Journal article
Neural plasticity is affected by stress and heritable variation in stress coping style
Here we use a comparative model to investigate how behavioral and physiological traits correlate with neural plasticity. Selection for divergent post-stress cortisol levels in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) has yielded low- (LR) and high responsive (HR) lines. Recent reports show low behavioral flexibility in LR compared to HR fish and we hypothesize that this divergence is caused by differences in neural plasticity.
Genes involved in neural plasticity and neurogenesis were investigated by quantitative PCR in brains of LR and HR fish at baseline conditions and in response to two different stress paradigms: short-term confinement (STC) and long-term social (LTS) stress. Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), neurogenic differentiation factor (NeuroD) and doublecortin (DCX) was generally higher in HR compared to LR fish.
STC stress led to increased expression of PCNA and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in both lines, whereas LTS stress generally suppressed PCNA and NeuroD expression while leaving BDNF expression unaltered. These results indicate that the transcription of neuroplasticity-related genes is associated with variation in coping style, while also being affected by STC – and LTS stress in a biphasic manner.
A higher degree of neural plasticity in HR fish may provide the substrate for enhanced behavioral flexibility
Language: | English |
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Year: | 2012 |
Pages: | 161-171 |
ISSN: | 18780407 and 1744117x |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.cbd.2012.01.002 |
Adaptation, Psychological Analysis of Variance Animals BDNF Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors Behavior, Animal Body Weight Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Cerebellum DCX Doublecortin Domain Proteins Gene Expression Hydrocortisone Hypothalamus Microtubule-Associated Proteins Nerve Tissue Proteins Neural plasticity NeuroD Neurogenesis Neurogenic differentiation factor 1 Neuronal Plasticity Neuropeptides Oncorhynchus mykiss PCNA Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen Rainbow trout Social Isolation Stress coping style Stress, Physiological Stress, Psychological Superior Colliculi Telencephalon