1. |
- Abbey-Lee, Robin N., et al.
(författare)
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The Influence of Rearing on Behavior, Brain Monoamines, and Gene Expression in Three-Spined Sticklebacks
- 2018
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Ingår i: Brain, behavior, and evolution. - Basel : S. Karger AG. - 0006-8977 .- 1421-9743. ; 91:4, s. 201-213
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The causes of individual variation in behavior are often not well understood, and potential underlying mechanisms include both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as early environmental, physiological, and genetic differences. In an exploratory laboratory study, we raised three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) under 4 different environmental conditions (simulated predator environment, complex environment, variable social environment, and control). We investigated how these manipulations related to behavior, brain physiology, and gene expression later in life, with focus on brain dopamine and serotonin levels, turnover rates, and gene expression. The different rearing environments influenced behavior and gene expression, but did not alter monoamine levels or metabolites. Specifically, compared to control fish, fish exposed to a simulated predator environment tended to be less aggressive, more exploratory, and more neophobic; and fish raised in both complex and variable social environments tended to be less neophobic. Exposure to a simulated predator environment tended to lower expression of dopamine receptor DRD4A, a complex environment increased expression of dopamine receptor DRD1B, while a variable social environment tended to increase serotonin receptor 5-HTR2B and serotonin transporter SLC6A4A expression. Despite both behavior and gene expression varying with early environment, there was no evidence that gene expression mediated the relationship between early environment and behavior. Our results confirm that environmental conditions early in life can affect phenotypic variation. However, the mechanistic pathway of the monoaminergic systems translating early environmental variation into observed behavioral responses was not detected.
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2. |
- Dahlbom, Josefin, et al.
(författare)
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Boldness predicts social status in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
- 2011
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 6:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study explored if boldness could be used to predict social status. First, boldness was assessed by monitoring individual zebrafish behaviour in (1) an unfamiliar barren environment with no shelter (open field), (2) the same environment when a roof was introduced as a shelter, and (3) when the roof was removed and an unfamiliar object (Lego® brick) was introduced. Next, after a resting period of minimum one week, social status of the fish was determined in a dyadic contest and dominant/subordinate individuals were determined as the winner/loser of two consecutive contests. Multivariate data analyses showed that males were bolder than females and that the behaviours expressed by the fish during the boldness tests could be used to predict which fish would later become dominant and subordinate in the ensuing dyadic contest. We conclude that bold behaviour is positively correlated to dominance in zebrafish and that boldness is not solely a consequence of social dominance.
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3. |
- Dahlbom, S. Josefin, et al.
(författare)
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Aggression and monoamines : Effects of sex and social rank in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
- 2012
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Ingår i: Behavioural Brain Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0166-4328 .- 1872-7549. ; 228:2, s. 333-338
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Social defeat is a common model for studies on depression. However, such models are most often used to study aggression in males and sex differences in depression may therefore be overseen. This study investigated the potential of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model for male and female aggression. In addition, effects on the brain serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems after agonistic interaction are well studied in many species, but not in zebrafish. We wanted to explore whether the zebrafish follows the same patterns as many other species. Therefore, the effects of agonistic interaction on brain monoaminergic activity were studied in adult male and female wild-type zebrafish. The fish interacted in pairs with one of the same sex for five days during which agonistic behaviour was quantified daily. Clear dominant/subordinate relationships developed in all pairs, both in males and females. The frequency of aggressive acts increased over time but did not differ between male and female pairs. Further, we found that dyadic agonistic interaction resulted in elevated brain serotonergic activity in subordinate zebrafish, as indicated by elevated hindbrain 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid to serotonin ratios (5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA)/5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) ratios). We also observed a sex difference in forebrain dopamine levels and forebrain 5-HIAA/5-HT ratios, with females displaying higher concentrations of dopamine but lower 5-HIAA/5-HT ratios than males. These results suggest that zebrafish is a suitable model for studies on female aggression and sex differences in brain monoaminergic neurotransmission.
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4. |
- Dahlbom, S Josefin
(författare)
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Bully or Bullied? : The Zebrafish as a Model for Social Stress and Depression
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The zebrafish is evaluated as a model for social stress, depression and anxiety. I conclude that it is suitable, especially for studies of sex differences. In humans, women are more prone to depression but most animal studies are performed in males. A popular way to study depression is by means of social stress, which is often a contributing factor to depression. However, social stress in female rodents is difficult to study since female aggression is mostly limited to maternal defence. Thus, there is a need for models to study depression and anxiety in females, as well as sex differences in these disorders.As personality is a risk factor for developing depression, I aimed at exploring correlated behaviours that together characterise personalities. My work confirmed that zebrafish, as numerous other species, show strong correlations between boldness and aggression on the one hand, and neurobiological reactions to social stress on the other. In general, males were bolder than females, but there were no differences in aggressive behaviours between the sexes. It was also confirmed that both acute and chronic social stress activates the dopamine and serotonin systems in the brain, and that subordinate individuals appear to be more stressed, based on serotonergic activity.Further, I studied the consequences of altered levels of serotonin during development, such as would be the case when antidepressants are used during pregnancy. Zebrafish embryos were treated with drugs that affect the serotonin system by increasing or decreasing serotonin levels. Depletion of serotonin increased the expression of several serotonin-related genes but had no effect on morphology. In contrast, increasing serotonin levels only showed small effects on gene expression, but increased the length of the myotomes in the spinal cord. Together with other studies, my results indicate that fluvoxamine might be a suitable choice for treatment of depression during pregnancy.In conclusion, my results show that the zebrafish is a valid model organism for studying social stress, depression and anxiety disorders and it should therefore be considered when developing new animal models for depression. It will especially be beneficial in studies of sex differences.
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6. |
- Kotrschal, Alexander, et al.
(författare)
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Artificial Selection on Relative Brain Size Reveals a Positive Genetic Correlation Between Brain Size and Proactive Personality in the Guppy
- 2014
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Ingår i: Evolution. - : Wiley. - 0014-3820 .- 1558-5646. ; 68:4, s. 1139-1149
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Animal personalities range from individuals that are shy, cautious, and easily stressed (a "reactive" personality type) to individuals that are bold, innovative, and quick to learn novel tasks, but also prone to routine formation (a "proactive" personality type). Although personality differences should have important consequences for fitness, their underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated how genetic variation in brain size affects personality. We put selection lines of large- and small-brained guppies (Poecilia reticulata), with known differences in cognitive ability, through three standard personality assays. First, we found that large-brained animals were faster to habituate to, and more exploratory in, open field tests. Large-brained females were also bolder. Second, large-brained animals excreted less cortisol in a stressful situation (confinement). Third, large-brained animals were slower to feed from a novel food source, which we interpret as being caused by reduced behavioral flexibility rather than lack of innovation in the large-brained lines. Overall, the results point toward a more proactive personality type in large-brained animals. Thus, this study provides the first experimental evidence linking brain size and personality, an interaction that may affect important fitness-related aspects of ecology such as dispersal and niche exploration.
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8. |
- Teles, Magda C, et al.
(författare)
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Social modulation of brain monoamine levels in zebrafish
- 2013
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Ingår i: Behavioural Brain Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0166-4328 .- 1872-7549. ; 253, s. 17-24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In social species animals tend to adjust their social behaviour according to the available social information in the group, in order to optimize and improve their one social status. This changing environment requires for rapid and transient behavioural changes that relies primarily on biochemical switching of existing neural networks. Monoamines and neuropeptides are the two major candidates to mediate these changes in brain states underlying socially behavioural flexibility. In the current study we used zebrafish (Danio rerio) males to study the effects of acute social interactions on rapid regional changes in brain levels of monoamines (serotonin and dopamine). A behavioural paradigm under which male zebrafish consistently express fighting behaviour was used to investigate the effects of different social experiences: winning the interaction, losing the interaction, or fighting an unsolved interaction (mirror image). We found that serotonergic activity is significantly higher in the telencephalon of winners and in the optic tectum of losers, and no significant changes were observed in mirror fighters suggesting that serotonergic activity is differentially regulated in different brain regions by social interactions. Dopaminergic activity it was also significantly higher in the telencephalon of winners which may be representative of social reward. Together our data suggests that acute social interactions elicit rapid and differential changes in serotonergic and dopaminergic activity across different brain regions.
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10. |
- Winberg, Josefin, et al.
(författare)
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Bioenergy crops, biodiversity and ecosystem services in temperate agricultural landscapes—A review of synergies and trade-offs
- 2023
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Ingår i: GCB Bioenergy. - 1757-1693. ; 15:10, s. 1204-1220
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Paris agreement on climate change requires rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. One important mitigation strategy, at least in the intermediate future, is the substitution of fossil fuels with bioenergy. However, using agriculture- and forest-derived biomass for energy has sparked controversy regarding both the climate mitigation potential and conflicts with biodiversity conservation. The urgency of the climate crisis calls for using forests for carbon sequestration and storage rather than for bioenergy, making agricultural biomass an attractive alternative for fossil energy substitution. However, this calls for comprehensive assessments of its sustainability in terms of consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this review, we provide a first holistic overview of the impacts on ecosystems of land-use changes from bioenergy crop production in temperate climates, by synthesizing results on both biodiversity and ecosystem service impacts. We found that bioenergy-related land-use changes can have both positive and negative effects on ecosystems, with original land use, bioenergy crop type and scale of bioenergy production being important moderators of impacts. Despite the risk of opportunity cost for food production, perennial crop cultivation on arable land had the lowest occurrence of negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Growing biomass for bioenergy on surplus land has been suggested as a way to alleviate competition with food production and biodiversity conservation, but our results demonstrate that utilizing marginal or abandoned land for bioenergy crop production cannot fully resolve these trade-offs. Furthermore, there is a lack of empirical studies of the biodiversity value of marginal and abandoned land, limiting our understanding of the sustainability implications of biomass cultivation on surplus land. We argue that future research and policies for bioenergy production must explicitly consider biodiversity and ecosystem services in combination to avoid potential trade-offs between the two and to ensure sustainable bioenergy production.
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