TY - JOUR
T1 - Variable neuroendocrine responses to ecologically-relevant challenges in sticklebacks
AU - Bell, Alison M.
AU - Backström, Tobias
AU - Huntingford, Felicity A.
AU - Pottinger, Tom G.
AU - Winberg, Svante
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Stuart Wilson, David Alvarez, Susie Coyle for help with the fish, Andy Young for catching the pike, Per-Ove Thörnqvist and Joachim Schjolden for technical assistance with HPLC and brain punches, Kim Pulman for technical help with the cortisol RIA. Funding was provided by an NSF International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to AMB. AMB was supported by a fellowship from the American Association of University Women during preparation of the manuscript. Work in the Winberg lab was supported by the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS).
PY - 2007/5/16
Y1 - 2007/5/16
N2 - Variable neuroendocrine responses to ecologically-relevant challenges in sticklebacks. PHYSIOL BEHAV 00(0) 000-000, 2006. Here, we compare the behavioral, endocrine and neuroendocrine responses of individual sticklebacks exposed to either an unfamiliar conspecific or to a predator. We found that the two stressors elicited a similar hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal response as assessed by whole-body concentrations of cortisol, but produced quite different patterns of change in brain monoamine and monoamine metabolite content as assessed by concentrations of serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and the monoamine metabolites 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid (HVA) and 3-4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). For example, relative to baseline levels, NE levels were elevated in individuals exposed to a predator but were lower in individuals confronted by a challenging conspecific. Levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in specific regions of the brain showed extremely close links with behavioral characteristics. Frequency of attacking a conspecific and inspecting a predator were both positively correlated with concentrations of NE. However, whereas serotonin was negatively correlated with frequency of attacking a conspecific, it was positively associated with predator inspection. The data indicate that the qualitative and quantitative nature of the neuroendocrine stress response of sticklebacks varies according to the nature of the stressor, and that interindividual variation in behavioural responses to challenge are reflected by neuroendocrine differences.
AB - Variable neuroendocrine responses to ecologically-relevant challenges in sticklebacks. PHYSIOL BEHAV 00(0) 000-000, 2006. Here, we compare the behavioral, endocrine and neuroendocrine responses of individual sticklebacks exposed to either an unfamiliar conspecific or to a predator. We found that the two stressors elicited a similar hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal response as assessed by whole-body concentrations of cortisol, but produced quite different patterns of change in brain monoamine and monoamine metabolite content as assessed by concentrations of serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and the monoamine metabolites 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA), homovanillic acid (HVA) and 3-4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). For example, relative to baseline levels, NE levels were elevated in individuals exposed to a predator but were lower in individuals confronted by a challenging conspecific. Levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in specific regions of the brain showed extremely close links with behavioral characteristics. Frequency of attacking a conspecific and inspecting a predator were both positively correlated with concentrations of NE. However, whereas serotonin was negatively correlated with frequency of attacking a conspecific, it was positively associated with predator inspection. The data indicate that the qualitative and quantitative nature of the neuroendocrine stress response of sticklebacks varies according to the nature of the stressor, and that interindividual variation in behavioural responses to challenge are reflected by neuroendocrine differences.
KW - Aggression
KW - Antipredator behavior
KW - Behavioral syndromes
KW - Coping styles
KW - Gasterosteus aculeatus
KW - Glucocorticoid
KW - Individual differences
KW - Serotonin
KW - Stickleback
KW - Stress
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U2 - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.01.012
DO - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.01.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 17321556
AN - SCOPUS:34247343728
SN - 0031-9384
VL - 91
SP - 15
EP - 25
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
IS - 1
ER -