Influence of corticosterone on growth, home-cage activity, wheel running, and aerobic capacity in house mice selectively bred for high voluntary wheel-running behavior

Effects of long-term voluntary wheel running and selective breeding for wheel running on femoral nutrient canals

The nutrient artery provides ~50%-70% of the total blood volume to long bones in mammals. Studying the functional characteristics of this artery in vivo can be difficult and expensive, so most researchers have measured the nutrient foramen, an opening on the outer surface of the bone that served as the entry point for the nutrient artery during development and bone ossification. Others have measured the nutrient canal (i.e., the passage which the nutrient artery once occupied), given that the external dimensions of the foramen do not necessarily remain uniform from the periosteal surface to the medullary cavity. The nutrient canal, as an indicator of blood flow to long bones, has been proposed to provide a link to studying organismal activity (e.g., locomotor behavior) from skeletal morphology. However, although external loading from movement and activity causes skeletal remodeling, it is unclear whether it affects the size or configuration of nutrient canals. To investigate whether nutrient canals can exhibit phenotypic plasticity in response to physical activity, we studied a mouse model in which four replicate high runner (HR) lines have been selectively bred for high voluntary wheel-running behavior. The selection criterion is the average number of wheel revolutions on days 5 and 6 of a 6-day period of wheel access as young adults (~6-8 weeks old). An additional four lines are bred without selection to serve as controls (C). For this study, 100 female mice (half HR, half C) from generation 57 were split into an active group housed with wheels and a sedentary group housed without wheels for 12 weeks starting at ~24 days of age. Femurs were collected, soft tissues were removed, and femora were micro-computed tomography scanned at a resolution of 12 μm. We then imported these scans into AMIRA and created 3D models of femoral nutrient canals. We tested for evolved differences in various nutrient canal traits between HR and C mice, plastic changes resulting from chronic exercise, and the selection history-by-exercise interaction. We found few differences between the nutrient canals of HR versus C mice, or between the active and sedentary groups. We did find an interaction between selection history and voluntary exercise for the total number of nutrient canals per femur, in which wheel access increased the number of canals in C mice but decreased it in HR mice. Our results do not match those from an earlier study, conducted at generation 11, which was prior to the HR lines reaching selection limits for wheel running. The previous study found that mice from the HR lines had significantly larger total canal cross-sectional areas compared to those from C lines. However, this discrepancy is consistent with studies of other skeletal traits, which have found differences between HR and C mice to be somewhat inconsistent across generations, including the loss of some apparent adaptations with continued selective breeding after reaching a selection limit for wheel-running behavior.

Synergistic interaction of co-exposure to humidifier disinfectant chemicals CMIT/MIT and PHMG in lung injury

A number of biocidal disinfectant chemicals are used as household products to prevent spread of pathogens. People are commonly exposed to multiple chemicals through those disinfectants. However, effects of interactions (e.g., synergism) between disinfectants on human health outcomes have been rarely studied. In this study, we aimed to investigate associations of a mixture of chloromethylisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (CMIT/MIT) and polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG), which had been used as humidifier disinfectants (HDs) in South Korea, with HD-associated lung injury (HDLI) in a Korean population (n = 4058) with HD exposure through use of HD products. Exposure to HD was retrospectively assessed by an interview-based standardized survey, and HDLI was determined by clinical assessment. After adjusting for covariates, PHMG-specific exposure indices (e.g., amount of use, indoor air concentration, and weekly exposure level) were dose-dependently associated with HDLI (their odds ratios for the comparison of third tertile versus first tertile were 1.95, 1.77, and 2.16, respectively). CMIT/MIT exposure was not observed to have a significant association with HDLI in a single chemical exposure model; however, associations between PHMG exposure and HDLI were strengthened by co-exposure to CMIT/MIT in combined chemical exposure models, where synergistic interactions between CMIT/MIT use and PHMG indices (amount of use and weekly exposure level) were observed (p-interaction in additive scale: 0.02 and 0.03, respectively). Our findings imply that adverse effects of PHMG exposure on lung injury among HD users might be worsened by co-exposure to CMIT/MIT. Given that plenty of household products contain disinfectants on global markets, epidemiological and toxicological investigations are warranted on interaction effects of co-exposure to disinfectants.

Does Behavior Evolve First? Correlated Responses to Selection for Voluntary Wheel-Running Behavior in House Mice

AbstractHow traits at multiple levels of biological organization evolve in a correlated fashion in response to directional selection is poorly understood, but two popular models are the very general "behavior evolves first" (BEF) hypothesis and the more specific "morphology-performance-behavior-fitness" (MPBF) paradigm. Both acknowledge that selection often acts relatively directly on behavior and that when behavior evolves, other traits will as well but most with some lag. However, this proposition is exceedingly difficult to test in nature. Therefore, we studied correlated responses in the high-runner (HR) mouse selection experiment, in which four replicate lines have been bred for voluntary wheel-running behavior and compared with four nonselected control (C) lines. We analyzed a wide range of traits measured at generations 20-24 (with a focus on new data from generation 22), coinciding with the point at which all HR lines were reaching selection limits (plateaus). Significance levels (226 P values) were compared across trait types by ANOVA, and we used the positive false discovery rate to control for multiple comparisons. This meta-analysis showed that, surprisingly, the measures of performance (including maximal oxygen consumption during forced exercise) showed no evidence of having diverged between the HR and C lines, nor did any of the life history traits (e.g., litter size), whereas body mass had responded (decreased) at least as strongly as wheel running. Overall, results suggest that the HR lines of mice had evolved primarily by changes in motivation rather than performance ability at the time they were reaching selection limits. In addition, neither the BEF model nor the MPBF model of hierarchical evolution provides a particularly good fit to the HR mouse selection experiment.

Locomotor play behavior evolves by random genetic drift but not as a correlated response to selective breeding for high voluntary wheel-running behavior

Locomotor play is vigorous and seemingly purposeless behavior, commonly observed in young mammals. It can be costly in terms of energy expenditure, increased injury risk, and predator exposure. The main hypothesized benefit of locomotor play is enhancement of neuromuscular development, with effects persisting into adulthood. We hypothesized that levels of locomotor play would have evolved as a correlated response to artificial selection for increased voluntary exercise behavior. We studied mice from 4 replicate lines bred for voluntary wheel running (High Runner or HR) at 6-8 weeks of age and four non-selected Control (C) lines. Mice were weaned at 21 days of age and play behavior was observed for generations 20 (22-24 days old), 68 (22-23 days old), and 93 (15 days old). We quantified locomotor play as (1) rapid, horizontally directed jerk-run sequences and (2) vertical "bouncing." We used focal sampling to continuously record behavior in cages containing 4-6 individuals during the first 2-3 h of the dark cycle. Observations were significantly repeatable between observers and days. A two-way, mixed-model simultaneously tested effects of linetype (HR vs. C), sex, and their interaction. Contrary to our hypothesis, HR and C lines did not differ in any generation, nor did we find sex differences. However, differences among the replicate HR lines and among the replicate C lines were detected, and may be attributed to the effects of random genetic drift (and possibly founder effects). Thus, play behavior did evolve in this selection experiment, but not as a correlated response to selection for voluntary exercise.

Increased alpha-synuclein and neuroinflammation in the substantia nigra triggered by systemic inflammation are reversed by targeted inhibition of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a protein of the immunoglobulin superfamily capable of regulating inflammation. Considering the role of this receptor in the initiation and establishment of neuroinflammation, and the limited understanding of the function of RAGE in the maintenance of this condition, this study describes the effects of RAGE inhibition in the brain, through an intranasal treatment with the antagonist FPS-ZM1, in an animal model of chronic neuroinflammation induced by acute intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Seventy days after LPS administration (2 mg/kg, i.p.), Wistar rats received, intranasally, 1.2 mg of FPS-ZM1 over 14 days. On days 88 and 89, the animals were submitted to the open-field test and were killed on day 90 after the intraperitoneal injection of LPS. Our results indicate that blockade of encephalic RAGE attenuates LPS-induced chronic neuroinflammation in different brain regions. Furthermore, we found that intranasal FPS-ZM1 administration reduced levels of gliosis markers, RAGE ligands, and α-synuclein in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Additionally, the treatment also reversed the increase in S100 calcium-binding protein B (RAGE ligand) in the cerebrospinal fluid and the cognitive-behavioral deficits promoted by LPS-less time spent in the central zone of the open-field arena (more time in the lateral zones), decreased total distance traveled, and increased number of freezing episodes. In summary, our study demonstrates the prominent role of RAGE in the maintenance of a chronic neuroinflammatory state triggered by a single episode of systemic inflammation and also points to possible future RAGE-based therapeutic approaches to treat conditions in which chronic neuroinflammation and increased α-synuclein levels could play a relevant role, such as in Parkinson's disease.

Hippocampal, Whole Midbrain, Red Nucleus, and Ventral Tegmental Area Volumes Are Increased by Selective Breeding for High Voluntary Wheel-Running Behavior

Uncovering relationships between neuroanatomy, behavior, and evolution are important for understanding the factors that control brain function. Voluntary exercise is one key behavior that both affects, and may be affected by, neuroanatomical variation. Moreover, recent studies suggest an important role for physical activity in brain evolution. We used a unique and ongoing artificial selection model in which mice are bred for high voluntary wheel-running behavior, yielding four replicate lines of high runner (HR) mice that run ∼3-fold more revolutions per day than four replicate nonselected control (C) lines. Previous studies reported that, with body mass as a covariate, HR mice had heavier whole brains, non-cerebellar brains, and larger midbrains than C mice. We sampled mice from generation 66 and used high-resolution microscopy to test the hypothesis that HR mice have greater volumes and/or cell densities in nine key regions from either the midbrain or limbic system. In addition, half of the mice were given 10 weeks of wheel access from weaning, and we predicted that chronic exercise would increase the volumes of the examined brain regions via phenotypic plasticity. We replicated findings that both selective breeding and wheel access increased total brain mass, with no significant interaction between the two factors. In HR compared to C mice, adjusting for body mass, both the red nucleus (RN) of the midbrain and the hippocampus (HPC) were significantly larger, and the whole midbrain tended to be larger, with no effect of wheel access nor any interactions. Linetype and wheel access had an interactive effect on the volume of the periaqueductal gray (PAG), such that wheel access increased PAG volume in C mice but decreased volume in HR mice. Neither linetype nor wheel access affected volumes of the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum (VP), or basolateral amygdala. We found no main effect of either linetype or wheel access on neuronal densities (numbers of cells per unit area) for any of the regions examined. Taken together, our results suggest that the increased exercise phenotype of HR mice is related to increased RN and hippocampal volumes, but that chronic exercise alone does not produce such phenotypes.

Selective breeding for high voluntary exercise in mice increases maximal (V̇O2,max) but not basal metabolic rate

In general, sustained high rates of physical activity require a high maximal aerobic capacity (V̇O2,max), which may also necessitate a high basal aerobic metabolism (BMR), given that the two metabolic states are linked via shared organ systems, cellular properties and metabolic pathways. We tested the hypotheses that (a) selective breeding for high voluntary exercise in mice would elevate both V̇O2,max and BMR, and (b) these increases are accompanied by increases in the size of some internal organs (ventricle, triceps surae muscle, liver, kidney, spleen, lung, brain). We measured 72 females from generations 88 and 96 of an ongoing artificial selection experiment comprising four replicate High Runner (HR) lines bred for voluntary daily wheel-running distance and four non-selected control lines. With body mass as a covariate, HR lines as a group had significantly higher V̇O2,max (+13.6%, P<0.0001), consistent with previous studies, but BMR did not significantly differ between HR and control lines (+6.5%, P=0.181). Additionally, HR mice did not statistically differ from control mice for whole-body lean or fat mass, or for the mass of any organ collected (with body mass as a covariate). Finally, mass-independent V̇O2,max and BMR were uncorrelated (r=0.073, P=0.552) and the only statistically significant correlation with an organ mass was for V̇O2,max and ventricle mass (r=0.285, P=0.015). Overall, our results indicate that selection for a behavioral trait can yield large changes in behavior without proportional modifications to underlying morphological or physiological traits.

Effect of Acute Cold Stress on Neuroethology in Mice and Establishment of Its Model

Cold environment is an inevitable stress source for humans and livestock in cold areas, which easily induce a cold stress response and then cause a series of abnormal changes in energy metabolism, neuroendocrine system, behavior and emotion. Homeostasis is maintained by the unified regulation of the autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, metabolism and behavior under cold exposure. Behavior is an indispensable part of the functional regulation of the body to respond to environmental changes. At present, the behavioral changes caused by cold exposure are unclear or even chaotic due to the difficulty of defining cold stress. Therefore, this study aims to systematically observe the changes in spontaneous movement, exploratory behavior and anxiety of mice under different intensity cold exposure and summarize the characteristics and behavior traits combined with relevant blood physiological indexes under corresponding conditions. Mice models of cold stress with different intensities were established (cold exposure gradients were 22 °C, 16 °C, 10 °C and 4 °C, and time gradients of each temperature were 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 10 h and 12 h). After the corresponding cold exposure treatment, mice immediately carried out the open field test(OFT) and elevated plus maze test (PMT) to evaluate their spontaneous movement, exploratory behavior and anxiety. Subsequently, blood samples were collected and used for the determination of corticosterone (Cort), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Spontaneous movement of mice increased under 22 °C cold exposure, but their exploration behavior did not significantly change, and their anxiety improved at the initial stage. The spontaneous movement and anxiety of mice increased in the initial stage and decreased in the later stage under cold exposure at 16, 10 and 4 °C and the exploratory behavior was inhibited. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and locus coeruleus-noradrenergic (LC/NE) system were activated by cold stress and fluctuated with different intensities of cold exposure. Meanwhile, serum DA increased, and 5-HT was the opposite under different intensities of cold exposure. In conclusion, mild acute cold exposure promoted the spontaneous movement, increased exploratory behavior and improved anxiety. As the intensity of cold exposure increases, cold exposure had a negative effect on spontaneous movement, exploratory behavior and emotion. The physiological basis of these behavioral and emotional changes in mice under different intensity cold stimulation is the fluctuation of Cort, CRH, E, NE, DA and 5-HT.

Trade-Offs (and Constraints) in Organismal Biology

AbstractTrade-offs and constraints are inherent to life, and studies of these phenomena play a central role in both organismal and evolutionary biology. Trade-offs can be defined, categorized, and studied in at least six, not mutually exclusive, ways. (1) Allocation constraints are caused by a limited resource (e.g., energy, time, space, essential nutrients), such that increasing allocation to one component necessarily requires a decrease in another (if only two components are involved, this is referred to as the Y-model, e.g., energy devoted to size versus number of offspring). (2) Functional conflicts occur when features that enhance performance of one task decrease performance of another (e.g., relative lengths of in-levers and out-levers, force-velocity trade-offs related to muscle fiber type composition). (3) Shared biochemical pathways, often involving integrator molecules (e.g., hormones, neurotransmitters, transcription factors), can simultaneously affect multiple traits, with some effects being beneficial for one or more components of Darwinian fitness (e.g., survival, age at first reproduction, fecundity) and others detrimental. (4) Antagonistic pleiotropy describes genetic variants that increase one component of fitness (or a lower-level trait) while simultaneously decreasing another. (5) Ecological circumstances (or selective regime) may impose trade-offs, such as when foraging behavior increases energy availability yet also decreases survival. (6) Sexual selection may lead to the elaboration of (usually male) secondary sexual characters that improve mating success but handicap survival and/or impose energetic costs that reduce other fitness components. Empirical studies of trade-offs often search for negative correlations between two traits that are the expected outcomes of the trade-offs, but this will generally be inadequate if more than two traits are involved and especially for complex physiological networks of interacting traits. Moreover, trade-offs often occur only in populations that are experiencing harsh environmental conditions or energetic challenges at the extremes of phenotypic distributions, such as among individuals or species that have exceptional athletic abilities. Trade-offs may be (partially) circumvented through various compensatory mechanisms, depending on the timescale involved, ranging from acute to evolutionary. Going forward, a pluralistic view of trade-offs and constraints, combined with integrative analyses that cross levels of biological organization and traditional boundaries among disciplines, will enhance the study of evolutionary organismal biology.

Sex-Specific Social Effects on Depression-Related Behavioral Phenotypes in Mice

Social interaction and empathy play critical roles in determining the emotional well-being of humans. Stress-related depression and anxiety can be exacerbated or mitigated depending on specific social conditions. Although rodents are well known to exhibit emotional contagion and consolation behavior, the effects of group housing on stress-induced phenotypes in both males and females are not well established. Here, we investigated how the presence of stressed or unstressed conspecifics within a cage impact depression-related phenotypes. We housed male and female C57BL/6J mice in same-sex groups and subjected them to either gentle handling (GH) or the daily administration of corticosterone (CORT) for 10 days. The GH and CORT treatment groups were divided into cages of unmixed (GH or CORT) and mixed (GH and CORT) treatments. Depression-related phenotypes were measured using the forced swim test (FST) and sucrose preference test (SPT). We found that mixed housing alters FST behavior in a sex-specific manner. Male mice given chronic corticosterone (CORT) that were housed in the same cage as gently handled animals (GH) exhibited increased immobility, whereas GH females housed with CORT females demonstrated the opposite effect. This study underscores the importance of social housing conditions when evaluating stress-induced behavioral phenotypes and suggests that mixed cages of GH and CORT animals yield the greatest difference between treatment groups. The latter finding has important implications for identifying therapeutics capable of rescuing stress-induced behavioral deficits in the FST.

Cross-fostering selectively bred High Runner mice affects adult body mass but not voluntary exercise

While nursing, mammals progress through critical developmental periods for the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and central nervous systems. The suckling period in mammals is therefore especially vulnerable to environmental factors that may affect the "developmental programming" of many complex traits. As a result, various aspects of maternal behavior and physiology can influence offspring in ways that have lasting effects into adulthood. Several recent studies of animal models have shown that maternal effects can partially program adult activity behaviors, which has important implications for health and locomotor performance. Here, we used cross-fostering to test for possible maternal effects on adult wheel-running behavior (voluntary exercise), maximal aerobic capacity during forced exercise (VO₂max), body mass and composition, and organ masses. Subjects were from a line of mice that has been selectively bred for ∼90 generations for high voluntary wheel-running behavior (High Runner; HR) and a non-selected Control (C) line. Adult HR mice run ∼3-fold the daily distances of C mice and have evolved other differences associated with exercise capacity, including elevated VO₂max, reduced body mass and fat mass, and larger hearts. At birth, we fostered offspring to create 4 experimental groups: C pups to other C dams (in-foster), HR pups to other HR dams (in-foster), C pups to HR dams (cross-foster), HR pups to C dams (cross-foster). Thus, all pups were fostered to a different mother. Mice were weaned 3 weeks later, and adult testing began at ∼6 weeks of age. At weaning, pups raised by HR dams were smaller than those raised by C dams for both sexes and as expected, HR pups raised by HR dams weighed less than C pups raised by C dams. As adults, mice raised by HR dams continued to have reduced body masses. As expected, adult HR mice ran approximately 3-fold more than their C counterparts and females ran more than males. However, cross-fostering did not statistically affect any aspect of wheel-running behavior (distance, duration, speed). Similarly, with body mass as a covariate, HR mice had higher VO₂max than C mice, and males had higher VO₂max than females, but cross-fostering had no effect. With body mass as a covariate, cross-fostering had variable effects on adult organ masses in a sex-specific manner. Overall, our results indicate that development of the adult High Runner phenotype does not require rearing by an HR dam, suggesting that high adult activity in humans may be independent of high maternal activity.

Anxiety-related defensive behavioral responses in mice selectively bred for High and Low Activity

High and Low Activity strains of mice (displaying low and high anxiety-like behavior, respectively) with 7.8-20 fold differences in open-field activity were selected and subsequently inbred to use as a genetic model for studying anxiety-like behavior in mice (DeFries et al., 1978, Behavior Genetics, 8:3-13). These strains exhibited differences in other anxiety-related behaviors as assessed using the light-dark box, elevated plus-maze, mirror chamber, and elevated square-maze tests (Henderson et al., 2004, Behavior Genetics, 34: 267-293). The purpose of these experiments was three-fold. First, we repeated a 6-day behavioral battery using updated equipment and software to confirm the extreme differences in anxiety-like behaviors. Second, we tested novel object exploration, a measure of anxiety-like behavior that does not rely heavily on locomotion. Third, we conducted a home cage wheel running experiment to determine whether these strains differ in locomotor activity in a familiar, home cage environment. Our behavioral test battery confirmed extreme differences in multiple measures of anxiety-like behaviors. Furthermore, the novel object test demonstrated that the High Activity mice exhibited decreased anxiety-like behaviors (increased nose pokes) compared to Low Activity mice. Finally, male Low Activity mice ran nearly twice as far each day on running wheels compared to High Activity mice, while female High and Low Activity mice did not differ in wheel running. These results support the idea that the behavioral differences between High and Low Activity mice are likely to be due to anxiety-related factors and not simply generalized differences in locomotor activity.

RNA-sequencing and behavioral testing reveals inherited physical inactivity co-selects for anxiogenic behavior without altering depressive-like behavior in Wistar rats

Physical inactivity is positively associated with anxiety and depression. Considering physical inactivity, anxiety, and depression each have a genetic basis for inheritance, our lab used artificial selectively bred low-voluntary running (LVR) and wild type (WT) female Wistar rats to test if physical inactivity genes selected over multiple generations would lead to an anxiety or depressive-like phenotype. We performed next generation RNA sequencing and immunoblotting on the dentate gyrus to reveal key biological functions from heritable physical inactivity. LVR rats did not display depressive-like behavior. However, LVR rats did display anxiogenic behavior with gene networks associated with reduced neuronal development, proliferation, and function compared to WT counterparts. Additionally, immunoblotting revealed LVR deficits in neuronal development and function. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that by selectively breeding for physical inactivity genes, anxiety-like genes were co-selected. The study also reveals molecular insights to the genetic influences that physical inactivity has on anxiety-like behavior.

Rapid and longer-term effects of selective breeding for voluntary exercise behavior on skeletal morphology in house mice

Selection experiments can elucidate the varying course of adaptive changes across generations. We examined the appendicular skeleton of house mice from four replicate High Runner (HR) lines bred for physical activity on wheels and four non-selected Control (C) lines. HR mice reached apparent selection limits between generations 17 and 27, running ~3-fold more than C. Studies at generations 11, 16, and 21 found that HR mice had evolved thicker hindlimb bones, heavier feet, and larger articular surface areas of the knee and hip joint. Based on biomechanical theory, any or all of these evolved differences may be beneficial for endurance running. Here, we studied mice from generation 68, plus a limited sample from generation 58, to test whether the skeleton continued to evolve after selection limits were reached. Contrary to our expectations, we found few differences between HR and C mice for these later generations, and some of the differences in bone dimensions identified in earlier generations were no longer statistically significant. We hypothesize that the loss of apparently coadapted lower-level traits reflects (1) deterioration related to a gradual increase in inbreeding and/or (2) additional adaptive changes that replace the functional benefits of some skeletal changes.

Behavioral characterization of a novel Cisd2 mutant mouse

Wolfram syndrome (WFS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by diabetes mellitus and insipidus, progressive optic atrophy and sensorineural deafness. An increased incidence of psychiatric disorders has also been reported in WFS patients. There are two subtypes of WFS. Type 1 (WFS1) is caused by mutations in the WFS1 gene and type 2 (WFS2) results from mutations in the CISD2 gene. Existing Wfs1 knockout mice exhibit many WFS1 cardinal symptoms including diabetic nephropathy, metabolic disruptions and optic atrophy. Far fewer studies have examined loss of Cisd2 function in mice. We identified B6.DDY-Cisd2^m1Lmt, a mouse model with a spontaneous mutation in the Cisd2 gene. B6.DDY-Cisd2^m1Lmt mice were initially identified based on the presence of audible sonic vocalizations as well as decreased body size and weight compared to unaffected wildtype littermates. Although Wfs1 knockout mice have been characterized for numerous behavioral phenotypes, similar studies have been lacking for Cisd2 mutant mice. We tested B6.DDY-Cisd2^m1Lmt mice in a battery of behavioral assays that model phenotypes related to neurological and psychiatric disorders including anxiety, sensorimotor gating, stress response, social interaction and learning and memory. B6.DDY-Cisd2^m1Lmt mice displayed hypoactivity across several behavioral tests, exhibited increased stress response and had deficits in spatial learning and memory and sensorimotor gating compared to wildtype littermates. Our data indicate that the B6.DDY-Cisd2^m1Lmt mouse strain is a useful model to investigate potential mechanisms underlying the neurological and psychiatric symptoms observed in WFS.

Genetic Basis of Aerobically Supported Voluntary Exercise: Results from a Selection Experiment with House Mice

The biological basis of exercise behavior is increasingly relevant for maintaining healthy lifestyles. Various quantitative genetic studies and selection experiments have conclusively demonstrated substantial heritability for exercise behavior in both humans and laboratory rodents. In the "High Runner" selection experiment, four replicate lines of Mus domesticus were bred for high voluntary wheel running (HR), along with four nonselected control (C) lines. After 61 generations, the genomes of 79 mice (9-10 from each line) were fully sequenced and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. We used nested ANOVA with MIVQUE estimation and other approaches to compare allele frequencies between the HR and C lines for both SNPs and haplotypes. Approximately 61 genomic regions, across all somatic chromosomes, showed evidence of differentiation; 12 of these regions were differentiated by all methods of analysis. Gene function was inferred largely using Panther gene ontology terms and KO phenotypes associated with genes of interest. Some of the differentiated genes are known to be associated with behavior/motivational systems and/or athletic ability, including Sorl1, Dach1, and Cdh10 Sorl1 is a sorting protein associated with cholinergic neuron morphology, vascular wound healing, and metabolism. Dach1 is associated with limb bud development and neural differentiation. Cdh10 is a calcium ion binding protein associated with phrenic neurons. Overall, these results indicate that selective breeding for high voluntary exercise has resulted in changes in allele frequencies for multiple genes associated with both motivation and ability for endurance exercise, providing candidate genes that may explain phenotypic changes observed in previous studies.

Tameness correlates with domestication related traits in a Red Junglefowl intercross

Early animal domestication may have been driven by selection on tameness. Selection on only tameness can bring about correlated selection responses in other traits, not intentionally selected upon, which may be one cause of the domesticated phenotype. We predicted that genetically reduced fear towards humans in Red Junglefowl, ancestors of domesticated chickens, would be correlated to other traits included in the domesticated phenotype. Fear level was determined by a standardised behaviour test, where the reaction towards an approaching human was recorded. We first selected birds for eight generations for either high or low fear levels in this test, to create two divergent selection lines. An F3 intercross, with birds from the eighth generation as parentals, was generated to study correlations between fear‐of‐human scores and other unselected phenotypes, possibly caused by pleiotropy or linkage. Low fear‐of‐human scores were associated with higher body weight and growth rates, and with increased activity in an open field test, indicating less general fearfulness. In females, low fear‐of‐human scores were also associated with more efficient fear habituation and in males with an increased tendency to emit food calls in a mirror test, indicating increased social dominance. Low fear‐of‐human scores were also associated with smaller brain relative to body weight, and with larger cerebrum relative to total brain weight in females. All these effects are in line with the changes observed in domesticated chickens compared to their ancestors, and we conclude that tameness may have been a driving factor underlying some aspects of the domesticated phenotype.

Long-Term Effects of Fatherhood on Morphology, Energetics, and Exercise Performance in California Mice (Peromyscus californicus)

In male mammals that provide care for their offspring, fatherhood can lead to changes in behavioral, morphological, and physiological traits, some of which might constitute trade-offs. However, relatively little is known about these changes, especially across multiple reproductive bouts, which are expected to magnify differences between fathers and nonreproductive males. We evaluated consequences of fatherhood in the monogamous, biparental California mouse (Peromsycus californicus) across seven consecutive reproductive bouts. We compared breeding adult males (housed with sham-ovariectomized females) with two control groups: nonbreeding males (housed with ovariectomized females treated with estrogen and progesterone to induce estrous behavior) and virgin males (housed with untreated ovariectomized females). At five time points (before pairing, early postpartum of the first litter, late postpartum of the second litter, early postpartum of the sixth litter, and late postpartum of the seventh litter or comparable time points for nonbreeding and virgin males), we measured males' body composition, hematocrit, predatory aggression, resting metabolic rate, maximal oxygen consumption (V˙O2 max⁡), grip strength, and sprint speed. We also weighed organs at the final time point. We predicted that fathers would have lower relative body fat and lower performance abilities compared with control groups and that these effects would become more pronounced with increasing parity. Contrary to predictions, breeding and control males differed in surprisingly few measures, and the number and magnitude of differences did not increase with parity. Thus, our expectations regarding trade-offs were not met. As reported in studies of single reproductive events, these results suggest that fatherhood has few costs in this species when housed under standard laboratory conditions, even across multiple reproductive bouts.

Effect of sleep loss on executive function and plasma corticosterone levels in an arctic-breeding songbird, the Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)

Sleep is a fundamental component of vertebrate life, although its exact functions remain unclear. Animals deprived of sleep typically show reduced neurobiological performance, health, and in some cases, survival. However, a number of vertebrate taxa exhibit adaptations that permit normal activities even when sleep is reduced. Lapland longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus), arctic-breeding passerine birds, exhibit around-the-clock activity during their short breeding season, with an inactive period of ca. 4 h/day. Whether behavioral or physiological costs occur from sleep loss (SL) in this species is unknown. To assess the effects of SL, wild-caught male longspurs were placed in captivity (12L:12D) and trained for one month to successfully learn color association and spatial memory tasks. Birds were then placed in automated sleep fragmentation cages that utilize a moving wire to force movement every 1 min (60 arousals/h) during 12D (inactive period) or control conditions (during 12L; active period). After SL (or control) treatment, birds were presented with color association and spatial memory tasks a final time to assess executive function. Baseline plasma corticosterone concentration, body mass, and satiety were also measured. SL significantly elevated corticosterone levels and increased accuracy during color association recall but did not affect the overall time required to complete the task. SL had no effect upon spatial memory, body mass, or satiety. Taken together, these results suggest that Lapland longspurs exhibit a degree of behavioral, but not physiological, insensitivity to acute SL. Whether elevated plasma concentrations of corticosterone play a direct role in ameliorating cognitive deficits from SL require additional study.

Experimental Increases in Glucocorticoids Alter Function of the HPA Axis in Wild Red Squirrels without Negatively Impacting Survival and Reproduction

Hormones such as glucocorticoids (colloquially referred to as "stress hormones") have important effects on animal behavior and life-history traits, yet most of this understanding has come through correlative studies. While experimental studies offer the ability to assign causality, there are important methodological concerns that are often not considered when manipulating hormones, including glucocorticoids, in wild animals. In this study, we examined how experimental elevations of cortisol concentrations in wild North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) affected their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity and life-history traits, including body mass, litter survival, and adult survival. The effects of exogenous cortisol on plasma cortisol concentrations depended on the time between treatment consumption and blood sampling. In the first 9 h after consumption of exogenous cortisol, individuals had significantly higher true baseline plasma cortisol concentrations, but adrenal gland function was impaired as indicated by their dampened response to capture and handling and to injections of adrenocorticotropic hormone compared to controls. Approximately 24 h after consumption of exogenous cortisol, individuals had much lower plasma cortisol concentrations than controls, but adrenal function was restored. Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) concentrations were also significantly reduced in squirrels treated with cortisol. Despite these profound shifts in the functionality of the HPA axis, squirrel body mass, offspring survival, and adult survival were unaffected by experimental increases in cortisol concentrations. Our results highlight that even short-term experimental increases in glucocorticoids can affect adrenal gland functioning and CBG concentrations but without other side effects.

Effects of Selection for Mass-Independent Maximal Metabolic Rate on Food Consumption

Metabolic rates potentially regulate the pace of important physiological and life-history traits. Natural selection has shaped the evolution of metabolic rates and the physiology that supports them, including digestibility and the rate of food consumption. Understanding the relationship between metabolic rates and energy internalization is central to understanding how resources are allocated among competing physiological functions. We investigated how artificial selection on mass-independent basal metabolic rate (BMR) and mass-independent aerobic maximal metabolic rate (MMR) affected food consumption and apparent digestibility in mice. Evolved changes in mass-corrected BMR-but not mass-corrected MMR-corresponded with changes in food consumption. This result is consistent with previous work showing that BMR constitutes a large portion of an animal's daily energy budget and thus that BMR might provide a better indicator of daily food requirements than MMR. In contrast, digestive efficiencies did not differ among selection treatments and did not evolve in these mice. This study provides insights into how evolution of metabolic rates may affect food consumption and overall energy use.