Abstract
Nonapeptides play a fundamental role in the regulation of social behavior, among numerous other functions. In particular, arginine vasopressin and its non-mammalian homolog, arginine vasotocin (AVT), have been implicated in regulating affiliative, reproductive, and aggressive behavior in many vertebrate species. Where these nonapeptides are synthesized in the brain has been studied extensively in most vertebrate lineages. While several hypothalamic and forebrain populations of vasopressinergic neurons have been described in amniotes, the consensus suggests that the expression of AVT in the brain of teleost fish is limited to the hypothalamus, specifically the preoptic area (POA) and the anterior tuberal nucleus (putative homolog of the mammalian ventromedial hypothalamus). However, as most studies in teleosts have focused on the POA, there may be an ascertainment bias. Here, we revisit the distribution of AVT preprohormone mRNA across the dorsal and ventral telencephalon of a highly social African cichlid fish. We first use in situ hybridization to map the distribution of AVT preprohormone mRNA across the telencephalon. We then use quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to assay AVT expression in the dorsomedial telencephalon, the putative homolog of the mammalian basolateral amygdala. We find evidence for AVT preprohormone mRNA in regions previously not associated with the expression of this nonapeptide, including the putative homologs of the mammalian extended amygdala, hippocampus, striatum, and septum. In addition, AVT preprohormone mRNA expression within the basolateral amygdala homolog differs across social contexts, suggesting a possible role in behavioral regulation. We conclude that the surprising presence of AVT preprohormone mRNA within dorsal and medial telencephalic regions warrants a closer examination of possible AVT synthesis locations in teleost fish, and that these may be more similar to what is observed in mammals and birds.
Highlights
A fundamental aspect of studying animal physiology and behavior is understanding the pathways and mechanisms by which they are regulated
Our results suggest that arginine vasotocin (AVT) preprohormone mRNA expression in the putative homolog of the mammalian basolateral amygdala can be regulated by social context
arginine vasopressin (AVP)/AVT expression, in particular, has previously been examined across species, and it is canonically held that expression patterns in telencephalic regions of the brain are different between tetrapods and other vertebrates
Summary
A fundamental aspect of studying animal physiology and behavior is understanding the pathways and mechanisms by which they are regulated. Many studies have focused on understanding how certain neurochemicals, such as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators, influence behavior One such family of neurochemicals, a class of nine amino acid molecules known as nonapeptides, is AVT Preprohormone Expression in the Teleost Forebrain of particular interest. Nonapeptides are highly conserved across vertebrates and play crucial roles in numerous physiological functions and behaviors [1]. Their exact effects vary widely between species for reasons that are not fully clear, making them the subject of studies spanning taxa, sexes, social contexts, brain regions, and scientific fields. These effects are mediated by sex, social context, and the neural expression of the nonapeptide and its receptors [2, 3]
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