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Forero SA, Ophir AG. Multi-Level Effects Driving Cognitive and Behavioral Variability among Prairie Voles: Insights into Reproductive Decision-Making from Biological Levels of Organization. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2022; 97:225-240. [PMID: 35051922 PMCID: PMC9256755 DOI: 10.1159/000522109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral phenotypes play an active role in maximizing fitness and shaping the evolutionary trajectory of species by offsetting the ecological and social environmental factors individuals experience. How these phenotypes evolve and how they are expressed is still a major question in ethology today. In recent years, an increased focus on the mechanisms that regulate the interactions between an individual and its environment has offered novel insights into the expression of alternative phenotypes. In this review, we explore the proximate mechanisms driving the expression of alternative reproductive phenotypes in the male prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) as one example of how the interaction of an individual's social context and internal milieu has the potential to alter behavior, cognition, and reproductive decision-making. Ultimately, integrating the physiological and psychological mechanisms of behavior advances understanding into how variation in behavior arises. We take a "levels of biological organization" approach, with prime focus placed on the level of the organism to discuss how cognitive processes emerge as traits, and how they can be studied as important mechanisms driving the expression of behavior.
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2
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Madrid JE, Parker KJ, Ophir AG. Variation, plasticity, and alternative mating tactics: Revisiting what we know about the socially monogamous prairie vole. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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3
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Berrio A, Guerrero RF, Aglyamova GV, Okhovat M, Matz MV, Phelps SM. Complex selection on a regulator of social cognition: Evidence of balancing selection, regulatory interactions and population differentiation in the prairie vole
Avpr1a
locus. Mol Ecol 2017; 27:419-431. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Berrio
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Texas at Austin Austin TX USA
- Department of Biology Duke University Durham NC USA
| | | | - Galina V. Aglyamova
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Texas at Austin Austin TX USA
| | - Mariam Okhovat
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Texas at Austin Austin TX USA
| | - Mikhail V. Matz
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Texas at Austin Austin TX USA
| | - Steven M. Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Texas at Austin Austin TX USA
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Phelps SM, Okhovat M, Berrio A. Individual Differences in Social Behavior and Cortical Vasopressin Receptor: Genetics, Epigenetics, and Evolution. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:537. [PMID: 29085274 PMCID: PMC5649215 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behavior is among the most complex and variable of traits. Despite its diversity, we know little about how genetic and developmental factors interact to shape natural variation in social behavior. This review surveys recent work on individual differences in the expression of the vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR), a major regulator of social behavior, in the neocortex of the socially monogamous prairie vole. V1aR exhibits profound variation in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), a region critical to spatial and contextual memory. RSC-V1aR abundance is associated with patterns of male space-use and sexual fidelity in the field: males with high RSC-V1aR show high spatial and sexual fidelity to partners, while low RSC-V1aR males are significantly more likely to mate outside the pair-bond. Individual differences in RSC-V1aR are predicted by a set of linked single nucleotide polymorphisms within the avpr1a locus. These alternative alleles have been actively maintained by selection, suggesting that the brain differences represent a balanced polymorphism. Lastly, the alleles occur within regulatory sequences, and result in differential sensitivity to environmental perturbation. Together the data provide insight into how genetic, epigenetic and evolutionary forces interact to shape the social brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Mariam Okhovat
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.,Department of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Alejandro Berrio
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.,Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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Lewis R, Wilkins B, Benjamin B, Curtis JT. Cardiovascular control is associated with pair-bond success in male prairie voles. Auton Neurosci 2017; 208:93-102. [PMID: 29108934 DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Social support structures reduce mortality and morbidity in humans, but the mechanisms underlying these reductions are not fully understood. The prevailing hypothesis is that social support buffers stress and reduces allostatic load, thereby increasing longevity. However, the possibility that affiliative social interactions confer health benefits independent of stress buffering is understudied. We examined autonomic function in prairie voles - arguably the premier species for modeling human social affiliation - to assess the possibility that the formation of strong social bonds alters autonomic function and contributes to health benefits. We examined cardiovascular measures in male prairie voles before and after two weeks of cohabitation with a female, during a partner preference test, and during social isolation. There were strong correlations between social contact and heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), the latter being an index of autonomic nervous system function. Males that successfully pair-bonded with their partners displayed higher HRV prior to pairing than did unsuccessful males, suggesting higher basal parasympathetic tone in the successful males. HRV increased further still when pair-bonded males huddled quietly with their mates during the partner preference test. Non-pair-bonded males not only had lower baseline parasympathetic activity, but showed a further decrease after pairing. HR increased and HRV decreased during social isolation only in pair-bonded males. Since differences in HRV are thought to reflect the relative influences of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems on cardiac function, these results suggest that autonomic balance may contribute to social bonding and thus to its health benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Lewis
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA.
| | - Brek Wilkins
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA.
| | - Bruce Benjamin
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA.
| | - J Thomas Curtis
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA.
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6
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Keane B, Castelli FR, Davis H, Crist TO, Solomon NG. Effects of
avpr1a
length polymorphism on male social behavior and reproduction in semi‐natural populations of prairie voles (
Microtus ochrogaster
). Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Keane
- Department of Biology Center for Animal Behavior Miami University‐Hamilton Hamilton OH USA
| | - Frank R. Castelli
- Department of Biology Center for Animal Behavior Miami University Oxford OH USA
| | - Haley Davis
- Department of Biology Center for Animal Behavior Miami University Oxford OH USA
| | - Thomas O. Crist
- Department of Biology Center for Animal Behavior Miami University Oxford OH USA
| | - Nancy G. Solomon
- Department of Biology Center for Animal Behavior Miami University Oxford OH USA
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Moderate Stress-Induced Social Bonding and Oxytocin Signaling are Disrupted by Predator Odor in Male Rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:2160-70. [PMID: 26830961 PMCID: PMC4908646 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In times of stress, social support can serve as a potent buffering mechanism that enhances resilience. In humans, stress can promote protective affiliative interactions and prosocial behavior. Yet, stress also precipitates psychopathologies characterized by social withdrawal such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. The factors that drive adaptive vs maladaptive social responses to stress are not yet clear. Rodent studies have focused on pair-bonded, opposite-sex mates and suggest that a variety of stressors can induce social support-like behaviors. However, between same-sex conspecifics-particularly males-stress effects on social bonding are less understood and often associated with aggression and social unrest. We thus sought to investigate if a moderate stressor-3 h of acute immobilization-impacts social-support behaviors differently when experienced in a neutral vs more innately threatening context (ie, paired with predator odor). We found that moderate stress increased social support-seeking behavior in rat cagemates and facilitated long-term sharing of a limited water resource, decreased aggression, and strongly defined dominance ranks (an indicator of home cage stability). In contrast, experiencing the same stressor in the presence of predator odor eliminated the positive behavioral effects of moderate stress. Importantly, hypothalamic oxytocin (OT) signaling increased coincident with stress in a neutral-but not a predator odor-context. Our results define a novel rodent model of divergent stress effects on social affiliation and OT signaling dependent on odor context with particularly strong relevance to stress-related disorders such as PTSD, which are characterized by a disrupted ability to seek and maintain social bonds.
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Okhovat M, Berrio A, Wallace G, Ophir AG, Phelps SM. Sexual fidelity trade-offs promote regulatory variation in the prairie vole brain. Science 2016; 350:1371-4. [PMID: 26659055 DOI: 10.1126/science.aac5791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Individual variation in social behavior seems ubiquitous, but we know little about how it relates to brain diversity. Among monogamous prairie voles, levels of vasopressin receptor (encoded by the gene avpr1a) in brain regions related to spatial memory predict male space use and sexual fidelity in the field. We find that trade-offs between the benefits of male fidelity and infidelity are reflected in patterns of territorial intrusion, offspring paternity, avpr1a expression, and the evolutionary fitness of alternative avpr1a alleles. DNA variation at the avpr1a locus includes polymorphisms that reliably predict the epigenetic status and neural expression of avpr1a, and patterns of DNA diversity demonstrate that avpr1a regulatory variation has been favored by selection. In prairie voles, trade-offs in the fitness consequences of social behaviors seem to promote neuronal and molecular diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Okhovat
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Campus Code C0930, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Alejandro Berrio
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Campus Code C0930, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Gerard Wallace
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Campus Code C0930, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Alexander G Ophir
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 224 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Steven M Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Campus Code C0930, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Raynaud J, Schradin C. Corticosterone Levels Correlate With Alloparental Care in a Sex-Dependent Manner in African Striped Mice,Rhabdomys pumilio. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julien Raynaud
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - Carsten Schradin
- IPHC-DEPE; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
- CNRS; Strasbourg France
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
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10
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Length polymorphism at the avpr1a locus is correlated with male reproductive behavior in a natural population of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1801-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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11
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Ferkin MH, delBarco-Trillo J. The behavior of female meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, during postpartum estrus and the responses of males to them. Mamm Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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12
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Conspecific preferences in prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, and meadow voles, M. pennsylvanicus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.3758/bf03334603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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13
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No effect of familiarity on the Coolidge effect in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.3758/bf03330481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Abstract
Many social behaviors are triggered by social partners. For example, cells in a multicellular organism often become soma via extrinsically regulated differentiation, while individuals in a eusocial colony often become helpers via extrinsic caste determination. One explanation for social triggering is that it informs when it is beneficial to express the behavior. Alternatively, social triggering can represent manipulation where social partners partially or completely control the focal individual's behavior. For instance, caste determination in primitively eusocial taxa is typically accomplished via differential feeding or dominance hierarchies, suggesting some manipulation. However, selection would favor resistance if manipulation is detrimental to manipulated parties, and the outcome of the manipulation conflict remains intricate. We analyze the coevolution of manipulation and resistance in a simple but general setting. We show that, despite possible resistance, manipulated behavior can be established under less stringent conditions than spontaneous (i.e., nonmanipulated) behavior because of resistance costs. The existence of this advantage might explain why primitive eusocial behavior tends to be triggered socially and coercively. We provide a simple condition for the advantage of manipulated behavior that may help infer whether a socially triggered behavior is manipulated. We illustrate our analysis with a hypothetical example of maternal manipulation relevant to primitive eusociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio González-Forero
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996
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15
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16
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Kingsbury MA, Gleason ED, Ophir AG, Phelps SM, Young LJ, Marler CA. Monogamous and promiscuous rodent species exhibit discrete variation in the size of the medial prefrontal cortex. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2012; 80:4-14. [PMID: 22759599 DOI: 10.1159/000339247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2011] [Accepted: 05/01/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Limbic-associated cortical areas, such as the medial prefrontal and retrosplenial cortex (mPFC and RS, respectively), are involved in the processing of emotion, motivation, and various aspects of working memory and have been implicated in mating behavior. To determine whether the independent evolution of mating systems is associated with a convergence in cortical mechanisms, we compared the size of mPFC and RS between the monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) and the promiscuous meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), and between the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) and the promiscuous white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). For both promiscuous mice and voles, the mPFC occupied a significantly larger percentage of total cortex than in the monogamous species. No significant differences were observed for the RS or overall cortex size with respect to mating system, supporting the convergent evolution of mPFC size, specifically. Individual differences in the mating behavior of male prairie voles (wandering versus pair-bonding), presumably facultative tactics, were not reflected in the relative size of the mPFC, which is likely a heritable trait. Given the importance of the mPFC for complex working memory, particularly object-place and temporal order memory, we hypothesize that the relatively greater size of the mPFC in promiscuous species reflects a greater need to remember multiple individuals and the times and locations in which they have been encountered in the home range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcy A Kingsbury
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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17
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Bergel E. Reflections on Don Juan and on the utility of the unhappy love affair. Bull Menninger Clin 2011; 75:344-71. [PMID: 22166130 DOI: 10.1521/bumc.2011.75.4.344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Based on an unusual clinical experience of a teenage boy in child psychotherapy, two conclusions are proposed: (1) that the extremely unhappy, early love affairs that occur in most men's lives serve a valuable function in helping them separate from their mothers sufficiently to be able to realistically relate to appropriate marriage partners, and (2) that some Don Juans start new relationships in order to break them off, rather than the reverse.
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18
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Kohli KL, Ferkin MH. Over-marking and Adjacent Marking are Influenced by Sibship in Male Prairie Voles, Microtus ochrogaster. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1999.tb01216.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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19
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Abstract
Monogamous animals face an interesting dilemma: if and when to terminate a nonproductive relationship. To address this issue, we asked whether reproductive compatibility is a criterion for maintaining a monogamous pair-bond between mates. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), are small rodents that form long-term, monogamous pair-bonds evidenced by a strong preference for their familiar partners, and thus are an excellent model animal in which to study mate-fidelity. Accordingly, we examined partner-preferences by male prairie voles and related their behavior to the reproductive status of their mates. We found that, when given a choice between their familiar female partner and a stranger, male prairie voles differ in their responses depending on the pregnancy status of the partner. Males that were paired with females for two weeks displayed mate-fidelity only when mating had been initiated within ~48 hours after pairing. In contrast, males whose mates experienced a delay in the onset of sexual receptivity displayed non-selective affiliative behavior. We also found that, in addition to being appropriately timed, mating must be successful. Males that mated with ovariectomized females for whom pregnancy was precluded did not display mate-fidelity even though mating was initiated within the proper timeframe. These observations of mate-fidelity only when the partner's pregnancy was sufficiently advanced relative to the duration of the pairing suggest that mating must be both successful and timely. Thus, reproductive compatibility can influence mate-fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H. Abbott
- MRC/AFRC Comparative Physiology Research Group, Institute of Zoology, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
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22
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Cohas A, Yoccoz NG, Bonenfant C, Goossens B, Genton C, Galan M, Kempenaers B, Allainé D. The genetic similarity between pair members influences the frequency of extrapair paternity in alpine marmots. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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23
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Adrian O, Kaiser S, Sachser N, Jandewerth P, Löttker P, Epplen JT, Hennessy MB. Female influences on pair formation, reproduction and male stress responses in a monogamous cavy (Galea monasteriensis). Horm Behav 2008; 53:403-12. [PMID: 18206888 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2007] [Revised: 11/13/2007] [Accepted: 11/14/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
We examined the possible existence of, and female contributions to, pair bonds, as well as the relation of social preference to mating selectivity, in a recently identified wild guinea pig, the Muenster yellow-toothed cavy (Galea monasteriensis). In Experiment 1, females housed for approximately 20 days in an apparatus in which they could choose to approach and interact with unfamiliar males typically exhibited a robust preference for one of two available males. DNA fingerprinting revealed a strong association between female choice and paternity. Experiment 2 examined the influence of the removal and return of the female on male plasma cortisol levels and behavior in established breeding pairs. A 2-h period of separation in the home enclosure elevated male cortisol levels. Return of the female to the home enclosure reduced male cortisol levels 2 h later, whereas continued separation did not. Reunion in either the home or novel enclosure increased socio-positive and courtship/sexual behavior, as well as time spent in proximity of the partner. Together, these results provide evidence for a substantial female influence on pair bond formation and maintenance in G. monasteriensis and further support for the existence of social and sexual monogamy in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Adrian
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany
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24
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delBarco-Trillo J, Ferkin MH. Female Meadow Voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, Experience a Reduction in Copulatory Behavior During Postpartum Estrus. Ethology 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01354.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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25
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Ophir AG, Delbarco-Trillo J. Anogenital distance predicts female choice and male potency in prairie voles. Physiol Behav 2007; 92:533-40. [PMID: 17537467 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2007] [Revised: 04/16/2007] [Accepted: 04/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Anogenital distance (AGD) in rodents is a useful indicator of masculinization or feminization due to prenatal hormonal effects. If such cues convey useful information about both 'maleness' and more importantly mate quality, then females may select males based on this cue or other cues related to it. We tested this hypothesis by asking if female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) preferred males with relatively longer AGDs and if AGD correlated with fitness enhancing characteristics such as sperm count, sperm size, and gonad size. Not only did preferred males have significantly longer AGD and larger testes than nonpreferred males, but AGD was directly related to the testes size, seminal vesicle size, and the number of sperm stored. We re-evaluated data collected in semi-natural field enclosures and discovered that males that were members of a pairbond had longer AGD than single males. This later result, taken under semi-natural conditions, was consistent with results we obtained in the laboratory. Taken together these data indicate that AGD serves as a useful cue of male potency and that females preferentially associate with males that demonstrate this masculinized phenotype. Moreover, these data imply that females may select mates based on their potential to effectively fertilize ova, a potentially important trait for a species that forms life-long pairbonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Ophir
- 618 Carr Hall, Department of Zoology, University of Florida, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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PRIOTTO JOSÉ, PROVENSAL CECILIA, POLOP JAIME. Effect of adults on juvenile reproduction of Calomys venustus (Muridae: Sigmodontinae). AUSTRAL ECOL 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2006.01649.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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27
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Extra-pair paternity in the monogamous alpine marmot (Marmota marmota): the roles of social setting and female mate choice. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2005. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-005-0086-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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28
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FOWLER CHRISTIED, JOHNSON FRANK, WANG ZUOXIN. Estrogen regulation of cell proliferation and distribution of estrogen receptor-alpha in the brains of adult female prairie and meadow voles. J Comp Neurol 2005; 489:166-79. [PMID: 15984004 PMCID: PMC3962047 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Adult female prairie (Microtus ochrogaster) and meadow (M. pennsylvanicus) voles were compared to examine neural cell proliferation and the effects of estrogen manipulation on cell proliferation in the amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG). Unlike prior studies, our study focused on the amygdala and VMH, because they are involved in social behaviors and may underlie behavioral differences between the species. Meadow voles had a higher density of cells labeled with the cell proliferation marker 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) in the amygdala and DG than did prairie voles. Treatment with estradiol benzoate (EB) for 3 days increased the density of BrdU-labeled cells in the amygdala, particularly in the posterior cortical (pCorA) and medial (pMeA) nuclei, in meadow, but not prairie, voles. Furthermore, the majority of the BrdU-labeled cells in the pCorA and pMeA displayed either a neuronal or a glial progenitor phenotype, but no species or treatment differences were found in the percentage of neuronal or glial progenitor cells. To understand better estrogen's effects on adult neurogenesis, we also examined estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) distribution. Meadow voles had more ERalpha-labeled cells in the pCorA and VMH, but not in the pMeA or DG, than did prairie voles. In addition, more than one-half of the BrdU-labeled cells in the amygdala of both species coexpressed ERalpha labeling. Together, these data indicate that estrogen alters cell proliferation in a species- and region-specific manner, and some of these effects may lie in the specific localization of estrogen receptors in the adult vole brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - ZUOXIN WANG
- Correspondence to: Zuoxin Wang, Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 209 Copeland Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32306-1270.
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29
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Jacquot JJ, Solomon NG. EXPERIMENTAL MANIPULATION OF TERRITORY OCCUPANCY: EFFECTS ON IMMIGRATION OF FEMALE PRAIRIE VOLES. J Mammal 2004. [DOI: 10.1644/bpr-019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Lacey EA, Solomon NG. SOCIAL BIOLOGY OF RODENTS: TRENDS, CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. J Mammal 2003. [DOI: 10.1644/ble-016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Getz L, Mcguire B, Carter C. Social behavior, reproduction and demography of the prairie vole,Microtus ochrogaster. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2003. [DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2003.9522676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Hairston JE, Ball GF, Nelson RJ. Photoperiodic and temporal influences on chemosensory induction of brain fos expression in female prairie voles. J Neuroendocrinol 2003; 15:161-72. [PMID: 12535158 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2826.2003.00963.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) typically stop breeding during winter. Male prairie voles respond to winter day lengths with gonadal regression, whereas female voles are relatively unresponsive to photoperiod. Unlike commonly studied laboratory rodents, female prairie voles do not exhibit spontaneous oestrous cycles. Instead, females are induced into oestrus by chemosensory cues from conspecific male urine. The present study investigated the interaction among day length, chemosensory cues and the initial brain responses during oestrus induction in female voles. A single drop of male conspecific urine, saline or skimmed milk was applied to the nares of female prairie voles housed for 9 weeks in either long (LD 16 : 8 h) or short (LD 8 : 16 h) days. Animals were killed 0.5, 1, 2 or 24 h after chemosensory treatment and their brains were processed for Fos immunocytochemistry. Body mass and ovarian fat pad mass were higher, but uterine and ovarian mass were lower, in short-day compared to long-day females. Regardless of photoperiod, Fos- immunoreactivity increased in the granule layer of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), the supraoptic nucleus and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) (anterior medial) in females treated with male urine compared to the two control groups. Fos staining intensified in the AOB, medial and posterocortical medial amygdala and BNST (posterior ventral), 1 h and 2 h after urine treatment. In the medial preoptic area, anterior and lateral hypothalamus, and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, Fos-immunoreactivity was elevated in females 2 h after receiving urine. Overall, long-day females displayed higher Fos expression in response to urine than females maintained in short days. These results identify a putative neural circuitry of oestrus induction in this species, and provide an approximate time line of activation in the brain circuit responsible for oestrus induction in prairie voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Hairston
- Department of Psychology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Back SR, Beeler LA, Schaefer RL, Solomon NG. Testing Functional Hypotheses for the Behavior of Resident Pine Voles, Microtus pinetorum, Toward Non-Residents. Ethology 2002. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1439-0310.2002.00833.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Thomas SA, Kaczmarek BK. Scent-marking behaviour by male prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, in response to the scent of opposite- and same-sex conspecifics. Behav Processes 2002; 60:27-33. [PMID: 12429389 DOI: 10.1016/s0376-6357(02)00091-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We conducted an experiment using the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) to test predictions associated with the proposed functions of scent marking as a sexual attractant, in reproductive competition, and as a self-advertisement. We allowed an oestrous female, an anoestrous female, and an adult male to scent mark three portions of a clean substrate and then exposed a second male to this substrate for secondary marking. We did not support a sexual attraction hypothesis in that males did not place more scent marks in response to oestrous than anoestrous females. Similarly, we did not support a reproductive competition hypothesis in that males did not place more scent marks in response to marks of males than to those of females or bare substrate. Males did not overmark the scent of males or females and thus we did not support a scent-masking or scent-blending hypothesis. In that males deposited scent similarly in response to males, females, and on bare substrate, our results suggest that the frequency and placement of scent marks by males function primarily to advertise individual identity in an area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn A. Thomas
- Department of Biology, The University of Memphis, 38152, Memphis, TN, USA
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35
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Fitness consequences of sociality in prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster: influence of group size and composition. Anim Behav 2002. [DOI: 10.1006/anbe.2002.3094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Fowler CD, Liu Y, Ouimet C, Wang Z. The effects of social environment on adult neurogenesis in the female prairie vole. JOURNAL OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2002; 51:115-28. [PMID: 11932953 DOI: 10.1002/neu.10042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In the mammalian brain, adult neurogenesis has been found to occur primarily in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG) and to be influenced by both exogenous and endogenous factors. In the present study, we examined the effects of male exposure or social isolation on neurogenesis in adult female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Newly proliferated cells labeled by a cell proliferation marker, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), were found in the SVZ and DG, as well as in other brain areas, such as the amygdala, hypothalamus, neocortex, and caudate/putamen. Two days of male exposure significantly increased the number of BrdU-labeled cells in the amygdala and hypothalamus in comparison to social isolation. Three weeks later, group differences in BrdU labeling generally persisted in the amygdala, whereas in the hypothalamus, the male-exposed animals had more BrdU-labeled cells than did the female-exposed animals. In the SVZ, 2 days of social isolation increased the number of BrdU-labeled cells compared to female exposure, but this difference was no longer present 3 weeks later. We have also found that the vast majority of the BrdU-labeled cells contained a neuronal marker, indicating neuronal phenotypes. Finally, group differences in the number of cells undergoing apoptosis were subtle and did not seem to account for the observed differences in BrdU labeling. Together, our data indicate that social environment affects neuron proliferation in a stimulus- and site-specific manner in adult female prairie voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christie D Fowler
- Department of Psychology and Program of Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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Wolff JO, Dunlap AS, Ritchhart E. Adult female prairie voles and meadow voles do not suppress reproduction in their daughters. Behav Processes 2001; 55:157-162. [PMID: 11483353 DOI: 10.1016/s0376-6357(01)00176-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive suppression of young females by conspecific females has been reported from laboratory studies on several species of rodents, including the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster, but not meadow voles, M. pennsylvanicus. We exposed female prairie voles and meadow voles to two treatments: a mother and one 23-26-day-old daughter paired with a strange male and a 23-26-day-old daughter paired with a different strange male. We found no differences in the proportion of daughters breeding or the time to sexual maturation for daughters raised in the two treatments for either species. Thus, we have no indication that mothers had any adverse effect on reproductive efforts of their daughters. These results differ from previous studies that concluded young female prairie voles were reproductively suppressed by female relatives. The difference between our and previous studies on reproductive suppression is that we examined breeding in young females rather than proximate measures of growth and reproductive development. We question the evolutionary significance of reproductive suppression among related female microtine rodents, especially in that it has not been documented from field populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J O. Wolff
- Department of Biology, The University of Memphis, 38152, Memphis, TN, USA
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39
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Côté SD, Festa-Bianchet M. Reproductive success in female mountain goats: the influence of age and social rank. Anim Behav 2001. [DOI: 10.1006/anbe.2001.1719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Wang Z, Young LJ, De Vries GJ, Insel TR. Voles and vasopressin: a review of molecular, cellular, and behavioral studies of pair bonding and paternal behaviors. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 1999; 119:483-99. [PMID: 10074808 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)61589-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence have implicated the neurohypophyseal peptide, vasopressin (VP), in the mediation of complex social behaviors including affiliation, aggression, juvenile recognition and parental behavior. Recent studies in microtine rodents using cellular, molecular and behavioral approaches provide additional evidence suggesting a role for VP in the formation of pair bonding and male parental care. Monogamous and promiscuous voles differ in social behaviors such as mating-induced pair bonding, selective aggression, and male parental care. Comparative studies have demonstrated that they also differ in dynamics of VP synthesis and release associated with reproduction, in the distribution pattern and regional quantity of VP receptors, and in the promoter sequence of the V1a receptor gene. In monogamous prairie voles, (Microtus ochrogaster), brain administration of VP induces pair bonding and male parental care whereas administration of the VP antagonist diminishes these behaviors. Together, these data suggest that VP is involved in the regulation of social behaviors in monogamous voles and differences in the brain VP system may underlie species differences in behavior and life strategy in voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Wang
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee 32306-1270, USA.
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41
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Demas GE, Moffatt CA, Drazen DL, Nelson RJ. Castration does not inhibit aggressive behavior in adult male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Physiol Behav 1999; 66:59-62. [PMID: 10222474 DOI: 10.1016/s0031-9384(98)00268-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between castration and reduced male aggression is well established. However, anecdotal observations of male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) suggest that castration does not reduce aggressive behavior. To investigate the role of testicular androgens on aggressive behavior, castrated or gonadally intact male prairie voles were paired in a neutral arena with a gonadally intact vole. Castration did not reduce the frequency of intermale aggression. In Experiment 2, aggressive behavior was examined further using resident-intruder, grouped aggression, and aggression against a lactating female models. Again, castration did not affect the frequency of aggression in male prairie voles. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that aggressive behavior may be independent of gonadal steroid hormones in adult male prairie voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- G E Demas
- Department of Psychology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218-2686, USA
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42
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Wang Z, Hulihan TJ, Insel TR. Sexual and social experience is associated with different patterns of behavior and neural activation in male prairie voles. Brain Res 1997; 767:321-32. [PMID: 9367264 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(97)00617-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) show mating-induced aggression towards conspecific strangers. This behavior is both selective and enduring. The present study was designed to investigate the behavioral conditions for the emergence of selective aggression (by varying prior experience with a female and identity of intruders) and the limbic activation in response to an intruder (by mapping regional staining for c-fos) in male prairie voles. In a first experiment, males that mated with a female for 24 h exhibited aggression towards a male intruder and had more Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) cells in the medial amygdala (AMYGme) and medial preoptic area (MPO) relative to males that cohabited with a female without mating or that had no prior exposure to a female. Cohabited males did not become aggressive. However, these males along with mated males had an increased number of Fos-ir cells in the lateral septum (LS) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) relative to males without prior exposure to a female. In a second experiment, mated males exhibited more offensive aggression to a male intruder but more defensive aggression to a female intruder. Both types of aggression, however, induced an increase in the number of Fos-ir cells in the AMYGme. In addition, Fos-ir staining in the BST was induced selectively in response to a male intruder and a similar trend was found in the LS. Exposure to a male or female intruder did not increase Fos-ir staining in the MPO. Taken together, our data suggest the neural substrates activated by social/sexual activity and involved in response to intruders. The AMYGme was involved in processing intruder-related cues and/or in the regulation of aggressive response to both male and female intruders. The BST and LS were modulated by social experience with a female (mating or cohabitation) and were responsive to male-related cues even in the absence of aggression. Finally, the MPO was activated at different magnitudes by social or sexual experience but did not respond to intruder-related cues as measured by Fos-ir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Morgan LR, Hite RF, Cushing BS. Exposure to male siblings facilitates the response to estradiol in sexually naive female prairie voles. Physiol Behav 1997; 61:955-6. [PMID: 9177571 DOI: 10.1016/s0031-9384(96)00616-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Female prairie voles undergo induced estrus, and require both physical contact with males and exposure to male urine to become reproductively active. This study attempted to determine if physical contact with males enhanced female response to estradiol. Two groups of sexually naive females were tested. One was reared without any exposure to males after weaning, and the other was reared with sibling males to 60 days of age. Sibling males were used because females avoid direct contact with the urine of related males, allowing for the establishment of a group of females that experienced physical contact in the relative absence of exposure to male pheromones associated with urine. Females were then subcutaneously injected with 0.5 microg estradiol benzoate once a day for 7 days. Sexual receptivity was tested with novel adult males 48 h and 168 h after the first injection. There was a significant difference between the treatment groups, with 10% of sexually naive females reared without sibling males displaying lordosis compared to 70% of females raised with sibling males. The results indicate that exposure to sibling males significantly increased a female's behavioral response to estradiol.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Morgan
- Biology Department, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro 37132, USA
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45
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Wang Z, Young LJ, Liu Y, Insel TR. Species differences in vasopressin receptor binding are evident early in development: Comparative anatomic studies in prairie and montane voles. J Comp Neurol 1997. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19970224)378:4<535::aid-cne8>3.0.co;2-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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46
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Wang Z, Liu Y, Young LJ, Insel TR. Developmental changes in forebrain vasopressin receptor binding in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) and montane voles (Microtus montanus). Ann N Y Acad Sci 1997; 807:510-3. [PMID: 9071385 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1997.tb51954.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Z Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
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47
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Fortier GM, Erskine MS, Tamarin RH. Female familiarity influences odor preferences and plasma estradiol levels in the meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus. Physiol Behav 1996; 59:205-8. [PMID: 8848484 DOI: 10.1016/0031-9384(95)02015-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
To determine whether neighbor familiarity can affect reproduction, we studied the relationship between familiarity, odor preference, and plasma estradiol levels in the meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus. Bedding was switched between pairs of female meadow voles for 2 wk to allow them to develop olfactory familiarity. When familiarization was complete animals were reexposed, after 24 h of no exposure to conspecific odors, to either the bedding of the familiar female or to the bedding of a new, unfamiliar female. Voles exposed to the bedding of unfamiliar females experienced a dramatic reversal in odor preference and failed to orient towards male odors. This behavioral change was accompanied by a significant decrease in plasma estradiol levels. These changes suggest that exposure to unfamiliar conspecifics may result in reproductive inhibition. Excessive contact between unfamiliar females in the field may be indicative of environmental conditions unfavorable to breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Fortier
- Department of Biology, Boston University, MA 01760, USA.
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48
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Carter CS, DeVries AC, Taymans SE, Roberts RL, Williams JR, Chrousos GP. Adrenocorticoid hormones and the development and expression of mammalian monogamy. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1995; 771:82-91. [PMID: 8597447 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1995.tb44672.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Based on research with prairie voles, we hypothesize that the unusual patterns of reproduction and social behavior associated with mammalian monogamy may arise as a consequence of normal developmental exposure to high levels of glucocorticoids and/or other hormones of the HPA axis. Increased HPA activity could functionally inhibit some of the masculinizing processes expected during the perinatal period. We hypothesize that the unique behavioral, physiological, and anatomical changes associated with monogamy may reflect the adaptive consequences of reduced exposure to the masculinizing actions of HPG hormones, such as testosterone. Reproductively naive, unpaired adult prairie voles also show unusual patterns of adrenal activity, including a marked decline in corticosterone levels within minutes following exposure to novel animals of the opposite sex. In females, this decline in corticosterone may contribute to pair bonding, since corticosterone injections inhibit, and adrenalectomy is associated with a facilitation of pair bond formation. In males, corticosterone injections facilitate pair bonding and adrenalectomy has the opposite effect. In animals from established social pairs corticosterone levels also fluctuate according to the social environment of the animal; the absence of a familiar partner is associated with increased corticosterone secretion, and in the presence of the familiar partner corticosterone levels tend to decline. Prairie voles may offer a valuable source of information regarding the behavioral, anatomical, and physiological consequences of long-term and short-term exposure to high levels of adrenal activity in the absence of pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Carter
- Department of Zoology, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA
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49
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Carter CS, DeVries AC, Getz LL. Physiological substrates of mammalian monogamy: the prairie vole model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 1995; 19:303-14. [PMID: 7630584 DOI: 10.1016/0149-7634(94)00070-h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 423] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are described here as a model system in which it is possible to examine, within the context of natural history, the proximate processes regulating the social and reproductive behaviors that characterize a monogamous social system. Neuropeptides, including oxytocin and vasopressin, and the adrenal glucocorticoid, corticosterone, have been implicated in the neural regulation of partner preferences, and in the male, vasopressin has been implicated in the induction of selective aggression toward strangers. We hypothesize here that interactions among oxytocin, vasopressin and glucocorticoids could provide substrates for dynamic changes in social and agonistic behaviors, including those required in the development and expression of monogamy. Results from research with voles suggest that the behaviors characteristics of monogamy, including social attachments and biparental care, may be modified by hormones during development and may be regulated by different mechanisms in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Carter
- Department of Zoology, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA
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50
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Whitman DC, Albers HE. Role of oxytocin in the hypothalamic regulation of sexual receptivity in hamsters. Brain Res 1995; 680:73-9. [PMID: 7663986 DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(95)00233-g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) has been implicated in the control of a variety of social and reproductive behaviors in several species. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that OXT activity within the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamus (MPOA-AH) and the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) plays a critical role in the expression of sexual receptivity in Syrian hamsters. The first 2 experiments investigated whether OXT would stimulate sexual receptivity in female hamsters in a dose-dependent manner. A 3rd experiment investigated whether sexual receptivity would be inhibited when endogenous OXT activity was blocked. Microinjection of OXT into the MPOA-AH or the VMH induced sexual receptivity in a dose-dependent manner in ovariectomized (OVX) hamsters primed with estradiol. Microinjection of a selective OXT antagonist, d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2Thr4,Tyr-NH29] ornithine vasotocin into the MPOA-AH or the VMH significantly reduced the levels of sexual receptivity exhibited by OVX hamsters administered estradiol and progesterone. These findings support the hypothesis that OXT activity in the MPOA-AH and the VMH plays an important role in the regulation of sexual receptivity in hamsters.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Whitman
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta 30302-4010, USA
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