Differential activation of vasotocin neurons in contexts that elicit aggression and courtship

Loveland, Jasmine L.; Fernald, Russell D.

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.008

Cited by 42Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorAnimal Behavior and ReproductionNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Differential activation of vasotocin neurons in contexts that elicit aggression and courtship

Loveland, Jasmine L., Fernald, Russell D.·2017·Behavioural Brain Research

DOI 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.008

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Despite continued study on the neurobiological bases of aggressive and sexual behaviors, it is still not well understood how the brain integrates social information with physiological and neural states to produce context-specific behavioral outcomes. In fishes, manipulation of endogenous levels of arginine vasotocin (AVT) through peripheral and intracerebroventricular pharmacological injections results in significant changes in social behaviors, including aggressive and reproduction-related behaviors. In addition, many features of AVT neurons have been shown to correlate with social status and associated behavioral phenotypes. In this study, we used the immediate early gene egr-1 as a marker for neuronal activity and quantified the number of AVT neurons that were positive for egr-1 mRNA by in situ hybridization in Astatotilapia burtoni males that were exposed to either a social context that would elicit aggression or to one that would elicit courtship. In these social settings, focal males readily displayed context- appropriate bouts of aggression (towards the opponent) or bouts of courting (towards females). We found that males that fought had higher levels of egr-1 expression in the preoptic area compared to courting males. A greater proportion of AVT cells was positive for egr-1 after a fight than after a bout of courting. We mapped mRNA distribution of AVT V1a receptor subtypes v1a1 and v1a2 in the brain and identified overlapping areas of expression in nuclei in the ventral telencephalon, hypothalamus and thalamus as key areas for AVT signaling in males.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.008

Cites

70 of 70 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Social defeat increases levels of BDNF in BNSTam of female but not male California mice.
“social defeat increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) in BNSTam of female but not male California mice (31).”
From Oxytocin receptors in the anteromedial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis promote stress-induced social avoidance in female California mice (2018) · cites this paper as [31]

The Medial Extended Amygdala in Male Reproductive Behavior A Node in the Mammalian Social Behavior Network
NEWMAN, S. W. (1999) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1999.tb09271.x · Cited by 1,189 · see citing works
Eta Squared, Partial Eta Squared, and Misreporting of Effect Size in Communication Research
Levine, T. R., & Hullett, C. R. (2002) · Human Communication Research · doi:10.1111/j.1468-2958.2002.tb00828.x · Cited by 998 · see citing works
The Vertebrate mesolimbic reward system and social behavior network: A comparative synthesis
O'Connell, L. A., & Hofmann, H. A. (2011) · Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.22735 · Cited by 986 · see citing works
Functional identification of an aggression locus in the mouse hypothalamus
Lin, D., Boyle, M. P., Dollar, P., Lee, H., Lein, E. S., Perona, P., & Anderson, D. J. (2011) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature09736 · Cited by 914 · see citing works
The vertebrate social behavior network: Evolutionary themes and variations
Goodson, J. L. (2005) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.02.003 · Cited by 771 · see citing works
Increased affiliative response to vasopressin in mice expressing the V1a receptor from a monogamous vole
Young, L. J., Nilsen, R., Waymire, K. G., MacGregor, G. R., & Insel, T. R. (1999) · Nature · doi:10.1038/23475 · Cited by 488 · see citing works
Estrogen masculinizes neural pathways and sex-specific behaviors
Wu, M. V., Manoli, D. S., Fraser, E. J., Coats, J. K., Tollkuhn, J., Honda, S.-I., Harada, N., & Shah, N. M. (2009) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2009.07.036 · Cited by 404 · see citing works
Untitled work
Young (1999) · doi:10.1038/23650 · Cited by 389 · see citing works
The V1a Vasopressin Receptor Is Necessary and Sufficient for Normal Social Recognition: A Gene Replacement Study
Bielsky, I. F., Hu, S.-B., Ren, X., Terwilliger, E. F., & Young, L. J. (2005) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2005.06.031 · Cited by 367 · see citing works
?Classical? and ?non-classical? reproductive steroids in fish
Kime, D. E. (1993) · Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries · doi:10.1007/bf00045230 · Cited by 329 · see citing works
Aggression and vasotocin are associated with dominant–subordinate relationships in zebrafish
Larson, E. T., O’Malley, D. M., & Melloni, R. H. (2005) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2005.08.020 · Cited by 290 · see citing works
The regulation of social recognition, social communication and aggression: vasopressin in the social behavior neural network
Albers, H. E. (2012) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.10.007 · Cited by 288 · see citing works
Effects of early life stress on adult male aggression and hypothalamic vasopressin and serotonin.
Veenema, A. H., Blume, A., Niederle, D., Buwalda, B., & Neumann, I. D. (2006) · European Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.05045.x · Cited by 271 · see citing works
Manipulations of the AVT System Shift Social Status and Related Courtship and Aggressive Behavior in the Bluehead Wrasse
Semsar, K., Kandel, F. L. M., & Godwin, J. (2001) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1006/hbeh.2001.1663 · Cited by 252 · see citing works
Neural Connections of the Anterior Hypothalamus and Agonistic Behavior in Golden Hamsters
Delville, Y., Vries, G. J. D., & Ferris, C. F. (2000) · Brain Behavior and Evolution · doi:10.1159/000006642 · Cited by 251 · see citing works
Species differences in V-sub-1a receptor gene expression in monogamous and nonmonogamous voles: Behavioral consequences.
Young, L. J., Winslow, J., Nilsen, R., & Insel, T. R. (1997) · Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.1037//0735-7044.111.3.599 · Cited by 235 · see citing works
Agonist action of taurine on glycine receptors in rat supraoptic magnocellular neurones: possible role in osmoregulation
Hussy, N., Deleuze, C., Pantaloni, A., Desarménien, M. G., & Moos, F. (1997) · The Journal of Physiology · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7793.1997.609bj.x · Cited by 215 · see citing works
Nonapeptides and Social Behavior in Fishes
Godwin, J., & Thompson, R. R. (2012) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.12.016 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Expression of arginine vasotocin in distinct preoptic regions is associated with dominant and subordinate behaviour in an African cichlid fish
Greenwood, A. K., Wark, A. R., Fernald, R. D., & Hofmann, H. A. (2008) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.0622 · Cited by 206 · see citing works
Species, sex and individual differences in the vasotocin/vasopressin system: relationship to neurochemical signaling in the social behavior neural network
Albers, H. E. (2015) · Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.07.001 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
Species differences in V₁a receptor gene expression in monogamous and nonmonogamous voles: Behavioral consequences.
Young, L. J., Winslow, J. T., Nilsen, R., & Insel, T. R. (1997) · Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.1037/0735-7044.111.3.599 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
Vasopressin Regularizes the Phasic Firing Pattern of Rat Hypothalamic Magnocellular Vasopressin Neurons
Gouzènes, L., Desarménien, M. G., Hussy, N., Richard, P., & Moos, F. (1998) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.18-05-01879.1998 · Cited by 183 · see citing works
Quantitative behavioural observations of Haplochromis burtoni under semi-natural conditions
Fernald, R. D. (1977) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/0003-3472(77)90115-4 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
A test of the ‘challenge hypothesis’ in cichlid fish: simulated partner and territory intruder experiments
Hirschenhauser, K., Michael Taborsky, A., Oliveira, T., Canário, A. V. M., & Oliveira, R. F. (2004) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.12.015 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
Behavioral and physiological plasticity: Rapid changes during social ascent in an African cichlid fish
Maruska, K. P., & Fernald, R. D. (2010) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.03.011 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Arginine Vasotocin Modulates a Sexually Dimorphic Communication Behavior in the Weakly Electric fish APTERONOTUS LEPTORHYNCHUS
Bastian, J., Schniederjan, S. D., & Nguyenkim, J. (2001) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.204.11.1909 · Cited by 158 · see citing works
What's in a name? Considerations of homologies and nomenclature for vertebrate social behavior networks
Goodson, J. L., & Kingsbury, M. A. (2013) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.05.006 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Social control of neuronal soma size
Davis, M. R., & Fernald, R. D. (1990) · Journal of Neurobiology · doi:10.1002/neu.480210804 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Social functions of individual vasopressin–oxytocin cell groups in vertebrates: What do we really know?
Kelly, A. M., & Goodson, J. L. (2014) · Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.04.005 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
The distribution of vasotocin and isotocin in the brain of the rainbow trout
van den Dungen, H. M., Buijs, R. M., Pool, C. W., & Terlou, M. (1982) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.902120205 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
The neurohypophysial endocrine regulatory cascade: precursors, mediators, receptors, and effectors
Acher, R., & Chauvet, J. (1995) · Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1006/frne.1995.1009 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Valence-sensitive neurons exhibit divergent functional profiles in gregarious and asocial species
Goodson, J. L., & Wang, Y. (2006) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0606278103 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
New insights into neuropeptide modulation of aggression: field studies of arginine vasotocin in a territorial tropical damselfish
Santangelo, N., & Bass, A. H. (2006) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3683 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Functional organization of preoptic vasotocin and isotocin neurons in the brain of rainbow trout: central and neurohypophysial projections of single neurons
Saito, D., Komatsuda, M., & Urano, A. (2004) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2003.12.038 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Androgen level and male social status in the African cichlid, Astatotilapia burtoni
Parikh, V. N., Clement, T. S., & Fernald, R. D. (2005) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2005.07.011 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Effects of forebrain lesions on spawning behaviour in the male goldfish
Kyle, A. L., & Peter, R. E. (1982) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/0031-9384(82)90183-4 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Identification of multiple vasotocin receptor cDNAs in teleost fish: Sequences, phylogenetic analysis, sites of expression, and regulation in the hypothalamus and gill in response to hyperosmotic challenge
Lema, S. C. (2010) · Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.mce.2010.02.015 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Arginine vasotocin effects on courtship behavior in male white perch (Morone americana)
Salek, S. J., Sullivan, C. V., & Godwin, J. (2002) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/s0166-4328(02)00003-7 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Variation in brain arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT) levels with reproductive stage and social status in males of three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
Kleszczyńska, A., Sokołowska, E., & Kulczykowska, E. (2011) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.11.022 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Multiple mechanisms of phenotype development in the bluehead wrasse
Semsar, K., & Godwin, J. (2004) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.01.003 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Steroid receptor expression in the fish inner earvaries with sex, social status, and reproductive state
Maruska, K. P., & Fernald, R. D. (2010) · BMC Neuroscience · doi:10.1186/1471-2202-11-58 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Forebrain AVT and courtship in a fish with male alternative reproductive tactics
Grober, M. S., George, A. A., Watkins, K. K., Carneiro, L. A., & Oliveira, R. F. (2002) · Brain Research Bulletin · doi:10.1016/s0361-9230(01)00704-3 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Feeding and aggressive behavior evoked by hypothalamic stimulation in a cichlid fish
Demski, L. S. (1973) · Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Physiology · doi:10.1016/0300-9629(73)90134-5 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Brain levels of arginine–vasotocin and isotocin in dominant and subordinate males of a cichlid fish
Almeida, O., Gozdowska, M., Kulczykowska, E., & Oliveira, R. F. (2011) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.12.008 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Neural and hormonal mechanisms of reproductive-related arousal in fishes
Forlano, P. M., & Bass, A. H. (2010) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.10.006 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Evolutionary conservation of the egr‐1 immediate‐early gene response in a teleost
Burmeister, S. S., & Fernald, R. D. (2004) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.20380 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Vasopressin cell groups exhibit strongly divergent responses to copulation and male-male interactions in mice
Ho, J. M., Murray, J. H., Demas, G. E., & Goodson, J. L. (2010) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.03.021 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Arginine vasotocin regulates social ascent in the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni
Huffman, L. S., Hinz, F. I., Wojcik, S., Aubin‐Horth, N., & Hofmann, H. A. (2014) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.03.004 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Neuromodulation of the agonistic behavior in two species of weakly electric fish that display different types of aggression
da Silva, A. C. R., Perrone, R., Zubizarreta, L., Batista, G., & Stoddard, P. K. (2013) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.082180 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT) in fish brain: Diurnal and seasonal variations
Gozdowska, M., Kleszczyńska, A., Sokołowska, E., & Kulczykowska, E. (2006) · Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B Biochemistry and Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cbpb.2005.12.004 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Distribution of nonapeptide systems in the forebrain of an African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni
Huffman, L. S., O’Connell, L. A., Kenkel, C. D., Kline, R. J., Khan, I. A., & Hofmann, H. A. (2012) · Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy · doi:10.1016/j.jchemneu.2012.05.002 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Arginine Vasotocin, Isotocin and Nonapeptide Receptor Gene Expression Link to Social Status and Aggression in Sex‐Dependent Patterns
Lema, S. C., Sanders, K. E., & Walti, K. A. (2014) · Journal of Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1111/jne.12239 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Arginine-vasotocin expression and participation in reproduction and social behavior in males of the cichlid fish Cichlasoma dimerus
Ramallo, M. R., Grober, M. S., Cánepa, M. M., Morandini, L., & Pandolfi, M. (2012) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.08.015 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Cytoarchitecture of a Cichlid Fish Telencephalon
Burmeister, S. S., Munshi, R. G., & Fernald, R. D. (2009) · Brain Behavior and Evolution · doi:10.1159/000235613 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Repeated agonistic encounters in hamsters modulate AVP V1a receptor binding
COOPER, M., KAROM, M., HUHMAN, K., & ELLIOTTALBERS, H. (2005) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.04.012 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Arginine Vasotocin Neuronal Phenotypes among Congeneric Territorial and Shoaling Reef Butterflyfishes: Species, Sex and Reproductive Season Comparisons
Dewan, A., Maruska, K. P., & Tricas, T. C. (2008) · Journal of Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2826.2008.01798.x · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Sex and seasonal co-variation of arginine vasotocin (AVT) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the brain of the halfspotted goby
Maruska, K. P., Mizobe, M., & Tricas, T. C. (2006) · Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Molecular & Integrative Physiology · doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.12.019 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Social status differences regulate the serotonergic system of a cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni
Loveland, J. L., Uy, N., Maruska, K. P., Carpenter, R. E., & Fernald, R. D. (2014) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.100685 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Variation in gene transcript profiles of two V1a-type arginine vasotocin receptors among sexual phases of bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum)
Lema, S. C., Slane, M. A., Salvesen, K. E., & Godwin, J. (2012) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.10.001 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Neurochemical correlates of male polymorphism and alternative reproductive tactics in the Azorean rock-pool blenny, Parablennius parvicornis
Miranda, J. A., Oliveira, R. F., Carneiro, L. A., Santos, R. S., & Grober, M. S. (2003) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/s0016-6480(03)00063-7 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Neuroendocrine Mechanisms Underlying Sensory Integration of Social Signals
O’Connell, L. A., Rigney, M. M., Dykstra, D. W., & Hofmann, H. A. (2013) · Journal of Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1111/jne.12045 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Arginine vasotocin neuronal phenotypes, telencephalic fiber varicosities, and social behavior in butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae): Potential similarities to birds and mammals
Dewan, A., Ramey, M. L., & Tricas, T. C. (2010) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.10.002 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
A primitive social circuit: vasotocin–substance P interactions modulate social behavior through a peripheral feedback mechanism in goldfish
Thompson, R. R., Walton, J. C., Bhalla, R., George, K., & Beth, E. (2008) · European Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06210.x · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Social rank‐dependent expression of arginine vasotocin in distinct preoptic regions in male Oryzias latipes
Kagawa, N. (2012) · Journal of Fish Biology · doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03490.x · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Sex and temporal variations of the vasotocin neuronal system in the damselfish brain
Maruska, K. P. (2008) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2008.11.018 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Vasotocin Immunoreactivity in Goldfish Brains: Characterizing Primitive Circuits Associated with Social Regulation
Thompson, R. R., & Walton, J. C. (2009) · Brain Behavior and Evolution · doi:10.1159/000219485 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Arginine vasotocin and androgen pathways are associated with mating system variation in North American cichlid fishes
Oldfield, R. G., Harris, R. M., Hendrickson, D. A., & Hofmann, H. A. (2013) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.04.006 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Diurnal rhythms in hypothalamic/pituitary AVT synthesis and secretion in rainbow trout: Evidence for a circadian regulation
Rodríguez‐Illamola, A., López‐Patiño, M. A., Soengas, J. L., Ceinos, R. M., & Míguez, J. M. (2010) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.11.013 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Arginine vasotocin V1a2 receptor and GnRH-I co-localize in preoptic neurons of the sex changing grouper, Epinephelus adscensionis
Kline, R. J., Holt, G. J., & Khan, I. A. (2015) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.07.013 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Expression of arginine vasotocin receptors in the developing zebrafish CNS
Iwasaki, K., Taguchi, M., Bonkowsky, J. L., & Kuwada, J. Y. (2013) · Gene Expression Patterns · doi:10.1016/j.gep.2013.06.005 · Cited by 17 · see citing works

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 71 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Sorted by citations

Status-Dependent Vasotocin Modulation of Dominance and Subordination in the Weakly Electric Fish Gymnotus omarorum
Perrone, R., & da Silva, A. C. R. (2018) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00001 · Cited by 210 · see citing works
Oxytocin receptors in the anteromedial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis promote stress-induced social avoidance in female California mice
Duque-Wilckens, N., Steinman, M. Q., Busnelli, M., Chini, B., Yokoyama, S., Pham, M., Laredo, S. A., Hao, R., Perkeybile, A. M., Minie, V. A., et al. (2018) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.08.024 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Neural Circuits That Mediate Selective Attention: A Comparative Perspective
Knudsen, E. I. (2018) · Trends in Neurosciences · doi:10.1016/j.tins.2018.06.006 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Astatotilapia burtoni : A Model System for Analyzing the Neurobiology of Behavior
Maruska, K. P., & Fernald, R. D. (2018) · ACS Chemical Neuroscience · doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00496 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Mechanisms involved in tributyltin-enhanced aggressive behaviors and fear responses in male zebrafish
Liu, Z., Li, Y., Hu, W., Chen, Q.-L., & Shen, Y. (2020) · Aquatic Toxicology · doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2020.105408 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Endocrine and neuroendocrine regulation of social status in cichlid fishes
Maruska, K. P., Anselmo, C. M., King, T., Mobley, R. B., Ray, E. J., & Wayne, R. (2022) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105110 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Neural substrates involved in the cognitive information processing in teleost fish
Calvo, R. A., & Schluessel, V. (2021) · Animal Cognition · doi:10.1007/s10071-021-01514-3 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“(2013) Pre-optic area egr-1 Aggressive and reproduction-related behaviours Loveland and Fernald (2017) 1 3 Wood et al.”
Background
Molecular basis of social competence in medaka fish
Okuyama, T., Yokoi, S., & Takeuchi, H. (2017) · Development Growth & Differentiation · doi:10.1111/dgd.12359 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Pharmacological studies and gene expression analyses suggest that these pathways also have crucial roles in fish behaviors, such as reproductive behaviors and aggression (Oldfield & Hofmann 2011; Godwin & Thompson 2012; O’Connor et al. 2016; Loveland & Fernald 2017).”
Background
Context-dependent chemosensory signaling, aggression, and neural activation patterns in gravid female African cichlid fish
Field, K. E., & Maruska, K. P. (2017) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.164574 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“burtoni males, greater activation of the POA was observed following fighting compared with courting (Loveland and Fernald, 2017), as well as in males given the opportunity to rise in social rank (Maruska and Fernald, 2010).”
Background
Isotocin neuronal phenotypes differ among social systems in cichlid fishes
Reddon, A. R., O’Connor, C. M., Nesjan, E., Cameron, J., Hellmann, J. K., Ligocki, I. Y., Marsh‐Rollo, S. E., Hamilton, I. M., WYLIE, D. R. W., Hurd, P. L., et al. (2017) · Royal Society Open Science · doi:10.1098/rsos.170350 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“The current data on nonapeptide receptors in fish brains is limited, particularly for isotocin [24,50,60,80], and this would be a fertile area for future work.”
Background
An immunohistochemical study on the distribution of vasotocin neurons in the brain of two weakly electric fish, Gymnotus omarorum and Brachyhypopomus gauderio
Pouso, P., Radmilovich, M., & da Silva, A. C. R. (2017) · Tissue and Cell · doi:10.1016/j.tice.2017.02.003 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Sex Differences in Aggression Are Paralleled by Differential Activation of the Brain Social Decision-Making Network in Zebrafish
Scaia, M. F., Akinrinade, I. D., Petri, G., & Oliveira, R. F. (2022) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2022.784835 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“Previous studies using neuronal markers to characterize the association between neuronal activity and aggression in fish, have mainly focused on the activity of single nodes of the SDMN and not on its pattern of functional connectivity (A. burtoni: Burmeister et al., 2005; Loveland and Fernald, 2017; Mchenga conophoro…”
Background
Neural Activation Patterns Associated with Maternal Mouthbrooding and Energetic State in an African Cichlid Fish
Maruska, K. P., Butler, J. M., Field, K. E., Forester, C., & Augustus, A. (2020) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.07.025 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“burtoni, for example, this preoptic nucleus contains neurons expressing GnRH, galanin, arginine vasotocin (AVT), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), and NPY, among others (Davis and Fernald, 1990; Chen and Fernald, 2008; Carpenter et al., 2014; Hu et al., 2016; Loveland and Fernald, 2017; Porter et al., 2017).”
Background
Changes in behavior and brain immediate early gene expression in male threespined sticklebacks as they become fathers
Kent, M., & Bell, A. M. (2017) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.11.002 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“IEG expression has also been used to track changes in brain activation in fishes (Burmeister et al., 2005; Butler and Maruska, 2016; Desjardins et al., 2015; Desjardins and Fernald, 2010; Desjardins et al., 2010; Harvey-Girard et al., 2010; Kress and Wullimann, 2012; Lau et al., 2011; Loveland and Fernald, 2017; Marus…”
Method
Vasopressin mediates nonapeptide and glucocorticoid signaling and social dynamics in juvenile dominance hierarchies of a highly social cichlid fish
Solomon‐Lane, T. K., Butler, R. M., & Hofmann, H. A. (2022) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105238 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Social status mediated variation in hypothalamic transcriptional profiles of male mice
Lee, W., Dwortz, M. F., Milewski, T. M., Champagne, F. A., & Curley, J. P. (2022) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105176 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Emotional contagion and prosocial behaviour in fish: An evolutionary and mechanistic approach
Kareklas, K., & Oliveira, R. F. (2024) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105780 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“…of contagion may affect later prosocial phenotypes depending on which emotional and behavioural state is transmitted and the specific mechanisms it relies on, such as the differential expression of vasotocin between courting and aggressive contexts in A. burtoni males (Loveland and Fernald, 2017).”
Preoptic Area Activation and Vasotocin Involvement in the Reproductive Behavior of a Weakly Pulse-Type Electric Fish, Brachyhypopomus gauderio
Pouso, P., Cabana, Á., Goodson, J. L., & da Silva, A. C. R. (2019) · Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnint.2019.00037 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“The use of IEGs as a proxy for visualizing the activation of brain areas associated with social behavior has also implicated the activation of hypothalamic neurons involved in the production of nonapeptides of the vasopressin/oxytocin family during these behaviors (Goodson and Wang, 2006; Goodson and Kabelik, 2009; O’…”
Background
The Amphibious Mudskipper: A Unique Model Bridging the Gap of Central Actions of Osmoregulatory Hormones Between Terrestrial and Aquatic Vertebrates
Katayama, Y., Sakamoto, T., Takanami, K., & Takei, Y. (2018) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.01112 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“Vision is more important in terrestrial lifestyle than in aquatic one, and sophisticated vision might have promoted land invasion in vertebrates (MacIver et al., 2017).”
Background
Female reproductive state is associated with changes in distinct arginine vasotocin cell types in the preoptic area of Astatotilapia burtoni
Butler, J. M., Anselmo, C. M., & Maruska, K. P. (2020) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.24995 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“In addition, males engaged in aggressive interactions had greater activation of magnocellular POA AVT-ir cells than control males or those engaged in courtship (Loveland & Fernald, 2017).”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Sex differences in aggression and its neural substrate in a cichlid fish
Jackson, L. R., Dumitrascu, M., & Alward, B. A. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-84188-4 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“In A. burtoni , there is an increase in egr1 expression in the nMMp in males after fighting but not after courting, emphasizing the role of this POA subregion in modulating aggression 56 .”
Region specific changes in nonapeptide levels during client fish interactions with allopatric and sympatric cleaner fish
Soares, M. C., Cardoso, S. C., Mazzei, R., André, G. I., Morais, M., Gozdowska, M., Kalamarz‐Kubiak, H., & Kulczykowska, E. (2017) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0180290 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Methyl-CpG binding domain proteins inhibit interspecies courtship and promote aggression in Drosophila
Gupta, T., Morgan, H. R., Andrews, J. C., Brewer, E. R., & Certel, S. J. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-05844-6 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Integrative Neurobiology of Social Behavior in Cichlid Fish
Félix, A. S., & Oliveira, R. F. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-024-2080-7_17 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Impact of temperature-induced sex reversal on behavior and sound production in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
Dussenne, M., Delcourt, J., Poncin, P., Cornil, C. A., & Parmentier, É. (2022) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105173 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Transcriptome-wide changes associated with the reproductive behaviour of male guppies exposed to 17α-ethinyl estradiol
Saaristo, M., Craft, J. A., Tyagi, S., Johnstone, C. P., Allinson, M., Ibrahim, K. S., & Wong, B. B. M. (2020) · Environmental Pollution · doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116286 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Social context affects aggression and brain vasotocin and isotocin level in the round goby
Sokołowska, E., Gozdowska, M., & Kulczykowska, E. (2019) · Fish Physiology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1007/s10695-019-00741-3 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Vasotocin but not isotocin is involved in the emergence of the dominant-subordinate status in males of the weakly electric fish, Gymnotus omarorum
Pouso, P., Cabana, Á., Francia, V., & da Silva, A. C. R. (2023) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105446 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Dominance and aggressiveness are associated with vasotocin neuron numbers in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish
Ruberto, T., Swaney, W. T., & Reddon, A. R. (2025) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105677 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Latency for facultative expression of male-typical courtship behaviour by female bluehead wrasses depends on social rank: The ‘priming/gating’ hypothesis
Price, S. M., Luong, K., Bell, R. S., & Rose, G. J. (2018) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.180901 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“…and receptors are found throughout the brain (Foran and Bass, 1999; Grober et al., 2002; Kline et al., 2011), important for integrating social stimuli, and reported to have a role in socially regulated reproductive behaviour (Semsar et al., 2001; Huffman et al., 2015; Loveland and Fernald, 2017).”
Background
Interaction between vasotocin and gonadal hormones in the regulation of reproductive behavior in a cichlid fish
Almeida, O., Félix, A. S., & Oliveira, R. F. (2022) · acta ethologica · doi:10.1007/s10211-022-00404-2 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“2008; Loveland and Fernald 2017), probably because the peripheral administration of VT fails to stimulate these contrasting circuits in an independent manner.”
Background
Commentary: Arginine Vasotocin Preprohormone Is Expressed in Surprising Regions of the Teleost Forebrain
Loveland, J. L., & Hu, C. K. (2018) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2018.00063 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Apelin‑13 in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) attenuates myocardial ischemia through V1a receptors in PVN/nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and GARγ2 in NTS
Yan, W., Wang, D., Zhang, X., & Xuan, C. (2025) · International Journal of Molecular Medicine · doi:10.3892/ijmm.2025.5652 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Candidate transcription factors potentially mediating this regulation include nuclear factor‑ κ B (NF‑ κ B) (39,40), early growth response protein 1 (EGR1) (41,42) and cAMP response element‑binding protein (CREB) (43,44).”
7,8-DHF Modulates Aggressive Behavior in Sebastes schlegelii: Phenotype-Dependent Responses in Aggression-Dimorphic Individuals
Xu, S., Ma, X., Xiao, Y., Zhang, T., Ma, C., & Ma, Z. (2025) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani15101463 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Accurate quantification of aggressive behavior is both a vital welfare indicator and a crucial metric for assessing neuromodulatory interventions [18,19].”
Hormones and sexual behavior of teleost fishes
Gonçalves, D., Fusani, B., Cardoso, S. D., & Canário, A. V. M. (2024) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-16009-7.00006-2 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Nonapeptide Evolution and the Regulation of Social Behaviour in Teleost Fish: From Molecules to Sociality
Kareklas, K., Sorigue, P., & Oliveira, R. F. (2025) · Masterclass in neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-80209-6_15 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Social Dominance Reorganizes the Transcriptomic Neuropeptidome in a Highly Social Cichlid FishPreprint
Miller-Crews, I., & Hofmann, H. A. (2024) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2024.11.07.622449 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Previous work in A. burtoni demonstrated higher egr-1 expression following aggressive behavior in avp+ magnocellular neurons (63).”
Possible Event-Related Potential Correlates of Voluntary Attention and Reflexive Attention in the Emei Music Frog
Niu, W., Shen, D., Sun, R., Fan, Y., Yang, J., Zhang, B., & Fang, G. (2022) · Biology · doi:10.3390/biology11060879 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Involvement of neuropeptidergic neurons in the establishment of dominance in a teleost model of non-breeding aggression: neuropeptide-specific and status-dependent actionsPreprint
Pouso, P., Cabana, Á., Francia, V., & Silva, A. (2023) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2419476/v1 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Regulatory Mechanisms of Male Sexual Behavior by Brain-Derived Estrogens
Scassellati, C., & Bonvicini, C. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-819641-0.00164-x
The cytoarchitecture of the telencephalon of Labroides dimidiatus (Labridae)Preprint
Chojnacka, D., Boguszewski, P. M., Barski, J. J., & Bshary, R. (2024) · doi:10.32942/x21k62
Extracellular ATP in fish
Nakhuda, F., Shanbhag, R., Zoidl, G., & Zoidl, G. (2026) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-30250-3.00012-6

Arginine Vasotocin, Isotocin and Nonapeptide Receptor Gene Expression Link to Social Status and Aggression in Sex‐Dependent Patterns
Lema, S. C., Sanders, K. E., & Walti, K. A. (2014) · Journal of Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1111/jne.12239 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
AVTergic modulation of the agonistic behavior in two species of weakly electric fish with different social strategies
Perrone, R. (2012) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/conf.fnbeh.2012.27.00071
Individual Behavioral and Neuronal Phenotypes for Arginine Vasotocin Mediated Courtship and Aggression in a Territorial Teleost
Santangelo, N., & Bass, A. H. (2010) · Brain Behavior and Evolution · doi:10.1159/000316867 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Aggression- and sex-induced neural activity across vasotocin populations in the brown anole
Kabelik, D., Alix, V. C., Burford, E. R., & Singh, L. J. (2012) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.11.016 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Vasotocin actions on electric behavior: interspecific, seasonal, and social context-dependent differences
Perrone, R. (2010) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2010.00052 · Cited by 33 · see citing works

Authors: Loveland, J. L., & Fernald, R. D.
Affiliations: Stanford University (US)
Corresponding author: Fernald, Russell D.
ORCID: Loveland, Jasmine L.
Fernald, Russell D.
Venue: Behavioural Brain Research
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2017-01
Volume: 317
Pages: 188-203
ISSN: 0166-4328 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.008
OpenAlex: W2508307990
Cited by: 42
References: 71
Citations by year: 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 8
FWCI: 8.37
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Behavioural Brain Research (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
Funders: NIH (NS034950, MH101373)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords: arginine vasotocin, aggression, courtship, EGR1, Astatotilapia burtoni, preoptic area, V1a receptor, social behavior, hypothalamus, thalamus, ventral telencephalon, social status
MeSH terms: Aggression, Analysis of Variance, Animals, Courtship, Female, Fishes, Male, Neurons, Preoptic Area, Random Allocation, RNA, Messenger, Steroids, Testosterone, Vasotocin, Receptors, Vasopressin, Early Growth Response Protein 1

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Differential activation of vasotocin neurons in contexts that elicit aggression and courtship

Abstract

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Cites

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks