Class
Article
College
College of Science
Department
Biology Department
Faculty Mentor
Sara Freeman
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide hormone that has been shown to be a factor in the biological basis of social attachment in monogamous species. It functions in the brain to modulate social memory, territoriality, and social attachment between pair-bonded adult mates of the same species. Research has mostly focused on the vasopressin 1a receptors (AVPR1a) in the brains of socially monogamous rodents and non-human primates. These studies demonstrate a critical role of AVP and AVPR1a in the neurobiology of social attachment, especially influencing species-specific, pairbond-related behaviors. Coyotes are a unique species in the context of social research because they are socially monogamous and have also exhibited sexual and genetic monogamy, which is rare among mammals. The goal of this study is to establish the distribution of AVPR1a throughout the coyote forebrain in order to compare their receptor map to other known monogamous species. This comparative work will lay the neuroanatomical foundation for future studies of the AVP system of coyotes. In order to map coyote AVPR1a, we used six brains that were opportunistically collected from captive-housed coyotes at the USDA Millville Predator Research Center. Of the six brains three were male and three were female. The samples were fresh frozen on dry ice within hours of death and sectioned at 20 microns using a cryostat. We processed them using AVPR1a autoradiography according to procedures that are well established in literature. Our areas of interest include regions previously shown to be important in social behavior in other monogamous mammals: the lateral septum, cingulate cortex, rhinal cortex, claustrum, and the diagonal band. We also viewed sex differences in AVPR1a binding and found no significant differences, but did see a trend of males having higher levels of binding than females. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine measures of the AVP system in coyotes and will serve as the basis for future research on the biological basis of social behavior in coyotes. Presentation Time: Thursday, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-11-2021 12:00 AM
Included in
Exploring Canid Monogamy: Characterization of the Distribution of Vasopressin 1a Receptors in the Brain of Coyotes (Canis latrans)
Logan, UT
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide hormone that has been shown to be a factor in the biological basis of social attachment in monogamous species. It functions in the brain to modulate social memory, territoriality, and social attachment between pair-bonded adult mates of the same species. Research has mostly focused on the vasopressin 1a receptors (AVPR1a) in the brains of socially monogamous rodents and non-human primates. These studies demonstrate a critical role of AVP and AVPR1a in the neurobiology of social attachment, especially influencing species-specific, pairbond-related behaviors. Coyotes are a unique species in the context of social research because they are socially monogamous and have also exhibited sexual and genetic monogamy, which is rare among mammals. The goal of this study is to establish the distribution of AVPR1a throughout the coyote forebrain in order to compare their receptor map to other known monogamous species. This comparative work will lay the neuroanatomical foundation for future studies of the AVP system of coyotes. In order to map coyote AVPR1a, we used six brains that were opportunistically collected from captive-housed coyotes at the USDA Millville Predator Research Center. Of the six brains three were male and three were female. The samples were fresh frozen on dry ice within hours of death and sectioned at 20 microns using a cryostat. We processed them using AVPR1a autoradiography according to procedures that are well established in literature. Our areas of interest include regions previously shown to be important in social behavior in other monogamous mammals: the lateral septum, cingulate cortex, rhinal cortex, claustrum, and the diagonal band. We also viewed sex differences in AVPR1a binding and found no significant differences, but did see a trend of males having higher levels of binding than females. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine measures of the AVP system in coyotes and will serve as the basis for future research on the biological basis of social behavior in coyotes. Presentation Time: Thursday, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.