PUBLICATION
Unravelling the neurophysiological basis of aggression in a fish model
- Authors
- Filby, A.L., Paull, G.C., Hickmore, T.F., and Tyler, C.R.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-101004-10
- Date
- 2010
- Source
- BMC Genomics 11: 498 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Aggression/physiology*
- Animals
- Brain Mapping
- Female
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Hierarchy, Social
- Hypothalamus/physiology
- Male
- Mammals/physiology
- Models, Biological*
- Nerve Net/physiology
- Nervous System Physiological Phenomena/genetics*
- Organ Specificity/genetics
- Sex Characteristics
- Telencephalon/physiology
- Time Factors
- Zebrafish/genetics*
- Zebrafish/physiology*
- PubMed
- 20846403 Full text @ BMC Genomics
Citation
Filby, A.L., Paull, G.C., Hickmore, T.F., and Tyler, C.R. (2010) Unravelling the neurophysiological basis of aggression in a fish model. BMC Genomics. 11:498.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Aggression is a near-universal behaviour with substantial influence on and implications for human and animal social systems. The neurophysiological basis of aggression is, however, poorly understood in all species and approaches adopted to study this complex behaviour have often been oversimplified. We applied targeted expression profiling on 40 genes, spanning eight neurological pathways and in four distinct regions of the brain, in combination with behavioural observations and pharmacological manipulations, to screen for regulatory pathways of aggression in the zebrafish (Danio rerio), an animal model in which social rank and aggressiveness tightly correlate.
RESULTS: Substantial differences occurred in gene expression profiles between dominant and subordinate males associated with phenotypic differences in aggressiveness and, for the chosen gene set, they occurred mainly in the hypothalamus and telencephalon. The patterns of differentially-expressed genes implied multifactorial control of aggression in zebrafish, including the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial-system, serotonin, somatostatin, dopamine, hypothalamo-pituitary-interrenal, hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal and histamine pathways, and the latter is a novel finding outside mammals. Pharmacological manipulations of various nodes within the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial-system and serotonin pathways supported their functional involvement. We also observed differences in expression profiles in the brains of dominant versus subordinate females that suggested sex-conserved control of aggression. For example, in the HNS pathway, the gene encoding arginine vasotocin (AVT), previously believed specific to male behaviours, was amongst those genes most associated with aggression, and AVT inhibited dominant female aggression, as in males. However, sex-specific differences in the expression profiles also occurred, including differences in aggression-associated tryptophan hydroxylases and estrogen receptors.
CONCLUSIONS: Thus, through an integrated approach, combining gene expression profiling, behavioural analyses, and pharmacological manipulations, we identified candidate genes and pathways that appear to play significant roles in regulating aggression in fish. Many of these are novel for non-mammalian systems. We further present a validated system for advancing our understanding of the mechanistic underpinnings of complex behaviours using a fish model.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping