Rapid behavioral and genomic responses to social opportunity.
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.
Type
Journal articleSubject
AnimalsBehavior, Animal
Brain Mapping
Cerebellum
Cichlids
Early Growth Response Protein 1
Fertility
Genes, Dominant
Genetic Techniques
Genome
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
Hierarchy, Social
In Situ Hybridization
Male
Molecular Sequence Data
Neurons
Preoptic Area
Protein Precursors
Social Behavior
Species Specificity
Time Factors
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9307Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1371/journal.pbio.0030363Publication Info
Burmeister, SS; Jarvis, ED; & Fernald, RD (2005). Rapid behavioral and genomic responses to social opportunity. PLoS Biol, 3(11). pp. e363. 10.1371/journal.pbio.0030363. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9307.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
Collections
More Info
Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Erich David Jarvis
Adjunct Professor in the Dept. of Neurobiology
Dr. Jarvis' laboratory studies the neurobiology of vocal communication. Emphasis is
placed on the molecular pathways involved in the perception and production of learned
vocalizations. They use an integrative approach that combines behavioral, anatomical,
electrophysiological and molecular biological techniques. The main animal model used
is songbirds, one of the few vertebrate groups that evolved the ability to learn vocalizations.
The generality of the discoveries is tested in other vocal

Articles written by Duke faculty are made available through the campus open access policy. For more information see: Duke Open Access Policy
Rights for Collection: Scholarly Articles
Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info