Non-genomic transmission of paternal behaviour between fathers and sons in the monogamous and biparental California mouse.

Maternal behaviour has profound, long-lasting implications for the health and well-being of developing offspring. In the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), care by both parents is critical for offspring survival. We tested the hypothesis that similar to maternal care in rodents, paternal huddling and grooming (HG) behaviour can be transmitted to future generations via behavioural mechanisms. In California mice, testosterone maintains paternal HG behaviour. In the present study, we randomly assigned a group of male California mice to castration or sham-operated conditions and allowed them to raise their offspring normally. Adult sons of these males were paired with a female, and they were observed interacting with their own offspring. We found that like their fathers, the sons of castrated males huddled and groomed their young at lower levels than the sons of sham-operated fathers. The sons of castrates also retrieved pups more frequently. When both parents were present, the sons of castrates also showed a trend towards engaging in less exploratory behaviour. These data support the hypothesis that paternal behaviour, like maternal behaviour, can be transferred to future generations via epigenetic mechanisms and suggest that in a biparental species both parents contribute to offspring behavioural development.

Omega-3 Fatty acids and hippocampal neurogenesis in depression.

The mammalian brain and central nervous system are especially dependent on the omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for normative signaling and function, and research suggests that n-3 fatty acid deficiencies are one contributing factor in the increasing prevalence of depressive disorders. However, the reasons for which n-3 fatty acids and mood are connected remain unknown. Atrophy in the hippocampus is one of the most significant neuroanatomical findings in depressed patients, and current therapies for depression tend to increase hippocampal neurogenesis. We recently discovered that the fat-1 transgenic mouse, which has enriched levels of DHA in the brain because it can convert n-6 to n-3 fatty acids, exhibits increased hippocampal neurogenesis. This finding suggests a mechanism by which omega-3 could influence depression and mood; here we expand on the argument that n-3 fatty acids, and DHA in particular, may help prevent and treat depression by virtue of their effects on neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Because DHA can be obtained through the diet, increasing DHA intake in depressed patients or those at risk for depression may be one way of managing the disease and perhaps providing aid to those who have not been able to achieve remission via pharmacological means.

Monogamous and promiscuous rodent species exhibit discrete variation in the size of the medial prefrontal cortex.

Limbic-associated cortical areas, such as the medial prefrontal and retrosplenial cortex (mPFC and RS, respectively), are involved in the processing of emotion, motivation, and various aspects of working memory and have been implicated in mating behavior. To determine whether the independent evolution of mating systems is associated with a convergence in cortical mechanisms, we compared the size of mPFC and RS between the monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) and the promiscuous meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), and between the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) and the promiscuous white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). For both promiscuous mice and voles, the mPFC occupied a significantly larger percentage of total cortex than in the monogamous species. No significant differences were observed for the RS or overall cortex size with respect to mating system, supporting the convergent evolution of mPFC size, specifically. Individual differences in the mating behavior of male prairie voles (wandering versus pair-bonding), presumably facultative tactics, were not reflected in the relative size of the mPFC, which is likely a heritable trait. Given the importance of the mPFC for complex working memory, particularly object-place and temporal order memory, we hypothesize that the relatively greater size of the mPFC in promiscuous species reflects a greater need to remember multiple individuals and the times and locations in which they have been encountered in the home range.

Compatibility drives female preference and reproductive success in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) more strongly than male testosterone measures.

Female assessment of male attractiveness and how preferred qualities impact reproductive success is central to the study of mate choice. Male attractiveness may depend on traits beneficial to the reproductive success (RS) of any female, termed 'universal quality', and/or on behavioral and biological interactions between potential mates that reflect 'compatibility'. The steroid hormone testosterone (T) often underlies male attractiveness in rodents and is associated with enhanced paternal care in the monogamous and biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). We hypothesized that (1) T-characteristics are universally attractive to female California mice and that (2) if reproductive success is higher for females mated with preferred males, then females mated with males preferred by other females will also have higher reproductive success. Alternatively, we speculated that pair compatibility, based on emergent pair qualities, is important for a species with coordinated offspring care. We assessed individual T-characteristics in three ways: (1) T-response to GnRH challenges (2) baseline T-level and (3) T-response to a female. Testosterone-response did not predict female preference, but females spent more time investigating males with higher baseline T (accounting for only 9.6% of the variation in investigation time). None of the T-measures was associated with RS. Females paired with males they preferred produced litters more quickly and had higher RS than females paired with their non-preferred males. Naïve females who did not undergo preference tests had equivalent RS regardless of whether their mate was preferred or non-preferred by another female. These data suggest that higher male T elicits investigation, but female preference in the California mouse is more strongly linked with compatibility because individual preference was a better predictor of RS than any T measure.

Accelerated maternal responding following intra-VTA pertussis toxin treatment.

Prior studies have supported a role for mesolimbic dopaminergic mechanisms in the regulation of maternal behavior. Accordingly, the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and its dopaminergic projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have been implicated in both the onset and maintenance of normal maternal behavior. To date, studies of direct manipulation of VTA neurochemistry at the onset of maternal behavior have been limited. The current study was undertaken to directly test the hypothesis that enhancement of dopaminergic transmission in the mesolimbic dopamine system can stimulate maternal activity using a pup-induced virgin model. Nulliparous female rats were stereotaxically infused with pertussis toxin (PTX 0, 0.1, or 0.3 µg/hemisphere) into the VTA to chronically stimulate the activity of dopaminergic projection neurons. After 3 days of recovery, maternal responding to donor pups was tested daily, and latency (in days) to full maternal behavior was recorded. Intra-VTA PTX treatment produced a robust dose-dependent decrease in maternal behavior latency, and a long-lasting increase in locomotor activity. These effects were associated with significantly decreased dopamine D1 receptor mRNA expression in the NAc. No effects of PTX treatment on mesolimbic dopamine utilization or mPFC receptor expression were observed. The findings indicate that chronic neural activation in the VTA accelerates the onset of maternal behavior in virgin female rats via modification of the NAc dopamine D1 receptor.

Testosterone response to courtship predicts future paternal behavior in the California mouse, Peromyscus californicus.

In the monogamous and biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), paternal care is critical for maximal offspring survival. Animals form pair bonds and do not engage in extrapair matings, and thus female evaluation of paternal quality during courtship is likely to be advantageous. We hypothesized that male endocrine or behavioral response to courtship interactions would be predictive of future paternal behavior. To test this hypothesis, we formed 20 pairs of California mice, and evaluated their behavior during the first hour of courtship interactions and again following the birth of young. We also collected blood from males at baseline, 1 hr after pairing, 3 weeks paired, and when young were 4 days old to measure testosterone (T). We found that male T-response to courtship interactions predicted future paternal behavior, specifically the amount of time he huddled over young when challenged by the temporary removal of his mate. Males that mounted T increases at courtship also approached pups more quickly during this challenge than males who had a significant decrease in T at courtship. Proximity of the male and female during courtship predicted paternal huddling during a 1-hr observation, and a multiple regression analysis revealed that courtship behavior was also predictive of birth latency. We speculate that male T-response to a female in P. californicus is an honest indicator of paternal quality, and if detectable by females could provide a basis for evaluation during mate choice.

Testosterone release and social context: when it occurs and why.

The functions of rapid increases in testosterone seem paradoxical because they can occur in response to different social contexts, such as male-male aggressive encounters and male-female sexual encounters. This suggests that context may impact the functional consequences of changes in testosterone, whether transient or long term. Many studies, including those with California mice (Peromyscus californicus), have addressed these issues using manipulations and species comparisons, but many areas remain to be investigated. We report a study here that suggests transient increases in testosterone after social competition influence future competitive behavior, but social experience alone may also be critical in determining future behavior. In other rodents, a comparable testosterone surge occurs in response to sexual stimulation, but the function is not entirely understood. In addition to competitive and sexual behavior, testosterone impacts other systems instrumental to social behaviors, including paternal behavior and degree of monogamy. Thus, mechanisms regulated by testosterone, such as the vasopressin and aromatase systems, may also be influenced by rapid surges of testosterone in aggressive or sexual contexts. We discuss how the functions of testosterone may overlap in some contexts.