1
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Ashouri S, Hubbard PC, Canário AVM. Minimizing the time to evaluate pheromone-mediated reduction of aggressive behavior in Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38830691 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Some cichlid fishes release urine-containing chemical cues that lower aggression in their opponents. Bioassays to identify the aggression-modulating pheromone include assessing the effect of urine fractions on the behavior towards a mirror image or in interactions with another male. However, many of these methods can be time-consuming and require many fish. The objective of the present study was to assess the behavior of male Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) towards male urine using two methods with the intent of simplifying the bioassays: aggression towards a mirror image (mirror assay) and real opponents in which the urogenital papilla was tied using surgical silk to prevent urination. The results confirm the aggression-reducing effect of dominant male urine in both experimental approaches. Ten minutes of biting or 15 min of tail-beating behaviors in the mirror assay, or 5 min of opercular expansion or 15 min of lateral display in interactions with real opponents were necessary to detect a statistically significant reduction in aggressive behavior towards dominant male urine. We also found that males with subordinate status had lower latency to initiate aggressive behaviors towards the mirror than dominants in the same condition, even though fish had been isolated for 1 week. However, no such differences in latency were found in the real opponent assay. We conclude that 5 min of opercular expansion behavior in real opponent fights or 10 min of biting behavior in the mirror assay are the shortest times necessary to test aggressive behavior in urine fractions in bioassay-guided identification of pheromones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samyar Ashouri
- Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências de Lisboa, Bloco C2 Campo Grande, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Peter C Hubbard
- Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Adelino V M Canário
- Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
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2
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Johnson ZV, Hegarty BE, Gruenhagen GW, Lancaster TJ, McGrath PT, Streelman JT. Cellular profiling of a recently-evolved social behavior in cichlid fishes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4891. [PMID: 37580322 PMCID: PMC10425353 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40331-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors are diverse in nature, but it is unclear how conserved genes, brain regions, and cell populations generate this diversity. Here we investigate bower-building, a recently-evolved social behavior in cichlid fishes. We use single nucleus RNA-sequencing in 38 individuals to show signatures of recent behavior in specific neuronal populations, and building-associated rebalancing of neuronal proportions in the putative homolog of the hippocampal formation. Using comparative genomics across 27 species, we trace bower-associated genome evolution to a subpopulation of glia lining the dorsal telencephalon. We show evidence that building-associated neural activity and a departure from quiescence in this glial subpopulation together regulate hippocampal-like neuronal rebalancing. Our work links behavior-associated genomic variation to specific brain cell types and their functions, and suggests a social behavior has evolved through changes in glia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary V Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Brianna E Hegarty
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - George W Gruenhagen
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Tucker J Lancaster
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Patrick T McGrath
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
| | - Jeffrey T Streelman
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
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3
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Calvo R, Hofmann MH, Schluessel V. Brain areas activated during visual learning in the cichlid fish Pseudotropheus zebra. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:859-873. [PMID: 36920630 PMCID: PMC10147796 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02627-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
The neural correlates of most cognitive functions in fish are unknown. This project aimed to identify brain regions involved in visual learning in the cichlid fish Pseudotropheus zebra. The expression of the protein pS6 was measured in 19 brain areas and compared between groups of individuals subjected to four different behavioral contexts (control, avoidance, trained, and novelty groups). Control group individuals were sacrificed with minimal interactions. Fish in the avoidance group were chased with a net for an hour, after which they were sacrificed. Individuals in the trained group received daily training sessions to associate a visual object with a food reward. They were sacrificed the day they reached learning criterion. Fish in the novelty group were habituated to one set of visual stimuli, then faced a change in stimulus type (novelty stimulus) before they were sacrificed. Fish in the three treatment groups showed the largest activation of pS6 in the inferior lobes and the tectum opticum compared to the control group. The avoidance group showed additional activation in the preoptic area, several telencephalic regions, the torus semicircularis, and the reticular formation. The trained group that received a food reward, showed additional activation of the torus lateralis, a tertiary gustatory center. The only area that showed strong activation in all three treatment groups was the nucleus diffusus situated within the inferior lobe. The inferior lobe receives prominent visual input from the tectum via the nucleus glomerulosus but so far, nothing is known about the functional details of this pathway. Our study showed for the first time that the inferior lobes play an important role in visual learning and object recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Calvo
- Institute of Zoology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Poppelsdorfer Schloss, Meckenheimer Allee 169, 53115, Bonn, Germany.
| | - M H Hofmann
- Institute of Zoology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Poppelsdorfer Schloss, Meckenheimer Allee 169, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - V Schluessel
- Institute of Zoology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Poppelsdorfer Schloss, Meckenheimer Allee 169, 53115, Bonn, Germany
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4
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Cannabidiol improves Nile tilapia cichlid fish welfare. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17650. [PMID: 36271101 PMCID: PMC9586945 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21759-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a substance derived from Cannabis sativa, widely studied in medicine for controlling neural diseases in humans. Besides the positive effects on humans, it also presents anxiolytic proprieties and decreases aggressiveness and stress in mammals. Therefore, CBD has the potential to increase welfare in reared animals, as it seems to reduce negative states commonly experienced in artificial environments. Here, we tested the effect of different CBD doses (0, 1, 10 and 20 mg/kg) on aggressiveness, stress and reproductive development of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) a fish reared worldwide for farming and research purposes. CBD mixed with fish food was offered to isolated fish for 5 weeks. The 10 mg/kg dose decreased fish's aggressiveness over time, whereas 20 mg/kg attenuated non-social stress. Both doses decreased the baseline cortisol level of fish and increased the gonadosomatic index. However, CBD 1 and 10 mg/kg doses decreased the spermatozoa number. No CBD dose affected feeding ingestion and growth variables, showing that it is not harmful to meat production amount. Despite the effect on spermatozoa, CBD supplementation exhibits high potential to benefit animals' lives in artificial environments. Therefore, we showed for the first time that CBD could be used as a tool to increase non-mammal welfare, presenting a great potential to be explored in other husbandry and captivity species.
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5
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Rodriguez-Morales R, Gonzalez-Lerma P, Yuiska A, Han JH, Guerra Y, Crisostomo L, Keene AC, Duboue ER, Kowalko JE. Convergence on reduced aggression through shared behavioral traits in multiple populations of Astyanax mexicanus. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:116. [PMID: 36241984 PMCID: PMC9563175 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02069-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Results Conclusion Supplementary information
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Rodriguez-Morales
- grid.259029.50000 0004 1936 746XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, 18015 Bethlehem, PA USA
| | - Paola Gonzalez-Lerma
- grid.255951.fDepartment of Integrative Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, 33431 Boca Raton, FL USA
| | - Anders Yuiska
- grid.255951.fCharles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, 33431 Boca Raton, FL USA
| | - Ji Heon Han
- grid.255951.fCharles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, 33431 Boca Raton, FL USA ,grid.255951.fProgram in Integrative Biology and Neuroscience, Florida Atlantic University, 33458 Jupiter, FL USA
| | - Yolanda Guerra
- grid.255951.fHarriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, 33458 Jupiter, FL USA
| | - Lina Crisostomo
- grid.255951.fHarriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, 33458 Jupiter, FL USA
| | - Alex C. Keene
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Biology, Texas A&M, College Station, TX USA
| | - Erik R. Duboue
- grid.255951.fCharles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, 33431 Boca Raton, FL USA ,grid.255951.fHarriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, 33458 Jupiter, FL USA
| | - Johanna E. Kowalko
- grid.259029.50000 0004 1936 746XDepartment of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, 18015 Bethlehem, PA USA
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6
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Reichmann F, Pilic J, Trajanoski S, Norton WHJ. Transcriptomic underpinnings of high and low mirror aggression zebrafish behaviours. BMC Biol 2022; 20:97. [PMID: 35501893 PMCID: PMC9059464 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01298-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aggression is an adaptive behaviour that animals use to protect offspring, defend themselves and obtain resources. Zebrafish, like many other animals, are not able to recognize themselves in the mirror and typically respond to their own reflection with aggression. However, mirror aggression is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, with some individuals displaying high levels of aggression against their mirror image, while others show none at all. In the current work, we have investigated the genetic basis of mirror aggression by using a classic forward genetics approach - selective breeding for high and low mirror aggression zebrafish (HAZ and LAZ). Results We characterized AB wild-type zebrafish for their response to the mirror image. Both aggressive and non-aggressive fish were inbred over several generations. We found that HAZ were on average more aggressive than the corresponding LAZ across generations and that the most aggressive adult HAZ were less anxious than the least aggressive adult LAZ after prolonged selective breeding. RNAseq analysis of these fish revealed that hundreds of protein-encoding genes with important diverse biological functions such as arsenic metabolism (as3mt), cell migration (arl4ab), immune system activity (ptgr1), actin cytoskeletal remodelling (wdr1), corticogenesis (dgcr2), protein dephosphorylation (ublcp1), sialic acid metabolism (st6galnac3) and ketone body metabolism (aacs) were differentially expressed between HAZ and LAZ, suggesting a strong genetic contribution to this phenotype. DAVID pathway analysis showed that a number of diverse pathways are enriched in HAZ over LAZ including pathways related to immune function, oxidation-reduction processes and cell signalling. In addition, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified 12 modules of highly correlated genes that were significantly associated with aggression duration and/or experimental group. Conclusions The current study shows that selective breeding based of the mirror aggression phenotype induces strong, heritable changes in behaviour and gene expression within the brain of zebrafish suggesting a strong genetic basis for this behaviour. Our transcriptomic analysis of fish selectively bred for high and low levels of mirror aggression revealed specific transcriptomic signatures induced by selective breeding and mirror aggression and thus provides a large and novel resource of candidate genes for future study. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01298-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Reichmann
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | - Johannes Pilic
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Slave Trajanoski
- Center for Medical Research, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - William H J Norton
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK. .,Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
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7
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Scaia MF, Akinrinade I, Petri G, Oliveira RF. Sex Differences in Aggression Are Paralleled by Differential Activation of the Brain Social Decision-Making Network in Zebrafish. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:784835. [PMID: 35250500 PMCID: PMC8890505 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.784835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Although aggression is more prevalent in males, females also express aggressive behaviors and in specific ecological contexts females can be more aggressive than males. The aim of this work is to assess sex differences in aggression and to characterize the patterns of neuronal activation of the social-decision making network (SDMN) in response to intra-sexual aggression in both male and female zebrafish. Adult fish were exposed to social interaction with a same-sex opponent and all behavioral displays, latency, and time of resolution were quantified. After conflict resolution, brains were sampled and sex differences on functional connectivity throughout the SDMN were assessed by immunofluorescence of the neuronal activation marker pS6. Results suggest that both sexes share a similar level of motivation for aggression, but female encounters show shorter conflict resolution and a preferential use of antiparallel displays instead of overt aggression, showing a reduction of putative maladaptive effects. Although there are no sex differences in the neuronal activation in any individual brain area from the SDMN, agonistic interactions increased neuronal activity in most brain areas in both sexes. Functional connectivity was assessed using bootstrapped adjacency matrices that capture the co-activation of the SDMN nodes. Male winners increased the overall excitation and showed no changes in inhibition across the SDMN, whereas female winners and both male and female losers showed a decrease in both excitation and inhibition of the SDMN in comparison to non-interacting control fish. Moreover, network centrality analysis revealed both shared hubs, as well as sex-specific hubs, between the sexes for each social condition in the SDMN. In summary, a distinct neural activation pattern associated with social experience during fights was found for each sex, suggesting a sex-specific differential activation of the social brain as a consequence of social experience. Overall, our study adds insights into sex differences in agonistic behavior and on the neuronal architecture of intrasexual aggression in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Florencia Scaia
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada—CONICET, Ciudad Auntónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Neuroendocrinología y Comportamiento, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ibukun Akinrinade
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Giovanni Petri
- ISI Foundation and ISI Global Science Foundation, Torino, Italy
| | - Rui F. Oliveira
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
- ISPA– Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Lisbon, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Rui F. Oliveira
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8
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Fischer EK, Hauber ME, Bell AM. Back to the basics? Transcriptomics offers integrative insights into the role of space, time and the environment for gene expression and behaviour. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210293. [PMID: 34520681 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fuelled by the ongoing genomic revolution, broadscale RNA expression surveys are fast replacing studies targeting one or a few genes to understand the molecular basis of behaviour. Yet, the timescale of RNA-sequencing experiments and the dynamics of neural gene activation are insufficient to drive real-time switches between behavioural states. Moreover, the spatial, functional and transcriptional complexity of the brain (the most commonly targeted tissue in studies of behaviour) further complicates inference. We argue that a Central Dogma-like 'back-to-basics' assumption that gene expression changes cause behaviour leaves some of the most important aspects of gene-behaviour relationships unexplored, including the roles of environmental influences, timing and feedback from behaviour-and the environmental shifts it causes-to neural gene expression. No perfect experimental solutions exist but we advocate that explicit consideration, exploration and discussion of these factors will pave the way toward a richer understanding of the complicated relationships between genes, environments, brain gene expression and behaviour over developmental and evolutionary timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Alison M Bell
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
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9
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Josi D, Frommen JG. Through a glass darkly? Divergent reactions of eight Lake Tanganyika cichlid species towards their mirror image in their natural environment. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dario Josi
- Department of Natural Sciences Ecology and Environment Research Centre Conservation, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour Research Group Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution Division of Behavioural Ecology University of Bern Hinterkappelen Switzerland
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Department of Natural Sciences Ecology and Environment Research Centre Conservation, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour Research Group Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution Division of Behavioural Ecology University of Bern Hinterkappelen Switzerland
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10
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Monnet G, Rosenfeld JS, Richards JG. Behavioural variation between piscivore and insectivore rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 99:955-963. [PMID: 33969488 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A proactive-reactive continuum integrating multiple (i.e., 3+) dimensions of animal behaviour has been reported as a major axis of behavioural differentiation, but its stability along a biological hierarchy from individuals to populations remains speculative. Piscivore and insectivore rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) represent closely related ecotypes with strong ecological divergence driven by selection for a large-bodied piscivorous lifestyle with fast juvenile growth vs. selection for smaller adult body size and lower growth associated with an insectivorous diet. To evaluate whether differences in behaviour between ecotypes are consistent with a proactive-reactive axis and consistent along a biological hierarchy, the authors examined variation in emergence time from a shelter, exploration, activity and predator inspection among individuals, populations and ecotypes of juvenile piscivore and insectivore rainbow trout O. mykiss. As expected, the faster-growing piscivore ecotype was more proactive (i.e., shorter emergence time, exploration and predator inspection) than the more reactive insectivore ecotype. This behavioural contrast was partly maintained across populations, although activity differences were most pronounced among populations, rather than emergence time. Insectivore fry showed substantial variation in behavioural expression among individuals within populations; by contrast, piscivores showed highly similar proactive behaviours with significantly lower inter-individual variation in behavioural expression, suggesting intense selection on behaviour supporting their faster growth. This work suggests that piscivore and insectivore O. mykiss broadly differ in behaviour along a proactive vs. reactive continuum, and highlights the greater multidimensionality of behavioural expression within the insectivore ecotype. Contrasting behaviours between ecotypes may result from differential selection for slow vs. fast juvenile growth and associated metabolism, and may contribute to adult trophic specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauthier Monnet
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jordan S Rosenfeld
- British Columbia Ministry of the Environment, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jeffrey G Richards
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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11
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Quintana L, Jalabert C, Fokidis HB, Soma KK, Zubizarreta L. Neuroendocrine Mechanisms Underlying Non-breeding Aggression: Common Strategies Between Birds and Fish. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:716605. [PMID: 34393727 PMCID: PMC8358322 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.716605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression is an adaptive behavior that plays an important role in gaining access to limited resources. Aggression may occur uncoupled from reproduction, thus offering a valuable context to further understand its neural and hormonal regulation. This review focuses on the contributions from song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) and the weakly electric banded knifefish (Gymnotus omarorum). Together, these models offer clues about the underlying mechanisms of non-breeding aggression, especially the potential roles of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and brain-derived estrogens. The orexigenic NPY is well-conserved between birds and teleost fish, increases in response to low food intake, and influences sex steroid synthesis. In non-breeding M. melodia, NPY increases in the social behavior network, and NPY-Y1 receptor expression is upregulated in response to a territorial challenge. In G. omarorum, NPY is upregulated in the preoptic area of dominant, but not subordinate, individuals. We hypothesize that NPY may signal a seasonal decrease in food availability and promote non-breeding aggression. In both animal models, non-breeding aggression is estrogen-dependent but gonad-independent. In non-breeding M. melodia, neurosteroid synthesis rapidly increases in response to a territorial challenge. In G. omarorum, brain aromatase is upregulated in dominant but not subordinate fish. In both species, the dramatic decrease in food availability in the non-breeding season may promote non-breeding aggression, via changes in NPY and/or neurosteroid signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Quintana
- Unidad Bases Neurales de la Conducta, Departamento de Neurofisiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Cecilia Jalabert
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - H Bobby Fokidis
- Department of Biology, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL, United States
| | - Kiran K Soma
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lucia Zubizarreta
- Unidad Bases Neurales de la Conducta, Departamento de Neurofisiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Celular y Sináptica, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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12
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Dunlap KD, Teles MC, Oliveira RF. Social stimuli increase activity of adult-born cells in the telencephalon of zebrafish, Danio rerio. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:271856. [PMID: 34223613 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Fish have particularly high levels of adult neurogenesis, and this high neurogenic capacity may contribute to behavioural plasticity. While it is known that adult-born cells can differentiate into neurons and incorporate into neural circuits, it is unclear whether they are responsive to external stimuli and thereby capable of contributing to behavioural change. We tested whether cells born in the telencephalon of adult zebrafish are activated by social stimuli. We marked cell birth with BrdU and, 40 d later, exposed fish to brief (15 min) visual social stimuli and assayed cellular activity through immunolocalization of phospho-S6-ribosomal protein (pS6). BrdU+/pS6+ colabeled cells were found in six brain regions, and, in four regions (D, Dl, Dm and POA), the number of colabelled cells and fraction of BrdU+ cells that labeled pS6+ increased during social stimulation. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that adult-born neurons play a role in regulating social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kent D Dunlap
- Department of Biology, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 06106, USA
| | | | - Rui F Oliveira
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciências, Oeiras, Portugal.,ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal.,Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Lisboa, Portugal
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13
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Patil C, Sylvester JB, Abdilleh K, Norsworthy MW, Pottin K, Malinsky M, Bloomquist RF, Johnson ZV, McGrath PT, Streelman JT. Genome-enabled discovery of evolutionary divergence in brains and behavior. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13016. [PMID: 34155279 PMCID: PMC8217251 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92385-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Lake Malawi cichlid fishes exhibit extensive divergence in form and function built from a relatively small number of genetic changes. We compared the genomes of rock- and sand-dwelling species and asked which genetic variants differed among the groups. We found that 96% of differentiated variants reside in non-coding sequence but these non-coding diverged variants are evolutionarily conserved. Genome regions near differentiated variants are enriched for craniofacial, neural and behavioral categories. Following leads from genome sequence, we used rock- vs. sand-species and their hybrids to (i) delineate the push-pull roles of BMP signaling and irx1b in the specification of forebrain territories during gastrulation and (ii) reveal striking context-dependent brain gene expression during adult social behavior. Our results demonstrate how divergent genome sequences can predict differences in key evolutionary traits. We highlight the promise of evolutionary reverse genetics-the inference of phenotypic divergence from unbiased genome sequencing and then empirical validation in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinar Patil
- School of Biological Sciences and Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Jonathan B Sylvester
- School of Biological Sciences and Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kawther Abdilleh
- School of Biological Sciences and Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael W Norsworthy
- Catalog Technologies Inc., Boston, MA, USA
- Freedom of Form Foundation, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Karen Pottin
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Dévelopement (IBPS-LBD, UMR7622), CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Milan Malinsky
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ryan F Bloomquist
- School of Biological Sciences and Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Department of Restorative Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Zachary V Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences and Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Patrick T McGrath
- School of Biological Sciences and Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Streelman
- School of Biological Sciences and Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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14
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Barkan CL, Leininger EC, Zornik E. Everything in modulation: neuromodulators as keys to understanding communication dynamics. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:854-866. [PMID: 34038510 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, the ability to produce communication signals appropriate to social encounters is essential, but how these behaviors are selected and adjusted in a context-dependent manner is poorly understood. This question can be addressed on many levels, including sensory processing by peripheral organs and the CNS, sensorimotor integration in decision-making brain regions, and motor circuit activation and modulation. Because neuromodulator systems act at each of these levels, they are a useful lens through which to explore the mechanisms underlying complex patterns of communication. It has been clear for decades that understanding the logic of input-output decision making by the nervous system requires far more than simply identifying the connections linking sensory organs to motor circuits; this is due in part to the fact that neuromodulators can promote distinct and temporally dynamic responses to similar signals. We focus on the vocal circuit dynamics of Xenopus frogs, and describe complementary examples from diverse vertebrate communication systems. While much remains to be discovered about how neuromodulators direct flexibility in communication behaviors, these examples illustrate that several neuromodulators can act upon the same circuit at multiple levels of control, and that the functional consequence of neuromodulation can depend on species-specific factors as well as dynamic organismal characteristics like internal state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Erik Zornik
- Reed College, Biology Department, Portland, OR
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15
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Expanding evolutionary neuroscience: insights from comparing variation in behavior. Neuron 2021; 109:1084-1099. [PMID: 33609484 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Neuroscientists have long studied species with convenient biological features to discover how behavior emerges from conserved molecular, neural, and circuit level processes. With the advent of new tools, from viral vectors and gene editing to automated behavioral analyses, there has been a recent wave of interest in developing new, "nontraditional" model species. Here, we advocate for a complementary approach to model species development, that is, model clade development, as a way to integrate an evolutionary comparative approach with neurobiological and behavioral experiments. Capitalizing on natural behavioral variation in and investing in experimental tools for model clades will be a valuable strategy for the next generation of neuroscience discovery.
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16
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Ruiz-Ortiz J, Tollkuhn J. Specificity in sociogenomics: Identifying causal relationships between genes and behavior. Horm Behav 2021; 127:104882. [PMID: 33121994 PMCID: PMC7855425 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
There has been rapid growth in the use of transcriptomic analyses to study the interplay between gene expression and behavior. Experience can modify gene expression in the brain, leading to changes in internal state and behavioral displays, while gene expression variation between species is thought to specify many innate behavior differences. However, providing a causal association between a gene and a given behavior remains challenging as it is difficult to determine when and where a gene contributes to the function of a behaviorally-relevant neuronal population. Moreover, given that there are fewer genetic tools available for non-traditional model organisms, transcriptomic approaches have been largely limited to profiling of bulk tissue, which can obscure the contributions of subcortical brain regions implicated in multiple behaviors. Here, we discuss how emerging single cell technologies combined with methods offering additional spatial and connectivity information can give us insight about the genetic profile of specific cells involved in the neural circuit of target social behaviors. We also emphasize how these techniques are broadly adaptable to non-traditional model organisms. We propose that, ultimately, a combination of these approaches applied throughout development will be key to discerning how genes shape the formation of social behavior circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenelys Ruiz-Ortiz
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
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17
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Automated measurement of long-term bower behaviors in Lake Malawi cichlids using depth sensing and action recognition. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20573. [PMID: 33239639 PMCID: PMC7688978 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77549-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In the wild, behaviors are often expressed over long time periods in complex and dynamic environments, and many behaviors include direct interaction with the environment itself. However, measuring behavior in naturalistic settings is difficult, and this has limited progress in understanding the mechanisms underlying many naturally evolved behaviors that are critical for survival and reproduction. Here we describe an automated system for measuring long-term bower construction behaviors in Lake Malawi cichlid fishes, in which males use their mouths to sculpt sand into large species-specific structures for courtship and mating. We integrate two orthogonal methods, depth sensing and action recognition, to simultaneously track the developing bower structure and the thousands of individual sand manipulation behaviors performed throughout construction. By registering these two data streams, we show that behaviors can be topographically mapped onto a dynamic 3D sand surface through time. The system runs reliably in multiple species, across many aquariums simultaneously, and for up to weeks at a time. Using this system, we show strong differences in construction behavior and bower form that reflect species differences in nature, and we gain new insights into spatial, temporal, social dimensions of bower construction, feeding, and quivering behaviors. Taken together, our work highlights how low-cost tools can automatically quantify behavior in naturalistic and social environments over long timescales in the lab.
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