Role of Vaospressin and Oxytocin in Development of Partner Preferences and Parental Behavior

田鼠啮齿类是研究环境对亲和社会关系的协变和父、母行为模式的作用，以及确定哪些神经生物学变异对这些行为负责的理想属。广泛的实地和实验室数据可在一些密切相关的物种与不同的社会和父母的行为模式。田鼠（Microtus ochrogaster）（草原田鼠）主要是一夫一妻制，有配偶和双亲照顾。相比之下，山地田鼠（Microtus montanus）是滥交的繁殖者，雄性很少分享雌性的巢穴或在野外照顾幼崽。 介于这两个极端之间的是北美田鼠（Microtus pennaculicus），它们有一个非一夫一妻制的交配系统。在夏季的繁殖季节，雄性很少出现在雌性的巢穴中，也很少看到它们照顾幼崽。然而，在一年中较冷的月份，雄性与雌性和断奶前的幼崽一起出现在野外巢穴中。成功的草地田鼠群体是罕见的，维持成本只比老鼠略高。相比之下，从野生捕获的个体开始新的群体是困难的，昂贵的和耗时的。因此，维持一个殖民地供其他研究人员访问，并维持我们正在进行的研究，检查密切相关的物种之间的生殖行为的变化是有价值的和成本效益。 在一年的支持期间，在寻求额外资金来源的同时，PI将继续检验以下假设：光周期和同居持续时间将影响非一夫一妻制草原田鼠伴侣偏好和父亲行为的形成，并且在某些条件下行为可能与一夫一妻制草原田鼠相当。 李博士将确定在冬季或夏季光周期下同居的雄性和雌性草甸田鼠的发育速度和伴侣偏好程度，以及雄性的父系行为。通过操纵环境（光周期），PI期望改变草甸田鼠的亲和和父性行为的数量以及这些行为发展的速度。由于夏季条件下的雄性对不熟悉的动物具有攻击性，不准备群居，而冬季条件下的动物群居，不具有攻击性，因此Lee博士假设，在没有事先接触幼崽的情况下，在SD中饲养的雄性草地田鼠中，完全的父亲照顾是显而易见的。或者，她可能发现光周期对亲和行为或父性行为的发展没有影响，这表明社交性的季节性变化可能与这些行为的发展变化无关。

Microtine rodents are an ideal genus in which to study the role of the environment on the covariation of affiliative social relationships and patterns of paternal and maternal behaviors, and to determine what neurobiological variations are responsible for these behaviors. Extensive field and laboratory data are available on a number of closely related species with different social and parental patterns of behavior. Microtus ochrogaster (prairie voles) are primarily monogamous, with pair-bonding and biparental care. In contrast, Microtus montanus (montane voles) are promiscuous breeders and males rarely share the nest of the female or care for young in the field. Intermediate between these two extremes is Microtus pennsylvanicus (meadow voles), which have a non-monogamous mating system. During the summer breeding season, males are rarely found in the nests of females or seen caring for young. However, during the colder months of the year, males are found in the field nests with the female and pre- weanling young. Successful meadow vole colonies are rare and cost only slightly more than mice to maintain. In contrast, starting a new colony from wild caught individuals is difficult, costly and time consuming. Thus, maintaining a colony for access by other researchers and to maintain our ongoing research examining variation in reproductive behaviors across closely related species is valuable and cost-effective. During a year of support, while seeking additional sources of funding, the PI will continue to test the hypothesis that photoperiod and duration of cohabitation will influence the formation of partner preferences and paternal behavior in non-monogamous meadow voles, and behaviors may be equivalent to those of monogamous prairie voles under some conditions. Dr. Lee will determine the rate of development and the extent of partner preferences demonstrated by male and female meadow voles cohabiting under winter or summer photoperiods and paternal behavior of males. By manipulating the environment (photoperiod), the PI expects to alter the amount of affiliative and paternal behavior of meadow voles and the rate at which these behaviors develop. Because males in summer conditions are aggressive towards unfamiliar animals and not prepared to live in groups, while animals in winter conditions live in groups and are not aggressive, Dr. Lee hypothesizes that full paternal care will be evident in male meadow voles housed in SD without prior exposure to pups. Alternatively, she may find no influence of photoperiod on development of affiliative behaviors or paternal behavior, indicating that seasonal changes in sociality may not correlate with altered development of these behaviors.