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Lloyd E, Rastogi A, Holtz N, Aaronson B, Craig Albertson R, Keene AC. Ontogeny and social context regulate the circadian activity patterns of Lake Malawi cichlids. J Comp Physiol B 2024; 194:299-313. [PMID: 37910192 PMCID: PMC11233325 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-023-01523-3] [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: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Activity patterns tend to be highly stereotyped and critical for executing many different behaviors including foraging, social interactions, and predator avoidance. Differences in the circadian timing of locomotor activity and rest periods can facilitate habitat partitioning and the exploitation of novel niches. As a consequence, closely related species often display highly divergent activity patterns, suggesting that shifts from diurnal to nocturnal behavior, or vice versa, are critical for survival. In Africa's Lake Malawi alone, there are over 500 species of cichlids, which inhabit diverse environments and exhibit extensive phenotypic variation. We have previously identified a substantial range in activity patterns across adult Lake Malawi cichlid species, from strongly diurnal to strongly nocturnal. In many species, including fishes, ecological pressures differ dramatically across life-history stages, raising the possibility that activity patterns may change over ontogeny. To determine if rest-activity patterns change across life stages, we compared the locomotor patterns of six Lake Malawi cichlid species. While total rest and activity did not change between early juvenile and adult stages, rest-activity patterns did, with juveniles displaying distinct activity rhythms that are more robust than adults. One distinct difference between juveniles and adults is the emergence of complex social behavior. To determine whether social context is required for activity rhythms, we next measured locomotor behavior in group-housed adult fish. We found that when normal social interactions were allowed, locomotor activity patterns were restored, supporting the notion that social interactions promote circadian regulation of activity in adult fish. These findings reveal a previously unidentified link between developmental stage and social interactions in the circadian timing of cichlid activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Lloyd
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
| | - Aakriti Rastogi
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
| | - Niah Holtz
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Ben Aaronson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - R Craig Albertson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Alex C Keene
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA.
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2
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Harmon IP, McCabe EA, Vergun MR, Weinstein J, Graves HL, Boldt CM, Bradley DD, Lee J, Maurice JM, Solomon-Lane TK. Multiple behavioral mechanisms shape development in a highly social cichlid fish. Physiol Behav 2024; 278:114520. [PMID: 38492910 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Early-life social experiences shape adult phenotype, yet the underlying behavioral mechanisms remain poorly understood. We manipulated early-life social experience in the highly social African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni to investigate the effects on behavior and stress axis function in juveniles. Juveniles experienced different numbers of social partners in stable pairs (1 partner), stable groups (6 fish; 5 partners), and socialized pairs (a novel fish was exchanged every 5 days; 5 partners). Treatments also differed in group size (groups vs. pairs) and stability (stable vs. socialized). We then measured individual behavior and water-borne cortisol to identify effects of early-life experience. We found treatment differences in behavior across all assays: open field exploration, social cue investigation, dominant behavior, and subordinate behavior. Treatment did not affect cortisol. Principal components (PC) analysis revealed robust co-variation of behavior across contexts, including with cortisol, to form behavioral syndromes sensitive to early-life social experience. PC1 (25.1 %) differed by social partner number: juveniles with more partners (groups and socialized pairs) were more exploratory during the social cue investigation, spent less time in the territory, and were more interactive as dominants. PC5 (8.5 %) differed by stability: socialized pairs were more dominant, spent less time in and around the territory, were more socially investigative, and had lower cortisol than stable groups or pairs. Observations of the home tanks provided insights into the social experiences that may underlie these effects. These results contribute to our understanding of how early-life social experiences are accrued and exert strong, lasting effects on phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - June Lee
- Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, USA
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3
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Ryvkin J, Omesi L, Kim YK, Levi M, Pozeilov H, Barak-Buchris L, Agranovich B, Abramovich I, Gottlieb E, Jacob A, Nässel DR, Heberlein U, Shohat-Ophir G. Failure to mate enhances investment in behaviors that may promote mating reward and impairs the ability to cope with stressors via a subpopulation of Neuropeptide F receptor neurons. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011054. [PMID: 38236837 PMCID: PMC10795991 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Living in dynamic environments such as the social domain, where interaction with others determines the reproductive success of individuals, requires the ability to recognize opportunities to obtain natural rewards and cope with challenges that are associated with achieving them. As such, actions that promote survival and reproduction are reinforced by the brain reward system, whereas coping with the challenges associated with obtaining these rewards is mediated by stress-response pathways, the activation of which can impair health and shorten lifespan. While much research has been devoted to understanding mechanisms underlying the way by which natural rewards are processed by the reward system, less attention has been given to the consequences of failure to obtain a desirable reward. As a model system to study the impact of failure to obtain a natural reward, we used the well-established courtship suppression paradigm in Drosophila melanogaster as means to induce repeated failures to obtain sexual reward in male flies. We discovered that beyond the known reduction in courtship actions caused by interaction with non-receptive females, repeated failures to mate induce a stress response characterized by persistent motivation to obtain the sexual reward, reduced male-male social interaction, and enhanced aggression. This frustrative-like state caused by the conflict between high motivation to obtain sexual reward and the inability to fulfill their mating drive impairs the capacity of rejected males to tolerate stressors such as starvation and oxidative stress. We further show that sensitivity to starvation and enhanced social arousal is mediated by the disinhibition of a small population of neurons that express receptors for the fly homologue of neuropeptide Y. Our findings demonstrate for the first time the existence of social stress in flies and offers a framework to study mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between reward, stress, and reproduction in a simple nervous system that is highly amenable to genetic manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Ryvkin
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and the Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Liora Omesi
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and the Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yong-Kyu Kim
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Mali Levi
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and the Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Hadar Pozeilov
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and the Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Lital Barak-Buchris
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and the Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Bella Agranovich
- Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ifat Abramovich
- Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Eyal Gottlieb
- Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Avi Jacob
- The Kanbar scientific equipment center. The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Dick R. Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ulrike Heberlein
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Galit Shohat-Ophir
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and the Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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4
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Wallace KJ, Dupeyron S, Li M, Kelly AM. Early life social complexity shapes adult neural processing in the communal spiny mouse Acomys cahirinus. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023:10.1007/s00213-023-06513-5. [PMID: 38055059 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06513-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Early life social rearing has profound consequences on offspring behavior and resilience. Yet, most studies examining early life development in rodents use species whose young are born immobile and do not produce complex social behavior until later in development. Furthermore, models of rearing under increased social complexity, rather than deprivation, are needed to provide alternative insight into the development of social neural circuitry. OBJECTIVES To understand precocial offspring social development, we manipulated early life social complexity in the communal spiny mouse Acomys cahirinus and assessed long-term consequences on offspring social behavior, exploration, and neural responses to novel social stimuli. METHODS Spiny mouse pups were raised in the presence or absence of a non-kin breeding group. Upon adulthood, subjects underwent social interaction tests, an open field test, and a novel object test. Subjects were then exposed to a novel conspecific and novel group and neural responses were quantified via immunohistochemical staining in brain regions associated with social behavior. RESULTS Early life social experience did not influence behavior in the test battery, but it did influence social processing. In animals exposed to non-kin during development, adult lateral septal neural responses toward a novel conspecific were weaker and hypothalamic neural responses toward a mixed-sex group were stronger. CONCLUSIONS Communal species may exhibit robust behavioral resilience to the early life social environment. But the early life environment can affect how novel social information is processed in the brain during adulthood, with long-term consequences that are likely to shape their behavioral trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mutian Li
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | - Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
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5
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Reyes-Contreras M, de Vries B, van der Molen JC, Groothuis TGG, Taborsky B. Egg-mediated maternal effects in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9759. [PMID: 37328515 PMCID: PMC10276030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35550-5] [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: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mothers can influence offspring phenotype through egg-mediated maternal effects, which can be influenced by cues mothers obtain from their environment during offspring production. Developing embryos use these components but have mechanisms to alter maternal signals. Here we aimed to understand the role of mothers and embryos in how maternal effects might shape offspring social phenotype. In the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher different social phenotypes develop in large and small social groups differing in predation risk and social complexity. We manipulated the maternal social environment of N. pulcher females during egg laying by allocating them either to a small or a large social group. We compared egg mass and clutch size and the concentration of corticosteroid metabolites between social environments, and between fertilized and unfertilized eggs to investigate how embryos deal with maternal signalling. Mothers in small groups produced larger clutches but neither laid smaller eggs nor bestowed eggs differently with corticosteroids. Fertilized eggs scored lower on a principal component representing three corticosteroid metabolites, namely 11-deoxycortisol, cortisone, and 11-deoxycorticosterone. We did not detect egg-mediated maternal effects induced by the maternal social environment. We discuss that divergent social phenotypes induced by different group sizes may be triggered by own offspring experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Reyes-Contreras
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50A, 3032, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Bonnie de Vries
- The Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Science, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - J C van der Molen
- Laboratorium Bijzondere Chemie, Cluster Endocrinologie and Metabole Ziekten, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - T G G Groothuis
- The Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Science, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50A, 3032, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
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6
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Solomon-Lane TK, Butler RM, Hofmann HA. Vasopressin mediates nonapeptide and glucocorticoid signaling and social dynamics in juvenile dominance hierarchies of a highly social cichlid fish. Horm Behav 2022; 145:105238. [PMID: 35932752 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105238] [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: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Early-life social experience can strongly affect adult behavior, yet the behavioral mechanisms underlying developmental trajectories are poorly understood. Here, we use the highly social cichlid, Burton's Mouthbrooder (Astatotilapia burtoni) to investigate juvenile social status and behavior, as well as the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms. We placed juveniles in pairs or triads and found that they readily establish social status hierarchies, with some group structural variation depending on group size, as well as the relative body size of the group members. Next, we used intracerebroventricular injections to test the hypothesis that arginine vasopressin (AVP) regulates juvenile social behavior and status, similar to adult A. burtoni. While we found no direct behavioral effects of experimentally increasing (via vasotocin) or decreasing (via antagonist Manning Compound) AVP signaling, social interactions directed at the treated individual were significantly altered. This group-level effect of central AVP manipulation was also reflected in a significant shift in whole brain expression of genes involved in nonapeptide signaling (AVP, oxytocin, and oxytocin receptor) and the neuroendocrine stress axis (corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), glucocorticoid receptors (GR) 1a and 1b). Further, social status was associated with the expression of genes involved in glucocorticoid signaling (GR1a, GR1b, GR2, mineralocorticoid receptor), social interactions with the dominant fish, and nonapeptide signaling activity (AVP, AVP receptor V1aR2, OTR). Together, our results considerably expand our understanding of the context-specific emergence of social dominance hierarchies in juveniles and demonstrate a role for nonapeptide and stress axis signaling in the regulation of social status and social group dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa K Solomon-Lane
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
| | - Rebecca M Butler
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America; Institute for Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
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7
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Guo H, Näslund J, Thomassen ST, Larsen MH. Social isolation affects intra-specific interaction behaviour and reduces the size of the cerebellar brain region in juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 101:711-721. [PMID: 35751413 PMCID: PMC9540882 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The social environment can affect the development of behavioural phenotypes in fish, and it is important to understand such effects when rearing fish in artificial environments. Here, the authors test the effects of spatial isolation on social interaction propensity and brain development in hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. Salmon reared in isolation generally stayed further away from a conspecific in a standardized intruder test than conspecifics reared together in groups. Isolated salmon also tended to be more active in an intruder test, albeit non-significantly so, but this pattern was not detected in open-field tests without an intruding conspecific. The cerebellar brain region was relatively smaller in isolated salmon, suggesting that the brain was developing differently in these fish. Therefore, some features of the behavioural and neural phenotype are affected by rearing in isolation. These effects should be considered when rearing salmon, particularly for experimental purposes as it may affect results of laboratory studies on behavioural expression and brain size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyu Guo
- Fisheries CollegeZhejiang Ocean UniversityZhoushanChina
| | - Joacim Näslund
- Department of Aquatic ResourcesInstitute of Freshwater Research, Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesDrottningholmSweden
| | | | - Martin H. Larsen
- Danish Centre for Wild SalmonRandersDenmark
- National Institute of Aquatic ResourcesSection for Freshwater Fisheries Ecology, Technical University of DenmarkSilkeborgDenmark
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8
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Maruska KP, Anselmo CM, King T, Mobley RB, Ray EJ, Wayne R. Endocrine and neuroendocrine regulation of social status in cichlid fishes. Horm Behav 2022; 139:105110. [PMID: 35065406 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Position in a dominance hierarchy profoundly impacts group members' survival, health, and reproductive success. Thus, understanding the mechanisms that regulate or are associated with an individuals' social position is important. Across taxa, various endocrine and neuroendocrine signaling systems are implicated in the control of social rank. Cichlid fishes, with their often-limited resources of food, shelter, and mates that leads to competition, have provided important insights on the proximate and ultimate mechanisms related to establishment and maintenance of dominance hierarchies. Here we review the existing information on the relationships between endocrine (e.g., circulating hormones, gonadal and other tissue measures) and neuroendocrine (e.g., central neuropeptides, biogenic amines, steroids) systems and dominant and subordinate social rank in male cichlids. Much of the current literature is focused on only a few representative cichlids, particularly the African Astatotilapia burtoni, and several other African and Neotropical species. Many hormonal regulators show distinct differences at multiple biological levels between dominant and subordinate males, but generalizations are complicated by variations in experimental paradigms, methodological approaches, and in the reproductive and parental care strategies of the study species. Future studies that capitalize on the diversity of hierarchical structures among cichlids should provide insights towards better understanding the endocrine and neuroendocrine mechanisms contributing to social rank. Further, examination of this topic in cichlids will help reveal the selective pressures driving the evolution of endocrine-related phenotypic traits that may facilitate an individual's ability to acquire and maintain a specific social rank to improve survival and reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen P Maruska
- Department of Biological Sciences, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America.
| | - Chase M Anselmo
- Department of Biological Sciences, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
| | - Teisha King
- Department of Biological Sciences, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
| | - Robert B Mobley
- Department of Biological Sciences, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
| | - Emily J Ray
- Department of Biological Sciences, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
| | - Rose Wayne
- Department of Biological Sciences, 202 Life Sciences Bldg., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, United States of America
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9
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Wallace KJ, Choudhary KD, Kutty LA, Le DH, Lee MT, Wu K, Hofmann HA. Social ascent changes cognition, behaviour and physiology in a highly social cichlid fish. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200448. [PMID: 35000445 PMCID: PMC8743896 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
When an individual ascends in dominance status within their social community, they often undergo a suite of behavioural, physiological and neuromolecular changes. While these changes have been extensively characterized across a number of species, we know much less about the degree to which these changes in turn influence cognitive processes like associative learning, memory and spatial navigation. Here, we assessed male Astatotilapia burtoni, an African cichlid fish known for its dynamic social dominance hierarchies, in a set of cognitive tasks both before and after a community perturbation in which some individuals ascended in dominance status. We assayed steroid hormone (cortisol, testosterone) levels before and after the community experienced a social perturbation. We found that ascending males changed their physiology and novel object recognition preference during the perturbation, and they subsequently differed in social competence from non-ascenders. Additionally, using a principal component analysis we were able to identify specific cognitive and physiological attributes that appear to predispose certain individuals to ascend in social status once a perturbation occurs. These previously undiscovered relationships between social ascent and cognition further emphasize the broad influence of social dominance on animal decision-making. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J. Wallace
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kavyaa D. Choudhary
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Layla A. Kutty
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Don H. Le
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Matthew T. Lee
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Karleen Wu
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Hans A. Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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10
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Alward BA, Cathers PH, Blakkan DM, Hoadley AP, Fernald RD. A behavioral logic underlying aggression in an African cichlid fish. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Beau A. Alward
- Department of Psychology University of Houston Houston TX USA
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston TX USA
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford CA USA
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11
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The Development of Anxiety and Exploration in Two Species of the African Striped Mouse Rhabdomys. Behav Genet 2021; 51:414-424. [PMID: 33768361 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-021-10054-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Genes and the environment interact to produce complex, environmentally relevant behaviors. We tested whether the behavior of two sister species of striped mice originating from different habitats (semi-arid Rhabdomys pumilio and grassland R. bechuanae) are modulated by the early social rearing environment. We cross-fostered pups between the species, and at adulthood tested their exploratory behavior and anxiety in open field and novel object tests, and a plus maze. We expected that the early social rearing environment would alter the phenotype of both species. Regardless of treatment, R. bechuanae were more exploratory and slightly less anxious than R. pumilio. However, fostered individuals of both species showed no changes in exploratory and anxiety responses. Thus there may be a genetic influence on behavioral development, or the early rearing environments of R. pumilio and R. bechuanae are not sufficiently different to alter behavior.
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12
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Effects of aversive conditioning on expression of physiological stress in honey bees (Apis mellifera). Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 178:107363. [PMID: 33333317 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Stress is defined as any deviation from an organism's baseline physiological levels. Therefore, introduction of new stimuli and information, such as in learning, can be defined as a stressor. A large body of research exists examining the role that stress plays in learning, but virtually none addresses whether or not learning itself is a measurable cause of stress. The current study used a wide variety of learning centric stress responses. Researchers examined changes in expression of ten stress and learning related genes in various physiological systems in domesticated honey bees (Apis mellifera) as a result of exposure to an aversive conditioning task. Gene expression was examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction following the learning task. Results indicate that learning affects expression of some stress related genes.
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13
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Brass KE, Herndon N, Gardner SA, Grindstaff JL, Campbell P. Intergenerational effects of paternal predator cue exposure on behavior, stress reactivity, and neural gene expression. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104806. [PMID: 32534838 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Predation threat impacts prey behavior, physiology, and fitness. Stress-mediated alterations to the paternal epigenome can be transmitted to offspring via the germline, conferring a potential advantage to offspring in predator-rich environments. While intergenerational epigenetic transmission of paternal experience has been demonstrated in mammals, how paternal predator exposure might alter offspring phenotypes across development is unstudied. We exposed male mice to a predator odor (2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline, TMT) or a neutral odor (banana extract) prior to mating and measured offspring behavioral phenotypes throughout development, together with adult stress reactivity and candidate gene expression in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus. We predicted that offspring of TMT-exposed males would be less active, would display elevated anxiety-like behaviors, and would have a more efficient stress response relative to controls, phenotypes that should enhance predator avoidance in a high predation risk environment. Unexpectedly, we found that offspring of TMT-exposed males are more active, exhibit less anxiety-like behavior, and have decreased baseline plasma corticosterone relative to controls. Effects of paternal treatment on neural gene expression were limited to the prefrontal cortex, with increased mineralocorticoid receptor expression and a trend towards increased Bdnf expression in offspring of TMT-exposed males. These results suggest that fathers exposed to predation threat produce offspring that are buffered against non-acute stressors and, potentially, better adapted to a predator-dense environment because they avoid trade-offs between predator avoidance and foraging and reproduction. This study provides evidence that ecologically relevant paternal experience can be transmitted through the germline, and can impact offspring phenotypes throughout development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey E Brass
- Oklahoma State University, Department of Integrative Biology, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Nathan Herndon
- Oklahoma State University, Department of Integrative Biology, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Sarah A Gardner
- Oklahoma State University, Department of Integrative Biology, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA; University of California Riverside, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jennifer L Grindstaff
- Oklahoma State University, Department of Integrative Biology, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Polly Campbell
- Oklahoma State University, Department of Integrative Biology, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA; University of California Riverside, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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Golla A, Østby H, Kermen F. Chronic unpredictable stress induces anxiety-like behaviors in young zebrafish. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10339. [PMID: 32587370 PMCID: PMC7316714 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67182-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress during early life affects subsequent behaviors and increases the vulnerability to adult pathologies, a phenomenon that has been well documented in humans and rodents. In this study, we introduce a chronic unpredictable stress protocol adapted to young zebrafish, which is an increasingly popular vertebrate model in neuroscience research. We exposed zebrafish to a series of intermittent and unpredictable mild stressors from day 10 to 17 post-fertilization. The stressed fish showed a reduced exploration of a novel environment one day post-stress and an increased responsiveness to dark-light transition two days post-stress, indicative of heightened anxiety-related behaviors. The stress-induced decrease in exploration lasted for at least three days and returned to control levels within one week. Moreover, stressed fish were on average 8% smaller than their control siblings two days post-stress and returned to control levels within one week. All together, our results demonstrate that young zebrafish exposed to chronic unpredictable stress develop growth and behavioral alterations akin to those observed in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Golla
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Henrik Østby
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Florence Kermen
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway.
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7030, Trondheim, Norway.
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15
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A new method for vibration-based neurophenotyping of zebrafish. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 333:108563. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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