Program for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Horm Behav. 2018 Jul;103:62-70. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.06.006. Epub 2018 Jun 22.
Fathering behavior is critical for offspring survival in many species across diverse taxa, but our understanding of the neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating paternal care is limited in part because of the few primarily paternal species among the common animal models. However, many teleosts display primarily paternal care, and among the teleosts, anemonefish species are particularly well suited for isolating molecular mechanisms of fathering as they perform parental care in isolation of many other typically competing behaviors such as territorial defense and nest building. The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which whole brain gene expression levels of isotocin receptors, arginine vasotocin receptors, and aromatase as well as circulating levels of the bioactive sex steroid hormones estradiol (E2) and 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) vary in association with parenting behavior in Amphiprion ocellaris. Brain aromatase and IT receptor gene expression were higher in both males and females that were parenting versus not. IT receptor expression was overall higher in males than females, which we interpret is a reflection of the greater parental effort that males display. Aromatase was overall higher in females than males, which we conclude is related to the higher circulating E2, which crosses into the brain and increases aromatase transcription. Results suggest both aromatase and IT receptors are dynamically upregulated in the brains of A. ocellaris males and females to support high levels of parental effort.
在许多不同分类群的物种中，亲代行为对后代的生存至关重要，但我们对调节亲代照料的神经内分泌机制的理解是有限的，部分原因是常见的动物模型中主要是亲代的物种很少。然而，许多硬骨鱼表现出主要的亲代照料，在硬骨鱼中，海葵鱼物种特别适合分离亲代行为的分子机制，因为它们在隔离许多其他通常具有竞争性的行为（如领地防御和筑巢）的情况下进行亲代照料。本研究的目的是确定在孤立的亲代行为中，亲代照料的海葵鱼的神经降压素受体、精氨酸加压素受体和芳香化酶的全脑基因表达水平以及生物活性性激素雌二醇（E2）和 11-酮睾酮（11KT）的循环水平与 Amphiprion ocellaris 的亲代行为相关的程度。与不进行亲代行为的雄性和雌性相比，进行亲代行为的雄性和雌性的脑芳香化酶和 IT 受体基因表达水平更高。IT 受体的表达在雄性中总体上高于雌性，我们将其解释为雄性表现出更大的亲代努力的反映。芳香化酶在雌性中的总体水平高于雄性，我们得出的结论是，这与较高的循环 E2 有关，E2 进入大脑并增加芳香化酶转录。结果表明，亲代行为的 Amphiprion ocellaris 雄性和雌性的大脑中，芳香化酶和 IT 受体都被动态上调，以支持高水平的亲代努力。
