1
|
MacLeod KJ, English S, Ruuskanen SK, Taborsky B. Stress in the social context: a behavioural and eco-evolutionary perspective. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245829. [PMID: 37529973 PMCID: PMC10445731 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
The social environment is one of the primary sources of challenging stimuli that can induce a stress response in animals. It comprises both short-term and stable interactions among conspecifics (including unrelated individuals, mates, potential mates and kin). Social stress is of unique interest in the field of stress research because (1) the social domain is arguably the most complex and fluctuating component of an animal's environment; (2) stress is socially transmissible; and (3) stress can be buffered by social partners. Thus, social interactions can be both the cause and cure of stress. Here, we review the history of social stress research, and discuss social stressors and their effects on organisms across early life and adulthood. We also consider cross-generational effects. We discuss the physiological mechanisms underpinning social stressors and stress responses, as well as the potential adaptive value of responses to social stressors. Finally, we identify outstanding challenges in social stress research, and propose a framework for addressing these in future work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sinead English
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Suvi K. Ruuskanen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Survontie 9 C, FI-40014, Finland
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, FI-20014, Finland
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Division of Behavioural Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Freiler MK, Smith GT. Neuroendocrine mechanisms contributing to the coevolution of sociality and communication. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 70:101077. [PMID: 37217079 PMCID: PMC10527162 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Communication is inherently social, so signaling systems should evolve with social systems. The 'social complexity hypothesis' posits that social complexity necessitates communicative complexity and is generally supported in vocalizing mammals. This hypothesis, however, has seldom been tested outside the acoustic modality, and comparisons across studies are confounded by varying definitions of complexity. Moreover, proximate mechanisms underlying coevolution of sociality and communication remain largely unexamined. In this review, we argue that to uncover how sociality and communication coevolve, we need to examine variation in the neuroendocrine mechanisms that coregulate social behavior and signal production and perception. Specifically, we focus on steroid hormones, monoamines, and nonapeptides, which modulate both social behavior and sensorimotor circuits and are likely targets of selection during social evolution. Lastly, we highlight weakly electric fishes as an ideal system in which to comparatively address the proximate mechanisms underlying relationships between social and signal diversity in a novel modality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan K Freiler
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.
| | - G Troy Smith
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Duckworth RA, Chenard KC, Meza L, Beiriz MC. Coping styles vary with species' sociality and life history: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105241. [PMID: 37216998 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite a long history of animal studies investigating coping styles, the causal connections between behavior and stress physiology remain unclear. Consistency across taxa in effect sizes would support the idea of a direct causal link maintained by either functional or developmental dependencies. Alternatively, lack of consistency would suggest coping styles are evolutionarily labile. Here, we investigated correlations between personality traits and baseline and stress-induced glucocorticoid levels using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Most personality traits did not consistently vary with either baseline or stress-induced glucocorticoids. Only aggression and sociability showed a consistent negative correlation with baseline glucocorticoids. We found that life history variation affected the relationship between stress-induced glucocorticoid levels and personality traits, especially anxiety and aggression. The relationship between anxiety and baseline glucocorticoids depended on species' sociality with solitary species showing more positive effect sizes. Thus, integration between behavioral and physiological traits depends on species' sociality and life history and suggests high evolutionary lability of coping styles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renée A Duckworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Kathryn C Chenard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Lexis Meza
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Maria Carolina Beiriz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE 60440-900, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Beltrão P, Marques CI, Cardoso GC, Gomes ACR. Plumage colour saturation predicts long-term, cross-seasonal social dominance in a mutually ornamented bird. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
5
|
Assis BA, Avery JD, Tylan C, Engler HI, Earley RL, Langkilde T. Honest signals and sexual conflict: Female lizards carry undesirable indicators of quality. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7647-7659. [PMID: 34188841 PMCID: PMC8216924 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in animal coloration often result from sex-dependent regulatory mechanisms. Still, some species exhibit incomplete sexual dimorphism as females carry a rudimentary version of a costly male trait, leading to intralocus sexual conflict. The underlying physiology and condition dependence of these traits can inform why such conflicts remain unresolved. In eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus), blue iridophore badges are found in males and females, but melanin pigmentation underneath and surrounding badges is male-exclusive. We track color saturation and area of badges across sexual maturity, and their relationship to individual quality (body condition and immunocompetence) and relevant hormones (testosterone and corticosterone). Saturation and testosterone were positively correlated in both sexes, but hormone and trait had little overlap between males and females. Saturation was correlated with body condition and immunocompetence in males but not in females. Co-regulation by androgens may have released females from resource allocation costs of color saturation, even when in high condition. Badge area was independent of testosterone, but associated with low corticosterone in females, indicating that a nonsex hormone underlies incomplete sexual dimorphism. Given the evidence in this species for female reproductive costs associated with ornamentation, this sex-nonspecific regulation of an honest signal may underlie intralocus sexual conflict.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Braulio A. Assis
- Department of BiologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in EcologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - Julian D. Avery
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in EcologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
- The Department of Ecosystem Science and ManagementThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - Catherine Tylan
- Department of BiologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - Heather I. Engler
- Department of BiologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - Ryan L. Earley
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlabamaTuscaloosaALUSA
| | - Tracy Langkilde
- Department of BiologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in EcologyThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Korzan WJ, Summers CH. Evolution of stress responses refine mechanisms of social rank. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100328. [PMID: 33997153 PMCID: PMC8105687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Social rank functions to facilitate coping responses to socially stressful situations and conditions. The evolution of social status appears to be inseparably connected to the evolution of stress. Stress, aggression, reward, and decision-making neurocircuitries overlap and interact to produce status-linked relationships, which are common among both male and female populations. Behavioral consequences stemming from social status and rank relationships are molded by aggressive interactions, which are inherently stressful. It seems likely that the balance of regulatory elements in pro- and anti-stress neurocircuitries results in rapid but brief stress responses that are advantageous to social dominance. These systems further produce, in coordination with reward and aggression circuitries, rapid adaptive responding during opportunities that arise to acquire food, mates, perch sites, territorial space, shelter and other resources. Rapid acquisition of resources and aggressive postures produces dominant individuals, who temporarily have distinct fitness advantages. For these reasons also, change in social status can occur rapidly. Social subordination results in slower and more chronic neural and endocrine reactions, a suite of unique defensive behaviors, and an increased propensity for anxious and depressive behavior and affect. These two behavioral phenotypes are but distinct ends of a spectrum, however, they may give us insights into the troubling mechanisms underlying the myriad of stress-related disorders to which they appear to be evolutionarily linked.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA.,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Korzan WJ, Summers TR, Summers CH. Neural and endocrine responses to social stress differ during actual and virtual aggressive interactions or physiological sign stimuli. Behav Processes 2021; 182:104294. [PMID: 33290833 PMCID: PMC7872145 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neural and endocrine responses provide quantitative measures that can be used for discriminating behavioral output analyses. Experimental design differences often make it difficult to compare results with respect to the mechanisms producing behavioral actions. We hypothesize that comparisons of distinctive behavioral paradigms or modification of social signals can aid in teasing apart the subtle differences in animal responses to social stress. Eyespots are a unique sympathetically activated sign stimulus of the lizard Anolis carolinensis that influence aggression and social dominance. Eyespot formation along with measurements of central and plasma monoamines enable comparison of paired male aggressive interactions with those provoked by a mirror image. The results suggest that experiments employing artificial application of sign stimuli in dyadic interactions amplify behavioral, neural and endocrine responses, and foreshorten behavioral interactions compared to those that develop among pairs naturally. While the use of mirrors to induce aggressive behavior produces simulated interactions that appear normal, some behavioral, neural, and endocrine responses are amplified in these experiments as well. In contrast, mirror image interactions also limit the level of certain behavioral and neuroendocrine responses. As true social communication does not occur during interaction with mirror images, rank relationships can never be established. Multiple experimental approaches, such as combining naturalistic social interactions with virtual exchanges and/or manipulation of sign stimuli, can often provide added depth to understanding the motivation, context, and mechanisms that produce specific behaviors. The addition of endocrine and neural measurements helps identify the contributions of specific behavioral elements to the social processes proceeding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tangi R Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA; Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA; Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD, 57105, USA
| | - Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA; Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA; Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD, 57105, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Neuman-Lee LA, Hudson SB, Webb AC, French SS. Investigating the relationship between corticosterone and glucose in a reptile. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:jeb.203885. [PMID: 31767736 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.203885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (CORT) has classically been used in ecophysiological studies as a proxy for stress and energy mobilization, but rarely are CORT and the energy metabolites themselves concurrently measured. To examine CORT's role in mobilizing glucose in a wild reptile, we conducted two studies. The first study measured natural baseline and stress-induced blood-borne CORT and glucose levels in snakes during spring emergence and again when snakes return to the denning sites in autumn. The second study manipulated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in male snakes in the autumn by taking a baseline blood sample, then subjecting individuals to one of five treatments (no injection, saline, CORT, adrenocorticotropin hormone and metyrapone). Subsequent samples were taken at 30 and 60 min. In both studies, we found that glucose levels do increase with acute stress, but that the relationship was not directly related to CORT elevation. In the second study, we found that none of the HPA axis manipulations directly affected blood glucose levels, further indicating that CORT may play a complex but not direct role in glucose mobilization in snakes. This study highlights the need for testing mechanisms in wild organisms by combining in situ observations with manipulative studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lorin A Neuman-Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
| | - Spencer B Hudson
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Alison C Webb
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hudson SB, Robertson MW, Wilcoxen TE. Fecal Glucocorticoid Response to Periodic Social Stress in Male Green Anoles, Anolis carolinensis. COPEIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1643/cp-19-192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Spencer B. Hudson
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322; . Send reprint requests to this address
| | - Marianne W. Robertson
- Department of Biology, Millikin University, 1184 W Main Street, Decatur, Illinois 62522; (MWR) ; and (TEW)
| | - Travis E. Wilcoxen
- Department of Biology, Millikin University, 1184 W Main Street, Decatur, Illinois 62522; (MWR) ; and (TEW)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Stepanek J, Claunch NM, Frazier JA, Moore IT, Vernasco BJ, Escallón C, Taylor EN. Corticosterone and Color Change in Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus helleri). HERPETOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1655/d-18-00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John Stepanek
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Natalie M. Claunch
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Julius A. Frazier
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Ignacio T. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Ben J. Vernasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Camilo Escallón
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Emily N. Taylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Blondel DV, Phelps SM. Effects of acute corticosterone treatment on male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster): Territorial aggression does not accompany induced social preference. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 130:400-406. [PMID: 27841456 DOI: 10.1037/com0000048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Corticosterone (CORT) is a stress-related steroid hormone found in vertebrates, and is known to interact with behavior. In the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), acute stress and specifically acute CORT administration have been shown to facilitate male social preference for a familiar female, and this effect has been described as facilitation of the monogamous pair bond. It is possible, however, that the effects of stress on social preference may initially represent a short-term coping strategy. Here we test whether the effect of acute CORT administration extends to territoriality, a defining component of the prairie vole monogamous suite of behaviors. Onset of territoriality would provide further support for an induced pair bond, whereas no increase in aggression would suggest an initial coping response. Using acute exogenous CORT injections followed by behavioral trials, we found a facilitation of social preference, but we did not find increased aggression. This result suggests that the social preference that develops in response to CORT is at least in part a coping response rather than facilitation of comprehensive monogamous pair bond behavior. Our results are consistent with previous studies both within prairie voles and across other taxa that suggest that social contact may be involved in the regulation of stress responses. (PsycINFO Database Record
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri V Blondel
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center
| | - Steven M Phelps
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Leary CJ, Crocker‐Buta S. Rapid effects of elevated stress hormones on male courtship signals suggest a major role for the acute stress response in intra‐ and intersexual selection. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
|
13
|
Claunch NM, Frazier JA, Escallón C, Vernasco BJ, Moore IT, Taylor EN. Physiological and behavioral effects of exogenous corticosterone in a free-ranging ectotherm. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 248:87-96. [PMID: 28237812 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [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: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In the face of global change, free-ranging organisms are expected to experience more unpredictable stressors. An understanding of how organisms with different life history strategies will respond to such changes is an integral part of biodiversity conservation. Corticosterone (CORT) levels are often used as metrics to assess the population health of wild vertebrates, despite the fact that the stress response and its effects on organismal function are highly variable. Our understanding of the stress response is primarily derived from studies on endotherms, leading to some contention on the effects of chronic stress across and within taxa. We assessed the behavioral and hormonal responses to experimentally elevated stress hormone levels in a free-ranging, arid-adapted ectotherm, the Southern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus helleri). Plasma CORT was significantly elevated in CORT-implanted snakes 15days after implantation. Implantation with CORT did not affect testosterone (T) levels or defensive behavior. Interestingly, we observed increased defensive behavior in snakes with more stable daily body temperatures and in snakes with higher plasma T during handling (tubing). Regardless of treatment group, those individuals with lower baseline CORT levels and higher body temperatures tended to exhibit greater increases in CORT levels following a standardized stressor. These results suggest that CORT may not mediate physiological and behavioral trait expression in arid-adapted ectotherms such as rattlesnakes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie M Claunch
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA.
| | - Julius A Frazier
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA
| | - Camilo Escallón
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Ben J Vernasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Ignacio T Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Emily N Taylor
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Dunham LA, Wilczynski W. Arginine vasotocin, steroid hormones and social behavior in the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 217:3670-6. [PMID: 25147242 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.107854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is a potent regulator of social behavior in many species, but little is known about its role in reptilian behavior. Here we examine the effect of exogenous AVT on aggressive responding and courtship behavior in the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis). Aggressive behavior was stimulated in two ways: (1) mirror presentation (no relative status formed) and (2) size-matched pairs (where a social status is achieved). To elicit courtship behavior, a novel female was introduced into the home cage of a male. Regardless of the behavior condition, male anoles were injected i.p. with either reptile Ringer solution (vehicle) or AVT prior to testing. Animals treated with AVT performed fewer aggressive display bouts during mirror presentation but AVT treatment did not affect the overall number of aggressive display bouts within size-matched pairs. Male courtship behavior was not affected by AVT; however, untreated females displayed more frequently when paired with an AVT-treated male than a vehicle-injected control, suggesting that AVT-treated males were more attractive to females. Regardless of behavior condition, AVT injections led to increases in circulating corticosterone. Overall, we found that AVT tended to reduce aggressive behavior as has been reported for other territorial species. AVT did not perceptibly alter male courtship but did increase the display behavior of untreated females paired with treated males. Our study supports a role for AVT in the regulation of reptile social behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leslie A Dunham
- Georgia State University, Neuroscience Institute, Wilczynski Laboratory - PSC 852, PO Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Walter Wilczynski
- Georgia State University, Neuroscience Institute, Wilczynski Laboratory - PSC 852, PO Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Anderson L, Cree A, Towns D, Nelson N. Modulation of corticosterone secretion in tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus): Evidence of a dampened stress response in gravid females. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 201:45-52. [PMID: 24713446 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Revised: 03/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Baseline and stress response glucocorticoid (GC) secretion can be modulated by individuals to support activities and physiological functions connected with reproduction (migration, mating, oviposition and/or parturition, care of young). Corticosterone (CORT) is the primary GC in reptiles and, in accordance with other vertebrates, an adrenocortical stress response is observed. Modulation of CORT secretion occurs in several reptile species, such that elevated baseline CORT concentration and/or a dampened CORT response are common during reproductive life-history events. We investigated CORT secretion after 24 h capture-restraint in the oviparous tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), the last living rhynchocephalian, and tested whether gravid females have a dampened CORT response compared with non-gravid females. We also included males as a comparison. We confirmed that gravid females have significantly higher baseline plasma CORT concentrations than non-gravid females, suggesting increased CORT secretion during nesting. Furthermore, we found that gravid females exhibit a dampened CORT response compared to non-gravid females and males. Our results demonstrate that female reproductive condition influences CORT secretion in tuatara, and suggest that gravid females modulate CORT secretion during nesting to maintain homeostasis, effectively increasing chances of reproductive success and promoting overall fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Anderson
- Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
| | - Alison Cree
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
| | - David Towns
- Ecosystem Development Team, Science and Technical Group, Department of Conservation, Private Bag 68-908 Newton, Auckland 1145, New Zealand.
| | - Nicola Nelson
- Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Creel S, Dantzer B, Goymann W, Rubenstein DR. The ecology of stress: effects of the social environment. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.02029.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 326] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott Creel
- Conservation Biology & Ecology Program; Department of Ecology; Montana State University; Bozeman; Montana; 59717; USA
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Zoology; Michigan State University; East Lansing; Michigan; 48824; USA
| | - Wolfgang Goymann
- Abteilung Verhaltensneurobiologie; Max-Planck-Institut für Ornithologie; Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße; Haus 6a; D-82319; Seewiesen; Germany
| | - Dustin R. Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology; Columbia University; 10th Floor Schermerhorn Extension; MC 5557; 1200 Amsterdam Avenue; New York; New York; 10027; USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Assessment Strategies and the Effects of Fighting Experience on Future Contest Performance in the Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis). Ethology 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2012.02072.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
18
|
Cooper MA, Huhman KL. Blocking corticotropin-releasing factor-2 receptors, but not corticotropin-releasing factor-1 receptors or glucocorticoid feedback, disrupts the development of conditioned defeat. Physiol Behav 2010; 101:527-32. [PMID: 20705077 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2010] [Revised: 07/15/2010] [Accepted: 08/02/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Several neuroendocrine signals of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are released following exposure to stressful events. It has long been proposed that the signals in this cascade each act to modify ongoing and future behavior. In this study we investigated whether blocking glucocorticoid synthesis, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-1 receptors, or CRF-2 receptors during social defeat would alter subsequent behavioral responses. We used a conditioned defeat model in Syrian hamsters in which social defeat results in a dramatic shift from territorial aggression to increased submissive and defensive behavior in future social encounters. We found that intracerebroventricular administration of anti-sauvagine-30, a CRF-2 receptor antagonist, prior to social defeat training reduced the acquisition of conditioned defeat. In contrast, the acquisition of conditioned defeat was not altered by the CRF-1 receptor antagonist CP-154,526 or the glucocorticoid synthesis inhibitor metyrapone. Our results suggest that CRF, and perhaps related neuropeptides such as urocortins, act at CRF-2 receptors to promote the development of defeat-induced changes in social behavior, whereas signaling at CRF-1 and glucocorticoid receptors plays a negligible role in this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Cooper
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Landys MM, Goymann W, Schwabl I, Trapschuh M, Slagsvold T. Impact of season and social challenge on testosterone and corticosterone levels in a year-round territorial bird. Horm Behav 2010; 58:317-25. [PMID: 20211184 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2009] [Revised: 02/05/2010] [Accepted: 02/26/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Plasma testosterone increases during breeding in many male vertebrates and has long been implicated in the promotion of aggressive behaviors relating to territory and mate defense. Males of some species also defend territories outside of the breeding period. For example, the European nuthatch (Sitta europaea) defends an all-purpose territory throughout the year. To contribute to the growing literature regarding the hormonal correlates of non-breeding territoriality, we investigated the seasonal testosterone and corticosterone profile of male (and female) nuthatches and determined how observed hormone patterns relate to expression of territorial aggression. Given that non-breeding territoriality in the nuthatch relates to the reproductive context (i.e., defense of a future breeding site), we predicted that males would exhibit surges in plasma testosterone throughout the year. However, we found that males showed elevated testosterone levels only during breeding. Thus, testosterone of gonadal origin does not appear to be involved in the expression of non-breeding territoriality. Interestingly, territorial behaviors of male nuthatches were stronger in spring than in autumn, suggesting that in year-round territorial species, breeding-related testosterone elevations may upregulate male-male aggression above non-breeding levels. In females, plasma testosterone was largely undetectable. We also examined effects of simulated territorial intrusions (STIs) on testosterone and corticosterone levels of breeding males. We found that STIs did not elicit a testosterone response, but caused a dramatic increase in plasma corticosterone. These data support the hypothesis that corticosterone rather than testosterone may play a role in the support of behavior and/or physiology during acute territorial encounters in single-brooded species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meta M Landys
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Thaker M, Vanak AT, Lima SL, Hews DK. Stress and Aversive Learning in a Wild Vertebrate: The Role of Corticosterone in Mediating Escape from a Novel Stressor. Am Nat 2010; 175:50-60. [PMID: 19922261 DOI: 10.1086/648558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Thaker
- Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana 47809, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ling TJ, Forster GL, Watt MJ, Korzan WJ, Renner KJ, Summers CH. Social status differentiates rapid neuroendocrine responses to restraint stress. Physiol Behav 2009; 96:218-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2007] [Revised: 10/01/2008] [Accepted: 10/02/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
22
|
Korzan WJ, Summers CH. Behavioral diversity and neurochemical plasticity: selection of stress coping strategies that define social status. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2007; 70:257-66. [PMID: 17914257 DOI: 10.1159/000105489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Social interactions include a variety of stimulating but challenging factors that are the basis for strategies that allow individuals to cope with novel or familiar stressful situations. Evolutionarily conserved strategies have been identified that reflect specific behavioral and physiological identities. In this review we discuss a unique model for social stress in the lizard Anolis carolinensis, which has characteristics amenable to an investigation of individual differences in behavioral responses via central and sympathetic neurochemical adaptation. Profiles of proactive and reactive phenotypes of male A. carolinensis are relatively stable, yet retain limited flexibility that allows for the development of the social system over time. For male A. carolinensis, the celerity of social signal expression and response translate into future social standing. In addition, proactive aggressive, courtship, and feeding behaviors also predict social rank, but are not as important as prior interactions and memories of previous opponents to modify behavioral output and affect social status. The central neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, and the endocrine stress axis (HPA) appear to be the fundamental link to adaptive stress coping strategies during social interactions. Only small adaptations to these neural and endocrine systems are necessary to produce the variability measured in behavioral responses to stressful social interactions. These neuroendocrine factors are also manifest in responses to other stimuli and form the basis of heritable strategies for coping with stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wayne J Korzan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Neuroscience Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Summers CH, Winberg S. Interactions between the neural regulation of stress and aggression. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 209:4581-9. [PMID: 17114393 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.02565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Socially aggressive interaction is stressful. What is more, social aggression is stressful for both dominant and subordinate animals. Much of the neurocircuitry for stress and aggression overlap. The pattern of neurochemical and hormonal events stimulated by social interaction make it clear that subtle differences in this pattern of response distinguish social rank. The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) responds rapidly to stress, and also appears to play the most important role for inhibitory regulation of aggressive interactions. In addition, the adrenocortical/interrenal steroid hormones corticosterone and cortisol are responsive to stress and influence aggression. However, while 5-HT and glucocorticoids can both be inhibitory to aggression, the relationship between 5-HT and glucocorticoids is not straightforward, and much of the distinctions in function depend upon timing. Neither is inhibitory during the early stressful phase of aggression. This transmitter-hormone combination follows and influences a four-stage functional pattern of effect: (1) predisposed (positively or negatively) toward aggression, (2) motivated toward behavior, (3) responsive to stress (including aggression) and passively allowing aggression, and finally (4) chronically applied 5-HT and glucocorticoids inhibit aggression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Yang EJ, Wilczynski W. Social experience organizes parallel networks in sensory and limbic forebrain. Dev Neurobiol 2007; 67:285-303. [PMID: 17443788 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Successful social behavior can directly influence an individual's reproductive success. Therefore, many organisms readily modify social behavior based on past experience. The neural changes induced by social experience, however, remain to be fully elucidated. We hypothesize that social modulation of neural systems not only occurs at the level of individual nuclei, but also of functional networks, and their relationships with behavior. We used the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis), which displays stereotyped, visually triggered social behaviors particularly suitable for comparisons of multiple functional networks in a social context, to test whether repeated aggressive interactions modify behavior and metabolic activity in limbic-hypothalamic and sensory forebrain regions, assessed by quantitative cytochrome oxidase (a slowly accumulating endogenous metabolic marker) histochemistry. We found that aggressive interactions potentiate aggressive behavior, induce changes in activities of individual nuclei, and organize context-specific functional neural networks. Surprisingly, this experiential effect is not only present in a limbic-hypothalamic network, but also extends to a sensory forebrain network directly relevant to the behavioral expression. Our results suggest that social experience modulates organisms' social behavior via modifying sensory and limbic neural systems in parallel both at the levels of individual regions and networks, potentially biasing perceptual as well as limbic processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Jin Yang
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Summers CH, Watt MJ, Ling TL, Forster GL, Carpenter RE, Korzan WJ, Lukkes JL, Overli O. Glucocorticoid interaction with aggression in non-mammalian vertebrates: reciprocal action. Eur J Pharmacol 2005; 526:21-35. [PMID: 16298361 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2005.09.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Socially aggressive interaction is stressful, and as such, glucocorticoids are typically secreted during aggressive interaction in a variety of vertebrates, which may both potentiate and inhibit aggression. The behavioral relationship between corticosterone and/or cortisol in non-mammalian (as well as mammalian) vertebrates is dependent on timing, magnitude, context, and coordination of physiological and behavioral responses. Chronically elevated plasma glucocorticoids reliably inhibit aggressive behavior, consistent with an evolutionarily adaptive behavioral strategy among subordinate and submissive individuals. Acute elevation of plasma glucocorticoids may either promote an actively aggressive response via action in specialized local regions of the brain such as the anterior hypothalamus, or is permissive to escalated aggression and/or activity. Although the permissive effect of glucocorticoids on aggression does not suggest an active role for the hormone, the corticosteroids may be necessary for full expression of aggressive behavior, as in the lizard Anolis carolinensis. These effects suggest that short-term stress may generally be best counteracted by an actively aggressive response, at least for socially dominant proactive individuals. An acute and active response may be evolutionarily maladaptive under chronic, uncontrollable and unpredictable circumstances. It appears that subordinate reactive individuals often produce compulsorily chronic responses that inhibit aggression and promote submissive behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, 57069-2390, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Wade J. Current research on the behavioral neuroendocrinology of reptiles. Horm Behav 2005; 48:451-60. [PMID: 16239163 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2005] [Revised: 02/21/2005] [Accepted: 02/24/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Selected reptilian species have been the targets of investigations in behavioral neuroendocrinology for many years. Reptiles offer a particularly powerful set of traits that facilitate comparisons at multiple levels, including those within and between individuals of a particular species, between different environmental and social contexts, as well as across species. These types of studies, particularly as they are considered within the framework of results from other vertebrates, will enhance our understanding of the genetic and hormonal influences regulating changes in the structure and function of the nervous system. Work on the hormonal and environmental factors influencing courtship and copulatory behaviors in green anoles, including the development and maintenance of the neuromuscular structures critical for their display, is highlighted. Some very recent work on other model systems is also discussed to provide a context for suggested future research directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juli Wade
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, 108 Giltner Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1101, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Dugatkin LA, Earley RL. Individual recognition, dominance hierarchies and winner and loser effects. Proc Biol Sci 2004; 271:1537-40. [PMID: 15306327 PMCID: PMC1691746 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2004.2777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Winner and loser effects are defined as an increased probability of winning an aggressive interaction at time T, based on victories at time T-1, T-2, etc., and an increased probability of losing at time T, based on losses at time T-1, T-2, etc., respectively. Prior theoretical work on dominance hierarchy formation has demonstrated that when players are not capable of individual recognition, loser effects always produce a clear top-ranked (alpha) individual, but all other ranks in a group remain unclear; whereas winner effects always produce strict linear hierarchies in which the rank of each individual is clear. Paradoxically, however, when individual recognition--a phenomenon long thought to stabilize hierarchies--is possible, winner and loser effects have no impact on the probability of forming strict linear hierarchies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee Alan Dugatkin
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40208, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Plavicki J, Yang EJ, Wilczynski W. Dominance status predicts response to nonsocial forced movement stress in the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis). Physiol Behav 2004; 80:547-55. [PMID: 14741240 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2003.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We used changes in body color and eyespot formation, two somatic indices of stress controlled mainly by catecholamine activity, to compare the reactions of dominant and subordinate male green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis) to a nonsocial stressor, forced movement. Individual males were pretested by subjecting them to 10 min of forced movement induced by chasing them around their home cage with a slender wooden stick. Stress responses were assayed via changes in body color (progressive darkening from green to brown indicating increasing stress) and expression of a black postorbital eyespot (which appears with increasing catecholaminergic stress responses). Lizards were paired and allowed to form stable dominant/subordinate relationships for 2 weeks. After that period of stable social status, dominants and subordinates were separated and subjected to the same forced-movement stress. There was no difference between experimental groups in the pretest. After assuming positions in the dominance hierarchy, however, dominant males showed reduced somatic indicators of stress and were quicker to recover from the stress. The data suggest that animals that assumed the dominant position decreased their stress response relative to the pretest, while animals that assumed the subordinate position increased their stress response relative to the pretest. The results indicate that dominant social status may have advantages beyond the realm of social interactions by enhancing an individual's ability to tolerate other, nonsocial stressful events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Plavicki
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, 1 University Station A8000, Austin, TX 78712-0187, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|