Presence Of Predator Odor Research Articles

NK3R signalling in the posterodorsal medial amygdala is involved in stress-induced suppression of pulsatile LH secretion in female mice.

Psychosocial stress negatively impacts reproductive function by inhibiting pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) is responsible in part for processing stress and modulating the reproductive axis. Activation of the neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) suppresses the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator, under hypoestrogenic conditions, and NK3R activity in the amygdala has been documented to play a role in stress and anxiety. We investigate whether NK3R activation in the MePD is involved in mediating the inhibitory effect of psychosocial stress on LH pulsatility in ovariectomised female mice. First, we administered senktide, an NK3R agonist, into the MePD and monitored the effect on pulsatile LH secretion. We then delivered SB222200, a selective NK3R antagonist, intra-MePD in the presence of predator odour, 2,4,5-trimethylthiazole (TMT) and examined the effect on LH pulses. Senktide administration into the MePD dose-dependently suppresses pulsatile LH secretion. Moreover, NK3R signalling in the MePD mediates TMT-induced suppression of the GnRH pulse generator, which we verified using a mathematical model. The model verifies our experimental findings: (i) predator odour exposure inhibits LH pulses, (ii) activation of NK3R in the MePD inhibits LH pulses and (iii) NK3R antagonism in the MePD blocks stressor-induced inhibition of LH pulse frequency in the absence of ovarian steroids. These results demonstrate for the first time that NK3R neurons in the MePD mediate psychosocial stress-induced suppression of the GnRH pulse generator.

The Role of Steroidogenic Factor‐1 Neurons in Predator Odor‐induced Muscle Thermogenesis

Obesity is one of the most prevalent diseases quietly plaguing this nation. With predictions of its prevalence nearing almost 50% of the adult US population by the end of this decade, it is paramount to identify underlying mechanisms. Characterized by its imbalance of energy intake and energy expenditure, obesity can be countered by amplifying metabolic rate, including inducing thermogenesis. Primarily research has sought to understand adipose tissue thermogenesis, leaving little attention directed toward the brain mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle thermogenesis. Published evidence from our research program has established that exposure to predator odor (PO) evokes a robust thermogenic response in the skeletal muscle, suggesting that PO works through an unknown brain mechanism causing the thermogenic response. This metabolic response and the stimulation by predator threat each implicate the dorsomedial subregion of the ventromedial hypothalamus (dmVMH), and more specifically, the steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) cells within it, as a region for further investigation. We hypothesize that SF1 neurons of dmVMH are a key node for predator odor‐induced muscle thermogenesis. We use designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD) delivered using a viral vector to SF1‐Cre mice to assess this hypothesis. Utilizing DREADD technology, we stimulated the SF1 cells in the presence of a control odor or PO (ferret odor). Here, we analyze preliminary data looking at the muscle thermogenesis of SF1 Cre mice that have been bilaterally injected with mCherry control vector or an excitatory DREADD vector. Using clozapine‐N‐oxide (CNO) and manipulation of context (i.e., with or without the presence of PO), we have detected increases in thermogenesis with each PO exposure and CNO activation of SF1 neurons. However, these data provide little to no evidence of DREADD‐induced amplification of the PO‐induced thermogenesis. Our preliminary data supports the importance of SF1 neurons and their role in regulating PO‐induced skeletal muscle thermogenesis.

Sexual differences in responses of meadow voles to environmental cues in the presence of mink odor.

In rodents, defensive behaviors increase the chances of survival during a predator encounter. Observable rodent defensive behaviors have been shown to be influenced by the presence of predator odors and nearby environmental cues such as cover, odors from conspecifics and food availability. Our experiment tested whether a predator scent cue influenced refuge preference in meadow voles within a laboratory setting. We placed voles in an experimental apparatus with bedding soaked in mink scent versus olive oil as a control across from four tubes that either contained (a) a dark plastic covering, (b) opposite-sex conspecific odor, (c) a food pellet, or (d) an empty, unscented space. A three-way interaction of tube contents, subject sex, and the presence of mink or olive oil on the preference of meadow voles to spend time in each area of the experimental apparatus and their latency to enter each area of the apparatus revealed sex differences in the environmental preference of meadow voles facing the risk of predation. The environmental preference of female, but not male, meadow voles was altered by the presence of mink urine or olive oil. A similar trend was found in the latency of males and females to enter each area of the experimental apparatus. These differences suggest that each sex utilizes different methods to increase their fitness when experiencing a predation risk. The observed sex differences may be explained by the natural history of voles owing to the differences in territorial range and the dynamics of evasion of terrestrial predators.

Urocortin3 in the Posterodorsal Medial Amygdala Mediates Stress-induced Suppression of LH Pulsatility in Female Mice.

Psychosocial stress disrupts reproduction and interferes with pulsatile LH secretion. The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) is an upstream modulator of the reproductive axis and stress. Corticotropin-releasing factor type 2 receptors (CRFR2s) are activated in the presence of psychosocial stress together with increased expression of the CRFR2 ligand Urocortin3 (Ucn3) in the MePD of rodents. We investigate whether Ucn3 signalling in the MePD is involved in mediating the suppressive effect of psychosocial stress on LH pulsatility. First, we administered Ucn3 into the MePD and monitored the effect on LH pulses in ovariectomized mice. Next, we delivered Astressin2B, a selective CRFR2 antagonist, intra-MePD in the presence of predator odor, 2,4,5-trimethylthiazole (TMT) and examined the effect on LH pulses. Subsequently, we virally infected Ucn3-cre-tdTomato mice with inhibitory designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) targeting MePD Ucn3 neurons while exposing mice to TMT or restraint stress and examined the effect on LH pulsatility as well as corticosterone release. Administration of Ucn3 into the MePD dose-dependently inhibited LH pulses and administration of Astressin2B blocked the suppressive effect of TMT on LH pulsatility. Additionally, DREADDs inhibition of MePD Ucn3 neurons blocked TMT and restraint stress-induced inhibition of LH pulses and corticosterone release. These results demonstrate for the first time that Ucn3 neurons in the MePD mediate psychosocial stress-induced suppression of the GnRH pulse generator and corticosterone secretion. Ucn3 signalling in the MePD plays a role in modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes, and this brain locus may represent a nodal center in the interaction between the reproductive and stress axes.

Honey Bees Modulate Their Olfactory Learning in the Presence of Hornet Predators and Alarm Component.

In Southeast Asia the native honey bee species Apis cerana is often attacked by hornets (Vespa velutina), mainly in the period from April to November. During the co-evolution of these two species honey bees have developed several strategies to defend themselves such as learning the odors of hornets and releasing alarm components to inform other mates. However, so far little is known about whether and how honey bees modulate their olfactory learning in the presence of the hornet predator and alarm components of honey bee itself. In the present study, we test for associative olfactory learning of A. cerana in the presence of predator odors, the alarm pheromone component isopentyl acetate (IPA), or a floral odor (hexanal) as a control. The results show that bees can detect live hornet odors, that there is almost no association between the innately aversive hornet odor and the appetitive stimulus sucrose, and that IPA is less well associated with an appetitive stimulus when compared with a floral odor. In order to imitate natural conditions, e.g. when bees are foraging on flowers and a predator shows up, or alarm pheromone is released by a captured mate, we tested combinations of the hornet odor and floral odor, or IPA and floral odor. Both of these combinations led to reduced learning scores. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the prey-predator system between A. cerana and V. velutina.

Orexin gene transfer into the amygdala suppresses both spontaneous and emotion-induced cataplexy in orexin-knockout mice.

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder linked to the loss of orexin-producing neurons in the hypothalamus. Cataplexy, a sudden loss of muscle tone during waking, is an important distinguishing symptom of narcolepsy and it is often triggered by strong emotions. The neural circuit underlying cataplexy attacks is not known, but is likely to involve the amygdala, a region implicated in regulating emotions. In mice models of narcolepsy, transfer of the orexin gene into surrogate neurons has been successful in ameliorating narcoleptic symptoms. However, it is not known whether this method also blocks cataplexy triggered by strong emotions. To examine this possibility, the gene encoding mouse prepro-orexin was transferred into amygdala neurons of orexin-knockout (KO) mice (rAAV-orexin; n = 8). Orexin-KO mice that did not receive gene transfer (no-rAAV; n = 7) or received only the reporter gene (rAAV-GFP; n = 7) served as controls. Three weeks later, the animal's sleep and behaviour were recorded at night (no-odour control night), followed by another recording at night in the presence of predator odour (odour night). Orexin-KO mice given the orexin gene transfer into surrogate amygdala neurons had significantly less spontaneous bouts of cataplexy, and predator odour did not induce cataplexy compared with control mice. Moreover, the mice with orexin gene transfer were awake more during the odour night. These results demonstrate that orexin gene transfer into amygdala neurons can suppress both spontaneous and emotion-induced cataplexy attacks in narcoleptic mice. It suggests that manipulating amygdala pathways is a potential strategy for treating cataplexy in narcolepsy.

Risk vs. reward: how predators and prey respond to aging olfactory cues

Many animals use olfaction to find food and avoid predators, and must negotiate environments containing odors of varying compositions, strengths, and ages to distinguish useful cues from background noise. Temporal variation in odor cues (i.e., “freshness”) seems an obvious way that animals could distinguish cues, yet there is little experimental evidence for this phenomenon. Fresh cues provide a more reliable indicator of donor presence than aged cues, but we hypothesize that the benefits of responding to aged cues depend on whether the cue indicates the proximity of a predator or a potential meal. As prey cannot remain eternally risk averse in response to predator odor, we predict that antipredator responses should diminish as predator cues age. In contrast, animals searching for food should investigate aged prey cues if investigation costs are sufficiently low and the potential benefit (a meal) sufficiently high; thus, we predict that predators will maintain interest in aged prey cues. We tested these ideas using free-ranging rats (Rattus spp.) in two separate experiments; firstly assessing giving-up densities in the presence of predator odor, and secondly examining investigation rates of prey odors. As predicted, giving-up densities dropped once predator odor had aged, but investigation rates remained similar for aged and fresh prey odor. Thus, rats used temporal variation in odor cues to evaluate the cost–benefit relationship of responding to predator and prey odors. We suggest that the ecological significance of variable cue age needs more research and should be considered when interpreting behavioral responses to olfactory information.

Temporary intermissions in capturing prey (Daphnia) by planktivorous fish (Rutilus rutilus): Are they due to scramble competition or the need for antipredation vigilance?

Capture rates in planktivorous fish may differ in individuals foraging alone or in a group, and this may result either from the altered risk of predation due to vigilance sharing in the group, or from a difference in the intensity of scramble competition for encountered prey items. Changes in capture frequency and the feeding pattern observed in young roach (Rutilus rutilus) feeding alone and in a group of three on a high density prey (Daphnia), in the presence and in the absence of predator odor, were used to determine which of these two alternate explanations is more likely. Earlier studies revealed that a foraging roach captures Daphnia prey in uninterrupted sequences of captures occurring every 1–3 s. Such multiple captures are separated by intermissions of 10–20 s, with their duration being likely to determine the overall capture rate. An experiment was performed to examine whether feeding in a group of three permits higher capture rates (hypothesis 1), and whether the intermittent foraging pattern is due to the need to invest more time for vigilance when foraging alone (hypothesis 2). Video recordings were made of many series of subsequent prey captures by roach feeding on high Daphnia densities, alone or in a group, and in the presence or absence of predator odor. Analysis of these data revealed that the mean duration of intermissions between bursts of feeding activity was significantly greater in the presence of predator odor, which resulted in a significant decrease in the capture rate. Furthermore, when the roach were feeding in a group, these intermissions were reduced to a greater extent in the presence of predator odor than in its absence, implying that the intermission intervals represent an investment for vigilance as an effective antipredation defense that permits increased food intake regardless of whether or not it is enhanced by the resource or the interference competition.

Predator odor modulates auditory event-related potentials in mice

Animals process information from different sensory modalities, requiring integration of signals and assignment of significance. People with schizophrenia perceive sensory information without external stimuli (hallucinations) and attribute meaning to coincidental events (referential delusions), suggesting deficits in sensory integration. We investigate sensory integration deficits by measuring the impact of olfactory cues on auditory processing in a mouse model of schizophrenia. N-methyl-D-aspartate-NR1 knockdown and wild-type mice were exposed to predator odor during auditory event-related potentials. Both groups reduced N1 event-related potential amplitude in the presence of predator odor, indicating that mice appropriately integrate olfactory and auditory stimuli. NR1 knockdown mice do not have deficits in this task, suggesting that sensory integration may rely on non-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor mediated circuits.

Predator odour per se does not frighten domestic horses

Horses frequently react nervously when passing animal production farms and other places with distinctive smells, leading riders to believe that horses are innately frightened by certain odours. In three experiments, we investigated how horses respond to (1) urine from wolves and lions, (2) blood from slaughtered conspecifics and fur-derived wolf odour, and (3) a sudden auditory stimulus in either presence or absence of fur-derived wolf odour. The experiments were carried out under standardised conditions using a total of 45 naïve, 2-year-old horses. In the first two experiments we found that horses showed significant changes in behaviour (Experiments 1 and 2: increased sniffing; Experiment 2 only: increased vigilance, decreased eating, and more behavioural shifts), but no increase in heart rate compared to controls when exposed to predator odours and conspecific blood in a known test environment. However, the third experiment showed that exposure to a combination of wolf odour and a sudden stimulus (sound of a moving plastic bag) caused significantly increased heart rate responses and a tendency to a longer latency to resume feeding, compared to control horses exposed to the sudden stimulus without the wolf odour. The results indicate that predator odour per se does not frighten horses but it may cause an increased level of vigilance. The presence of predator odour may, however, cause an increased heart rate response if horses are presented to an additional fear-eliciting stimulus. This strategy may be adaptive in the wild where equids share habitats with their predators, and have to trade-off time and energy spent on anti-predation responses against time allocated to essential non-defensive activities.

ORIENTATION OF THE HERMIT CRAB CLIBANARIUS ANTILLENSIS: EFFECTS OF VISUAL AND CHEMICAL CUES

Orientation of the hermit crabs Clibanarius antillensis to solid and striped targets of different visual angles was tested in a circular arena upon exposure to background sea water, calcium concentrations, gastropod odor, predatory fish odor, and seagrass odor. The test hypotheses were that (1) this hermit crab has the capacity to use visual cues for orientation and (2) it discriminates between objects on the basis of visual and chemical information. Adult crabs were tested during the day without their gastropod shells, and orientation varied with concentration and chemical cue. In general, orientation increased as concentration increased up to a maximum orientation response and then declined at higher concentrations. Solid targets representing gastropod shells attracted crabs in the presence of calcium and gastropod odor. Orientation toward striped targets representing seagrass increased in the presence of seagrass odor. Finally, orientation directly away from a target (predator avoidance response) was only observed in the presence of predator odor. Thus, both hypotheses were supported.

Predation–Reproduction Conflict Resolution in the Hermit Crab, Clibanarius vittatus

AbstractActivities associated with courtship are often in conflict with avoiding elevated predation risk. In polygamous species with temporally restricted mating seasons, males should be less responsive to interruption of courtship by detection of elevated predation risk compared to females. We tested this prediction with the hermit crab Clibanarius vittatus. Courting males continued to execute pre‐copulatory behavior patterns when exposed to predator odors. However, in the presence of predator odors, fewer pairs were established. Exposing previously paired males and females to predator cues showed that males were unaffected in their motivation to form pairs, whereas females were no longer attractive to males following exposure to predator cues.

Odour‐induced antipredator behaviour of the water flea, Ceriodaphnia reticulata, in varying predator and prey densities

1. A new marking technique was developed and used to track individual water flea behaviour. A single clone of Ceriodaphnia reticulata exhibited no significant differences in mean depth, mean activity (antennae beats used in swimming), and mean travel (total vertical displacement) for fast‐green dyed and control animals (n = 30, each treatment).2. Individual and group antipredator responses were recorded in three vertebrate predator densities (three odour concentrations of green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus; 0.00, 0.03 and 0.10 fish L–1) and four water flea group sizes (1, 5, 15 and 25), with n = 18 for each of the twelve treatment combinations. Water flea groups were probably mixtures of clones. Differences in behaviour after addition of predator odour showed that increasing predator density increased mean depth of marked individuals and mean proportion of water fleas descending. Additionally, increasing prey density decreased both mean depth of marked individuals and mean proportion of water fleas descending.3. Predator density and prey density had opposing affects on activity and travel for marked individuals. Higher predator density decreased mean activity (antennae beats), yet increased mean travel. Higher prey density increased mean activity, but decreased mean travel. Descending animals altered their swimming pattern by using fewer swimming beats to travel greater vertical distances in the presence of predator odour.