TY - JOUR
T1 - Arginine vasotocin induces calling behavior with a female social stimulus and interacts with gonadotropins to affect sexual behaviors in male Xenopus tropicalis
AU - Miranda, Robert A.
AU - Searcy, Brian T.
AU - Propper, Catherine R.
N1 - Funding Information:
Many thanks to Angelina Krueger, Linda Natkin and Atilade Owolabi for assistance with data collection and to Dr. Jenna Monroy for audio analysis training. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant # DGE-0549505 as well as NSF Grant # IOS-0723370 to CRP. This manuscript was also developed under STAR Fellowship Assistance Agreement no. FP-91714301 awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed in this manuscript are solely those of Robert Miranda, and EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2015/11/1
Y1 - 2015/11/1
N2 - Arginine vasotocin (AVT) and the mammalian homologue, arginine vasopressin (AVP), modulate vertebrate social behaviors, including vocalizations in male anurans. To study the impact of AVT and social stimuli on calling in male Xenopus tropicalis, we injected males with vehicle, 1 μg, or 10 μg AVT and recorded vocalizations under four social contexts (no stimulus, with male call playback, with a female, and with call playback and a female). More males called when injected with 10 μg AVT. Furthermore, calling males called only when paired with a female. We identified four call types: long fast trill; short fast trill; slow trill; or click. Next, we injected males with vehicle, 10. μg, or 20. μg AVT and recorded vocalizations with or without a female. AVT treatment did not affect calling in this experiment, but we confirmed that more males, regardless of AVT treatment, called when a female was present. Then we evaluated the effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on male sexual behavior. 20. IU hCG elevated behavior compared to controls while the 10. IU hCG treatment group was not different from either treatment. Last, we examined the effect of AVT on hCG-induced reproductive behavior. Males were injected with 10. IU hCG or with 10. IU hCG and 20. μg AVT. Males receiving hCG and AVT clasped and called significantly more than males receiving hCG only. Our results suggest that AVT and a female stimulus induce vocalizations in a male pipid anuran, X. tropicalis, and the interaction between gonadotropins and neurohormones influences reproductive behaviors in this anuran amphibian.
AB - Arginine vasotocin (AVT) and the mammalian homologue, arginine vasopressin (AVP), modulate vertebrate social behaviors, including vocalizations in male anurans. To study the impact of AVT and social stimuli on calling in male Xenopus tropicalis, we injected males with vehicle, 1 μg, or 10 μg AVT and recorded vocalizations under four social contexts (no stimulus, with male call playback, with a female, and with call playback and a female). More males called when injected with 10 μg AVT. Furthermore, calling males called only when paired with a female. We identified four call types: long fast trill; short fast trill; slow trill; or click. Next, we injected males with vehicle, 10. μg, or 20. μg AVT and recorded vocalizations with or without a female. AVT treatment did not affect calling in this experiment, but we confirmed that more males, regardless of AVT treatment, called when a female was present. Then we evaluated the effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on male sexual behavior. 20. IU hCG elevated behavior compared to controls while the 10. IU hCG treatment group was not different from either treatment. Last, we examined the effect of AVT on hCG-induced reproductive behavior. Males were injected with 10. IU hCG or with 10. IU hCG and 20. μg AVT. Males receiving hCG and AVT clasped and called significantly more than males receiving hCG only. Our results suggest that AVT and a female stimulus induce vocalizations in a male pipid anuran, X. tropicalis, and the interaction between gonadotropins and neurohormones influences reproductive behaviors in this anuran amphibian.
KW - Arginine vasopressin
KW - Arginine vasotocin
KW - Communication
KW - Gonadotropin
KW - Reproduction
KW - Xenopus tropicalis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84936993271&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84936993271&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.06.031
DO - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.06.031
M3 - Article
C2 - 26129685
AN - SCOPUS:84936993271
SN - 0031-9384
VL - 151
SP - 72
EP - 80
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
ER -