Competitive ability during mate competition relates to unique patterns of dopamine-related gene expression in the social decision-making network of male zebra finches. Neurosci Lett 2019 Jul 27;706:30-35
Date
05/06/2019Pubmed ID
31051224DOI
10.1016/j.neulet.2019.04.027Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85065515808 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 3 CitationsAbstract
Aggressive interactions usually reveal individual differences in the competitive ability of contest participants. Individuals with higher competitive ability often gain priority access to resources such as food, territory, and/or mates. Individuals with lower competitive ability usually have reduced access to these resources and limited mating opportunities. Despite the importance of contest performance to the reproductive success of individuals, the neuroendocrine factors associated with individual differences in competitive ability have not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigate the relationship between dopamine (DA)-related gene expression and competitive ability during mate competition in male zebra finches. Males demonstrating high competitive ability (HCA) had higher tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA levels in the ventral tegmental area and higher D1 receptor (D1-R) mRNA levels in the preoptic area than low competitive ability (LCA) males. Additionally, HCA males had lower levels of D1-R mRNA in the anterior hypothalamus relative to LCA males. These data suggest that there are dynamic and region-specific changes in DA function that relate to variation in competitive ability during mate competition.
Author List
Eswine SL, Pontinen JK, Heimovics SAAuthor
Jill Pontinen APP Fellow in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsAnterior Hypothalamic Nucleus
Decision Making
Female
Finches
Male
Mating Preference, Animal
Preoptic Area
Receptors, Dopamine D1
Social Behavior
Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
Ventral Tegmental Area
