin (AVT) and mesotocin (MT) are involved in clutch guarding and tadpole transportation in these frogs. In ex-sito experiments we injected males and females after clutch deposition and before tadpole transport with AVT and MT, respectively, as well as their antagonist or a control. We measured two types of egg caring behavior (intense and general care) and compared the success rate of tadpole transportation after treatments. Surprisingly we found that AVT did not trigger, but decreased intense egg care behaviors in males and females. However, there was a trend for general care behavior to increase, which might explain the adverse effect regarding intense care. MT did not have an effect on egg caring behaviors, but after administration of this hormone males were less likely to transport their offspring later on. Our results indicate that AVT might be partly involved in egg caring behaviors in R. imitator, while MT does not appear to play any role in behaviors prior to tadpole transportation in males. This implies that other hormones, such as steroids or prolactin are likely to be important for early parental care behaviors in poison frogs.
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Wilczynski W, Quispe M, Muñoz MI, Penna M. Arginine Vasotocin, the Social Neuropeptide of Amphibians and Reptiles. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:186. [PMID: 28824546 PMCID: PMC5545607 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is the non-mammalian homolog of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and, like vasopressin, serves as an important modulator of social behavior in addition to its peripheral functions related to osmoregulation, reproductive physiology, and stress hormone release. In amphibians and reptiles, the neuroanatomical organization of brain AVT cells and fibers broadly resembles that seen in mammals and other taxa. Both parvocellular and magnocellular AVT-containing neurons are present in multiple populations located mainly in the basal forebrain from the accumbens-amygdala area to the preoptic area and hypothalamus, from which originate widespread fiber connections spanning the brain with a particularly heavy innervation of areas associated with social behavior and decision-making. As for mammalian AVP, AVT is present in greater amounts in males in many brain areas, and its presence varies seasonally, with hormonal state, and in males with differing social status. AVT's social influence is also conserved across herpetological taxa, with significant effects on social signaling and aggression, and, based on the very small number of studies investigating more complex social behaviors in amphibians and reptiles, AVT may also modulate parental care and social bonding when it is present in these vertebrates. Within this conserved pattern, however, both AVT anatomy and social behavior effects vary significantly across species. Accounting for this diversity represents a challenge to understanding the mechanisms by which AVT exerts its behavioral effects, as well are a potential tool for discerning the structure-function relationships underlying AVT's many effects on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Wilczynski
- Neuroscience Institute, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: Walter Wilczynski,
| | - Maricel Quispe
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Matías I. Muñoz
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mario Penna
- Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Fedurek P, Zuberbühler K, Dahl CD. Sequential information in a great ape utterance. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38226. [PMID: 27910886 PMCID: PMC5133612 DOI: 10.1038/srep38226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Birdsong is a prime example of acoustically sophisticated vocal behaviour, but its complexity has evolved mainly through sexual selection to attract mates and repel sexual rivals. In contrast, non-human primate calls often mediate complex social interactions, but are generally regarded as acoustically simple. Here, we examine arguably the most complex call in great ape vocal communication, the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) 'pant hoot'. This signal consists of four acoustically distinct phases: introduction, build-up, climax and let-down. We applied state-of-the-art Support Vector Machines (SVM) methodology to pant hoots produced by wild male chimpanzees of Budongo Forest, Uganda. We found that caller identity was apparent in all four phases, but most strongly in the low-amplitude introduction and high-amplitude climax phases. Age was mainly correlated with the low-amplitude introduction and build-up phases, dominance rank (i.e. social status) with the high-amplitude climax phase, and context (reflecting activity of the caller) with the low-amplitude let-down phase. We conclude that the complex acoustic structure of chimpanzee pant hoots is linked to a range of socially relevant information in the different phases of the call, reflecting the complex nature of chimpanzee social lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Fedurek
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Christoph D. Dahl
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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25
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Zhang W, Guo Y, Li J, Huang L, Kazitsa EG, Wu H. Transcriptome analysis reveals the genetic basis underlying the seasonal development of keratinized nuptial spines in Leptobrachium boringii. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:978. [PMID: 27894252 PMCID: PMC5126826 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3295-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The expression of sexually selected traits often varies with populations' breeding cycles in many animals. The elucidation of mechanisms underlying the expression of such traits is a research topic in evolutionary biology; however, the genetic basis of the seasonal development of their expression remains unknown. Male Leptobrachium boringii develop keratinized nuptial spines on their upper jaw during the breeding season that fall off when the breeding season ends. To illuminate the genetic basis for the expression of this trait and its seasonal development, we assessed the de novo transcriptome for L. boringii using brain, testis and upper jaw skin and compared gene expression profiles of these tissues between two critical periods of the spine growth cycle. RESULTS We identified 94,900 unigenes in our transcriptome. Among them, 2,131 genes were differentially expressed between the breeding period when the spines developed and the post-breeding period when the spines were sloughed. An increased number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the upper jaw skin compared with the testis and brain. In the upper jaw skin, DEGs were mainly enriched in cytosolic part, peptidase inhibitor activity and peptidase regulator activity based on GO enrichment analysis and in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes and retinol metabolism based on KEGG enrichment analysis. In the other two tissues, DEGs were primarily involved in the cell cycle, DNA replication and melatonin production. Specifically, insulin/insulin-like growth factor and sex steroid hormone-related DEGs were identified in the upper jaw skin, indicating . The expression variation of IGF2 and estrogen-related genes may be the main factors regulating the seasonal development of the spines. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides a list of potential genes involved in the regulation of seasonal development of nuptial spines in L. boringii. This is the first transcriptome survey of seasonally developed sexually selected traits for non-model amphibian species, and candidate genes provided here may provide valuable information for further studies of L. boringii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, International Research Centre of Ecology and Environment, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, 152 Luoyulu, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Yue Guo
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, International Research Centre of Ecology and Environment, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, 152 Luoyulu, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Jun Li
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, International Research Centre of Ecology and Environment, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, 152 Luoyulu, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Li Huang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, International Research Centre of Ecology and Environment, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, 152 Luoyulu, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Eric Gilbert Kazitsa
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, International Research Centre of Ecology and Environment, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, 152 Luoyulu, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Hua Wu
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, International Research Centre of Ecology and Environment, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, 152 Luoyulu, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430079, China.
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26
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Titon SCM, de Assis VR, Titon B, Barsotti AMG, Flanagan SP, Gomes FR. Calling rate, corticosterone plasma levels and immunocompetence of Hypsiboas albopunctatus. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 201:53-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Powers AS. Plasticity and Adult Neurogenesis in Amphibians and Reptiles: More Questions than Answers. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2016; 87:175-183. [DOI: 10.1159/000447047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Studies of the relationship between behavioral plasticity and new cells in the adult brain in amphibians and reptiles are sparse but demonstrate that environmental and hormonal variables do have an effect on the amount of cell proliferation and/or migration. The variables that are reviewed here are: enriched environment, social stimulation, spatial area use, season, photoperiod and temperature, and testosterone. Fewer data are available for amphibians than for reptiles, but for both groups many issues are still to be resolved. It is to be hoped that the questions raised here will generate more answers in future studies.
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28
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Fedurek P, Slocombe KE, Enigk DK, Emery Thompson M, Wrangham RW, Muller MN. The relationship between testosterone and long-distance calling in wild male chimpanzees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016; 70:659-672. [PMID: 27182103 PMCID: PMC4864005 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2087-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Long-distance calling is a common behaviour in animals that has various important social functions. At a physiological level, calling is often mediated by gonadal hormones such as testosterone (T), particularly when its function is linked to intra-sexual competition for mates or territory. T also plays an important role in the development of vocal characteristics associated with dominance in humans. However, the few available studies of T and vocal behaviour in non-human primates suggest that in primates T has less influence on call production than in other animals. We tested this hypothesis by studying the relationship between T concentrations and pant hooting in wild male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) of the Kanyawara community in the Kibale National Park, Uganda. We found three kinds of correlation. Hourly T averages were positively associated with hourly rates of pant-hooting. Monthly T levels were likewise correlated with monthly rates of pant hooting after controlling for other influences such as fission-fusion rates. Finally, males with high T levels had higher peak frequency at the start of the call climax. These results suggest that T affects the production of pant-hoots in chimpanzees. This implies that the pant-hoot call plays a role in male-male competition. We propose that even in cognitively sophisticated species, endocrine mechanisms can contribute to regulating vocal production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Fedurek
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | | | - Drew K. Enigk
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico
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29
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Gall MD, Wilczynski W. Hearing conspecific vocal signals alters peripheral auditory sensitivity. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150749. [PMID: 25972471 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether hearing advertisement calls over several nights, as happens in natural frog choruses, modified the responses of the peripheral auditory system in the green treefrog, Hyla cinerea. Using auditory evoked potentials (AEP), we found that exposure to 10 nights of a simulated male chorus lowered auditory thresholds in males and females, while exposure to random tones had no effect in males, but did result in lower thresholds in females. The threshold change was larger at the lower frequencies stimulating the amphibian papilla than at higher frequencies stimulating the basilar papilla. Suprathreshold responses to tonal stimuli were assessed for two peaks in the AEP recordings. For the peak P1 (assessed for 0.8-1.25 kHz), peak amplitude increased following chorus exposure. For peak P2 (assessed for 2-4 kHz), peak amplitude decreased at frequencies between 2.5 and 4.0 kHz, but remained unaltered at 2.0 kHz. Our results show for the first time, to our knowledge, that hearing dynamic social stimuli, like frog choruses, can alter the responses of the auditory periphery in a way that could enhance the detection of and response to conspecific acoustic communication signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan D Gall
- Department of Biology, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA
| | - Walter Wilczynski
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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30
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Warning signal properties covary with toxicity but not testosterone or aggregate carotenoids in a poison frog. Evol Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-016-9830-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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31
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32
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Coloration in the polymorphic frog Oophaga pumilio associates with level of aggressiveness in intraspecific and interspecific behavioral interactions. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2027-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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33
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Miranda RA, Searcy BT, Propper CR. Arginine vasotocin induces calling behavior with a female social stimulus and interacts with gonadotropins to affect sexual behaviors in male Xenopus tropicalis. Physiol Behav 2015; 151:72-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Revised: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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34
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Ward JL, Love EK, Baugh AT, Gordon NM, Tanner JC, Bee MA. Progesterone and prostaglandin F2α induce species-typical female preferences for male sexual displays in Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis). Physiol Behav 2015; 152:280-7. [PMID: 26454212 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine systems play critical roles in facilitating sexual behavior in seasonally breeding vertebrates. Much of the research exploring this topic has focused on the endocrine correlates of signaling behavior in males and sexual proceptivity in females. What is less understood is how hormones promote the expression of the often complex and highly selective set of stimulus-response behaviors that are observed in naturally breeding animals. In female frogs, phonotaxis is a robust and sensitive bioassay of mate choice and is exhibited by gravid females during the breeding season. In stark contrast, females exhibit low phonotactic responsiveness outside the breeding season, but the administration of hormones can induce sexual proceptivity. Here we test the hypothesis that manipulation of a minimal set of reproductive hormones-progesterone and prostaglandin F2α-are capable of evoking not only proceptive behavior in non-breeding females, but also the patterns of intraspecific selectivity for male sexual displays observed in gravid females tested during the breeding season. Specifically, we investigated whether preferences for faster call rates, longer call durations, and higher call efforts were similar between breeding and hormone-treated females of Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis). Hormone injections induced patterns of selective phonotaxis in non-breeding females that were remarkably similar to those observed in breeding females. These results suggest that there may be an important contribution of hormonal pleiotropy in regulating this complex, acoustically-guided sexual behavior. Our findings also support the idea that hormonal induction could be used to evaluate hypotheses about selective mate choice, and its underlying mechanisms, using non-breeding females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Ward
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Elliot K Love
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | | | - Noah M Gordon
- Department of Biology, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN, USA
| | - Jessie C Tanner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
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35
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Howard CM, Lutterschmidt DI. The Effects of Melatonin on Brain Arginine Vasotocin: Relationship with Sex and Seasonal Differences in Melatonin Receptor Type 1 in Green Treefrogs (Hyla cinerea). J Neuroendocrinol 2015; 27:670-9. [PMID: 25967351 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2014] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The neuroendocrine mechanisms by which animals synchronise their physiological state with environmental cues are vital to timing life-history events appropriately. One important endocrine transducer of environmental cues in vertebrates is the pineal hormone melatonin, the secretion of which is directly sensitive to photoperiod and temperature. Melatonin modulates arginine vasotocin (AVT)-immunoreactive (-IR) cell number in the brain of green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) during the summer breeding season, and this modulation is sexually dimorphic. In the present study, we investigated whether the influence of melatonin on vasotocin varies seasonally. We show that treatment of nonreproductive male green treefrogs with melatonin-filled silastic implants for 4 weeks during the winter does not alter vasotocin-IR cell number in any brain region (i.e. nucleus accumbens, amygdala, preoptic area, suprachiasmatic nucleus or ventral hypothalamus). Taken together, these results suggest that the influence of melatonin on AVT is associated with sex and seasonal variation in melatonin receptor expression. We tested this hypothesis by using immunohistochemistry to characterise the distribution of melatonin receptor type 1 (MT1, also known as Mel1a) in the brain of reproductive and nonreproductive male and female frogs. We quantified MT1-IR cell number in regions known to contain AVT cell populations. Reproductive males had significantly more MT1-IR cells than nonreproductive males in all brain regions, including the combined nucleus accumbens, diagonal band of Broca and septum, striatum, amygdala, combined preoptic area and suprachiasmatic nucleus, as well as the ventral hypothalamus. In the accumbens region, where the effect of melatonin on AVT is known to be sexually dimorphic, males had significantly more MT1-IR cells than females during the summer breeding season. Based on these findings, we suggest that MT1 plays a role in mediating the interactions between melatonin and vasotocin that regulate seasonal and sexually dimorphic changes in sociosexual behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Howard
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
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36
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Davis A, Abraham E, McEvoy E, Sonnenfeld S, Lewis C, Hubbard CS, Dolence EK, Rose JD, Coddington E. Corticosterone suppresses vasotocin-enhanced clasping behavior in male rough-skinned newts by novel mechanisms interfering with V1a receptor availability and receptor-mediated endocytosis. Horm Behav 2015; 69:39-49. [PMID: 25528549 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In rough-skinned newts, Taricha granulosa, exposure to an acute stressor results in the rapid release of corticosterone (CORT), which suppresses the ability of vasotocin (VT) to enhance clasping behavior. CORT also suppresses VT-induced spontaneous activity and sensory responsiveness of clasp-controlling neurons in the rostromedial reticular formation (Rf). The cellular mechanisms underlying this interaction remain unclear. We hypothesized that CORT blocks VT-enhanced clasping by interfering with V1a receptor availability and/or VT-induced endocytosis. We administered a physiologically active fluorescent VT conjugated to Oregon Green (VT-OG) to the fourth ventricle 9 min after an intraperitoneal injection of CORT (0, 10, 40 μg/0.1mL amphibian Ringers). The brains were collected 30 min post-VT-OG, fixed, and imaged with confocal microscopy. CORT diminished the number of endocytosed vesicles, percent area containing VT-OG, sum intensity of VT-OG, and the amount of VT-V1a within each vesicle; indicating that CORT was interfering with V1a receptor availability and VT-V1a receptor-mediated endocytosis. CORT actions were brain location-specific and season-dependent in a manner that is consistent with the natural and context-dependent expression of clasping behavior. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the Rf to CORT was much higher in animals during the breeding season, arguing for ethologically appropriate seasonal variation in CORT's ability to prevent VT-induced endocytosis. Our data are consistent with the time course and interaction effects of CORT and VT on clasping behavior and neurophysiology. CORT interference with VT-induced endocytosis may be a common mechanism employed by hormones across taxa for mediating rapid context- and season-specific behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Davis
- Department of Biology, Willamette University, Salem, OR 97301, USA
| | - Emily Abraham
- Department of Biology, Willamette University, Salem, OR 97301, USA
| | - Erin McEvoy
- Department of Biology, Willamette University, Salem, OR 97301, USA
| | - Sarah Sonnenfeld
- Department of Biology, Willamette University, Salem, OR 97301, USA
| | - Christine Lewis
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Catherine S Hubbard
- Department of Neural & Pain Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - E Kurt Dolence
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - James D Rose
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Emma Coddington
- Department of Biology, Willamette University, Salem, OR 97301, USA.
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Leary CJ, Lippincott J, Harris S, Hawkins DL. A test of the Energetics-Hormone Vocalization model in the green treefrog. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 213:32-9. [PMID: 25575655 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2014] [Revised: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Male courtship displays may be regulated by, and affect the production of, circulating hormones. The Energetics-Hormone Vocalization (EHV) model, for example, posits that interactions among chorusing male anuran amphibians stimulate androgen production that then mediates an increase in vocal effort. Increased vocal effort is expected to deplete energy reserves and increase glucocorticoid levels that, in turn, negatively affect androgen levels and vocalization. Androgen levels, glucocorticoid levels, and vocal effort are thus expected to increase across and within nights of chorus activity and should be positively correlated in calling males; energy reserves should decline temporally and be inversely related to glucocorticoid levels. We tested predictions of the EHV model in the green treefrog, Hyla cinerea. Consistent with the model, both testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels increased across the breeding season in calling males. However, testosterone levels decreased and dihydrotestosterone levels did not change within nights of chorus activity, suggesting that chorusing behavior did not drive the seasonal elevation in androgens. Corticosterone (CORT) level remained relatively stable across the breeding season and decreased within nights of chorus activity, contrary to model predictions. Body condition, the proxy for energetic state, was inversely correlated with CORT level but discrepancies between model predictions and temporal patterns of CORT production arose because there was no evidence of a temporal decrease in body condition or increase in vocal effort. Moreover, androgen and CORT levels were not positively correlated with vocal effort. Additional ecological and physiological measures may be needed to support predictions of the EHV model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Leary
- University of Mississippi, Department of Biology, Box 1848, Oxford, MS 38677, USA.
| | - Johnny Lippincott
- University of Mississippi, Department of Biology, Box 1848, Oxford, MS 38677, USA
| | - Samuel Harris
- University of Mississippi, Department of Biology, Box 1848, Oxford, MS 38677, USA
| | - Doyle L Hawkins
- University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Mathematics, P.O. Box 19408, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
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Albers HE. Species, sex and individual differences in the vasotocin/vasopressin system: relationship to neurochemical signaling in the social behavior neural network. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 36:49-71. [PMID: 25102443 PMCID: PMC4317378 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Revised: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Arginine-vasotocin (AVT)/arginine vasopressin (AVP) are members of the AVP/oxytocin (OT) superfamily of peptides that are involved in the regulation of social behavior, social cognition and emotion. Comparative studies have revealed that AVT/AVP and their receptors are found throughout the "social behavior neural network (SBNN)" and display the properties expected from a signaling system that controls social behavior (i.e., species, sex and individual differences and modulation by gonadal hormones and social factors). Neurochemical signaling within the SBNN likely involves a complex combination of synaptic mechanisms that co-release multiple chemical signals (e.g., classical neurotransmitters and AVT/AVP as well as other peptides) and non-synaptic mechanisms (i.e., volume transmission). Crosstalk between AVP/OT peptides and receptors within the SBNN is likely. A better understanding of the functional properties of neurochemical signaling in the SBNN will allow for a more refined examination of the relationships between this peptide system and species, sex and individual differences in sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Elliott Albers
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.
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Huang MY, Duan RY, Ji X. The influence of long-term cadmium exposure on phonotaxis in male Pelophylax nigromaculata. CHEMOSPHERE 2015; 119:763-768. [PMID: 25192651 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Revised: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is a common industrial and agricultural heavy metal found in the natural environment that disrupts the endocrine systems of vertebrates. Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to endocrine disruptors because of their aquatic habitats and permeable skin. Endocrine disruptors are known to negatively affect amphibian acoustic behavior, but whether and how the ubiquitous pollutant Cd impacts this crucial amphibian signaling system remains unknown. Male black-spotted frogs (Pelophylax nigromaculata) show phonotactic responses to female receptive calls by emitting advertisement calls and moving towards females during the mating season, essential for reproductive success. To study whether long-term (60 d) exposure to low Cd concentrations (10(-8), 10(-7) and 10(-6) M) affects male phonotaxis, we recorded male responses to female calls following Cd exposure during the breeding season. We found that Cd adversely affected advertisement call characteristics (call latency, call duration and call rate), the proportion of individuals that responded and the time to first movement of the male. These results indicate that long-term exposure to Cd at environmentally relevant concentrations alters phonotaxis in male P. nigromaculata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Yi Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, Jiangsu, China; College of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing 246011, Anhui, China
| | - Ren-Yan Duan
- College of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing 246011, Anhui, China
| | - Xiang Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, Jiangsu, China.
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40
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Close-range vocal signals elicit a stress response in male green treefrogs: resolution of an androgen-based conflict. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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41
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Ten Eyck GR, Regen EM. Chronic fluoxetine treatment promotes submissive behavior in the territorial frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2014; 124:86-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2014.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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42
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Lutterschmidt DI, Maine AR. Sex or candy? Neuroendocrine regulation of the seasonal transition from courtship to feeding behavior in male red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Horm Behav 2014; 66:120-34. [PMID: 24508620 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Energy Balance". Seasonal modulation of glucocorticoids plays an important role in supporting critical life-history events, and probably facilitates transitions between different life-history stages. In a well-studied population of red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), glucocorticoids are elevated during the mating season, but males dispersing to summer feeding grounds have significantly lower baseline glucocorticoids than courting males at the den. We tested the hypothesis that decreased plasma glucocorticoids mediate the behavioral switch between reproduction and foraging in this species. Using a two-choice Y-maze paradigm, we demonstrate that males treated with the glucocorticoid synthesis inhibitor metyrapone (1 and 3mg implants) prefer feeding cues (worm trail) over reproductive cues (female pheromone trail) significantly earlier than control-treated snakes. The metyrapone-induced changes in appetitive feeding behavior were independent of changes in plasma androgens and body mass loss. Metyrapone-treated males continued to court females at levels similar to those of control-treated snakes, suggesting that appetitive reproductive and ingestive behaviors are not mutually exclusive during this life-history transition. Consistent with this hypothesis, metyrapone treatment did not alter the number of arginine vasotocin-immunoreactive cells in any brain region, while it significantly increased neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive cell number in both the cortex and nucleus sphericus (homologues of the mammalian hippocampus and amygdala, respectively). Our results suggest that male red-sided garter snakes have the potential to maximize reproductive opportunities by continuing to court females they encounter even as they disperse from the den in search of food. Taken together, these data have important implications for understanding the neuroecology of seasonal life-history transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah I Lutterschmidt
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, 1719 SW 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97201, USA.
| | - Ashley R Maine
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, 1719 SW 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97201, USA
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43
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Knoop R, Dias DC, França FM, Antonucci AM, Teixeira PC, Viau P, Oliveira CA, Hipolito M, Ferreira CM. Vitamin C supplementation has no effect on American bullfrog's immune response. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2014; 99:85-91. [PMID: 24862607 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.12207] [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: 11/02/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is the only species raised in Brazilian commercial frog farms, and the intensive culture of these animals has gained great popularity in Brazil over the past several years. Stress is one of the major obstacles in frog culture. To minimise this problem, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of added vitamin C in the diet of American bullfrogs as an antistress factor through the assessment of plasma corticosterone, leucocyte levels and macrophage activation in animals raised in confinement. The experimental design was entirely randomised, with six treatments (supplementation of 0, 250, 500, 750, 1000 and 2000 mg of vitamin C/kg of feed) and four replications. The plasma corticosterone level, leucocyte level and macrophage activation were evaluated. It was concluded that vitamin C had no influence on the evaluated parameters due to the possible adaptation of the animals to life in captivity (domestication). The results of this research indicate that farmers should not increase the levels of vitamin C in commercial feeds because this would only enhance production costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Knoop
- Instituto de Pesca, APTA-SAA, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - D C Dias
- Instituto de Pesca, APTA-SAA, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - F M França
- Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Lorena, SP, Brasil
| | - A M Antonucci
- Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Maringá, PR, Brasil
| | - P C Teixeira
- Instituto de Pesca, APTA-SAA, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - P Viau
- Departamento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (FMZV-USP), São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - C A Oliveira
- Departamento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (FMZV-USP), São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - M Hipolito
- Instituto Biológico, APTA-SAA, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - C M Ferreira
- Instituto de Pesca, APTA-SAA, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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Knobloch HS, Grinevich V. Evolution of oxytocin pathways in the brain of vertebrates. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:31. [PMID: 24592219 PMCID: PMC3924577 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The central oxytocin system transformed tremendously during the evolution, thereby adapting to the expanding properties of species. In more basal vertebrates (paraphyletic taxon Anamnia, which includes agnathans, fish and amphibians), magnocellular neurosecretory neurons producing homologs of oxytocin reside in the wall of the third ventricle of the hypothalamus composing a single hypothalamic structure, the preoptic nucleus. This nucleus further diverged in advanced vertebrates (monophyletic taxon Amniota, which includes reptiles, birds, and mammals) into the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei with accessory nuclei (AN) between them. The individual magnocellular neurons underwent a process of transformation from primitive uni- or bipolar neurons into highly differentiated neurons. Due to these microanatomical and cytological changes, the ancient release modes of oxytocin into the cerebrospinal fluid were largely replaced by vascular release. However, the most fascinating feature of the progressive transformations of the oxytocin system has been the expansion of oxytocin axonal projections to forebrain regions. In the present review we provide a background on these evolutionary advancements. Furthermore, we draw attention to the non-synaptic axonal release in small and defined brain regions with the aim to clearly distinguish this way of oxytocin action from the classical synaptic transmission on one side and from dendritic release followed by a global diffusion on the other side. Finally, we will summarize the effects of oxytocin and its homologs on pro-social reproductive behaviors in representatives of the phylogenetic tree and will propose anatomically plausible pathways of oxytocin release contributing to these behaviors in basal vertebrates and amniots.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, University of HeidelbergHeidelberg, Germany
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45
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Kampe AR, Peters SE. Effects of testosterone on contractile properties of sexually dimorphic forelimb muscles in male bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana, Shaw 1802). Biol Open 2013; 2:932-40. [PMID: 24143280 PMCID: PMC3773340 DOI: 10.1242/bio.20133798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2012] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the effects of testosterone (T) on the contractile properties of two sexually dimorphic forelimb muscles and one non-dimorphic muscle in male bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana, Shaw 1802). The dimorphic muscles in castrated males with testosterone replacement (T+) achieved higher forces and lower fatigability than did castrated males without replaced testosterone (T0 males), but the magnitude of the differences was low and many of the pair-wise comparisons of each muscle property were not statistically significant. However, when taken as a whole, the means of seven contractile properties varied in the directions expected of masculine values in T+ animals in the sexually dimorphic muscles. Moreover, these data, compared with previous data on male and female bullfrogs, show that values for T+ males are similar to normal males and are significantly different from females. The T0 males tended to be intermediate in character between T+ males and females, generally retaining masculine values. This suggests that the exposure of young males to T in their first breeding season produces a masculinizing effect on the sexually dimorphic muscles that is not reversed between breeding seasons when T levels are low. The relatively minor differences in contractile properties between T+ and T0 males may indicate that as circulating T levels rise during breeding season in normal males, contractile properties can be enhanced rapidly to maximal functional levels for breeding success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron R Kampe
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , Charlotte, NC 28223 , USA
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46
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Narayan EJ, Hero JM. Repeatability of Baseline Corticosterone and Acute Stress Responses to Capture, and Patterns of Reproductive Hormones in Vitellogenic and Non-Vitellogenic Female Fijian Ground Frog (Platymantis vitiana). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 319:471-81. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.1810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edward J. Narayan
- Environmental Futures Centre; School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast Campus; Gold Coast, QLD; Australia
| | - Jean-Marc Hero
- Environmental Futures Centre; School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast Campus; Gold Coast, QLD; Australia
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Narayan EJ. Non-invasive reproductive and stress endocrinology in amphibian conservation physiology. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 1:cot011. [PMID: 27293595 PMCID: PMC4806611 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cot011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Non-invasive endocrinology utilizes non-invasive biological samples (such as faeces, urine, hair, aquatic media, and saliva) for the quantification of hormones in wildlife. Urinary-based enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and radio-immunoassay have enabled the rapid quantification of reproductive and stress hormones in amphibians (Anura: Amphibia). With minimal disturbance, these methods can be used to assess the ovarian and testicular endocrine functions as well as physiological stress in captive and free-living populations. Non-invasive endocrine monitoring has therefore greatly advanced our knowledge of the functioning of the stress endocrine system (the hypothalamo-pituitary-interrenal axis) and the reproductive endocrine system (the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis) in the amphibian physiological stress response, reproductive ecology, health and welfare, and survival. Biological (physiological) validation is necessary for obtaining the excretory lag time of hormone metabolites. Urinary-based EIA for the major reproductive hormones, estradiol and progesterone in females and testosterone in males, can be used to track the reproductive hormone profiles in relationship to reproductive behaviour and environmental data in free-living anurans. Urinary-based corticosterone metabolite EIA can be used to assess the sublethal impacts of biological stressors (such as invasive species and pathogenic diseases) as well as anthropogenic induced environmental stressors (e.g. extreme temperatures) on free-living populations. Non-invasive endocrine methods can also assist in the diagnosis of success or failure of captive breeding programmes by measuring the longitudinal patterns of changes in reproductive hormones and corticosterone within captive anurans and comparing the endocrine profiles with health records and reproductive behaviour. This review paper focuses on the reproductive and the stress endocrinology of anurans and demonstrates the uses of non-invasive endocrinology for advancing amphibian conservation physiology. It also provides key technical considerations for future research that will increase the accuracy and reliability of the data and the value of non-invasive endocrinology within the conceptual framework of conservation physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. J. Narayan
- Corresponding author: Environmental Futures Centre, School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia. Tel: +61 (0)4 0169 7287. ;
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48
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Lutterschmidt DI, Wilczynski W. Sexually dimorphic effects of melatonin on brain arginine vasotocin immunoreactivity in green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea). BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2012; 80:222-32. [PMID: 22906877 DOI: 10.1159/000341238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2011] [Accepted: 06/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasotocin (AVT) and its mammalian homologue, arginine vasopressin (AVP), regulate a variety of social and reproductive behaviors, often with complex species-, sex- and context-dependent effects. Despite extensive evidence documenting seasonal variation in brain AVT/AVP, relatively few studies have investigated the environmental and/or hormonal factors mediating these seasonal changes. In the present study, we investigated whether the pineal hormone melatonin alters brain AVT immunoreactivity in green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea). Reproductively active male and female frogs were collected during the summer breeding season and a melatonin-filled or blank silastic capsule was surgically implanted subcutaneously. The duration of hormone treatment was 4 weeks, at which time frogs were eutha-nized and the brains and blood collected and processed for AVT immunohistochemistry and steroid hormone assay. We quantified AVT-immunoreactive (AVT-ir) cell bodies in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), caudal striatum and amygda- la (AMG), anterior preoptic area, suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and infundibular region of the ventral hypothalamus. Sex differences in AVT-ir cell number were observed in all brain regions except in the anterior preoptic area and ventral hypothalamus, with males having more AVT-ir cells than females in the NAcc, amygdala and SCN. Brain AVT was sensitive to melatonin signaling during the breeding season, and the effects of melatonin varied significantly with both region and sex. Treatment with melatonin decreased AVT immunoreactivity in both the NAcc and SCN in male H. cinerea. In contrast, brain AVT was relatively insensitive to melatonin signaling in females, indicating that the regulation of the AVT/AVP neuropeptide system by melatonin may be sexually dimorphic. Finally, melatonin did not significantly influence testosterone or estradiol concentrations of male or female frogs, respectively, suggesting that the effects of melatonin on AVT immunoreactivity are independent of changes in gonadal sex steroid hormones. Collectively, our results indicate that the AVT/AVP neuronal system may be an important target for melatonin in facilitating seasonal changes in reproductive physiology and social behavior.
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49
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Schwendiman AL, Propper CR. A common environmental contaminant affects sexual behavior in the clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis. Physiol Behav 2012; 106:520-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2011] [Revised: 01/19/2012] [Accepted: 03/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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50
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Lynch KS, Diekamp B, Ball GF. Colocalization of immediate early genes in catecholamine cells after song exposure in female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2012; 79:252-60. [PMID: 22572406 DOI: 10.1159/000337533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 02/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The physiological state of animals in many taxonomic groups can be modified via social interactions including simply receiving communication signals from conspecifics. Here, we explore whether the catecholaminergic system of female songbirds responds during social interactions that are limited to song reception. We measured the protein product of an immediate early gene (ZENK) within three catecholaminergic brain regions in song-exposed (n = 11) and silence-exposed (n = 6) female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). ZENK-ir induction was quantified in catecholamine cells as well as within cells of unknown phenotypes in three brain regions that synthesize catecholamines, the ventral tegmental area, the periaqueductal gray and the locus coeruleus (LoC). Our results reveal that there are no significant differences in the overall number of cells expressing ZENK between song- and silence-exposed females. However, when we limited our measurements to catecholamine-containing cells, we noticed a greater number of catecholamine-containing cells expressing ZENK within the LoC in the song-exposed females compared to silence-exposed females. Furthermore, we measured five behaviors during the song- and silence-exposed period, as behavioral differences between these groups may account for differences in the coinduction of ZENK and TH-ir. Our results reveal that there were no statistically significant differences in the five measured behaviors between song- and silence-exposed females. Our study demonstrates that noradrenergic cells within the LoC are involved in the neural architecture underlying sound perception and that cells within the catecholaminergic system are modulated by social interactions, particularly the reception of signals used in animal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen S Lynch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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