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Marquardt AE, Basu M, VanRyzin JW, Ament SA, McCarthy MM. The transcriptome of playfulness is sex-biased in the juvenile rat medial amygdala: a role for inhibitory neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.11.612456. [PMID: 39314276 PMCID: PMC11419002 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.11.612456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Social play is a dynamic behavior known to be sexually differentiated; in most species, males play more than females, a sex difference driven in large part by the medial amygdala (MeA). Despite the well-conserved nature of this sex difference and the importance of social play for appropriate maturation of brain and behavior, the full mechanism establishing the sex bias in play is unknown. Here, we explore "the transcriptome of playfulness" in the juvenile rat MeA, assessing differences in gene expression between high- and low-playing animals of both sexes via bulk RNA-sequencing. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify gene modules combined with analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we demonstrate that the transcriptomic profile in the juvenile rat MeA associated with playfulness is largely distinct in males compared to females. Of the 13 play-associated WGCNA networks identified, only two were associated with play in both sexes, and very few DEGs associated with playfulness were shared between males and females. Data from our parallel single-cell RNA-sequencing experiments using amygdala samples from newborn male and female rats suggests that inhibitory neurons drive this sex difference, as the majority of sex-biased DEGs in the neonatal amygdala are enriched within this population. Supporting this notion, we demonstrate that inhibitory neurons comprise the majority of play-active cells in the juvenile MeA, with males having a greater number of play-active cells than females, of which a larger proportion are GABAergic. Through integrative bioinformatic analyses, we further explore the expression, function, and cell-type specificity of key play-associated modules and the regulator "hub genes" predicted to drive them, providing valuable insight into the sex-biased mechanisms underlying this fundamental social behavior.
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2
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Polzin BJ, Zhao C, Stevenson SA, Gammie SC, Riters LV. RNA-sequencing reveals a shared neurotranscriptomic profile in the medial preoptic area of highly social songbirds and rats. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2024; 23:e12908. [PMID: 39052331 PMCID: PMC11271255 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Rough-and-tumble play in juvenile rats and song in flocks of adult songbirds outside a breeding context (gregarious song) are two distinct forms of non-sexual social behavior. Both are believed to play roles in the development of sociomotor skills needed for later life-history events, including reproduction, providing opportunities for low-stakes practice. Additionally, both behaviors are thought to be intrinsically rewarded and are associated with a positive affective state. Given the functional similarities of these behaviors, this study used RNA-sequencing to identify commonalities in their underlying neurochemical systems within the medial preoptic area. This brain region is implicated in multiple social behaviors, including song and play, and is highly conserved across vertebrates. DESeq2 and rank-rank hypergeometric overlap analyses identified a shared neurotranscriptomic profile in adult European starlings singing high rates of gregarious song and juvenile rats playing at high rates. Transcript levels for several glutamatergic receptor genes, such as GRIN1, GRIN2A, and GRIA1, were consistently upregulated in highly gregarious (i.e., playful/high singing) animals. This study is the first to directly investigate shared neuromodulators of positive, non-sexual social behaviors across songbirds and mammals. It provides insight into a conserved brain region that may regulate similar behaviors across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon J. Polzin
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Changjiu Zhao
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Sharon A. Stevenson
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Stephen C. Gammie
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Lauren V. Riters
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
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3
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Monari PK, Hammond ER, Zhao X, Maksimoski AN, Petric R, Malone CL, Riters LV, Marler CA. Conditioned preferences: Gated by experience, context, and endocrine systems. Horm Behav 2024; 161:105529. [PMID: 38492501 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Central to the navigation of an ever-changing environment is the ability to form positive associations with places and conspecifics. The functions of location and social conditioned preferences are often studied independently, limiting our understanding of their interplay. Furthermore, a de-emphasis on natural functions of conditioned preferences has led to neurobiological interpretations separated from ecological context. By adopting a naturalistic and ethological perspective, we uncover complexities underlying the expression of conditioned preferences. Development of conditioned preferences is a combination of motivation, reward, associative learning, and context, including for social and spatial environments. Both social- and location-dependent reward-responsive behaviors and their conditioning rely on internal state-gating mechanisms that include neuroendocrine and hormone systems such as opioids, dopamine, testosterone, estradiol, and oxytocin. Such reinforced behavior emerges from mechanisms integrating past experience and current social and environmental conditions. Moreover, social context, environmental stimuli, and internal state gate and modulate motivation and learning via associative reward, shaping the conditioning process. We highlight research incorporating these concepts, focusing on the integration of social neuroendocrine mechanisms and behavioral conditioning. We explore three paradigms: 1) conditioned place preference, 2) conditioned social preference, and 3) social conditioned place preference. We highlight nonclassical species to emphasize the naturalistic applications of these conditioned preferences. To fully appreciate the complex integration of spatial and social information, future research must identify neural networks where endocrine systems exert influence on such behaviors. Such research promises to provide valuable insights into conditioned preferences within a broader naturalistic context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick K Monari
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Emma R Hammond
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Xin Zhao
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Alyse N Maksimoski
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Integrative Biology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Radmila Petric
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA; Institute for the Environment, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Candice L Malone
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Integrative Biology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Catherine A Marler
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Integrative Biology, Madison, WI, USA.
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4
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Asogwa CN, Zhao C, Polzin BJ, Maksimoski AN, Heimovics SA, Riters LV. Distinct patterns of activity within columns of the periaqueductal gray are associated with functionally distinct birdsongs. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1530:161-181. [PMID: 37800392 PMCID: PMC10841217 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15066] [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] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Male songbirds produce female-directed songs in spring that convey a state of sexual motivation. Many songbirds also sing in fall flocks in affiliative/gregarious contexts in which song is linked to an intrinsic positive affective state. The periaqueductal gray (PAG) in mammals, which is organized into functional columns, integrates information from multiple brain regions and relays this information to vocal motor areas so that an animal emits a vocal signal reflective of its affective state. Here, we test the hypothesis that distinct columns in the songbird PAG play roles in the distinct affective states communicated by sexually motivated and gregarious song. We quantified the numbers of immediate early gene ZENK-positive cells in 16 PAG subregions in male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) after singing gregarious or sexually motivated song. Results suggest that distinct PAG columns in songbirds context-specifically regulate song, agonistic, and courtship behaviors. A second exploratory, functional tract-tracing study also demonstrated that inputs to the PAG from specific subregions of the medial preoptic nucleus may contribute to gregarious song and behaviors indicative of social dominance. Together, findings suggest that conserved PAG columns and inputs from the preoptic nucleus may play a role in context-specific vocal and other social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinweike N Asogwa
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Changjiu Zhao
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Brandon J Polzin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Alyse N Maksimoski
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sarah A Heimovics
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Zeid D, Toussaint AB, Dressler CC, Schumacher SP, Do C, Desalvo H, Selamawi D, Bongiovanni AR, Mayberry HL, Carr GV, Wimmer ME. Paternal morphine exposure in rats reduces social play in adolescent male progeny without affecting drug-taking behavior in juvenile males or female offspring. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 126:103877. [PMID: 37385516 PMCID: PMC10528482 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103877] [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: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing opioid addiction crisis necessitates the identification of novel risk factors to improve prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder. Parental opioid exposure has recently emerged as a potential regulator of offspring vulnerability to opioid misuse, in addition to heritable genetic liability. An understudied aspect of this "missing heritability" is the developmental presentation of these cross-generational phenotypes. This is an especially relevant question in the context of inherited addiction-related phenotypes, given the prominent role of developmental processes in the etiology of psychiatric disorders. Paternal morphine self-administration was previously shown to alter the sensitivity to the reinforcing and antinociceptive properties of opioids in the next generation. Here, phenotyping was expanded to include the adolescent period, with a focus on endophenotypes related to opioid use disorders and pain. Paternal morphine exposure did not alter heroin or cocaine self-administration in male and female juvenile progeny. Further, baseline sensory reflexes related to pain were unaltered in morphine-sired adolescent rats of either sex. However, morphine-sired adolescent males exhibited a reduction in social play behavior. Our findings suggest that, in morphine-sired male offspring, paternal opioid exposure does not affect opioid intake during adolescence, suggesting that this phenotype does not emerge until later in life. Altered social behaviors in male morphine-sired adolescents indicate that the changes in drug-taking behavior in adults sired by morphine-exposed sires may be due to more complex factors not yet fully assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Zeid
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Andre B Toussaint
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, United States of America
| | - Carmen C Dressler
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Samuel P Schumacher
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Chau Do
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Heather Desalvo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Danait Selamawi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Angela R Bongiovanni
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Hannah L Mayberry
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Gregory V Carr
- Lieber Institute of Brain Development, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States of America
| | - Mathieu E Wimmer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States of America.
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Prior NH, Haakenson CM, Clough S, Ball GF, Sandkam BA. Varied impacts of social relationships on neuroendocrine state. Horm Behav 2023; 155:105403. [PMID: 37678093 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Social relationships, affiliative social attachments, are important for many species. The best studied types of relationships are monogamous pair bonds. However, it remains unclear how generalizable models of pair bonding are across types of social attachments. Zebra finches are a fascinating system to explore the neurobiology of social relationships because they form various adult bonds with both same- and opposite-sex partners. To test whether different bonds are supported by a single brain network, we quantified individuals' neuroendocrine state after either 24 h or 2 weeks of co-housing with a novel same- or opposite-sex partner. We defined neuroendocrine state by the expression of 22 genes related to 4 major signaling pathways (dopamine, steroid, nonapeptide, and opioid) in six brain regions associated with affiliation or communication [nucleus accumbens (NAc), nucleus taeniae of the amygdala (TnA), medial preoptic area (POM), and periaqueductal gray (PAG), ventral tegmental area, and auditory cortex]. Overall, we found dissociable effects of social contexts (same- or opposite-sex partnerships) and duration of co-housing. Social bonding impacted the neuroendocrine state of four regions in males (NAc, TnA, POM, and PAG) and three regions in females (NAc, TnA, and POM). Monogamous pair bonding specifically appeared to impact male NAc. However, the patterns of gene expression in zebra finches were different than has previously been reported in mammals. Together, our results support the view that there are numerous mechanisms regulating social relationships and highlight the need to further our understanding of how social interactions shape social bonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora H Prior
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America.
| | - Chelsea M Haakenson
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Savannah Clough
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Benjamin A Sandkam
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
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Achterberg EJM, Vanderschuren LJMJ. The neurobiology of social play behaviour: Past, present and future. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105319. [PMID: 37454882 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Social play behaviour is a highly energetic and rewarding activity that is of great importance for the development of brain and behaviour. Social play is abundant during the juvenile and early adolescent phases of life, and it occurs in most mammalian species, as well as in certain birds and reptiles. To date, the majority of research into the neural mechanisms of social play behaviour has been performed in male rats. In the present review we summarize studies on the neurobiology of social play behaviour in rats, including work on pharmacological and genetic models for autism spectrum disorders, early life manipulations and environmental factors that influence play in rats. We describe several recent developments that expand the field, and highlight outstanding questions that may guide future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Marijke Achterberg
- Dept. of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Dept. of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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8
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Polzin BJ, Stevenson SA, Gammie SC, Riters LV. Distinct patterns of gene expression in the medial preoptic area are related to gregarious singing behavior in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). BMC Neurosci 2023; 24:41. [PMID: 37537543 PMCID: PMC10399071 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-023-00813-4] [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: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Song performed in flocks by European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), referred to here as gregarious song, is a non-sexual, social behavior performed by adult birds. Gregarious song is thought to be an intrinsically reinforced behavior facilitated by a low-stress, positive affective state that increases social cohesion within a flock. The medial preoptic area (mPOA) is a region known to have a role in the production of gregarious song. However, the neurochemical systems that potentially act within this region to regulate song remain largely unexplored. In this study, we used RNA sequencing to characterize patterns of gene expression in the mPOA of male and female starlings singing gregarious song to identify possibly novel neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, and hormonal pathways that may be involved in the production of gregarious song. RESULTS Differential gene expression analysis and rank rank hypergeometric analysis indicated that dopaminergic, cholinergic, and GABAergic systems were associated with the production of gregarious song, with multiple receptor genes (e.g., DRD2, DRD5, CHRM4, GABRD) upregulated in the mPOA of starlings who sang at high rates. Additionally, co-expression network analyses identified co-expressing gene clusters of glutamate signaling-related genes associated with song. One of these clusters contained five glutamate receptor genes and two glutamate scaffolding genes and was significantly enriched for genetic pathways involved in neurodevelopmental disorders associated with social deficits in humans. Two of these genes, GRIN1 and SHANK2, were positively correlated with performance of gregarious song. CONCLUSIONS This work provides new insights into the role of the mPOA in non-sexual, gregarious song in starlings and highlights candidate genes that may play a role in gregarious social interactions across vertebrates. The provided data will also allow other researchers to compare across species to identify conserved systems that regulate social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon J Polzin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Sharon A Stevenson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Stephen C Gammie
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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9
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Zhao C, Riters LV. The medial preoptic area and its projections to the ventral tegmental area and the periaqueductal gray are activated in response to social play behavior in juvenile rats. Behav Neurosci 2023; 137:223-235. [PMID: 36877484 PMCID: PMC10363185 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
The medial preoptic area (MPOA) is well known for its role in sexual and maternal behaviors. This region also plays an important role in affiliative social behaviors outside reproductive contexts. We recently demonstrated that the MPOA is a central nucleus in which opioids govern highly rewarding social play behavior in adolescent rats. However, the neural circuit mechanisms underlying MPOA-mediated social play remain largely unresolved. We hypothesized that the MPOA unites a complementary neural system through which social play induces reward via a projection to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and reduces a negative affective state through a projection to the periaqueductal gray (PAG). To test whether the two projection pathways are activated in response to social play behavior, we combined retrograde tract tracing with immediate early gene (IEG) expression and immunofluorescent labeling to identify opioid-sensitive projection pathways from the MPOA to VTA and PAG that are activated after performance of social play. Retrograde tracer, fluoro-gold (FG), was microinjected into the VTA or PAG. IEG expression (i.e., Egr1) was assessed and triple immunofluorescent labeling for mu opioid receptor (MOR), Egr1, and FG in the MPOA was performed after social play. We revealed that play animals displayed an increase in neurons double labeled for Egr1 + FG and triple labeled for MOR + Egr1 + FG in the MPOA projecting to both the VTA and PAG when compared to no-play rats. The increased activation of projection neurons that express MORs from MPOA to VTA or PAG after social play suggests that opioids may act through these projection pathways to govern social play. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Changjiu Zhao
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Lauren V. Riters
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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10
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Maksimoski AN, Stevenson SA, Polzin BJ, Zhao C, Luebke EM, Riters LV. The motivation to flock correlates with vocal-social behaviors and dopamine-related gene expression in male European starlings. Horm Behav 2023; 153:105374. [PMID: 37271085 PMCID: PMC10330916 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
It is proposed that songbird flocks are partly reinforced by positive social interactions, however not all flock mate interactions are positive. The combination of both positive and negative social interactions with flock mates may play a role in the motivation for birds to flock. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), medial preoptic area (POM), and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are implicated in vocal-social behaviors in flocks, including singing. Dopamine (DA) within these regions modifies motivated, reward-directed behaviors. Here, we begin to test the hypothesis that individual social interactions and DA within these regions are involved in the motivation to flock. Vocal-social behaviors were recorded in eighteen male European starlings in mixed-sex flocks in fall, when starlings are highly social and form large flocks. Males were then singly removed from their flock and the motivation to flock was quantified as the amount of time spent attempting to join a flock following separation. We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to measure expression of DA-related genes in the NAc, POM, and VTA. Birds producing high levels of vocal behaviors were more highly motivated to flock and had higher tyrosine hydroxylase (the rate-limiting enzyme in DA synthesis) expression in the NAc and VTA. Birds that received high levels of agonistic behaviors were less motivated to flock and had higher DA receptor subtype 1 expression in the POM. Overall, our findings suggest that interplay between social experience and DA activity in NAc, POM, and VTA plays a key role in social motivation in flocking songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyse N Maksimoski
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America.
| | - Sharon A Stevenson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
| | - Brandon J Polzin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
| | - Changjiu Zhao
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
| | - Elsa M Luebke
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
| | - Lauren V Riters
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI 53706, United States of America
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A calcitonin receptor-expressing subregion of the medial preoptic area is involved in alloparental tolerance in common marmosets. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1243. [PMID: 36411342 PMCID: PMC9678893 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04166-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Like humans, common marmoset monkeys utilize family cooperation for infant care, but the neural mechanisms underlying primate parental behaviors remain largely unknown. We investigated infant care behaviors of captive marmosets in family settings and caregiver-infant dyadic situations. Marmoset caregivers exhibited individual variations in parenting styles, comprised of sensitivity and tolerance toward infants, consistently across infants, social contexts and multiple births. Seeking the neural basis of these parenting styles, we demonstrated that the calcitonin receptor-expressing neurons in the marmoset medial preoptic area (MPOA) were transcriptionally activated during infant care, as in laboratory mice. Further, site-specific neurotoxic lesions of this MPOA subregion, termed the cMPOA, significantly reduced alloparental tolerance and total infant carrying, while sparing general health and other social or nonsocial behaviors. These results suggest that the molecularly-defined neural site cMPOA is responsible for mammalian parenting, thus provide an invaluable model to study the neural basis of parenting styles in primates.
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12
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Riters LV, Polzin BJ, Maksimoski AN, Stevenson SA, Alger SJ. Birdsong and the Neural Regulation of Positive Emotion. Front Psychol 2022; 13:903857. [PMID: 35814050 PMCID: PMC9258629 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds are not commonly admired for emotional expression, and when they are, the focus is typically on negative states; yet vocal behavior is considered a direct reflection of an individual's emotional state. Given that over 4000 species of songbird produce learned, complex, context-specific vocalizations, we make the case that songbirds are conspicuously broadcasting distinct positive emotional states and that hearing songs can also induce positive states in other birds. Studies are reviewed that demonstrate that that the production of sexually motivated song reflects an emotional state of anticipatory reward-seeking (i.e., mate-seeking), while outside the mating context song in gregarious flocks reflects a state of intrinsic reward. Studies are also reviewed that demonstrate that hearing song induces states of positive anticipation and reward. This review brings together numerous studies that highlight a potentially important role for the songbird nucleus accumbens, a region nearly synonymous with reward in mammals, in positive emotional states that underlie singing behavior and responses to song. It is proposed that the nucleus accumbens is part of an evolutionarily conserved circuitry that contributes context-dependently to positive emotional states that motivate and reward singing behavior and responses to song. Neural mechanisms that underlie basic emotions appear to be conserved and similar across vertebrates. Thus, these findings in songbirds have the potential to provide insights into interventions that can restore positive social interactions disrupted by mental health disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren V. Riters
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Brandon J. Polzin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Alyse N. Maksimoski
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Sharon A. Stevenson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Sarah J. Alger
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI, United States
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13
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Riters LV, Stevenson SA. Using seasonality and birdsong to understand mechanisms underlying context-appropriate shifts in social motivation and reward. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105156. [PMID: 35313200 PMCID: PMC9382228 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Social motivation and reward are dynamic and flexible, shifting adaptively across contexts to meet changing social demands. This is exceptionally apparent when seasonal contexts are considered in seasonally breeding songbirds as they cycle from periods of sexual motivation and reward during the breeding season to periods of extreme gregariousness outside the breeding season when non-sexual social interactions gain reward value, motivating birds to form flocks. Here we review evidence demonstrating a key integrative role for the medial preoptic area (mPOA) in the seasonally-appropriate adjustment of behaviors, with seasonal changes in dopamine activity in mPOA adjusting social motivation and changes in opioid activity modifying social reward. Experiments demonstrate that dramatic seasonal fluctuations in steroid hormone concentrations alter patterns of opioid- and dopamine-related protein and gene expression in mPOA to modify social motivation and reward to meet seasonal changes in social demands. These studies of birdsong and seasonality provide new insights into neural and endocrine mechanisms underlying adaptive changes in social motivation and reward and highlight an underappreciated, evolutionarily conserved role for the mPOA in important social behaviors in non-reproductive contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren V Riters
- Department of Integrative Biology, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Sharon A Stevenson
- Department of Integrative Biology, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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14
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Abstract
This paper is the forty-third consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2020 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
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15
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Polzin BJ, Heimovics SA, Riters LV. Immunolabeling Provides Evidence for Subregions in the Songbird Nucleus Accumbens and Suggests a Context-Dependent Role in Song in Male European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2022; 96:147-162. [PMID: 34879382 DOI: 10.1159/000521310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Birdsong is well known for its role in mate attraction during the breeding season. However, many birds, including European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), also sing outside the breeding season as part of large flocks. Song in a breeding context can be extrinsically rewarded by mate attraction; however, song in nonbreeding flocks, referred to here as gregarious song, results in no obvious extrinsic reward and is proposed to be intrinsically rewarded. The nucleus accumbens (NAC) is a brain region well known to mediate reward and motivation, which suggests it is an ideal candidate to regulate reward associated with gregarious song. The goal of this study was to provide new histochemical information on the songbird NAC and its subregions (rostral pole, core, and shell) and to begin to determine subregion-specific contributions to gregarious song in male starlings. We examined immunolabeling for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), neurotensin, and enkephalin (ENK) in the NAC. We then examined the extent to which gregarious and sexually motivated song differentially correlated with immunolabeling for the immediate early genes FOS and ZENK in each subdivision of the NAC. We found that TH and ENK labeling within subregions of the starling NAC was generally similar to patterns seen in the core and shell of NACs in mammals and birds. Additionally, we found that gregarious song, but not sexually motivated song, positively correlated with FOS in all NAC subregions. Our observations provide further evidence for distinct subregions within the songbird NAC and suggest the NAC may play an important role in regulating gregarious song in songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon J Polzin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sarah A Heimovics
- Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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16
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Taheri Zadeh Z, Rahmani S, Alidadi F, Joushi S, Esmaeilpour K. Depresssion, anxiety and other cognitive consequences of social isolation: Drug and non-drug treatments. Int J Clin Pract 2021; 75:e14949. [PMID: 34614276 DOI: 10.1111/ijcp.14949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE During the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine and staying at home is advised. The social relationship between people has become deficient, and human social isolation (SI) has become the consequence of this situation. It was shown that SI has made changes in hippocampal neuroplasticity, which will lead to poor cognitive function and behavioural abnormalities. There is a connection between SI, learning, and memory impairments. In addition, anxiety-like behaviour and increased aggressive mood in long-term isolation have been revealed during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS Term searches was done in Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and PubMed databases as well as hand searching in key resource journals from 1979 to 2020. RESULTS Studies have shown that some drug administrations may positively affect or even prevent social isolation consequences in animal models. These drug treatments have included opioid drugs, anti-depressants, Antioxidants, and herbal medications. In addition to drug interventions, there are non-drug treatments that include an enriched environment, regular exercise, and music. CONCLUSION This manuscript aims to review improved cognitive impairments induced by SI during COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Taheri Zadeh
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Shayan Rahmani
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Sara Joushi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
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17
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μ-Opioid Receptor Stimulation in the Nucleus Accumbens Increases Vocal-Social Interactions in Flocking European Starlings, Sturnus Vulgaris. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0219-21.2021. [PMID: 34475266 PMCID: PMC8474649 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0219-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Social connections in gregarious species are vital for safety and survival. For these reasons, many bird species form large flocks outside the breeding season. It has been proposed that such large social groups may be maintained via reward induced by positive interactions with conspecifics and via the reduction of a negative affective state caused by social separation. Moreover, within a flock optimal social spacing between conspecifics is important, indicating that individuals may optimize spacing to be close but not too close to conspecifics. The μ-opioid receptors (MORs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) are well known for their role in both reward and the reduction of negative affective states, suggesting that MOR stimulation in NAc may play a critical role in flock cohesion. To begin to test this hypothesis, social and nonsocial behaviors were examined in male and female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in nonbreeding flocks after intra-NAc infusion of saline and three doses of the selective MOR agonist d-Ala2-N-Me-Phe4-Glycol5-enkephalin (DAMGO). DAMGO in NAc dose-dependently increased singing behavior and facilitated social approaches while at the same time promoting displacements potentially used to maintain social spacing. These findings support the hypothesis that MORs in NAc promote social interactions important for group cohesion in nonsexual contexts and suggest the possibility that MORs in the NAc play a role in optimizing the pull of joining a flock with the push of potential agonistic encounters.
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18
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Manduca A, Carbone E, Schiavi S, Cacchione C, Buzzelli V, Campolongo P, Trezza V. The neurochemistry of social reward during development: What have we learned from rodent models? J Neurochem 2021; 157:1408-1435. [PMID: 33569830 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social rewards are fundamental to survival and overall health. Several studies suggest that adequate social stimuli during early life are critical for developing appropriate socioemotional and cognitive skills, whereas adverse social experiences negatively affect the proper development of brain and behavior, by increasing the susceptibility to develop neuropsychiatric conditions. Therefore, a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social interactions, and their rewarding components in particular, is an important challenge of current neuroscience research. In this context, preclinical research has a crucial role: Animal models allow to investigate the neurobiological aspects of social reward in order to shed light on possible neurochemical alterations causing aberrant social reward processing in neuropsychiatric diseases, and they allow to test the validity and safety of innovative therapeutic strategies. Here, we discuss preclinical research that has investigated the rewarding properties of two forms of social interaction that occur in different phases of the lifespan of mammals, that is, mother-infant interaction and social interactions with peers, by focusing on the main neurotransmitter systems mediating their rewarding components. Together, the research performed so far helped to elucidate the mechanisms of social reward and its psychobiological components throughout development, thus increasing our understanding of the neurobiological substrates sustaining social functioning in health conditions and social dysfunction in major psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Manduca
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy.,Neuroendocrinology, Metabolism and Neuropharmacology Unit, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Emilia Carbone
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Schiavi
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Cacchione
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Buzzelli
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Campolongo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Department of Science, Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
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19
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Reitz SL, Kelz MB. Preoptic Area Modulation of Arousal in Natural and Drug Induced Unconscious States. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:644330. [PMID: 33642991 PMCID: PMC7907457 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.644330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of the hypothalamic preoptic area (POA) in arousal state regulation has been studied since Constantin von Economo first recognized its importance in the early twentieth century. Over the intervening decades, the POA has been shown to modulate arousal in both natural (sleep and wake) as well as drug-induced (anesthetic-induced unconsciousness) states. While the POA is well known for its role in sleep promotion, populations of wake-promoting neurons within the region have also been identified. However, the complexity and molecular heterogeneity of the POA has made distinguishing these two populations difficult. Though multiple lines of evidence demonstrate that general anesthetics modulate the activity of the POA, the region's heterogeneity has also made it challenging to determine whether the same neurons involved in sleep/wake regulation also modulate arousal in response to general anesthetics. While a number of studies show that sleep-promoting POA neurons are activated by various anesthetics, recent work suggests this is not universal to all arousal-regulating POA neurons. Technical innovations are making it increasingly possible to classify and distinguish the molecular identities of neurons involved in sleep/wake regulation as well as anesthetic-induced unconsciousness. Here, we review the current understanding of the POA's role in arousal state regulation of both natural and drug-induced forms of unconsciousness, including its molecular organization and connectivity to other known sleep and wake promoting regions. Further insights into the molecular identities and connectivity of arousal-regulating POA neurons will be critical in fully understanding how this complex region regulates arousal states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Reitz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Circadian and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Max B. Kelz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Circadian and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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20
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Stevenson SA, Piepenburg A, Spool JA, Angyal CS, Hahn AH, Zhao C, Riters LV. Endogenous opioids facilitate intrinsically-rewarded birdsong. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11083. [PMID: 32632172 PMCID: PMC7338348 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67684-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Many songbirds sing in non-reproductive contexts while in flocks. Singing in such gregarious contexts is critical for maintaining and learning songs; however, song is not directed towards other individuals and has no obvious, immediate social consequences. Studies using conditioned place preference (CPP) tests of reward indicate that song production in gregarious contexts correlates positively with a bird’s intrinsic reward state and with opioid markers in the medial preoptic nucleus (mPOA). However, the causal involvement of opioids in gregarious song is unknown. Here we report that the selective mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonist fentanyl dose-dependently facilitates gregarious song and reduces stress/anxiety-related behavior in male and female European starlings. Furthermore, infusion of siRNA targeting MORs specifically in mPOA both suppresses gregarious song and disrupts the positive association between affective state and singing behavior, as revealed using CPP tests of song-associated reward. Results strongly implicate opioids in gregarious song and suggest that endogenous opioids in the mPOA may facilitate song by influencing an individual’s intrinsic reward state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A Stevenson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Alice Piepenburg
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Jeremy A Spool
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Caroline S Angyal
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Allison H Hahn
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,Department of Psychology, St. Norbert College, De Pere, WI, 54115, USA
| | - Changjiu Zhao
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin Madison, 428 Birge Hall, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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