Comparison of sociability,parental care and central estrogen receptor alpha expression between two populations of mandarin voles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus mandarinus</Emphasis>) |
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Authors: | Ruiyong Wu Aifang Yuan Qinwei Yuan Rui Guo Fadao Tai Zhenzhen Song Chengjun Yu |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710062, Shaanxi, China;(2) The High School Affiliated to Tibet Nationalities Institute, Xianyang, 712082, Shaanxi, China;(3) Medical College, Ningxia Teachers University, Guyuan, 756000, Ningxia, China; |
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Abstract: | The socially monogamous mandarin vole (Microtus mandarinus) shows significant behavioral plasticity. We examined whether levels of sociability, parental care and central expression
of estrogen receptor alpha differed between two populations with different ecologies. Our results show that males from the
Chengcun population display significantly more amicable and less aggressive behaviors towards novel same-sex individuals compared
to males from the second population of Xinzheng. Chengcun voles directed more licking behavior towards neonatal pups than
did Xinzheng voles. Differences were also found in the number of estrogen receptor alpha-immunoreactive neurons. For example,
Xinzheng males displayed significantly higher immunoreactivity than Chengcun males in the medial amygdala, medial preoptic
area and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. Xinzheng females expressed higher levels of estrogen receptor alpha-immunoreactivity
than Chengcun females in the medial preoptic area. Chengcun females exhibited significantly more estrogen receptor alpha expression
than Xinzheng females in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Our results indicate that mandarin voles from the Chengcun
site possess monogamous traits, and animals from Xinzheng possess polygamous traits. It also appears that different social
behavior and levels of parental care in these two populations may be associated with differences in estrogen receptor alpha-immunoreactive
neurons. |
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