scholarly journals Vasoactive intestinal peptide as a mediator of the effects of a supergene on social behaviour

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1924) ◽  
pp. 20200196
Author(s):  
Brent M. Horton ◽  
Christina M. Michael ◽  
Mackenzie R. Prichard ◽  
Donna L. Maney
Keyword(s):  
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Hypothalamus ◽  
Causal Role ◽  
Zonotrichia Albicollis ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Parental Behaviour ◽  
Genomic Architecture ◽  
Parental Phenotype ◽  
Behavioural Phenotypes

Supergenes, or linked groups of alleles that are inherited together, present excellent opportunities to understand gene–behaviour relationships. In white-throated sparrows ( Zonotrichia albicollis ), a supergene on the second chromosome associates with a more aggressive and less parental phenotype. This supergene includes the gene for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a neuropeptide known to play a causal role in both aggression and parental behaviour. Here, using a free-living population, we compared the levels of VIP mRNA between birds with and without the supergene. We focused on the anterior hypothalamus and infundibular region, two brain regions containing VIP neurons known to play a causal role in aggression and parental behaviour, respectively. First, we show that the supergene enhances VIP expression in the anterior hypothalamus and that expression positively predicts vocal aggression independently of genotype in both sexes. Next, we show that the supergene reduces VIP expression in the infundibular region, which suggests reduced secretion of prolactin, a pro-parental hormone. Thus, the patterns of VIP expression in these two regions are consistent with the enhanced aggression and reduced parental behaviour of birds with the supergene allele. Our results illustrate mechanisms by which elements of genomic architecture, such as supergenes, can contribute to the evolution of alternative behavioural phenotypes.

Does the preoptic anterior hypothalamus receive thermoafferent information?

1998 ◽  
Vol 274 (1) ◽  
pp. R9-R18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy J. Berner ◽  
H. Craig Heller
Keyword(s):  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Hypothalamus ◽  
Mammalian Brain ◽  
Eeg Activity ◽  
Arousal State ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
State Changes ◽  
Unanesthetized Animals ◽  
Peripheral Temperature ◽  
State Selectivity

The preoptic anterior hypothalamus (POAH) is considered the thermointegrative center of the mammalian brain. Studies on anesthetized and unanesthetized animals have demonstrated neurons in the POAH that respond to changes in both POAH temperature (TPOAH) and skin temperature (Ts). In these studies, however, electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was not monitored. Recent work has revealed the potential for arousal state selectivity of neurons combined with thermal influences on arousal state to create the appearance that cells are thermosensitive or thermoresponsive when in fact they may not be responding directly to temperature or to thermoafferent input. It is therefore necessary to reexamine the influence of central and peripheral temperature on POAH cells. In the present study, 66 POAH cells were recorded from urethan-anesthetized rats while EEG, TPOAH, and Ts were monitored. Seventy-five percent (41 of 55) of the cells were EEG state responsive; 22% (6 of 27) were TPOAH sensitive; and 33% (19 of 58) appeared to be Tsresponsive. However, when EEG state changes were taken into account, none of the cells that appeared to be Ts responsive were responding to Ts within any uniform EEG state. All changes in their firing rates were associated with EEG state changes. This study raises a question as to whether or not peripheral temperature information is integrated in the POAH. Consideration should be given to the possibility that Ts information is integrated lower in the neuroaxis. Monitoring EEG is essential in studies attempting to characterize the integrative properties of POAH neurons of anesthetized or unanesthetized animals. This caveat applies not just to thermoregulatory studies but to investigations of other integrative functions of the hypothalamus and many other brain regions as well.

scholarly journals Experimental temperature manipulations alter songbird autumnal nocturnal migratory restlessness

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrienne Berchtold ◽  
Ira Nightingale ◽  
Caitlin Vandermeer ◽  
Scott A. MacDougall-Shackleton
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Migratory Restlessness ◽  
Zonotrichia Albicollis ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Time Migration ◽  
Current Location ◽  
Infra Red ◽  
The Many ◽  
Migrating Birds

AbstractMigrating birds may respond to a variety of environmental cues in order to time migration. During the migration season nocturnally migrating songbirds may migrate or stop-over at their current location, and when migrating they may vary the rate or distance of migration on any given night. It has long been known that a variety of weather-related factors including wind speed and direction, and temperature, are correlated with migration in free-living birds, however these variables are often correlated with each other. In this study we experimentally manipulated temperature to determine if it would directly modulate nocturnal migratory restlessness in songbirds. We experimentally manipulated temperature between 4, 14, and 24°C and monitored nocturnal migratory restlessness during autumn in white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis). White-throated sparrows are relatively shortdistance migrants with a prolonged autumnal migration, and we thus predicted they might be sensitive to weatherrelated cues when deciding whether to migrate or stopover. At warm temperatures (24°C) none of the birds exhibited migratory restlessness. The probability of exhibiting migratory restlessness, and the intensity of this restlessness (number of infra-red beam breaks) increased at cooler (14°C, 4°C) temperatures. These data support the hypothesis that one of the many factors that birds use when making behavioural decisions during migration is temperature, and that birds can respond to temperature directly independently of other weather-related cues.

INTERSTITIAL CELL-STIMULATING HORMONERELEASING ACTIVITY OF HYPOTHALAMIC EXTRACTS IN THE DOG

1966 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. YAMASHITA
Keyword(s):  
Glutamic Acid ◽  
Aspartic Acid ◽  
Butyric Acid ◽  
Median Eminence ◽  
Interstitial Cell ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Hypothalamus ◽  
Catechol Amines ◽  
Intracarotid Administration

SUMMARY The effect of hypothalamic extracts on 17-ketosteroid secretion by the testis of the dog was investigated. Stalk-median eminence extracts produced an increased rate of 17-ketosteroid secretion by the testis but extracts of the anterior hypothalamus caused little or no increase in the testicular output. No effect was obtained after the administration of extracts of the pre-optic, posterior hypothalamic and other brain regions. Stalk-median eminence extracts, after boiling, were still active in stimulating the testis though part of the activity was lost. The extracts failed to increase the testicular output of 17-ketosteroids in the hypophysectomized dog and the response is thus considered to be pituitary-dependent. Furthermore, intracarotid administration of acetylcholine, catechol amines, γ-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA), glutamic acid and aspartic acid did not stimulate testicular 17-ketosteroid secretion.

scholarly journals Probing the causal role of prestimulus interregional synchrony for perceptual integration via tACS

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolandas Stonkus ◽  
Verena Braun ◽  
Jess Kerlin ◽  
Gregor Volberg ◽  
Simon Hanslmayr
Keyword(s):  
Specific Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Causal Role ◽  
Oscillatory Activity ◽  
Perceptual Integration ◽  
After Effects ◽  
Activity Phase ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation

The phase of prestimulus oscillations at 7-10 Hz has been shown to modulate perception of briefly presented visual stimuli. Specifically, a recent combined EEG-fMRI study suggested that a prestimulus oscillation at around 7 Hz represents open and closed windows for perceptual integration by modulating connectivity between lower order occipital and higher order parietal brain regions. We here utilized brief event-related transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to specifically modulate this prestimulus 7 Hz oscillation, and the synchrony between parietal and occipital brain regions. To this end we tested for a causal role of this particular prestimulus oscillation for perceptual integration. The EEG was acquired at the same time allowing us to investigate frequency specific after effects phase-locked to stimulation offset. On a behavioural level our results suggest that the tACS did modulate perceptual integration, however, in an unexpected manner. On an electrophysiological level our results suggest that brief tACS does induce oscillatory entrainment, as visible in frequency specific activity phase-locked to stimulation offset. Together, our results do not strongly support a causal role of prestimulus 7 Hz oscillations for perceptual integration. However, our results suggest that brief tACS is capable of modulating oscillatory activity in a temporally sensitive manner.

scholarly journals The neural basis of tadpole transport in poison frogs

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1907) ◽  
pp. 20191084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva K. Fischer ◽  
Alexandre B. Roland ◽  
Nora A. Moskowitz ◽  
Elicio E. Tapia ◽  
Kyle Summers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Neural Induction ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Parental Behaviour ◽  
Poison Frogs ◽  
Care Patterns ◽  
Species Specific

Parental care has evolved repeatedly and independently across animals. While the ecological and evolutionary significance of parental behaviour is well recognized, underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We took advantage of behavioural diversity across closely related species of South American poison frogs (Family Dendrobatidae) to identify neural correlates of parental behaviour shared across sexes and species. We characterized differences in neural induction, gene expression in active neurons and activity of specific neuronal types in three species with distinct care patterns: male uniparental, female uniparental and biparental. We identified the medial pallium and preoptic area as core brain regions associated with parental care, independent of sex and species. The identification of neurons active during parental care confirms a role for neuropeptides associated with care in other vertebrates as well as identifying novel candidates. Our work is the first to explore neural and molecular mechanisms of parental care in amphibians and highlights the potential for mechanistic studies in closely related but behaviourally variable species to help build a more complete understanding of how shared principles and species-specific diversity govern parental care and other social behaviour.

scholarly journals A causal role for the right frontal eye fields in value comparison

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Krajbich ◽  
Andres Mitsumasu ◽  
Rafael Polania ◽  
Christian C Ruff ◽  
Ernst Fehr
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Causal Role ◽  
Frontal Eye Field ◽  
Eye Field ◽  
The Right

Recent studies have suggested close functional links between overt visual attention and decision making. This suggests that the corresponding mechanisms may interface in brain regions known to be crucial for guiding visual attention – such as the frontal eye field (FEF). Here, we combined brain stimulation, eye tracking, and computational approaches to explore this possibility. We show that inhibitory transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the right FEF has a causal impact on decision making, reducing the effect of gaze dwell time on choice while also increasing reaction times. We computationally characterize this putative mechanism by using the attentional drift diffusion model (aDDM), which reveals that FEF inhibition reduces the relative discounting of the non-fixated option in the comparison process. Our findings establish an important causal role of the right FEF in choice, elucidate the underlying mechanism, and provide support for one of the key causal hypotheses associated with the aDDM.

scholarly journals The neural basis of tadpole transport in poison frogs

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva K. Fischer ◽  
Alexandre B. Roland ◽  
Nora A. Moskowitz ◽  
Elicio E. Tapia ◽  
Kyle Summers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Neural Induction ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Parental Behaviour ◽  
Poison Frogs ◽  
Care Patterns ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractParental care has evolved repeatedly and independently across animals. While the ecological and evolutionary significance of parental behaviour is well recognized, underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We took advantage of behavioural diversity across closely related species of South American poison frogs (Family Dendrobatidae) to identify neural correlates of parental behaviour shared across sexes and species. We characterized differences in neural induction, gene expression in active neurons, and activity of specific neuronal types in three species with distinct parental care patterns: male uniparental, female uniparental, and biparental. We identified the medial pallium and preoptic area as core brain regions associated with parental care, independent of sex and species. Identification of neurons active during parental care confirms a role for neuropeptides associated with care in other vertebrates as well as identifying novel candidates. Our work is the first to explore neural and molecular mechanisms of parental care in amphibians and highlights the potential for mechanistic studies in closely related but behaviourally variable species to build a more complete understanding of how shared principles and species-specific diversity govern parental care and other social behaviour.

Effect of Steroids on Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide in Discrete Brain Regions and Peripheral Tissues

1980 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.H. Rotsztejn ◽  
J. Besson ◽  
B. Briaud ◽  
L. Gagnant ◽  
G. Rosselin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Peripheral Tissues

Lack of association between allozymic variation and social dominance in free-living White-throated Sparrows

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Westneat ◽  
Walter H. Piper ◽  
R. Haven Wiley
Keyword(s):  
Social Dominance ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Metabolic Enzymes ◽  
Zonotrichia Albicollis ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Allozymic Variation ◽  
Dominance Interactions ◽  
Isozyme Variability ◽  
The Common ◽  
Muscle Biopsies

This study examined possible associations between allozymic variation in metabolic enzymes and social dominance or survival in a large free-living population of wintering White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis). Electrophoresis of 15 enzymes resolved from muscle biopsies from 173 sparrows revealed nine enzymes with some variation. Two of these (PGM and 6-PGD) showed substantial variation, with the frequency of the common allele below 0.9. During two seasons dominance interactions among the biopsied birds were observed at three feeding stations. There was no association between social dominance (percentage of opponents dominated) and genotype at the two most variable loci or overall proportion of heterozygotes at either the two most variable loci or the seven most consistently scored loci. Older birds were more likely than expected to be heterozygous at both the PGM and 6-PGD loci, but heterozygotes did not return more frequently than homozygotes in subsequent years. Although we cannot exclude a weak association of dominance and isozyme variability, we can conclude that social dominance during winter lacks any strong relationship with variation at loci for metabolic enzymes.

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