Rapid behavioral and genomic responses to social opportunity.
TLDR
It is shown for the first time that subordinate males can become dominant within minutes of an opportunity to do so, displaying dramatic changes in body coloration and behavior and induction of egr-1 in the anterior preoptic area by social opportunity could be an early trigger in the molecular cascade that culminates in enhanced fertility and other long-term physiological changes associated with dominance.Abstract:
From primates to bees, social status regulates reproduction. In the cichlid fish Astatotilapia (Haplochromis) burtoni, subordinate males have reduced fertility and must become dominant to reproduce. This increase in sexual capacity is orchestrated by neurons in the preoptic area, which enlarge in response to dominance and increase expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone 1 (GnRH1), a peptide critical for reproduction. Using a novel behavioral paradigm, we show for the first time that subordinate males can become dominant within minutes of an opportunity to do so, displaying dramatic changes in body coloration and behavior. We also found that social opportunity induced expression of the immediate-early gene egr-1 in the anterior preoptic area, peaking in regions with high densities of GnRH1 neurons, and not in brain regions that express the related peptides GnRH2 and GnRH3. This genomic response did not occur in stable subordinate or stable dominant males even though stable dominants, like ascending males, displayed dominance behaviors. Moreover, egr-1 in the optic tectum and the cerebellum was similarly induced in all experimental groups, showing that egr-1 induction in the anterior preoptic area of ascending males was specific to this brain region. Because egr-1 codes for a transcription factor important in neural plasticity, induction of egr-1 in the anterior preoptic area by social opportunity could be an early trigger in the molecular cascade that culminates in enhanced fertility and other long-term physiological changes associated with dominance.read more
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Sex-biased gene expression in the frontal cortex of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) and potential behavioral correlates.
Viviane Brito Nogueira,Danilo Oliveira Imparato,Sandro J. de Souza,Maria Bernardete Cordeiro de Sousa +3 more
TL;DR: This work explores sex differences on frontal cortex of gene expression in common marmoset's adults and finds sexual dimorphism account for differences in diseases prevalence and prognosis.
Journal ArticleDOI
The bullies are the leaders of the next generation: Inherited aminergic neurotransmitter system changes in socially dominant zebrafish, Danio rerio.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors studied the social hierarchy in zebrafish and assessed differences in neurotransmitters and behavior in the F1 generation offspring of dominant and subordinate zebra fish (Danio rerio).
Posted ContentDOI
Identifying Isl1 genetic lineage in the developing olfactory system and in GnRH-1 neurons
TL;DR: The Isl1 genetic lineage is analyzed in chemosensory neuronal populations in the nasal area and migratory GnRH-1 neurons in mice using in-situ hybridization, immunolabeling a Tamoxifen inducible Isl 1CreERT and a constitutive Isl2Cre knock-in mouse lines and conditional ablation in developing GnRH neurons.
Journal ArticleDOI
GnRH isoforms expression in relation to the gonadal cycle and to dominance rank in the gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata.
TL;DR: The existence of a quiescent-only correlation between GnRH-1 mRNA and dominance rank suggests a mechanism by which activation of gonad maturation could occur first in the most dominant ambisexual fish.
Book ChapterDOI
Model organisms and their application in environmental epigenetics
TL;DR: A perspective on the broad spectrum of established and emerging model organisms employed in environmental epigenetics research is provided and the research illustrates how these model systems contributed fundamental discoveries in this field and discusses the translational relevance of these discoveries.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Are subordinates always stressed? a comparative analysis of rank differences in cortisol levels among primates
David H. Abbott,Eric B. Keverne,Fred B. Bercovitch,Carol A. Shively,Sally P. Mendoza,Wendy Saltzman,Charles T. Snowdon,Toni E. Ziegler,M Banjevic,Theodore Garland,Robert M. Sapolsky +10 more
TL;DR: The meta-analysis identified two variables that significantly predictedrelative cortisol levels: subordinates exhibited higher relative cortisol levels when they were subjected to higher rates of stressors and experienced decreased opportunities for social (including close kin) support.
Journal ArticleDOI
For Whom The Bird Sings: Context-Dependent Gene Expression
TL;DR: It is shown that the anterior forebrain vocal pathway contains medial and lateral "cortical-basal ganglia" subdivisions that have differential ZENK gene activation depending on whether the bird sings female-directed or undirected song.
Journal ArticleDOI
The EGR family of transcription-regulatory factors: progress at the interface of molecular and systems neuroscience
TL;DR: Recent systems-based studies underscore the remarkable sensitivity and specificity of the induction of the expression of genes encoding EGR-family members in naturally occurring plasticity paradigms, but they also challenge conventional views of the role of this family in plasticity.
Journal ArticleDOI
The Egr-1 transcription factor directly activates PTEN during irradiation-induced signalling
TL;DR: The PTEN tumour suppressor and pro-apoptotic gene is frequently mutated in human cancers and loss of Egr-1 expression could deregulate the PTEN gene and contribute to the radiation resistance of some cancer cells.
Journal ArticleDOI
The Genomic Action Potential
TL;DR: Critical review of the large literature describing the "immediate early gene" response leads to an alternative model of IEG function in the brain, which sets the overall gain or efficiency of memory formation and directs it to circuits engaged by behaviorally significant contexts.