1
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Su L, Lu L, Si M, Ding J, Li C. Effect of Population Density on Personality of Crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii). Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1486. [PMID: 38791703 PMCID: PMC11117368 DOI: 10.3390/ani14101486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Personality is widely observed in animals and has important ecological and evolutionary implications. In addition to being heritable, personality traits are also influenced by the environment. Population density commonly affects animal behavior, but the way in which it shapes animal personality remains largely unknown. In this study, we reared juvenile crayfish at different population densities and measured their personality traits (shyness, exploration, and aggression) after reaching sexual maturity. Our results showed repeatability for each behavior in all treatments, except for the shyness of females at medium density. There was a negative correlation between shyness and exploration in each treatment, and aggression and exploration were positively correlated in medium- and high-density females. These indicate the presence of a behavior syndrome. On average, the crayfish raised at higher population densities were less shy, more exploratory, and more aggressive. We found no behavioral differences between the sexes in crayfish. These results suggested that population density may affect the average values of behavioral traits rather than the occurrence of personality traits. Our study highlights the importance of considering population density as a factor influencing personality traits in animals and, therefore, might help us to understand animal personality development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Su
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (L.S.); (L.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Leiyu Lu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (L.S.); (L.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Mengdi Si
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (L.S.); (L.L.); (M.S.)
| | | | - Chunlin Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (L.S.); (L.L.); (M.S.)
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
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2
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Buenhombre J, Daza-Cardona EA, Mota-Rojas D, Domínguez-Oliva A, Rivera A, Medrano-Galarza C, de Tarso P, Cajiao-Pachón MN, Vargas F, Pedraza-Toscano A, Sousa P. Trait sensitivity to stress and cognitive bias processes in fish: A brief overview. PERSONALITY NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 7:e3. [PMID: 38384666 PMCID: PMC10877277 DOI: 10.1017/pen.2023.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Like other animals, fish have unique personalities that can affect their cognition and responses to environmental stressors. These individual personality differences are often referred to as "behavioural syndromes" or "stress coping styles" and can include personality traits such as boldness, shyness, aggression, exploration, locomotor activity, and sociability. For example, bolder or proactive fish may be more likely to take risks and present lower hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal axis reactivity as compared to shy or reactive individuals. Likewise, learning and memory differ between fish personalities. Reactive or shy individuals tend to have faster learning and better association recall with aversive stimuli, while proactive or bold individuals tend to learn more quickly when presented with appetitive incentives. However, the influence of personality on cognitive processes other than cognitive achievement in fish has been scarcely explored. Cognitive bias tests have been employed to investigate the interplay between emotion and cognition in both humans and animals. Fish present cognitive bias processes (CBP) in which fish's interpretation of stimuli could be influenced by its current emotional state and open to environmental modulation. However, no study in fish has explored whether CBP, like in other species, can be interpreted as long-lasting traits and whether other individual characteristics may explain its variation. We hold the perspective that CBP could serve as a vulnerability factor for the onset, persistence, and recurrence of stress-related disorders. Therefore, studying fish's CBP as a state or trait and its interactions with individual variations may be valuable in future efforts to enhance our understanding of anxiety and stress neurobiology in animal models and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhon Buenhombre
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agrarian Science, Animal Welfare Program, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia
- ICB Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Erika Alexandra Daza-Cardona
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agrarian Science, Animal Welfare Program, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Astrid Rivera
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agrarian Science, Animal Welfare Program, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Catalina Medrano-Galarza
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agrarian Science, Animal Welfare Program, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - María Nelly Cajiao-Pachón
- Especialización en Bienestar Animal y Etología, Fundación Universitaria Agraria de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Francisco Vargas
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agrarian Science, Animal Welfare Program, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Adriana Pedraza-Toscano
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agrarian Science, Animal Welfare Program, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Pêssi Sousa
- ICB Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
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3
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Réalis-Doyelle E, Cottin N, Daufresne M, Naffrechoux E, Reynaud S, Guillard J. Evolution of pace-of-life syndrome under conditions of maternal PCB contamination and global warming in early life stages of cold stenothermic fish (Arctic char). AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 255:106396. [PMID: 36657268 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The end of the 20th century was characterised by rapid modifications of ecosystem functioning under different pressures (such as eutrophication and toxic pollution). Increasing temperatures in the context of global warming could have indirect consequences, such as increased bioavailability of hydrophobic organic pollutants amongst aquatic species. According to the "pace-of-life syndrome" (POLS) theory, these stressors could lead to covariations in many life traits. Lake Bourget is the largest natural lake in France and has been highly polluted from the fifties to the eighties both with a high load of nutrients (wastewater discharge) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (industrial effluent discharge). Despite improvements in water quality since the 21st century, PCB levels are still higher than the United States Environmental Protection Agency cut-off for wildlife protection. The population of Arctic char, a cold stenothermic salmonid, has remained low in Lake Bourget for the last ten years despite restocking efforts and complete re-oligotrophication. We hypothesised that PCB pollution can affect the Arctic char population and that the increase in water temperature could magnify the effects of PCB. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal PCB contamination on offspring using a multiparametric and multiscale approach. Female Arctic char were contaminated with PCB before spawning, and each fertilised spawn was incubated at two temperatures (4 and 8.5 °C). The results showed that co-exposure to increased temperature and maternal PCB contamination influenced biodemographic, physiological, and behavioural parameters. The effects were highly dependant on the developmental stage. Based on the POLS theory, a continuum of life traits that may reflect potential physiological and behavioural modifications in response to these concurrent stressors is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Réalis-Doyelle
- Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, INRAE, CARRTEL, 74200 Thonon-les-Bains, France; Pôle R&D ECLA (ECosystèmes LAcustres) (OFB - INRAE - USMB), France.
| | | | | | | | | | - Jean Guillard
- Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, INRAE, CARRTEL, 74200 Thonon-les-Bains, France; Pôle R&D ECLA (ECosystèmes LAcustres) (OFB - INRAE - USMB), France
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4
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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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5
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Baker MR, Wong RY. Npas4a expression in the teleost forebrain is associated with stress coping style differences in fear learning. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12074. [PMID: 34103598 PMCID: PMC8187387 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91495-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning to anticipate potentially dangerous contexts is an adaptive behavioral response to coping with stressors. An animal's stress coping style (e.g. proactive-reactive axis) is known to influence how it encodes salient events. However, the neural and molecular mechanisms underlying these stress coping style differences in learning are unknown. Further, while a number of neuroplasticity-related genes have been associated with alternative stress coping styles, it is unclear if these genes may bias the development of conditioned behavioral responses to stressful stimuli, and if so, which brain regions are involved. Here, we trained adult zebrafish to associate a naturally aversive olfactory cue with a given context. Next, we investigated if expression of two neural plasticity and neurotransmission-related genes (npas4a and gabbr1a) were associated with the contextual fear conditioning differences between proactive and reactive stress coping styles. Reactive zebrafish developed a stronger conditioned fear response and showed significantly higher npas4a expression in the medial and lateral zones of the dorsal telencephalon (Dm, Dl), and the supracommissural nucleus of the ventral telencephalon (Vs). Our findings suggest that the expression of activity-dependent genes like npas4a may be differentially expressed across several interconnected forebrain regions in response to fearful stimuli and promote biases in fear learning among different stress coping styles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Baker
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, USA
| | - Ryan Y Wong
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge St, Omaha, NE, 68182, USA.
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6
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Geffroy B, Alfonso S, Sadoul B, Blumstein DT. A World for Reactive Phenotypes. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2020.611919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans currently occupy all continents and by doing so, modify the environment and create novel threats to many species; a phenomenon known as human-induced rapid environmental changes (HIREC). These growing anthropogenic disturbances represent major and relatively new environmental challenges for many animals, and invariably alter selection on traits adapted to previous environments. Those species that survive often have moved from their original habitat or modified their phenotype through plasticity or genetic evolution. Based on the most recent advances in this research area, we predict that wild individuals with highly plastic capacities, relatively high basal stress level, and that are generally shy—in other words, individuals displaying a reactive phenotype—should better cope with sudden and widespread HIREC than their counterparts' proactive phenotypes. If true, this selective response would have profound ecological and evolutionary consequences and can therefore impact conservation strategies, specifically with respect to managing the distribution and abundance of individuals and maintaining evolutionary potential. These insights may help design adaptive management strategies to maintain genetic variation in the context of HIREC.
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7
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Armstrong EA, Voelkl B, Voegeli S, Gebhardt-Henrich SG, Guy JH, Sandilands V, Boswell T, Toscano MJ, Smulders TV. Cell Proliferation in the Adult Chicken Hippocampus Correlates With Individual Differences in Time Spent in Outdoor Areas and Tonic Immobility. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:587. [PMID: 33005647 PMCID: PMC7479223 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Access to outdoor areas is provided as a means of enhancing welfare in commercial systems for laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus), but substantial individual differences exist in their proportional use. Baseline cell proliferation levels of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis (AHN) have been associated with individual differences in reactive vs. proactive coping style, and in both mammals and birds, AHN is upregulated by positive experiences including environmental enrichment and exercise. We thus sought to explore whether individual differences in use of outdoor areas and in tonic immobility responses (indicative of fearfulness) were associated with hippocampal cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation. Radio frequency identification technology was used to track the ranging behavior of 440 individual focal hens within a commercially-relevant system over a 72-days period, after which tonic immobility durations were measured. Following hippocampal tissue collection from 58 focal hens, proliferation and neuronal differentiation were measured through quantitative PCR for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and doublecortin mRNA, respectively. Individual differences in tonic immobility duration positively correlated with PCNA expression over the whole hippocampal formation, while greater time spent in outdoor areas (the grassy range and stone yard) was associated with higher proliferation in the rostral subregion. Basal proliferation in the chicken hippocampal formation may thus relate to reactivity, while levels in the rostral region may be stimulated by ranging experience. Doublecortin expression in the caudal hippocampus negatively co-varied with time on the grassy range, but was not associated with tonic immobility duration. This suggests that ranging outside may be associated with stress. Within laying hen flocks, individual differences in hippocampal plasticity thus relate to coping style and use of external areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena A Armstrong
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.,Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Bernhard Voelkl
- Centre for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Voegeli
- Centre for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Jonathan H Guy
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.,School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Sandilands
- Department of Agriculture, Horticulture, and Engineering Science, SRUC, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Boswell
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.,School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Toscano
- Centre for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tom V Smulders
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.,Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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8
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Stress coping styles: Is the basal level of stress physiological indicators linked to behaviour of sea bream? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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9
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Johansen IB, Höglund E, Øverli Ø. Individual Variations and Coping Style. Anim Welf 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-41675-1_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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10
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Carbonara P, Alfonso S, Zupa W, Manfrin A, Fiocchi E, Pretto T, Spedicato MT, Lembo G. Behavioral and physiological responses to stocking density in sea bream (Sparus aurata): Do coping styles matter? Physiol Behav 2019; 212:112698. [PMID: 31626890 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Stocking density is considered a stress factor for fish and is therefore one of the numerous concerns about fish welfare in an aquaculture context. Stress coping styles (SCS) are defined as a coherent set of individual physiological and behavioral differences in stress responses that are consistent across time and context and appear to be promising for improving fish welfare in aquaculture. The aim of the present study was to describe the physiological and zootechnical performances of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) at different stocking densities (low density, LD: 15 kg/m3 and high density, HD: 30 kg/m3), depending on individual SCS. To do so, the fish SCS were first screened by measuring boldness (prior to the experiment). Three consecutive samplings were performed over the experiment to measure several blood parameters, including hematocrit (Hct), red blood cell count (RBCC), hemoglobin (Hb), cortisol, adrenalin, noradrenalin, glucose, lactate, and lysozyme, to infer the consequence of the SCS profile on the welfare condition in response to stocking density. Finally, swimming activity was recorded in a subsample of individuals (9 BOLD and 9 SHY individuals per density), and BOLD individuals displayed higher swimming activity than SHY ones at HD, while the opposite pattern was observed at LD. According to principal component analysis, physiological parameters are linked to the SCS profile, mostly at the beginning of the experiment, while density effects on physiology remain during the entire experiment duration. In conclusion, regarding all the variables observed, fish SCS appeared to be promising criteria to select the most adaptive individuals relating to rearing conditions and therefore improve welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Amedeo Manfrin
- Istituto Zooprofilattico delle Venezie, sede di Adria, Italy
| | | | - Tobia Pretto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico delle Venezie, sede di Adria, Italy
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11
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Effects of different levels of environmental enrichment on the sheltering behaviors, brain development and cortisol levels of black rockfish Sebastes schlegelii. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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12
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Contextual fear learning and memory differ between stress coping styles in zebrafish. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9935. [PMID: 31289317 PMCID: PMC6617452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46319-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals frequently overcome stressors and the ability to learn and recall these salient experiences is essential to an individual’s survival. As part of an animal’s stress coping style, behavioral and physiological responses to stressors are often consistent across contexts and time. However, we are only beginning to understand how cognitive traits can be biased by different coping styles. Here we investigate learning and memory differences in zebrafish (Danio rerio) displaying proactive and reactive stress coping styles. We assessed learning rate and memory duration using an associative fear conditioning paradigm that trained zebrafish to associate a context with exposure to a natural olfactory alarm cue. Our results show that both proactive and reactive zebrafish learn and remember this fearful association. However, we note significant interaction effects between stress coping style and cognition. Zebrafish with the reactive stress coping style acquired the fear memory at a significantly faster rate than proactive fish. While both stress coping styles showed equal memory recall one day post-conditioning, reactive zebrafish showed significantly stronger recall of the conditioned context relative to proactive fish four days post-conditioning. Through understanding how stress coping strategies promote biases in processing salient information, we gain insight into mechanisms that can constrain adaptive behavioral responses.
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13
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Wilson V, Guenther A, Øverli Ø, Seltmann MW, Altschul D. Future Directions for Personality Research: Contributing New Insights to the Understanding of Animal Behavior. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:E240. [PMID: 31096599 PMCID: PMC6562689 DOI: 10.3390/ani9050240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
As part of the European Conference on Behavioral Biology 2018, we organized a symposium entitled, "Animal personality: providing new insights into behavior?" The aims of this symposium were to address current research in the personality field, spanning both behavioral ecology and psychology, to highlight the future directions for this research, and to consider whether differential approaches to studying behavior contribute something new to the understanding of animal behavior. In this paper, we discuss the study of endocrinology and ontogeny in understanding how behavioral variation is generated and maintained, despite selection pressures assumed to reduce this variation. We consider the potential mechanisms that could link certain traits to fitness outcomes through longevity and cognition. We also address the role of individual differences in stress coping, mortality, and health risk, and how the study of these relationships could be applied to improve animal welfare. From the insights provided by these topics, we assert that studying individual differences through the lens of personality has provided new directions in behavioral research, and we encourage further research in these directions, across this interdisciplinary field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Wilson
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göettingen, Germany.
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University, 37077 Göettingen, Germany.
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Anja Guenther
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany.
| | - Øyvind Øverli
- Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-0508 Oslo, Norway.
| | | | - Drew Altschul
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
- Center for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
- Scottish Primate Research Group.
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14
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Wong RY, French J, Russ JB. Differences in stress reactivity between zebrafish with alternative stress coping styles. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181797. [PMID: 31218026 PMCID: PMC6549991 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Animals experience stress in a variety of contexts and the behavioural and neuroendocrine responses to stress can vary among conspecifics. The responses across stressors often covary within an individual and are consistently different between individuals, which represent distinct stress coping styles (e.g. proactive and reactive). While studies have identified differences in peak glucocorticoid levels, less is known about how cortisol levels differ between stress coping styles at other time points of the glucocorticoid stress response. Here we quantified whole-body cortisol levels and stress-related behaviours (e.g. depth preference, movement) at time points representing the rise and recovery periods of the stress response in zebrafish lines selectively bred to display the proactive and reactive coping style. We found that cortisol levels and stress behaviours are significantly different between the lines, sexes and time points. Further, individuals from the reactive line showed significantly higher cortisol levels during the rising phase of the stress response compared with those from the proactive line. We also observed a significant correlation between individual variation of cortisol levels and depth preference but only in the reactive line. Our results show that differences in cortisol levels between the alternative stress coping styles extend to the rising phase of the endocrine stress response and that cortisol levels may explain variation in depth preferences in the reactive line. Differences in the timing and duration of cortisol levels may influence immediate behavioural displays and longer lasting neuromolecular mechanisms that modulate future responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Y. Wong
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
| | - Jeffrey French
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
| | - Jacalyn B. Russ
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
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15
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Alfonso S, Sadoul B, Gesto M, Joassard L, Chatain B, Geffroy B, Bégout ML. Coping styles in European sea bass: The link between boldness, stress response and neurogenesis. Physiol Behav 2019; 207:76-85. [PMID: 31047951 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Coping styles consist of a coherent set of individual physiological and behavioral differences in stress responses that are consistent across time and context. Such consistent inter-individual differences in behavior have already been shown in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), but the associated mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here, we combine physiological measurements with individual behavioral responses in order to characterize coping styles in fish. Fish were tagged and placed in a tank for group risk-taking tests (GRT) at 8 months of age to evaluate boldness using the proxy latency of leaving a sheltered area towards an open area. A subsample of these fish were individually challenged 16 months later using an open field test (OFT), in which the boldness was assessed after being placed in a shelter within an open arena. Latency to exit the shelter, time spent in the shelter, and distance travelled were recorded for this purpose. The blood and brain were then collected to evaluate plasma cortisol concentration and neurotransmitter levels (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and related metabolites), as well as brain transcription of key genes involved in stress axis regulation (gr1, gr2, mr, crf), neurogenesis (neurod1, neurod2, pcna), and neuronal development (egr1). Fish acting bolder in the GRT were not necessarily those acting bolder in the OFT, highlighting the relatively low consistency across different types of tests performed with a 16-months interval. There was, however, a significant correlation between stress markers and boldness. Indeed, mRNA levels of mr, crf, gr2, egr1, and neurod2, as well as norepinephrine levels were higher in shy than bold fish, whereas brain serotonergic activity was lower in shy fish. Overall, our study highlights the fact that boldness was not consistent over time when testing context differed (group vs. alone). This is in agreement with previous literature suggesting that social context play a key role in boldness measurement and that the particular life history of each individual may account in shaping the personality fate of a fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Alfonso
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-les-flots, France; Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques, Ifremer, Place Gaby Coll, F-17137 L'Houmeau, France.
| | - Bastien Sadoul
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-les-flots, France
| | - Manuel Gesto
- Technical University of Denmark, Willemoesvej 2 Building Hovedbygning, D-9850 Hirtshals, Denmark
| | - Lucette Joassard
- Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques, Ifremer, Place Gaby Coll, F-17137 L'Houmeau, France
| | - Béatrice Chatain
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-les-flots, France
| | - Benjamin Geffroy
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-les-flots, France
| | - Marie-Laure Bégout
- Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques, Ifremer, Place Gaby Coll, F-17137 L'Houmeau, France
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16
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Geffroy B, Sadoul B, Bouchareb A, Prigent S, Bourdineaud JP, Gonzalez-Rey M, Morais RN, Mela M, Nobre Carvalho L, Bessa E. Nature-Based Tourism Elicits a Phenotypic Shift in the Coping Abilities of Fish. Front Physiol 2018; 9:13. [PMID: 29459828 PMCID: PMC5807742 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Nature-based tourism is gaining extensive popularity, increasing the intensity and frequency of human-wildlife contacts. As a consequence, behavioral and physiological alterations were observed in most exposed animals. However, while the majority of these studies investigated the effects of punctual exposure to tourists, the consequences of constant exposition to humans in the wild remains overlooked. This is an important gap considering the exponential interest for recreational outdoor activities. To infer long-term effects of intensive tourism, we capitalized on Odontostilbe pequira, a short-lived sedentary Tetra fish who spends its life close to humans, on which it feeds on dead skin. Hence, those fish are constantly exposed to tourists throughout their lifecycle. Here we provide an integrated picture of the whole phenomenon by investigating, for the first time, the expression of genes involved in stress response and neurogenesis, as well as behavioral and hormonal responses of animals consistently exposed to tourists. Gene expression of the mineralocorticoid (and cortisol) receptor (mr) and the neurogenic differentiation factor (NeuroD) were significantly higher in fish sampled in the touristic zone compared to those sampled in the control zone. Additionally, after a simulated stress in artificial and controlled conditions, those fish previously exposed to visitors produced more cortisol and presented increased behavioral signs of stress compared to their non-exposed conspecifics. Overall, nature-based tourism appeared to shift selection pressures, favoring a sensitive phenotype that does not thrive under natural conditions. The ecological implications of this change in coping style remain, nevertheless, an open question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Geffroy
- Center of Study of the Meridional Amazon, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Sinop, Brazil.,Institute of Biological, Human and Social Sciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso UFMT, Sinop, Brazil.,Ifremer, IRD, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR MARBEC, University of Montpellier, Palavas-Les-Flots, France
| | - Bastien Sadoul
- Ifremer, IRD, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR MARBEC, University of Montpellier, Palavas-Les-Flots, France.,Environmental Physiology and Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Amine Bouchareb
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvain Prigent
- Biogenouest, Biosit - UMS Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 3480/US INSERM 018, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Jean-Paul Bourdineaud
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5805, Aquatic Toxicology, University of Bordeaux, Arcachon, France
| | - Maria Gonzalez-Rey
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5805, Aquatic Toxicology, University of Bordeaux, Arcachon, France
| | - Rosana N Morais
- Department of Cellular Biology and Physiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Maritana Mela
- Department of Cellular Biology and Physiology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Lucélia Nobre Carvalho
- Center of Study of the Meridional Amazon, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Sinop, Brazil.,Institute of Biological, Human and Social Sciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso UFMT, Sinop, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Bessa
- Graduate Program in Ecology, University of Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
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17
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Summers TR, Summers TL, Carpenter RE, Smith JP, Young SL, Meyerink B, Orr TZ, Arendt DH, Summers CH. Learning and CRF-Induced Indecision during Escape and Submission in Rainbow Trout during Socially Aggressive Interactions in the Stress-Alternatives Model. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:515. [PMID: 28966574 PMCID: PMC5605647 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Socially stressful environments induce a phenotypic dichotomy of coping measures for populations in response to a dominant aggressor and given a route of egress. This submission- (Stay) or escape-oriented (Escape) dichotomy represents individual decision-making under the stressful influence of hostile social environments. We utilized the Stress-Alternatives Model (SAM) to explore behavioral factors which might predict behavioral phenotype in rainbow trout. The SAM is a compartmentalized tank, with smaller and larger trout separated by an opaque divider until social interaction, and another divider occluding a safety zone, accessible by way of an escape route only large enough for the smaller fish. We hypothesized that distinctive behavioral responses during the first social interaction would indicate a predisposition for one of the behavioral phenotypes in the subsequent interactions. Surprisingly, increased amount or intensity of aggression received had no significant effect on promoting escape in test fish. In fact, during the first day of interaction, fish that turned toward their larger opponent during attack eventually learned to escape. Escaping fish also learn to monitor the patrolling behavior of aggressors, and eventually escape primarily when they are not being observed. Escape per se, was also predicted in trout exhibiting increased movements directed toward the escape route. By contrast, fish that consistently remained in the tank with the aggressor (Stay) showed significantly higher frequency of swimming in subordinate positions, at the top or the bottom of the water column, as well as sitting at the bottom. In addition, a corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-induced behavior, snap-shake, was also displayed in untreated fish during aggressive social interaction, and blocked by a CRF1 receptor antagonist. Especially prevalent among the Stay phenotype, snap-shake indicates indecision regarding escape-related behaviors. Snap-shake was also exhibited by fish of the Escape phenotype, showing a positive correlation with latency to escape. These results demonstrate adaptive responses to stress that reflect evolutionarily conserved stress neurocircuitry which may translate to psychological disorders and decision-making across vertebrate taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tangi R Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South DakotaVermillion, SD, United States.,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South DakotaVermillion, SD, United States.,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care SystemSioux Falls, SD, United States
| | - Torrie L Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South DakotaVermillion, SD, United States.,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South DakotaVermillion, SD, United States
| | - Russ E Carpenter
- Program in Writing and Rhetoric, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA, United States
| | - Justin P Smith
- Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care SystemSioux Falls, SD, United States.,Institute of PossibilitySioux Falls, SD, United States.,Data Analytics, Sanford HealthSioux Falls, SD, United States
| | | | - Brandon Meyerink
- Department of Biology, University of South DakotaVermillion, SD, United States
| | - T Zachary Orr
- Department of Biology, University of South DakotaVermillion, SD, United States.,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care SystemSioux Falls, SD, United States
| | - David H Arendt
- Children's Hospital Colorado-Research InstituteAurora, CO, United States
| | - Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South DakotaVermillion, SD, United States.,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South DakotaVermillion, SD, United States.,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care SystemSioux Falls, SD, United States
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18
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Höglund E, Silva PIM, Vindas MA, Øverli Ø. Contrasting Coping Styles Meet the Wall: A Dopamine Driven Dichotomy in Behavior and Cognition. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:383. [PMID: 28790881 PMCID: PMC5522876 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual variation in the ability to modify previously learned behavior is an important dimension of trait correlations referred to as coping styles, behavioral syndromes or personality. These trait clusters have been shaped by natural selection, and underlying control mechanisms are often conserved throughout vertebrate evolution. In teleost fishes, behavioral flexibility and coping style have been studied in the high (HR) and low-responsive (LR) rainbow trout lines. Generally, proactive LR trout show a behavior guided by previously learned routines, while HR trout show a more flexible behavior relying on environmental cues. In mammals, routine dependent vs. flexible behavior has been connected to variation in limbic dopamine (DA) signaling. Here, we studied the link between limbic DA signaling and individual variation in flexibility in teleost fishes by a reversal learning approach. HR/LR trout were challenged by blocking a learned escape route, previously available during interaction with a large and aggressive conspecific. LR trout performed a higher number of failed escape attempts against the transparent blockage, while HR trout were more able to inhibit the now futile escape impulse. Regionally discrete changes in DA neurochemistry were observed in micro dissected limbic areas of the telencephalon. Most notably, DA utilization in the dorsomedial telencephalon (DM, a suggested amygdala equivalent) remained stable in HR trout in response to reversal learning under acute stress, while increasing from an initially lower level in LR trout. In summary, these results support the view that limbic homologs control individual differences in behavioral flexibility even in non-mammalian vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Höglund
- Norwegian Institute of Water ResearchOslo, Norway.,Centre of Coastal Research, University of AgderKristiansand, Norway
| | - Patricia I M Silva
- Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do AlgarveFaro, Portugal.,Section for Aquaculture, Institute for Aquatic Resources, Danish Technical UniversityHirtshals, Denmark
| | - Marco A Vindas
- Uni Environment, Uni Research ASBergen, Norway.,Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg University, Sahlgrenska AcademyGothenburg, Sweden
| | - Øyvind Øverli
- Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life SciencesOslo, Norway
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19
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Powers AS. Preface. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2016; 87:143-145. [PMID: 27560929 DOI: 10.1159/000447046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
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