Paternal behavior in the Mongolian gerbil, and its regulation by social factors, T, ERα, and AR

Martínez, Ana; Arteaga-Silva, Marcela; Bonilla-Jaime, Herlinda; Cárdenas, Mario; Rojas-Castañeda, Julio César; Vigueras-Villaseñor, Rosa María; Limón-Morales, Ofelia; Luis, Juana

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.12.001

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…For example, virgin male prairie voles commonly provide alloparental care for their younger siblings and tend to exhibit nurturant responses when tested with unrelated pups, showing few, if any, differences from fathers in their pup‐directed behavior (Kenkel et al., 2014; Lonstein & De Vries, 2000). In mandarin voles, California mice, and Mongolian gerbils, moreover, virgin adult males are more reluctant to interact with pups than are fathers and often avoid or attack pups, although some individuals behave paternally (De Jong et al., 2009; Gubernick & Nelson, 1989; Martínez et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2015; Yuan et al., 2019). Virgin adult male house mice, in contrast, are usually aggressive toward pups and exhibit little or no nurturant behavior, whereas fathers in some laboratory strains of Mus engage in high levels of paternal care, especially when housed with their mate or exposed to cues from the mate (Gandelman et al., 1970; Mayer et al., 2019; McCarthy & vom Saal, 1986; Nakahara et al., 2016).…”

Section: Discussion and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent study in the biparental Mongolian gerbil ( Meriones unguiculatus ) reported increased androgen receptor immunoreactivity (AR‐ir) in the olfactory bulb, MPOA, and medial amygdala in sexually experienced males exhibiting paternal behavior compared to non‐parental virgin males (Martínez et al., 2019). Furthermore, fathers on postnatal day 6 had a higher number of AR‐ir cells in the medial amygdala compared to fathers on the day their pups were born (Martínez et al., 2019). Thus, androgen signaling in the brain might increase with fatherhood, in spite of the drop in peripheral testosterone levels.…”

Section: Review Of Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Surprisingly little is known about the effects of fatherhood on androgen signaling in the brain. A recent study in the biparental Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) reported increased androgen receptor immunoreactivity (AR-ir) in the olfactory bulb, MPOA, and medial amygdala in sexually experienced males exhibiting paternal behavior compared to non-parental virgin males (Martínez et al, 2019). Furthermore, fathers on postnatal day 6 had a higher number of AR-ir cells in the medial amygdala compared to fathers on the day their pups were born (Martínez et al, 2019).…”

Section: Testosteronementioning

confidence: 99%

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Plasticity of the paternal brain: Effects of fatherhood on neural structure and function

Horrell

Acosta

Saltzman

2021

Developmental Psychobiology

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Care of infants is a hallmark of mammals. Whereas parental care by mothers is obligatory for offspring survival in virtually all mammals, fathers provide care for their offspring in only an estimated 5%–10% of genera. In these species, the transition into fatherhood is often accompanied by pronounced changes in males’ behavioral responses to young, including a reduction in aggression toward infants and an increase in nurturant behavior. The onset of fatherhood can also be associated with sensory, affective, and cognitive changes. The neuroplasticity that mediates these changes is not well understood; however, fatherhood can alter the production and survival of new neurons; function and structure of existing neurons; morphology of brain structures; and neuroendocrine signaling systems. Although these changes are thought to promote infant care by fathers, very little evidence exists to support this hypothesis; in most cases, neither the mechanisms underlying neuroplasticity in fathers nor its functional significance is known. In this paper, we review the available data on the neuroplasticity that occurs during the transition into fatherhood. We highlight gaps in our knowledge and future directions that will provide key insights into how and why fatherhood alters the structure and functioning of the male brain.

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Section: Discussion and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Review Of Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Testosteronementioning

confidence: 99%

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Plasticity of the paternal brain: Effects of fatherhood on neural structure and function

Horrell

Acosta

Saltzman

2021

Developmental Psychobiology

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“…For example, oestradiol and testosterone levels in male Campbell's dwarf hamsters do not change significantly from before to after the birth of their pups, 202,204 whereas testosterone levels in California mouse and Mongolian gerbil fathers peak before the birth of their pups and fall significantly once pups are born 151,205 . The relationship between this peak in testosterone and the onset of paternal behaviour in at least some of these species is likely mediated by conversion of androgens to oestradiol within the brain 205–209 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The parental umwelt: Effects of parenthood on sensory processing in rodents

Wilson

Arquilla

Saltzman

2023

J Neuroendocrinology

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An animal's umwelt, comprising its perception of the sensory environment, which is inherently subjective, can change across the lifespan in accordance with major life events. In mammals, the onset of motherhood, in particular, is associated with a neural and sensory plasticity that alters a mother's detection and use of sensory information such as infant‐related sensory stimuli. Although the literature surrounding mammalian mothers is well established, very few studies have addressed the effects of parenthood on sensory plasticity in mammalian fathers. In this review, we summarize the major findings on the effects of parenthood on behavioural and neural responses to sensory stimuli from pups in rodent mothers, with a focus on the olfactory, auditory, and somatosensory systems, as well as multisensory integration. We also review the available literature on sensory plasticity in rodent fathers. Finally, we discuss the importance of sensory plasticity for effective parental care, hormonal modulation of plasticity, and an exploration of temporal, ecological, and life‐history considerations of sensory plasticity associated with parenthood. The changes in processing and/or perception of sensory stimuli associated with the onset of parental care may have both transient and long‐lasting effects on parental behaviour and cognition in both mothers and fathers; as such, several promising areas of study, such as on the molecular/genetic, neurochemical, and experiential underpinnings of parenthood‐related sensory plasticity, as well as determinants of interspecific variation, remain potential avenues for further exploration.

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“…Neuroscience and social behavior research has been, and still is, mostly conducted using highly social animal models, most commonly mice and rats (for example [ Ellenbroek and Youn, 2016 ; Haney et al, 1989 ; Karamihalev et al, 2020 ; Scott et al, 2015 ; Shemesh et al, 2013 ]). Neuroethological studies have also been conducted on other rodent species, such as golden hamsters ( Bunnell et al, 1970 ), prairie voles ( McGraw and Young, 2010 ), gerbils ( Martínez et al, 2019 ) and in the subterranean niche, the naked mole rat is a relatively common subject for research, being eusocial and easy to breed in captivity ( Buffenstein et al, 2021 ). However, the blind mole rat is territorial and aggressive, and is extremely difficult to breed in the lab.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alone, in the dark: The extraordinary neuroethology of the solitary blind mole rat

Kashash

Smarsh

Zilkha

et al. 2022

eLife

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On the social scale, the blind mole rat (BMR; Spalax ehrenbergi) is an extreme. It is exceedingly solitary, territorial, and aggressive. BMRs reside underground, in self-excavated tunnels that they rarely leave. They possess specialized sensory systems for social communication and navigation, which allow them to cope with the harsh environmental conditions underground. This review aims to present the blind mole rat as an ideal, novel neuroethological model for studying aggressive and solitary behaviors. We discuss the BMR’s unique behavioral phenotype, particularly in the context of ‘anti-social’ behaviors, and review the available literature regarding its specialized sensory adaptations to the social and physical habitat. To date, the neurobiology of the blind mole rat remains mostly unknown and holds a promising avenue for scientific discovery. Unraveling the neural basis of the BMR’s behavior, in comparison to that of social rodents, can shed important light on the underlying mechanisms of psychiatric disorders in humans, in which similar behaviors are displayed.

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Paternal behavior in the Mongolian gerbil, and its regulation by social factors, T, ERα, and AR

Cited by 14 publications

References 45 publications

Plasticity of the paternal brain: Effects of fatherhood on neural structure and function

Plasticity of the paternal brain: Effects of fatherhood on neural structure and function

The parental umwelt: Effects of parenthood on sensory processing in rodents

Alone, in the dark: The extraordinary neuroethology of the solitary blind mole rat

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