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PubMed2001

Behavioral rhythmicity, age, division of labor and period expression in the honey bee brain.

Young adult honey bees work inside the beehive "nursing" brood around the clock with no circadian rhythms; older bees forage for nectar and pollen outside with strong circadian rhythms. Previous research has shown that the development of an endogenous rhythm of activity is also seen in the laboratory in a constant environment. Newly emerging bees maintained in isolation are typically arrhythmic during the first few days of adult life and develop strong circadian rhythms by about a few days of age. In addition, average daily levels of period (per) mRNA in the brain are higher in foragers or forager-age bees (> 21 days of age) relative to young nest bees (approximately 7 days of age). The authors used social manipulations to uncouple behavioral rhythmicity, age, and task to determine the relationship between these factors and per. There was no obligate link between average daily levels of per brain mRNA and either behavioral rhythmicity or age. There also were no differences in per brain mRNA levels between nurse bees and foragers in social environments that promote precocious or reversed behavioral development. Nurses and other hive-age bees can have high or low levels of per mRNA levels in the brain, depending on the social environment, while foragers and foraging-age bees always have high levels. These findings suggest a link between honey bee foraging behavior and per up-regulation. Results also suggest task-related differences in the amplitude of per mRNA oscillation in the brain, with foragers having larger diurnal fluctuation in per than nurses, regardless of age. Taken together, these results suggest that social factors may exert potent influences on the regulation of clock genes.

Aging↗

PubMed1984

Evidence for anatomical but not functional asymmetry in the hemidecorticate rat.

Rats with unilateral ablation of the left or right cerebral neocortex or left or right hippocampus were studied in a battery of tests of spatial orientation, motor coordination, and social behavior, including Morris water task, radial arm maze, feeding, narrow beam traversing, puzzle latches, hoarding, grooming, nest building, running wheel activity, male--male interaction, and shock-induced aggression. Comparison of the brains of operated and control rats confirmed previous suggestions that the right hemisphere of the rat is bigger and may have different connections than the left hemisphere. Despite the morphological asymmetries, comparison of the behavior of rats with right hemidecortication with that of rats with left hemidecortication, and of rats with right and of those with left hippocampal lesions, failed to show a single instance of functional asymmetry in the rat brain. These behavioral results stand in marked contrast to previous reports of functional asymmetry in the control of activity, orientation, and rotation.

Afferent Pathways↗

PubMed2004

A genetic analysis of avian personality traits: correlated, response to artificial selection.

Individuals in a range of species consistently differ in their behavior towards mild challenges, over age and time. Differences have been found for several personality traits in a range of species. In great tits these traits have a genetic basis and are phenotypically correlated. Estimates of genetic correlations are, however, fundamental to understanding the evolution of consistent individual differences in behavior. This study analyzed two selection experiments on two avian personality traits, early exploratory behavior and risk-taking behavior. The selection lines used were both started using wild great tits (Parus major) from two natural populations. Genetic correlations were calculated using the response and the correlated response to artificial selection. We found genetic correlations ranging from 0.51 to 0.66, based on individual values, and from 0.84 to 1.00 based on nest means. Genetic correlations can be due to pleiotropic effects or to linkage disequilibrium. The different behavioral traits might therefore have a common genetic basis, possibly constraining independent evolution of personality traits in natural populations. These results are discussed in relation to domain generality and domain specificity of personalities.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Defensive behavior of honey bees: organization, genetics, and comparisons with other bees.

One key advantage of eusociality is shared defense of the nest, brood, and stored food; nest defense plays an important role in the biology of eusocial bees. Recent studies on honey bees, Apis mellifera, have focused on the placement of defensive activity in the overall scheme of division of labor, showing that guard bees play a unique and important role in colony defense. Alarm pheromones function in integrating defensive responses; honey bee alarm pheromone is an excellent example of a multicomponent pheromonal blend. The genetic regulation of defensive behavior is now better understood from the mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with variation in defensiveness. Colony defense in other eusocial bees is less well understood, but enough information is available to provide interesting comparisons between A. mellifera and other species of Apis, as well as with allodapine, halictine, bombine, and meliponine bees. These comparative studies illustrate the wide variety of evolutionary solutions to problems in colony defense in the Apoidea.

Agonistic Behavior↗

PubMed2002

Solving the freeloaders paradox: Genetic associations and frequency-dependent selection in the evolution of cooperation among nonrelatives.

One of the enduring problems in the study of social evolution has been to understand how cooperation can be maintained in the presence of freeloaders, individuals that take advantage of the more cooperative members of groups they are eager to join. The freeloader problem has been particularly troublesome when groups consist of nonrelatives, and no inclusive fitness benefits accrue to individuals that contribute more heavily to communal activities. These theoretical difficulties, however, are not mirrored by the numerous examples of cooperative or even altruistic behaviors exhibited by groups of nonrelatives in nature (e.g., many human groups, communally nesting bees, multiple queen-founding ants, cellular slime molds, and social bacteria). Using a model in which cooperation and grouping tendencies are modeled as coevolving dynamical variables, I show that the freeloader problem can be addressed when group-size effects on fitness are considered explicitly. I show that freeloaders, whose presence is reflected in the development of linkage disequilibrium between grouping and cooperation, increase in frequency when rare, but are selected against when common due to the reduced productivity of the groups they overburden with their presence. Freeloader frequencies thus periodically rise and fall around an equilibrium shown here to be dynamic. These results highlight the importance of group-level effects in the origin and maintenance of sociality, illustrate the dynamic nature of equilibria when multiple levels of selection are involved, and provide a solution to the freeloaders paradox.

Biological Evolution↗

PubMed2001

Down regulation of the tumor suppressor gene maspin in breast carcinoma is associated with a higher risk of distant metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Maspin (mammary serpin) is a relatively novel serine protease inhibitor with tumor suppressing function in breast cancer. Maspin expression was found in normal breast epithelial cells, but was decreased during tumor progression. Only a few systematic analyses of this phenomenon have been undertaken so far. In this study we developed specific nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) conditions for the detection of maspin expression in human breast carcinoma and assessed maspin's association with the clinical behavior of primary breast cancers. METHODS: Tumor specimens obtained from 45 primary breast cancer patients were analyzed for maspin expression by a nested RT-PCR assay. Recurrence free survival was evaluated and correlated to maspin expression. RESULTS: The maspin transcript was detected in 29 (64%) breast cancer specimens whereas no expression was found in 16 (36%) cancer specimens. This expression was unrelated to any of the established prognostic factors. However, 6 out of 8 patients who developed distant metastasis (lymph nodes, lung, liver, bone, pleura) within 3 yr after their initial diagnosis showed no maspin expression of the primary breast cancer (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The lack of maspin expression in breast cancer seems to be associated with a short disease free survival and supports maspin's function as an indicator of tumor aggressiveness and metastatic potential. Nested RT-PCR is a sensitive method to determine maspin expression in human breast cancer tissue.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Behavioral and endocrinological correlates of social status in the male sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps Marsupialia: Petauridae).

Socially dominant male sugar gliders are heavier than socially subordinate males, have higher plasma testosterone and lower cortisol concentrations, win more social encounters, scan the arena more, scent-mark more, and are more active and move more quickly, even though they spend more time in the colony nesting box. When they are transferred into a foreign stable colony there is an impressive reversal of behavioral measures and a concomitant decrease in concentration of plasma testosterone and rise in cortisol that is apparent over the first 3 weeks of observation.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Weaning in rats: I. Maternal behavior.

Maternal behavior during the weaning period (postpartum Days 14-35) was described from continuous timelapse videorecordings of Norway rat dams and their litters. Time spent nursing declined steadily after Day 20 but persisted until Day 34, about a week longer than suggested by reports of milk transfer. Most of the decline in nursing was due to progressively fewer nursing bouts per day; milk letdowns per day were consequently diminished. Although a private feeding chamber was available to the dams, they did not use this chamber to spend more time away from the pups as weaning progressed. Instead, the dams remained with the pups in the nesting chamber but devoted increasingly less time to nursing. Subtle, progressive changes in maternal behavior are closely orchestrated and coordinated with pup development.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

A hierarchical "nesting" approach to describe the stability of alpha helices with side-chain interactions.

A straightforward hierarchical statistical-mechanical approach is shown to enable one to describe the stability of the alpha helix in the presence of side-chain interactions. The formulation can be used with even the simple nearest-neighbor models and it is demonstrated explicitly with the popular 2 x 2 Zimm-Bragg model [B. H. Zimm and J. K. Bragg (1959) J. Chem. Physics 31, 526-535]. It involves a conceptual dissection of the polypeptide chain into interacting blocks; the behavior of any block with side-chain interactions is treated then with conventional binding polynomial techniques. This dissection is a manifestation of "nesting," which is a hierarchical framework for the description of the behavior of complex macromolecules [C. H. Robert, H. Decker, B. Richey, S. J. Gill, and J. Wyman (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 84, 1891-1895]. The method is demonstrated through applications to existing, detailed data for the pH and salt dependences of the helix-coil transition in the S peptide and in synthetic peptides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Predatory behaviors of Neoseiulus californicus and Galendromus helveolus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) attacking Oligonychus perseae (Acari: Tetranychidae).

Predatory behaviors of Neosieulus californicus (McGregor) and Galendromus helveolus (Chant) attacking Oligonychus perseae Tuttle, Baker and Abbatiello on avocado leaves were videotaped and analyzed. Behaviors were recorded for "fresh" predators that were used < or = 48 hr post receipt from a commercial insectary and "cold stored" predators that were maintained at 12 degrees C for approximately 14 days. Fresh and cold stored G. helveolus were observed to attack O. perseae only after invading webbed nests. Conversely. fresh and cold stored N. californicus employed three different modes of predatory attack: (1) intercepting and attacking migrant O. perseae outside of web nests: (2) attacking prey through nest webbing; or (3) invading and attacking O. perseae inside nests. Predatory efficacy of both N. californicus and G. helveolus was reduced following cold storage. as both species engaged in certain predatory behaviors less frequently in comparison to predators that were not stored at low temperatures. Our observed results for N. californicus and G. helveolus attacking O. perseae are interpreted in relation to the chaetotaxy hypothesis, which proposes that phytoseiid invasion efficiency and propensity of webbed nests is facilitated by dorsal setal lengths.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Increased proliferative activity and programmed cellular death in the turkey hen pituitary gland following interruption of incubation behavior.

Incubation behavior or broodiness in turkey hens is characterized by ovarian regression, hyperprolactinemia, and persistent nesting. Nest-deprivation of incubating turkey hens results in disruption of broodiness accompanied by a precipitous decline in plasma prolactin (PRL) concentrations. The objective of the present study is to examine cellular changes in the pituitary gland associated with nest-deprivation for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 7 days. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was administered prior to kill to study proliferative activity. Pituitary tissue sections were immunostained using turkey growth hormone (GH) antibody, and/or chicken PRL peptide antibody, and BrdU antibody. Plasma PRL concentrations declined significantly following nest-deprivation for 1 or more days. The midsagittal pituitary area immunoreactive (ir) to GH was significantly increased while that of PRL was significantly decreased following nest-deprivation for 2 or more days. Terminal deoxy-UTP nick end labeling and PRL-immunostaining revealed an abundance of apoptotic nuclei in both cephalic and caudal lobes of the anterior pituitary gland, suggestive of programmed cellular death of lactotrophs in the pituitary gland of hens nest-deprived for 2 or more days. Mammosomatotrophs were abundant in hens nest-deprived on Day 0 but were absent in hens nest-deprived for 1 or more days. Proliferating (BrdU-ir) cells were significantly abundant in the pituitary cephalic and caudal lobes following nest-deprivation for 1 or more days but were absent on Day 0 or in laying hens. Dual-labeling studies indicated that most of the BrdU-ir nuclei in the caudal lobe were not colocalized in somatotrophs in hens nest-deprived for 1-4 days but did colocalize with GH following 7 days of nest-deprivation. In conclusion, nest-deprivation of incubating turkey hens results in 1) a precipitous decline in plasma PRL concentration, 2) programmed cell death of lactotrophs, 3) disappearance of mammosomatotrophs, 4) increased proliferative activity of pituitary cells, and 5) recruitment of somatotrophs arising primarily from mitosis of nonsomatotrophic cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

The contribution of ambient temperature to suckling behavior in rats 3-20 days of age.

To assess the role of ambient temperature on the expression of adultlike control over suckling behavior of infant rats, preweanling pups were tested for nipple attachment and milk intake while suckling in either room temperature (25 degrees C) or nest temperature (34 degrees C). In one experiment, attachment latency was measured following 1, 4, or 24 hr of deprivation at 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 days of age. Latency was generally reduced by testing in high ambient temperature. Increasing deprivation reduced latency at all ages. Elevated temperature, however, did not accentuate deprivation-dependent differences. In a 2nd experiment, milk intake via a posterior tongue cannula was measured in pups 5, 10, 15, or 20 days of age, suckling at either room or nest temperature. Environmental temperature did not significantly affect intake at any age. These data eliminate ambient temperature as a critical factor for adultlike control of suckling behavior in infant rats.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2006

Flexible foraging movements of leatherback turtles across the North Atlantic Ocean.

Some marine species have been shown to target foraging at particular hotspots of high prey abundance. However, we show here that in the year after a nesting season, female leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Atlantic generally spend relatively little time in fixed hotspots, especially those with a surface signature revealed in satellite imagery, but rather tend to have a pattern of near continuous traveling. Associated with this traveling, distinct changes in dive behavior indicate that turtles constantly fine tune their foraging behavior and diel activity patterns in association with local conditions. Switches between nocturnal vs. diurnal activity are rare in the animal kingdom but may be essential for survival on a diet of gelatinous zooplankton where patches of high prey availability are rare. These results indicate that in their first year after nesting, leatherback turtles do not fit the general model of migration where responses to resources are suppressed during transit. However, their behavior may be different in their sabbatical years away from nesting beaches. Our results highlight the importance of whole-ocean fishing gear regulations to minimize turtle bycatch.

Animal Migration↗

PubMed1979

The effects of protein malnutrition on the behavior of rats during the suckling period.

Observations of 2 groups of dams and their litters were made every 3 hr around the clock on Days 1-20 postpartum. The dams fed either an 8% or a 25% casein diet for 5 weeks before mating and during gestation and lactation. Dams on the low protein diet spent more time in the nest actively nursing their young than did high protein dams, and they exhibited no deficits in other maternal behaviors. Five of 11 kinds of behavior developed more slowly in the undernourished pups than in the well-nourished ones, but the developmental delays were no longer than a few days. Circadian fluctuations were apparent in all of the pups' activities during the 3rd postnatal week as well as in grooming and horizontal movement, 2 behaviors that were present earlier, by 6-10 days of age.

Animal Population Groups↗

PubMed2006

Early deprivation increases exploration and locomotion in adult male Wistar offspring.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of repeated early maternal deprivation (individual separation in warm or cold environment for 4 h/day) during postnatal days 1-15 on emotional responses in novel situations and voluntary alcohol consumption in adult male Wistar rat offspring. Brain monoamine levels and plasma levels of corticosterone were measured at the end of the experiment. Controls were exposed to a brief (3 min) daily handling procedure. As adults, both groups of early deprived rats showed increased nose poking and locomotion in the exploration test compared to controls. Moreover, separated rats kept in room temperature also showed increased locomotion when tested for an extended period of time. There were no differences in alcohol intake, monoamine levels, or corticosterone levels between early deprived animals and controls. In addition, the dams' retrieval behavior of pups was studied, showing that dams of early deprived pups spent more time in the nest with the pups after the 4-h separation period compared to control dams. Our results indicate that early deprived animals show decreased emotionality in novel settings compared to briefly handled controls. Furthermore, the present study demonstrates that methodological issues within the maternal separation paradigm may be influential factors for behavioral changes in adulthood.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed1998

Health and production in improved cage designs.

This paper describes the effects of various cage designs on health characteristics such as skeleton strength, plumage and foot condition, mortality, and some production traits such as egg quality and feed consumption. Three major steps in improving cage design and in developing new cage designs are described. Firstly, cage design in general has been improved by comparing different conventional commercial cage designs under the same experimental conditions. Secondly, unconventional design features, such as an abrasive strip to reduce excessive growth of claws or a perch to improve the behavioral repertoire for the hens as well as to strengthen skeletal structure, are described. Thirdly, the effects of fully furnished cages that also include a nest and dustbath for smaller or larger groups of birds are discussed. These designs create an environment in which the problems of conventional cages, such as behavioral restriction, are reduced and the shortcomings of large litter aviaries, such as cannibalism, parasites, and a poor working environment, are improved. Cages with one perch level containing groups of 4 to 10 hens seem more likely alternatives to conventional cages on larger scale farms than litter systems or colony cages for more than 10 birds. This is due mainly to the higher predictability of production, the decreased risk of cannibalism, and improved hygienic conditions.

Animal Welfare↗

PubMed2005

[Effect of aluminum chloride on motor activity and species-typical behaviors in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of aluminum chloride on motor and species-typical behaviors in mice. METHODS: Male ICR mice were administered with drinking double distilled water only containing AlCl(3) (10, 50, 300 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), and control group with drinking double distilled water only for 100 days. Spontaneous activity test, grip strength, beam traversal, tightrope task, food hoarding, and nest construction were used to study the effect of chloride aluminum on motor and species-typical behaviors in mice. RESULTS: The frequencies of spontaneous activity in low dose group, medium dose group and high dose group [(81.53 +/- 8.97), (71.67 +/- 8.37), (66.73 +/- 6.96) times respectively] were lower than that in control [(106.46 +/- 8.21) times] (P < 0.01), and were negatively correlated with doses (r(s) = -0.42, P < 0.01). Grip strength scores in medium dose group (19.19 +/- 1.48) and high dose group (13.36 +/- 1.46) respectively were lower than that in control (24.31 +/- 1.43) (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Food hoarding was greater in high dose group [96.10 (90.20-99.00) g] than that in control group [84.00 (78.00-90.00) g (P < 0.05)]. The rest of parameters were of no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Subchronic exposure to AlCl(3) in mice may diminish motor activity and grip strength, but motor coordination was not impaired; alteration in food hoarding suggests damage to hippocampus cell.

Aluminum Chloride↗

PubMed1998

Site and behavioral specificity of periaqueductal gray lesions on postpartum sexual, maternal, and aggressive behaviors in rats.

Bilateral electrolytic lesions of the lateral and ventrolateral caudal periaqueductal gray (cPAGl,vl) of lactating rats are known to severely reduce suckling-induced kyphosis (upright crouched nursing), which is necessary for maximal litter weight gains, and impair sexual behavior during the postpartum estrous, while heightening nursing in other postures and attacks on unfamiliar adult male intruders. In the present report, the site specificity of the cPAG with respect to the control of these behaviors was determined by comparing lesions of the cPAGl,vl with similarly sized lesions within the rostral PAG (rPAG) and surrounding mesencephalon. The previously seen effects of prepartum cPAGl,vl lesions on kyphotic nursing, sexual proceptivity and receptivity, maternal aggression, and daily litter weight gains were replicated. Additionally, the post-lesion facilitation of aggression was found to be behaviorally specific, first by being directed toward an adult, but not to a nonthreatening juvenile male rat, and second, by requiring the recent presence of the pups, being eliminated or decreased 24 h after removal of the litter. Damage to the rPAG did not affect nursing or sexual behaviors, and had only a minimal effect on maternal aggression. Lesions of the rPAG, however, greatly impaired the dams' ability to rapidly release pups held in the mouth, but not to pick them up or carry them directly to the nest during retrieval. Separate regions of the PAG, therefore, are differentially involved in the control of specific components of behaviors in lactating rats.

Aggression↗