The vertebrate basal forebrain and midbrain contain a set of interconnected nuclei that control social behavior. Conserved anatomical structures and functions of these nuclei have now been documented among fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, and these brain regions have come to be known as the vertebrate social behavior network (SBN). While it is known that nuclei (nodes) of the SBN are rich in steroid and neuropeptide activity linked to behavior, simultaneous variation in the expression of neuroendocrine genes among several SBN nuclei has not yet been described in detail. In this study, we use RNA‐seq to profile gene expression across seven brain regions representing five nodes of the vertebrate SBN in a passerine bird, the wire‐tailed manakin
Sexually dimorphic mating behaviors differ between sexes and involve gonadal hormones and possibly sexually dimorphic gene expression in the brain. However, the associations among the brain, gonad, and sexual behavior in teleosts are still unclear. Here, we utilized germ cells-free
Qualitative analysis of mating behaviors demonstrated that
Our results provide comprehensive analyses and new insights regarding the endogenous interactions in the brain–gonad–behavior axis. Moreover, this study revealed the crucial candidate genes and neural signaling pathways of different brain regions that are involved in modulating brain dimorphism and male mating behavior in zebrafish, which would significantly light up the understanding the neuroendocrine and molecular mechanisms modulating brain dimorphism and male mating behavior in zebrafish and other teleost fish.
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10443835
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Science + Business Media
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Biology of Sex Differences
- Volume:
- 14
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2042-6410
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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