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Kleindorfer S, Krupka MA, Katsis AC, Frigerio D, Common LK. Aggressiveness predicts dominance rank in greylag geese: mirror tests and agonistic interactions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231686. [PMID: 38577211 PMCID: PMC10987982 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Individual differences in aggressiveness, if consistent across time and contexts, may contribute to the long-term maintenance of social hierarchies in complex animal societies. Although agonistic interactions have previously been used to calculate individuals' positions within a dominance hierarchy, to date the repeatability of agonistic behaviour has not been tested when calculating social rank. Here, we examined the consistency and social relevance of aggressiveness as a personality trait in a free-flying population of greylag geese (Anser anser). For each individual, we quantified (i) aggressiveness using a standardized mirror stimulation test and (ii) dominance ranking based on the number of agonistic interactions won and lost in a feeding context. We found that individual differences in aggressiveness were significantly repeatable and that individuals' aggressiveness predicted their dominance rank position. The flock showed a robust and intermediately steep dominance hierarchy. Social rank was higher in paired birds, males and older birds, and most agonistic interactions occurred between individuals with moderate rank differences. We suggest that selection favours aggressiveness as a personality trait associated with resource acquisition and social rank, whereby a dominance hierarchy may increase the benefits of group living and reduce costs over conflict within dyads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Kleindorfer
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia5042, Australia
| | - Mara A. Krupka
- Biology Department, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI49006, USA
| | - Andrew C. Katsis
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
| | - Didone Frigerio
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
| | - Lauren K. Common
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center for Behavior and Cognition, Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Vienna4645, Austria
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna1030, Austria
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Prostaglandin F 2α drives female pheromone signaling in cichlids, revealing a basis for evolutionary divergence in olfactory signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2214418120. [PMID: 36584295 PMCID: PMC9910499 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214418120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pheromones play essential roles in reproduction in many species. Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) acts as a female reproductive hormone and as a sex pheromone in some species. An olfactory receptor (OR) for PGF2α was recently discovered in zebrafish, but this signaling pathway is evolutionarily labile. To understand the evolution of signals that attract males to fertile females, we used the African cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni and found that adult males strongly prefer fertile female odors. Injection of a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor abolishes this attractivity of fertile females, indicating these hormones are necessary for pheromonal signaling. Unlike zebrafish, A. burtoni males are insensitive to PGF2α, but they do exhibit strong preference for females injected with PGF2α. This attractiveness is independent of the PGF2α hormonal receptor Ptgfr, indicating that this pheromone signaling derives from PGF2α metabolization into a yet-undiscovered pheromone. We further discovered that fish that are insensitive to PGF2α lack an ortholog for the OR Or114 that zebrafish use to detect PGF2α. These results indicate that PGF2α itself does not directly induce male preference in cichlids. Rather, it plays a vital role that primes females to become attractive via an alternative male OR.
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Responsiveness to contest experiences is associated with competitive ability but not aggressiveness or boldness. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03151-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Wang HLV, Forestier S, Corces VG. Exposure to sevoflurane results in changes of transcription factor occupancy in sperm and inheritance of autism. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:705-719. [PMID: 33982067 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One in 54 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). De novo germline and somatic mutations cannot account for all cases of ASD, suggesting that epigenetic alterations triggered by environmental exposures may be responsible for a subset of ASD cases. Human and animal studies have shown that exposure of the developing brain to general anesthetic (GA) agents can trigger neurodegeneration and neurobehavioral abnormalities but the effects of general anesthetics on the germ line have not been explored in detail. We exposed pregnant mice to sevoflurane during the time of embryonic development when the germ cells undergo epigenetic reprogramming and found that more than 38% of the directly exposed F1 animals exhibit impairments in anxiety and social interactions. Strikingly, 44-47% of the F2 and F3 animals, which were not directly exposed to sevoflurane, show the same behavioral problems. We performed ATAC-seq and identified more than 1200 differentially accessible sites in the sperm of F1 animals, 69 of which are also present in the sperm of F2 animals. These sites are located in regulatory regions of genes strongly associated with ASD, including Arid1b, Ntrk2, and Stmn2. These findings suggest that epimutations caused by exposing germ cells to sevoflurane can lead to ASD in the offspring, and this effect can be transmitted through the male germline inter and trans-generationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Lin V Wang
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael St, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Samantha Forestier
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael St, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael St, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Horita J, Iwasa Y, Tachiki Y. Positive Feedback between Behavioral and Hormonal Dynamics Leads to Differentiation of Life-History Tactics. Am Nat 2020; 196:679-689. [PMID: 33211570 DOI: 10.1086/711414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractCompetitive interaction among individuals of a single population may result in the differentiation of two or more distinct life-history tactics. For example, although they exhibit unimodal size distribution, male juveniles of salmonids differentiate into those going down to the ocean to grow and returning to the natal stream after several years to reproduce (migratory tactic) and those staying in the stream and reproducing for multiple years (resident tactic). In this study, we developed a simple mathematical model for the positive feedback between hormonal and behavioral dynamics, with the expectation of establishing multiple discrete clusters of hormone levels leading to differentiation of life-history tactics. The assumptions were that probability of winning in fighting depends both on the body size and hormone level of the two contestants. An individual with a higher hormone level would be more likely to win the competition, which further enhanced hormone production, forming a positive feedback loop between hormone level and fighting ability. If the positive feedback was strong but not excessive, discrete clusters of hormone levels emerged from a continuous distribution. In contrast, no clear clustering structure appeared in the distribution of hormone levels if the probability of winning in fighting was controlled by the body size.
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Li CY, Tseng YC, Chen YJ, Yang Y, Hsu Y. Personality and physiological traits predict contest interactions in Kryptolebias marmoratus. Behav Processes 2020; 173:104079. [PMID: 32007560 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Personality and physiological traits often have close relationships with dominance status, but the significance and/or direction of the relationships vary between studies. This study examines whether two personality traits (aggressiveness and boldness) and three physiological traits (testosterone and cortisol levels and oxygen consumption rates) are associated with contest decisions/performance using a mangrove killifish Kryptolebias marmoratus. The results show that individuals that attacked their own mirror images (an aggressiveness index) at higher rates or had higher levels of testosterone were more likely to attack their opponent and win non-escalated contests, while individuals that had higher levels of cortisol were more likely to lose. After the contests, (1) individuals that had attacked their opponents or won had higher post-contest oxygen consumption rates, and (2) individuals that had attacked their opponents also had higher post-contest levels of cortisol. Although no significant correlations were detected among pre-contest physiological traits, post-contest levels of cortisol were positively correlated with oxygen consumption rates. Overall, personality and physiological traits provide useful predictors for the fish's contest decisions/performance. Contest interactions subsequently modified post-contest physiological traits and potentially also promoted associations between them. Nevertheless, the fish's physiological traits remained rather consistent over the entire study period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Yu Li
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, 4094 Campus Dr, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yung-Che Tseng
- Marine Research Station, ICOB, Academia Sinica, No. 23-10, Dawen Rd, Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County 262, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ju Chen
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, No. 88, Section 4, Tingchou Rd, Taipei 11677, Taiwan; Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Section 2, Academia Rd, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Yusan Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 105 Clapp Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Yuying Hsu
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, No. 88, Section 4, Tingchou Rd, Taipei 11677, Taiwan.
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Colella DJ, Paijmans KC, Wong MYL. Size, sex and social experience: Experimental tests of multiple factors mediating contest behaviour in a rockpool fish. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Colella
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystems Solutions, School of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
| | - Kai C. Paijmans
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystems Solutions, School of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
| | - Marian Y. L. Wong
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystems Solutions, School of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong New South Wales Australia
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Li CY, Huang SP, Garcia M, Fuller A, Hsu Y, Earley RL. Sexual phenotype drives variation in endocrine responses to social challenge in a quasi-clonal animal. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180002. [PMID: 29765691 PMCID: PMC5936956 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In many species, males tend to behave more aggressively than females and female aggression often occurs during particular life stages such as maternal defence of offspring. Though many studies have revealed differences in aggression between the sexes, few studies have compared the sexes in terms of their neuroendocrine responses to contest experience. We investigated sex differences in the endocrine response to social challenge using mangrove rivulus fish, Kryptolebias marmoratus. In this species, sex is determined environmentally, allowing us to produce males and hermaphrodites with identical genotypes. We hypothesized that males would show elevated androgen levels (testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone) following social challenge but that hermaphrodite responses might be constrained by having to maintain both testicular and ovarian tissue. To test this hypothesis, we staged fights between males and between hermaphrodites, and then compared contest behaviour and hormone responses between the sexes. Hermaphrodites had significantly higher oestradiol but lower 11-ketotestosterone than males before contests. Males took longer to initiate contests but tended to fight more aggressively and sustain longer fights than hermaphrodites. Males showed a dramatic post-fight increase in 11-ketotestosterone but hermaphrodites did not. Thus, despite being genetically identical, males and hermaphrodites exhibit dramatically different fighting strategies and endocrine responses to contests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Yu Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, 300 Hackberry Lane, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Shu-Ping Huang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, No. 88, Section 4, Tingchou Rd, Taipei 116, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Mark Garcia
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, 300 Hackberry Lane, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Adam Fuller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, 300 Hackberry Lane, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Yuying Hsu
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, No. 88, Section 4, Tingchou Rd, Taipei 116, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ryan L. Earley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, 300 Hackberry Lane, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
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Zhou T, Sandi C, Hu H. Advances in understanding neural mechanisms of social dominance. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 49:99-107. [PMID: 29428628 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Dominance hierarchy profoundly impacts social animals' survival, physical and mental health and reproductive success. As the measurements of dominance hierarchy in rodents become established, it is now possible to understand the neural mechanism mediating the intrinsic and extrinsic factors determining social hierarchy. This review summarizes the latest advances in assay development for measuring dominance hierarchy in laboratory mice. It also reviews our current understandings on how activity and plasticity of specific neural circuits shape the dominance trait and mediate the 'winner effect'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Zhou
- Center for Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of the Ministry of Health of China, School of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China; Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310013, PR China; Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, PR China
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Hailan Hu
- Center for Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of the Ministry of Health of China, School of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China; Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310013, PR China.
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McDonald MD. An AOP analysis of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for fish. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2017; 197:19-31. [PMID: 28288906 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2017.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are found in measureable quantities within the aquatic environment. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are one class of pharmaceutical compound that has received a lot of attention. Consistent with most PPCPs, the pharmacokinetics and physiological impacts of SSRI treatment have been well-studied in small mammals and humans and this, combined with the evolutionary conservation of the serotonergic system across vertebrates, allows for the read-across of known SSRI effects in mammals to potential SSRI impacts on aquatic organisms. Using an Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework, this review examines the similarities and differences between the mammalian and teleost fish SSRI target, the serotonin transporter (SERT; SLC6A4), and the downstream impacts of elevated extracellular serotonin (5-HT; 5-hydroxytryptamine), the consequence of SERT inhibition, on organ systems and physiological processes within teleost fish. This review also intends to reveal potentially understudied endpoints for SSRI toxicity based on what is known to be controlled by 5-HT in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Danielle McDonald
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA.
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12
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Contest experience and body size affect different types of contest decisions. Anim Cogn 2016; 19:1183-1193. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1028-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Mou L, Gui Y. A novel variant of androgen receptor is associated with idiopathic azoospermia. Mol Med Rep 2016; 14:2915-20. [PMID: 27498682 PMCID: PMC5042743 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.5587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of genetic variants can lead to abnormal human spermatogenesis. The androgen receptor (AR) is an important steroid hormone receptor that is critical for male sexual differentiation and the maintenance of normal spermatogenesis. In the present study, each exon of AR in 776 patients diagnosed with idiopathic azoospermia (IA) and 709 proven fertile men were sequenced using use panel re‑sequencing methods to examine whether AR is involved in the pathogenesis of IA. Two synonymous variants and seven missense variants were detected. Of the missense variants, a luciferase assay demonstrated that the R630W variant reduced the transcriptional regulatory function of AR. This novel variant (p. R630W) of AR is the first to be identified in association with IA, thereby highlighting the importance of AR during spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha Mou
- Shenzhen Domesticated Organ Medical Engineering Research and Development Center, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, P.R. China
| | - Yaoting Gui
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen PKU‑HKUST Medical Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036, P.R. China
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Chen TH, Wu YT, Ding WH. UV-filter benzophenone-3 inhibits agonistic behavior in male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2016; 25:302-309. [PMID: 26589946 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-015-1588-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) is a widely used organic UV-filter compound. Despite the frequent occurrence of BP-3 in aquatic environments, little is known about its effect on fish behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the endocrine disrupting effects of BP-3 in male fighting fish (Betta splendens) with a focus on agonistic behavior. Male fighting fish were exposed to 10, 100, and 1000 μg/L BP-3, as well as a solvent control (0.1% ethanol) and a positive control (100 ng/L 17α-ethynylestradiol, EE2), for 28 days. At the beginning and the end of exposure, standard length and body mass of the fish were measured for calculating the condition factor (CF). In addition, spontaneous swimming activity (total distance moved) and agonistic behavior (maximum velocity and duration of opercular display in front of a mirror) were also quantified. At the end of exposure, the fish gonads were sampled for gonadosomatic index (GSI) measurement and histology. After the exposure, CF was significantly decreased in the 1000 μg/L BP-3 groups. Spontaneous swimming activity was not affected. However, maximum velocity was significantly reduced in the EE2 and 1000 μg/L BP-3 treatments; duration of opercular display was significantly decreased in the EE2 and 10 and 1000 μg/L BP-3 treatments. GSI was not significantly different between groups. There was a slight but statistically significant decrease of relative proportion of mature spermatozoa in testicular tissue in the 100 μg/L BP-3 treatment. Collectively, our results demonstrate that BP-3 can disrupt agonistic behavior of male fighting fish, indicating the endocrine disrupting activity of this compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Te-Hao Chen
- National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, 2 Houwan Rd., Checheng, Pingtung, Taiwan.
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, 2 Houwan Rd., Checheng, Pingtung, Taiwan.
| | - Yea-Ting Wu
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, 2 Houwan Rd., Checheng, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Wang-Hsien Ding
- Department of Chemistry, National Central University, 300, Jhongda Rd., Jhongli, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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