scholarly journals Foraging dynamics are associated with social status and context in mouse social hierarchies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Lee ◽  
Eilene Yang ◽  
James P Curley
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Hierarchy Formation ◽  
Individual Mouse ◽  
Food And Water Intake ◽  
Drinking Behaviors

Living in social hierarchies requires individuals to adapt their behavior and physiology. We have previously shown that male mice living in groups of 12 form linear and stable hierarchies with alpha males producing the highest daily level of major urinary proteins and urine. These findings suggest that maintaining alpha status in a social group requires higher food and water intake to generate energetic resources and produce more urine. To investigate whether social status affects eating and drinking behaviors, we measured the frequency of these behaviors in each individual mouse living in a social hierarchy with non-stop video recording for 24 hours following the initiation of group housing and after social ranks were stabilized. We show alpha males eat and drink most frequently among all individuals in the hierarchy and had reduced quiescence of foraging both at the start of social housing and after hierarchies were established. Subdominants displayed a similar pattern of behavior following hierarchy formation relative to subordinates. The association strength of foraging behavior was negatively associated with that of agonistic behavior corrected for gregariousness (HWIG), suggesting animals modify foraging behavior to avoid others they engaged with aggressively. Overall, this study provides evidence that animals with different social status adapt their eating and drinking behaviors according to their physiological needs and current social environment.

scholarly journals Foraging dynamics are associated with social status and context in mouse social hierarchies

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Lee ◽  
Eilene Yang ◽  
James P. Curley
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Hierarchy Formation ◽  
Individual Mouse ◽  
Food And Water Intake ◽  
Drinking Behaviors

Living in social hierarchies requires individuals to adapt their behavior and physiology. We have previously shown that male mice living in groups of 12 form linear and stable hierarchies with alpha males producing the highest daily level of major urinary proteins and urine. These findings suggest that maintaining alpha status in a social group requires higher food and water intake to generate energetic resources and produce more urine. To investigate whether social status affects eating and drinking behaviors, we measured the frequency of these behaviors in each individual mouse living in a social hierarchy with non-stop video recording for 24 h following the initiation of group housing and after social ranks were stabilized. We show alpha males eat and drink most frequently among all individuals in the hierarchy and had reduced quiescence of foraging both at the start of social housing and after hierarchies were established. Subdominants displayed a similar pattern of behavior following hierarchy formation relative to subordinates. The association strength of foraging behavior was negatively associated with that of agonistic behavior corrected for gregariousness (HWIG), suggesting animals modify foraging behavior to avoid others they engaged with aggressively. Overall, this study provides evidence that animals with different social status adapt their eating and drinking behaviors according to their physiological needs and current social environment.

scholarly journals Foraging dynamics are associated with social status and context in mouse social hierarchies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Lee ◽  
Eilene Yang ◽  
James P Curley
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Hierarchy Formation ◽  
Individual Mouse ◽  
Food And Water Intake ◽  
Drinking Behaviors

Living in social hierarchies requires individuals to adapt their behavior and physiology. We have previously shown that male mice living in groups of 12 form linear and stable hierarchies with alpha males producing the highest daily level of major urinary proteins and urine. These findings suggest that maintaining alpha status in a social group requires higher food and water intake to generate energetic resources and produce more urine. To investigate whether social status affects eating and drinking behaviors, we measured the frequency of these behaviors in each individual mouse living in a social hierarchy with non-stop video recording for 24 hours following the initiation of group housing and after social ranks were stabilized. We show alpha males eat and drink most frequently among all individuals in the hierarchy and had reduced quiescence of foraging both at the start of social housing and after hierarchies were established. Subdominants displayed a similar pattern of behavior following hierarchy formation relative to subordinates. The association strength of foraging behavior was negatively associated with that of agonistic behavior corrected for gregariousness (HWIG), suggesting animals modify foraging behavior to avoid others they engaged with aggressively. Overall, this study provides evidence that animals with different social status adapt their eating and drinking behaviors according to their physiological needs and current social environment.

scholarly journals Major urinary protein levels are associated with social status and context in mouse social hierarchies

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1863) ◽  
pp. 20171570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Lee ◽  
Amber Khan ◽  
James P. Curley
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Social Rank ◽  
Male Mice ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Major Urinary Protein ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Stable Linear ◽  
Lower Urinary

We have previously shown that male mice living in groups of 12 males establish and maintain stable linear social hierarchies with each individual having a defined social rank. However, it is not clear which social cues mice use to signal and recognize their relative social status within their hierarchy. In this study, we investigate how individual social status both in pairs and in groups affects the levels of major urinary proteins (MUPs) and specifically MUP20 in urine. We housed groups of adult outbred CD1 male mice in a complex social environment for three weeks and collected urine samples from all individuals repeatedly. We found that dominant males produce more MUPs than subordinates when housed in pairs and that the production of MUPs and MUP20 is significantly higher in alpha males compared with all other individuals in a social hierarchy. Furthermore, we found that hepatic mRNA expression of Mup3 and Mup20 is significantly higher in alpha males than in subordinate males. We also show that alpha males have lower urinary creatinine levels consistent with these males urinating more than others living in hierarchies. These differences emerged within one week of animals being housed together in social hierarchies. This study demonstrates that as males transition to become alpha males, they undergo physiological changes that contribute to communication of their social status that may have implications for the energetic demands of maintaining dominance.

scholarly journals Pheromones that Correlate with Reproductive Success in Competitive Conditions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth C. Luzynski ◽  
Doris Nicolakis ◽  
Maria Adelaide Marconi ◽  
Sarah M. Zala ◽  
Jae Kwak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Urinary Protein ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Scent Marks ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Volatile Organic

Abstract The major urinary proteins (MUPs) of house mice (Mus musculus) bind and stabilize the release of pheromones and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from urinary scent marks, which mediate chemical communication. Social status influences MUP and VOC excretion, and the urinary scent of dominant males is attractive to females. Urinary pheromones influence the sexual behavior and physiology of conspecifics, and yet it is not known whether they also affect reproductive success. We monitored the excretion of urinary protein and VOCs of wild-derived house mice living in large seminatural enclosures to compare the sexes and to test how these compounds correlate with reproductive success. Among males, urinary protein concentration and VOC expression correlated with reproductive success and social status. Territorial dominance also correlated with reproductive success in both sexes; but among females, no urinary compounds were found to correlate with social status or reproductive success. Notably, the large sex differences in chemosensory compounds found in laboratory studies were significantly lower when the mice lived in seminatural conditions. These findings provide novel evidence for chemical signals that correlate with male reproductive success of house mice living in competitive conditions.

scholarly journals Pheromones that correlate with reproductive success in competitive conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth C. Luzynski ◽  
Doris Nicolakis ◽  
Maria Adelaide Marconi ◽  
Sarah M. Zala ◽  
Jae Kwak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Urinary Protein ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Volatile Pheromones ◽  
Volatile Organic

AbstractThe major urinary proteins (MUPs) of house mice (Mus musculus) bind and stabilize the release of pheromones and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from urinary scent marks, which mediate chemical communication. Social status influences MUP and VOC excretion, and the urinary scent of dominant males is attractive to females. Urinary pheromones influence the sexual behavior and physiology of conspecifics, and yet it is not known whether they also affect reproductive success. We monitored the excretion of urinary protein and VOCs of wild-derived house mice living in large seminatural enclosures to compare the sexes and to test how these compounds correlate with reproductive success. Among males, urinary protein concentration and VOC expression correlated with reproductive success and social status. Territorial dominance also correlated with reproductive success in both sexes; but among females, no urinary compounds were found to correlate with social status or reproductive success. We found several differences in the urinary protein and volatile pheromones of mice in standard cages versus seminatural enclosures, which raises caveats for conventional laboratory studies. These findings provide novel evidence for chemical signals that correlate with male reproductive success of house mice living in competitive conditions.

Heterogeneity of Major Urinary Proteins in House Mice: Population and Sex Differences

2001 ◽  
pp. 233-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline E. Payne ◽  
Nick Malone ◽  
Rick Humphries ◽  
Carl Bradbrook ◽  
Christina Veggerby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins

scholarly journals Social status as magnitude: The distance effect and size effect in social hierarchies

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jostein Holmgren
Keyword(s):  
Size Effect ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Distance Effect ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Relational Models ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Bachelor Of Arts ◽  
Relational Models Theory ◽  
Human Social Life

Thesis type: Bachelor of Arts, PsychologyAuthor: Jostein HolmgrenSupervisor: Thomas Wolfgang SchubertGrade: A (Highest obtainable)Institution: Department of Psychology, University of OsloSocial status is a core feature of human social life. Recently, researchers have begun exploring a possible link between the processing of social status and physical dimensions. Drawing on several theoretical frameworks, including Relational Models Theory, embodied cognition, and the Analog Magnitude System (AMS), the author argues for social status being a dimension processed similarly to physical magnitudes. The present study replicates previous findings of a distance effect typical of magnitudes in the domain of social status, and offers novel evidence for a size effect. Although with limitations, the evidence suggests that social status is processed as any other dimension in the AMS.

Multiple genes coding for the androgen-regulated major urinary proteins of the mouse

Cell ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas D. Hastie ◽  
William A. Held ◽  
John J. Toole
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Multiple Genes
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document