Cited by 96Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorSexual Differentiation and DisordersAnimal Behavior and Reproduction

Functional Connectivity among Limbic Brain Areas: Differential Effects of Incubation Temperature and Gonadal Sex in the Leopard Gecko, Eublepharis macularius

Sakata, Jon T., Coomber, Patricia, Gonzalez-Lima, F., Crews, David·2000·Brain Behavior and Evolution

Abstract

The neural basis of individual differences in behavior has been studied primarily by analyzing the properties of specific neural areas. However, because of the organization of the nervous system, it is also plausible that differences in behavior are mediated by differences in the interactivity or functional connectivity among brain nuclei in particular neural circuits. In the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius, the temperature of the egg during incubation not only determines gonadal sex, but also shapes the sociosexual behaviors, reproductive physiology, and hormone sensitivity of adult animals. In this study the effects of both incubation temperature and gonadal sex on functional connectivity among limbic brain areas were examined. Functional connectivity was assessed by analyzing covariance patterns in metabolic capacity, as revealed by quantitative cytochrome oxidase histochemistry. It was hypothesized that incubation temperature and gonadal sex affect the propensity to display aggressive or sexual behaviors by altering the functional connectivity within relevant neural circuits. The correlations of metabolic capacity between the anterior hypothalamus and both the septum and preoptic area were significant only in relatively aggressive individuals, suggesting that these circuits may regulate the phenotypic variation in aggressiveness caused by incubation temperature. The correlations between the ventromedial hypothalamus and both the dorsal ventricular ridge and septum were significant only in females, suggesting that these circuits may modulate female-typical sexual behaviors. Correlations among preoptic, hypothalamic and amygdalar areas tended to be distributed across both sexes, suggesting that there may be shared pathways underlying the expression of male-typical and female-typical behaviors.

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Crossref · 10.1159/000006648

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  • Previous experiments in non-mammalian species have used correlated expression of cytochrome oxidase and immediate early genes (IEGs) to demonstrate that distributed patterns of transcriptional and metabolic activity across SDMN nuclei are strongly predictive of social context and behavior.

    “Previous experiments in non-mammalian species have used correlated expression of cytochrome oxidase (a metabolic marker) and immediate early genes (IEGs) to demonstrate that distributed patterns of transcriptional and metabolic activity across SDMN nuclei are strongly predictive of social context and behavior”

    From Oxytocin receptors modulate a social salience neural network in male prairie voles (2017) · cites this paper as Sakata et al., 2000

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Authors
Sakata, J. T., Coomber, P., Gonzalez-Lima, F., & Crews, D.
Affiliations
The University of Texas at Austin (US)
Venue
Brain Behavior and Evolution
Publisher
S. Karger AG
Published
2000
Volume
55
Issue
3
Pages
139-151
ISSN
  • 0006-8977 (ISSN-L)
  • 1421-9743
OpenAlex
W2035596113
Cited by
96
References
57
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 3
FWCI
6.95
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Brain Behavior and Evolution (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01mh057874-05)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH 057874)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Keywords
functional connectivity, limbic system, incubation temperature, gonadal sex, leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius, individual differences in behavior, aggression, sexual behavior, anterior hypothalamus, ventromedial hypothalamus, preoptic area, septum, dorsal ventricular ridge, amygdala, cytochrome c oxidase, sex differences, neural circuits
MeSH terms
Aggression, Animals, Body Temperature, Brain, Electron Transport Complex IV, Female, Gonads, Limbic System, Male, Nerve Net, Reptiles, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Sex Characteristics, Sex Differentiation

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