University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA; University of Washington-Seattle, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA.
Behav Brain Res. 2023 Aug 24;452:114556. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114556. Epub 2023 Jun 24.
Monogamous, pair-bonded animals coordinate intra-pair behavior for spatially separated challenges including territorial defense and nest attendance. Paired California mice, a monogamous, territorial and biparental species, approach intruders together or separately, but often express behavioral convergence across intruder challenges. To gain a more systems-wide perspective of potential mechanisms contributing to behavioral convergence across two conspecific intruder challenges, we conducted an exploratory study correlating behavior and receptor mRNA (Days 10 and 17 post-pairing). We examined associations between convergence variability in pair time for intruder-oriented behaviors with a pair mRNA index for oxytocin (OXTR), androgen (AR), and estrogen alpha (ERα) receptors within the medial amygdala (MeA) and the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), brain regions associated with social behavior. An intruder behavior index revealed a bimodal distribution of intruder-related behaviors in Challenge 1 and a unimodal distribution in Challenge 2, suggesting population behavioral convergence, but no significant correlations with neuroendocrine measures. However, OXTR, AR, and ERα mRNA in the MeA were positively associated with convergence in individual intruder-related behaviors, suggesting multiple mechanisms may influence convergence. Mice could also occupy the nest during intruder challenges and convergence in nest attendance was positively correlated with MeA OXTR. At an individual level, nest attendance was positively associated with MeA ERα. Vocalizations were positively associated with AR and ERα mRNA. No positive associations were found in the AON. Overall, neuroendocrine receptors were implicated in convergence of a monogamous pair's defense behavior, highlighting the potential importance of the MeA as part of a circuit underlying convergence.
一夫一妻制、结对的动物会协调彼此的行为，以应对空间上分离的挑战，包括领地防御和巢区守护。配对的加州鼠是一种一夫一妻制、有领地性和双亲抚育的物种，它们会一起或分别接近入侵者，但在面对不同的入侵者挑战时，往往会表现出行为趋同。为了更全面地了解可能有助于两种同种入侵者挑战下行为趋同的潜在机制，我们进行了一项探索性研究，将行为和受体 mRNA（配对后第 10 天和第 17 天）相关联。我们检查了在面向入侵者的行为中，配对时间趋同的变化与内侧杏仁核（MeA）和前嗅核（AON）中催产素（OXTR）、雄激素（AR）和雌激素 α（ERα）受体的配对 mRNA 指数之间的关联，这些脑区与社会行为有关。入侵者行为指数显示，在挑战 1 中，入侵者相关行为呈双峰分布，而在挑战 2 中呈单峰分布，这表明群体行为趋同，但与神经内分泌测量值没有显著相关性。然而，MeA 中的 OXTR、AR 和 ERα mRNA 与个体入侵者相关行为的趋同呈正相关，这表明多种机制可能会影响趋同。在入侵者挑战期间，老鼠也可能占据巢穴，并且巢区守护的趋同与 MeA OXTR 呈正相关。在个体水平上，巢区守护与 MeA ERα 呈正相关。发声与 AR 和 ERα mRNA 呈正相关。在 AON 中未发现正相关。总体而言，神经内分泌受体参与了一夫一妻制配对防御行为的趋同，突出了 MeA 作为趋同潜在回路的一部分的重要性。
