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López-Gutiérrez MF, Mejía-Chávez S, Alcauter S, Portillo W. The neural circuits of monogamous behavior. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:978344. [PMID: 36247729 PMCID: PMC9559370 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.978344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The interest in studying the neural circuits related to mating behavior and mate choice in monogamous species lies in the parallels found between human social structure and sexual behavior and that of other mammals that exhibit social monogamy, potentially expanding our understanding of human neurobiology and its underlying mechanisms. Extensive research has suggested that social monogamy, as opposed to non-monogamy in mammals, is a consequence of the neural encoding of sociosensory information from the sexual partner with an increased reward value. Thus, the reinforced value of the mate outweighs the reward value of mating with any other potential sexual partners. This mechanism reinforces the social relationship of a breeding pair, commonly defined as a pair bond. In addition to accentuated prosocial behaviors toward the partner, other characteristic behaviors may appear, such as territorial and partner guarding, selective aggression toward unfamiliar conspecifics, and biparental care. Concomitantly, social buffering and distress upon partner separation are also observed. The following work intends to overview and compare known neural and functional circuits that are related to mating and sexual behavior in monogamous mammals. We will particularly discuss reports on Cricetid rodents of the Microtus and Peromyscus genus, and New World primates (NWP), such as the Callicebinae subfamily of the titi monkey and the marmoset (Callithrix spp.). In addition, we will mention the main factors that modulate the neural circuits related to social monogamy and how that modulation may reflect phenotypic differences, ultimately creating the widely observed diversity in social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Wendy Portillo
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
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2
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Klimova NV, Chadaeva IV, Shichevich SG, Kozhemyakina RV. Differential expression of 10 genes in the hypothalamus of two generations of rats selected for a reaction to humans. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2022; 25:208-215. [PMID: 35083397 PMCID: PMC8698098 DOI: 10.18699/vj21.50-o] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual behavioral differences are due to an interaction of the genotype and the environment. Phenotypic manifestation of aggressive behavior depends on the coordinated expression of gene ensembles. Nonetheless,
the identification of these genes and of combinations of their mutual influence on expression remains a difficult
task. Using animal models of aggressive behavior (gray rats that were selected for a reaction to humans; tame and
aggressive rat strains), we evaluated the expression of 10 genes potentially associated with aggressiveness according
to the literature: Cacna1b, Cacna2d3, Drd2, Egr1, Gad2, Gria2, Mapk1, Nos1, Pomc, and Syn1. To identify the genes most
important for the manifestation of aggressiveness, we analyzed the expression of these genes in two generations of
rats: 88th and 90th. Assessment of gene expression levels was carried out by real-time PCR in the hypothalamus of
tame and aggressive rats. This analysis confirmed that 4 out of the 10 genes differ in expression levels between aggressive rats and tame rats in both generations. Specifically, it was shown that the expression of the Cacna1b, Drd2,
Egr1, and Gad2 genes does not differ between the two generations (88th vs 90th) within each strain, but significantly
differs between the strains: in the tame rats of both generations, the expression levels of these genes are significantly
lower as compared to those in the aggressive rats. Therefore, these genes hold promise for further studies on behavioral characteristics. Thus, we confirmed polygenic causes of phenotypic manifestation of aggressive reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- N V Klimova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - I V Chadaeva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - S G Shichevich
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - R V Kozhemyakina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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3
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Lambert CT, Lichter JB, Perry AN, Castillo SA, Keane B, Cushing BS, Solomon NG. Medial amygdala ERα expression influences monogamous behaviour of male prairie voles in the field. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210318. [PMID: 34344176 PMCID: PMC8334872 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Formation of long-term pair-bonds is a complex process, involving multiple neural circuits and is context- and experience-dependent. While laboratory studies using prairie voles have identified the involvement of several neural mechanisms, efforts to translate these findings into predictable field outcomes have been inconsistent at best. Here we test the hypothesis that inhibition of oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in the medial amygdala of male prairie voles would significantly increase the expression of social monogamy in the field. Prairie vole populations of equal sex ratio were established in outdoor enclosures with males bred for high levels of ERα expression and low levels of prosocial behaviour associated with social monogamy. Medial amygdala ERα expression was knocked down in half the males per population. Knockdown males displayed a greater degree of social monogamy in five of the eight behavioural indices assessed. This study demonstrates the robust nature of ERα in playing a critical role in the expression of male social monogamy in a field setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adam N. Perry
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Samuel A. Castillo
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Brian Keane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Miami University—Regionals, Hamilton, OH 45011, USA
| | - Bruce S. Cushing
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
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4
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Ortiz R, Yee JR, Kulkarni PP, Solomon NG, Keane B, Cai X, Ferris CF, Cushing BS. Differences in Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and Resting-State Functional Connectivity Between Two Culturally Distinct Populations of Prairie Vole. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 7:588-597. [PMID: 33239258 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We used the highly prosocial prairie vole to test the hypothesis that higher-order brain structure-microarchitecture and functional connectivity (FC)-would differ between males from populations with distinctly different levels of prosocial behavior. Specifically, we studied males from Illinois (IL), which display high levels of prosocial behavior, and first generation males from Kansas dams and IL males (KI), which display the lowest level of prosocial behavior and higher aggression. Behavioral differences between these males are associated with overexpression of estrogen receptor alpha in the medial amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and neuropeptide expression in the paraventricular nucleus. METHODS We compared apparent diffusion coefficient, fractional anisotropy, and blood oxygen level-dependent resting-state FC between males. RESULTS IL males displayed higher apparent diffusion coefficient in regions associated with prosocial behavior, including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular nucleus, and anterior thalamic nuclei, while KI males showed higher apparent diffusion coefficient in the brainstem. KI males showed significantly higher fractional anisotropy than IL males in 26 brain regions, with the majority being in the brainstem reticular activating system. IL males showed more blood oxygen level-dependent resting-state FC between the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular nucleus, and medial amygdala along with other brain regions, including the hippocampus and areas associated with social and reward networks. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that gray matter microarchitecture and FC may play a role the expression of prosocial behavior and that differences in other brain regions, especially the brainstem, could be involved. The differences between males suggests that this system represents a potentially valuable model system for studying emotional differences and vulnerability to stress and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Ortiz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas
| | - Jason R Yee
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Praveen P Kulkarni
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Brian Keane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Miami University, Hamilton, Ohio
| | - Xuezhu Cai
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Craig F Ferris
- Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Bruce S Cushing
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas.
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5
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Lian T, Zhang X, Wang X, Wang R, Gao H, Tai F, Yu Q. Neonatal exposure to chlordecone alters female social behaviors and central estrogen alpha receptor expression in socially monogamous mandarin voles. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2020; 9:173-181. [PMID: 32670549 DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfaa014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlordecone (CD) is one of the common persistent organic pollutants in nature and has a profound impact on the environment and on public health. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that neonatal exposure of CD influences adult physiology and behavior due to its estrogenic properties. Using socially monogamous mandarin voles as an experimental animal model, the present study aimed to evaluate the impact of neonatal exposure to CD on female social behaviors and central estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) expression in adulthood. After receiving a single subcutaneous injection with sesame seed oil (female control group), 17 beta-estradiol (E2 group), or CD group on postnatal Day 1, the social behaviors of adult animals and ERα expression in specific brain regions were assessed. The data indicated that CD or E2-treated female animals displayed increased affiliative behaviors and decreased aggressive behaviors with regard to the unfamiliar females in the social interaction test. In addition, CD or E2-treated female voles exhibited significant preferences to females over males in the sexual preference test. Moreover, CD-treated female animals exhibited higher levels of ERα expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the central amygdala, the medial amygdala and the medial preoptic area compared with those of the control voles. The results suggested that neonatal exposure to CD may masculinize female social behaviors, possibly via CD-induced changes in the ERα expression of relevant brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Lian
- Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China.,Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Respiratory Disease, School of Clinical Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Xudong Zhang
- China-Nepal Friendship Medical Research center of Rajiv Kumar Jha, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road,Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Xiye Wang
- Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Respiratory Disease, School of Clinical Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road,Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Huan Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road,Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Changan South Road, Yanta District, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Qi Yu
- Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xinwang Road, Weiyang District, Xi'an 710021, China
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6
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Sagoshi S, Maejima S, Morishita M, Takenawa S, Otubo A, Takanami K, Sakamoto T, Sakamoto H, Tsukahara S, Ogawa S. Detection and Characterization of Estrogen Receptor Beta Expression in the Brain with Newly Developed Transgenic Mice. Neuroscience 2020; 438:182-197. [PMID: 32387645 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.04.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Two types of nuclear estrogen receptors, ERα and ERβ, have been shown to be differentially involved in the regulation of various types of behaviors. Due to a lack of tools for identifying ERβ expression, detailed anatomical distribution and neurochemical characteristics of ERβ expressing cells and cellular co-expression with ERα remain unclear. We have generated transgenic mice ERβ-RFPtg, in which RFP was inserted downstream of ERβ BAC promotor. We verified RFP signals as ERβ by confirming: (1) high ERβ mRNA levels in RFP-expressing cells collected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting; and (2) co-localization of ERβ mRNA and RFP proteins in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Strong ERβ-RFP signals were found in the PVN, medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial amygdala (MeA), and dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). In the MPOA and MeA, three types of cell populations were identified; those expressing both ERα and ERβ, and those expressing exclusively either ERα or ERβ. The majority of PVN and DRN cells expressed only ERβ-RFP. Further, ERβ-RFP positive cells co-expressed oxytocin in the PVN, and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 and progesterone receptors in the DRN. In the MeA, some ERβ-RFP positive cells co-expressed oxytocin receptors. These findings collectively suggest that ERβ-RFPtg mice can be a powerful tool for future studies on ERβ function in the estrogenic regulation of social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Sagoshi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Sho Maejima
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Masahiro Morishita
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Satoshi Takenawa
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Akito Otubo
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Keiko Takanami
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Sakamoto
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Sakamoto
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Sonoko Ogawa
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
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7
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Oshchepkov D, Ponomarenko M, Klimova N, Chadaeva I, Bragin A, Sharypova E, Shikhevich S, Kozhemyakina R. A Rat Model of Human Behavior Provides Evidence of Natural Selection Against Underexpression of Aggressiveness-Related Genes in Humans. Front Genet 2019; 10:1267. [PMID: 31921305 PMCID: PMC6923764 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggressiveness is a hereditary behavioral pattern that forms a social hierarchy and affects the individual social rank and accordingly quality and duration of life. Thus, genome-wide studies of human aggressiveness are important. Nonetheless, the aggressiveness-related genome-wide studies have been conducted on animals rather than humans. Recently, in our genome-wide study, we uncovered natural selection against underexpression of human aggressiveness-related genes and proved it using F1 hybrid mice. Simultaneously, this natural selection equally supports two opposing traits in humans (dominance and subordination) as if self-domestication could have happened with its disruptive natural selection. Because there is still not enough scientific evidence that this could happen, here, we verified this natural selection pattern using quantitative PCR and two outbred rat lines (70 generations of artificial selection for aggressiveness or tameness, hereinafter: domestication). We chose seven genes—Cacna2d3, Gad2, Gria2, Mapk1, Nos1, Pomc, and Syn1—over- or underexpression of which corresponds to aggressive or domesticated behavior (in humans or mice) that has the same direction as natural selection. Comparing aggressive male rats with domesticated ones, we found that these genes are overexpressed statistically significantly in the hypothalamus (as a universal behavior regulator), not in the periaqueductal gray, where there was no aggressiveness-related expression of the genes in males. Database STRING showed statistically significant associations of the human genes homologous to these rat genes with long-term depression, circadian entrainment, Alzheimer’s disease, and the central nervous system disorders during chronic IL-6 overexpression. This finding more likely supports positive perspectives of further studies on self-domestication syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Oshchepkov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Mikhail Ponomarenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Natural Science Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Natalya Klimova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Irina Chadaeva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Natural Science Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anatoly Bragin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Sharypova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Natural Science Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Svetlana Shikhevich
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Rimma Kozhemyakina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Natural Science Department, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
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8
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Maternal and paternal origin differentially affect prosocial behavior and neural mechanisms in prairie voles. Behav Brain Res 2019; 360:94-102. [PMID: 30521929 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This study tested the hypotheses that maternal and paternal effects differentially influence expression of their offspring's adult behavior and underlying neural mechanisms. We predicted that maternal influences would be greater than paternal influences on male offspring. We tested these hypotheses by cross-breeding two phenotypically-, behaviorally- and neuroanatomically-distinct populations of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) from Illinois, which are highly prosocial, and Kansas, which are significantly less prosocial. Females from each population were crossed with males from the other population. F1 crosses were tested as adults to determine the effect of parentage on the expression of prosocial behavior and aggression, using a same-sex dyadic encounter and a heterosexual partner preference test, and for the expression of oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). As predicted, all significant differences in males, behavioral, OT and AVP immunoreactivity, were associated exclusively with maternal influences. There was a significant effect of treatment in the OT immunoreactivity of females. The effect of treatment in females' OT was associated with an interaction of population and sex, while same-sex social interactions differences were associated with population. Finally, in females, paternity influenced heterosexual bonds, with females with Illinois sires forming a partner preference. The results indicate that maternal influences dominate in male offspring, suggesting a parent-of-origin effect, while paternal effects are limited to selected prosocial behavioral expression in daughters.
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9
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Ruscio MG, King SB, Kinley-Cooper SK, McKendrick G. Social environment affects central distribution of estrogen receptor-α in Peromyscus californicus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 269:81-87. [PMID: 30145237 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Social environment has well-established effects on an animal's social behavior and associated neuroendocrine responses. The presence of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in limbic system brain regions is related to the expression of a variety of social, reproductive and aggressive behaviors. We hypothesized that alterations to the social environment, specifically social isolation, would cause changes in ERα throughout the limbic system. The number of ERα immunoreactive (ERα-ir) cells within specific limbic system brain regions was quantified in male and female California mice (Peromyscus californicus), isolated or same sex pair-housed for 4 or 24 days. Peromyscus californicus is a highly social rodent species (monogamous and bi-parental) and therefore, may be particularly sensitive to manipulations of its social environment. Isolated males had a significantly greater number of ERα-ir cells in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) and similar patterns within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and medial preoptic area (MPOA). Males housed for 24 days had a significantly greater number of ERα-ir cells in the BST, VMH, MPOA when compared with males housed for 4 days. Females housed for 24 days had significantly greater ERα-ir in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG) when compared with females housed for 4 days. No differences were found in the medial amygdala (MeA). These data demonstrate that social environment has region and sex specific effects on ERα-ir cells in this species. These results add to the comparative evidence regarding ERα, demonstrating a consistent role for ERα in species specific responsiveness to changes in the social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Ruscio
- Department of Psychology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29412, United States.
| | - S Bradley King
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, United States
| | - Serena-Kaye Kinley-Cooper
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, SC 29425, United States
| | - Greer McKendrick
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, SC 29425, United States
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10
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Abstract
Genetic monogamy is rare-at least at the level of a species-and monogamy can exist in the absence of sexual fidelity. Rather than focusing on mating exclusivity, it has become common to use the term "social monogamy" to describe a cluster of social features, including the capacity for selective and lasting social bonds, central to what humans call "love." Socially monogamous mammals often exhibit selective aggression toward strangers and form extended families. These features of social monogamy in mammals are supported by patterns of hormonal function originating in the neurobiology of maternity, including oxytocin, as well as a more primitive vasopressin pathway. Another key feature of social monogamy is reduced sexual dimorphism. Processes associated with sexual differentiation offer clues to the mysteries surrounding the evolution of monogamy. Although there is consistency in the necessary ingredients, it is likely that there is no single recipe for social monogamy. As reviewed here, genes for steroids and peptides and their receptors are variable and are subject to epigenetic regulation across the lifespan permitting individual, gender and species variations and providing substrates for evolution. Reduced sensitivity to gonadal androgens, and a concurrent increased reliance on vasopressin (for selective defense) and oxytocin (for selective affiliation) may have offered pathways to the emergence of social monogamy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Sue Carter
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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11
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Kalcounis-Rueppell MC, Petric R, Marler CA. The Bold, Silent Type: Predictors of Ultrasonic Vocalizations in the Genus Peromyscus. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
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12
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Ogawa S, Tsukahara S, Choleris E, Vasudevan N. Estrogenic regulation of social behavior and sexually dimorphic brain formation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 110:46-59. [PMID: 30392880 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
It has long been known that the estrogen, 17β-estradiol (17β-E), plays a central role for female reproductive physiology and behavior. Numerous studies have established the neurochemical and molecular basis of estrogenic induction of female sexual behavior, i.e., lordosis, in animal models. In addition, 17β-E also regulates male-type sexual and aggressive behavior. In males, testosterone secreted from the testes is irreversibly aromatized to 17β-E in the brain. We discuss the contribution of two nuclear receptor isoforms, estrogen receptor (ER)α and ERβ to the estrogenic regulation of sexually dimorphic brain formation and sex-typical expression of these social behaviors. Furthermore, 17β-E is a key player for social behaviors such as social investigation, preference, recognition and memory as well as anxiety-related behaviors in social contexts. Recent studies also demonstrated that not only nuclear receptor-mediated genomic signaling but also membrane receptor-mediated non-genomic actions of 17β-E may underlie the regulation of these behaviors. Finally, we will discuss how rapidly developing research tools and ideas allow us to investigate estrogenic action by emphasizing behavioral neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonoko Ogawa
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, 305-8577, Japan.
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Nandini Vasudevan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, WhiteKnights Campus, Reading, RG6 6AS, United Kingdom
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13
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Stetzik L, Ganshevsky D, Lende MN, Roache LE, Musatov S, Cushing BS. Inhibiting ERα expression in the medial amygdala increases prosocial behavior in male meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus). Behav Brain Res 2018; 351:42-48. [PMID: 29859197 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
This study tested the hypothesis that site-specific estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) expression is a critical factor in the expression of male prosocial behavior and aggression. Previous studies have shown that in the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) low levels of ERα expression, in the medial amygdala (MeA), play an essential role in the expression of high levels of male prosocial behavior and that increasing ERα expression reduced male prosocial behavior. We used an shRNA adeno-associated viral vector to knock down/inhibit ERα in the MeA of the polygynous male meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus), which displays significantly higher levels of ERα in the MeA than its monogamous relative. Control males were transfected with a luciferase expressing AAV vector. After treatment males participated in three social behavior tests, a same-sex dyadic encounter, an opposite-sex social preference test and an alloparental test. We predicted that decreasing MeA ERα would increase male meadow vole's prosocial behavior and reduce aggression. The results generally supported the hypothesis. Specifically, MeA knockdown males displayed lower levels of defensive aggression during dyadic encounters and increased levels of overall side-x-side physical contact with females during the social preference test, eliminating the partner preference observed in controls. There was no effect on pup interactions, with both treatments expressing low levels of alloparental behavior. Behaviors affected were similar to those in male prairie voles with increased ERα in the BST rather than the MeA, suggesting that relative changes of expression within these nuclei may play a critical role in regulating prosocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Stetzik
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, United States; Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100267, Gainesville, FL 32610-0267, United States
| | - Denis Ganshevsky
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, United States
| | - Michelle N Lende
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, United States
| | - Laura E Roache
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, United States
| | - Sergei Musatov
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell College of Medicine, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Bruce S Cushing
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso 79968, United States.
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14
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Kelly AM, Saunders AG, Ophir AG. Mechanistic substrates of a life history transition in male prairie voles: Developmental plasticity in affiliation and aggression corresponds to nonapeptide neuronal function. Horm Behav 2018; 99:14-24. [PMID: 29407458 PMCID: PMC5880752 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Although prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) social behavior is well-characterized in adults, surprisingly little is known about the development of social behavior in voles. Further, the overwhelming majority of studies in prairie voles examine social behavior in a reproductive context. Here, we examine developmental plasticity in affiliation and aggression and their underlying neural correlates. Using sexually naïve males, we characterized interactions with an age-matched, novel, same-sex conspecific in four different age groups that span pre-weaning to adulthood. We found that prosocial behavior decreased and aggression increased as males matured. Additionally, pre-weaning males were more prosocial than nonsocial, whereas post-weaning males were more nonsocial than prosocial. We also examined nonapeptide neural activity in response to a novel conspecific in brain regions important for promoting sociality and aggression using the immediate early gene cFos. Assessment of developmental changes in neural activity showed that vasopressin neurons in the medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis exhibit functional plasticity, providing a potential functional mechanism that contributes to this change in sociality as prairie voles mature. This behavioral shift corresponds to the transition from a period of allopatric cohabitation with siblings to a period of time when voles disperse and presumably attempt to establish and defend territories. Taken together our data provide a putative mechanism by which brain and behavior prepare for the opportunity to pairbond (characterized by selective affiliation with a partner and aggression toward unfamiliar conspecifics) by undergoing changes away from general affiliation and toward selective aggression, accounting for this important life history event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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15
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Munshi-South J, Richardson JL. Peromyscus transcriptomics: Understanding adaptation and gene expression plasticity within and between species of deer mice. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 61:131-139. [PMID: 27531052 PMCID: PMC5235989 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Deer mice in the genus Peromyscus occupy nearly every terrestrial habitat in North America, and have a long history as subjects of behavioral, ecological, evolutionary, and physiological study. Recent advances in transcriptomics, the study of the complete set of RNA transcripts produced by certain cell types or under certain conditions, have contributed to the development of Peromyscus as a model system. We review the recent use of transcriptomics to investigate how natural selection and gene expression plasticity contribute to the existence of deer mice in challenging environments such as highlands, deserts, and cities across North America. Transcriptomics also holds great promise for elucidating the genetic basis of mating systems and other behaviors in Peromyscus, but has to date been underutilized for developmental biology and disease studies. Future Peromyscus studies should apply robust comparative frameworks to analyze the transcriptomics of multiple populations of the same species across varying environmental conditions, as well as multiple species that vary in traits of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Munshi-South
- Louis Calder Center-Biological Field Station, Fordham University, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY 10504, USA.
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16
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Adkins-Regan E. Pairing Behavior of the Monogamous King Quail, Coturnix chinensis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155877. [PMID: 27257681 PMCID: PMC4892625 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals with socially monogamous mating systems are valuable for discovering proximate mechanisms of prosocial behavior and close social relationships. Especially powerful are comparisons between related species that differ in monogamous tendency. Birds are the most socially monogamous vertebrates. Thus far most research on mechanisms of pairing has used zebra finches, which do not have a relative with a different mating system, however. The goal of the experiments reported here was to develop a new comparative avian system by studying the pairing behavior of a reportedly strongly monogamous quail, the king quail (Coturnix chinensis), a species in the same clade as the less monogamous Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), the subject of much prior research. In Experiment 1 male-female pairs of king quail housed together were initially avoidant or aggressive but most rapidly progressed to allopreening and huddling. A separation-reunion paradigm reliably elicited both of these behaviors in males that had cohabited for one week. In Experiment 2 the allopreening and huddling behavior of males in cohabiting pairs was highly selective, and a majority of the males were aggressive toward a familiar female that was not the cohabitation partner. In Experiment 3 males were separated from their female cohabitation partners for 9-10 weeks and then given two-choice tests. All but one male spent more time near an unfamiliar female, which may have reflected aggression and shows recognition of and memory for the past pairing experience. Thus king quail show robust, selective and easy to measure pairing behavior that can be reliably elicited with simple separation-reunion testing procedures. Copulation is rarely seen during tests. The behavior of king quail is a striking contrast to that of Japanese quail, providing a new comparative system for discovering mechanisms of behavior related to close social relationships and monogamy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Psychology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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