Brain androgen receptor expression correlates with seasonal changes in the behavior of a weakly electric fish, Brachyhypopomus gauderio
Posted by Ernesto on Monday, 2 June 2025
Autores:
Paula Pouso b d, Laura Quintana a, Carmen Bolatto d, Ana C. Silva b c
Revista (o libro):
Horm Behav
Año:
2010
Mes-dia:
1100
issue, vol, paginas, etc:
58(5):729-36
doi:
10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.07.005
PMID:
20688071
Abstract:
Seasonal breeders are superb models for understanding natural relationships between reproductive behavior and its neural bases. We investigated the cellular bases of hormone effects in a weakly pulse-type electric fish with well-defined hormone-sensitive communication signals. Brachyhypopomus gauderio males emit social electric signals (SESs) consisting of rate modulations of the electric organ discharge during the breeding season. This discharge is commanded by a medullary pacemaker nucleus (PN), composed of pacemaker and relay neurons. We analyzed the contribution of androgen receptor (AR) expression to the seasonal generation of SESs, by examining the presence of ARs in the PN in different experimental groups: breeding, non-breeding, and testosterone (T)-implanted non-breeding males. AR presence and distribution in the CNS was assessed through western blotting and immunohistochemistry using the PG-21 antibody, which was raised against the human AR. We found AR immunoreactivity, for the first time in a pulse-type Gymnotiform, in several regions throughout the brain. In particular, this is the first report to reveal the presence of AR in both pacemaker and relay neurons within the Gymnotiform PN. The AR immunoreactivity was present in breeding males and could be induced in T-implanted non-breeding males. This seasonal and T-induced AR expression in the PN suggests that androgens may play an important role in the generation of SESs by modulating intrinsic electrophysiological properties of pacemaker and relay neurons.
Afiliaciones:
a Departamento de Neurofisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
b Unidad Bases Neurales de la Conducta, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
c Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
d Departamento Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
Enlace pubmed:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20688071/
Enlace full text:
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0018-506X(10)00201-1
Cita:
Pouso P, Quintana L, Bolatto C, Silva AC. Brain androgen receptor expression correlates with seasonal changes in the behavior of a weakly electric fish, Brachyhypopomus gauderio. Horm Behav. 2010 Nov;58(5):729-36. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.07.005. Epub 2010 Aug 3. PMID: 20688071.