RUI: Investigation of Genes and Complex Social Behavior Under Ecologically Relevant Conditions

Miami University, Oxford OH

Investigators

Abstract

Researchers have begun to identify specific genes that appear to influence social behavior in animals. While these studies have made a substantial contribution towards understanding the link between genes and behavior, they have been conducted almost exclusively on captive animals in the laboratory. Since laboratory settings can be highly artificial, these studies may not reflect what happens in the real world. Therefore, the next logical step in studying the relationship between genes and social behavior is to investigate how genetic differences among individuals effect social behavior in a species' natural environment. Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are rodents that typically form behavioral attachments to one opposite-sex partner during their lifetime (social monogamy). Although the prairie vole is a popular laboratory model for studying monogamy, in nature this species varies in the degree of social monogamy exhibited among populations as well as within populations. A recent study suggests that variation in social bonding among prairie voles in nature might be due in part to genetic differences in a single gene that codes for a receptor localized in the brain that binds a specific chemical messenger called vasopressin. In laboratory tests, males with longer versions of this gene spent significantly more time in contact with their female partner compared to an unfamiliar female, relative to males with shorter forms of this gene. These data are intriguing because they suggest that size differences in the gene coding for the vasopressin receptor causally affect social attachment and possibly mate fidelity among male prairie voles. This study will be the first to examine the real world consequences on social attachment of genetic variation in the gene coding for the vasopressin receptor in male prairie voles. Detecting a significant relationship between size differences in the gene coding for the vasopressin receptor and social/genetic indices of monogamy would be strong evidence that this gene influences social behavior in male prairie voles under ecologically relevant conditions. Vasopressin is known to be involved in the regulation of complex social behaviors in mammals such as social recognition, aggression and affiliation. Thus, prairie voles may be an excellent animal model for studying social attachment among other mammals, including humans. In particular, prairie voles can provide a tractable model to investigate how genetic changes may influence the activity of specific areas in the brain, which may impact the display of social behaviors, such as the formation of social attachments or bonds. The proposed research will also require extensive contributions from undergraduate and graduate students, providing opportunities for them to gain first-hand experience conducting scientific research.