ADVANCE Fellows Award: Effects of Early Experience on Parental Behavior in Voles

这个项目将研究早期社会经验对草原田鼠(Microtus Ochrogaster)雄性父母照顾的影响。草原田鼠是一夫一妻制、合作繁殖的物种，在这种物种中，雄性田鼠表现出高度的自发父母行为和外来行为(照顾不是他们自己的幼崽)。然而，首席研究者此前观察到，在出生后的不同时期，父亲的行为作为不同处理方式的函数，存在显著的差异。出生后的经历和神经肽激素的可获得性，包括催产素(OT)和精氨酸加压素(AVP)，也可能有助于对幼崽表现出积极的行为。在这个项目中，研究人员将研究不同水平的早期经验对男性异位呼吸护理的影响背后的神经生物学。幼崽在出生的第一周将接受不同程度的处理。稍后测量的变量将包括对症护理和焦虑，以及多肽受体系统(OT、AVP和CRH，促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素)的长期变化，这些受体的mRNA表达，以及接触幼崽时大脑和血液中的短期多肽变化。这个项目将帮助我们理解男性养育子女的生物学。草原田鼠是一种一夫一妻制的啮齿动物，雄性参与幼鼠的照料。这个项目将调查早期经历对后来的男性父母照顾及其潜在的神经生物学的影响。

This project will examine the effects of early social experience onmale parental care in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Prairie voles are amonogamous, cooperatively breeding species in which males display high levelsof spontaneous parental and alloparental behavior (taking care of infants not their own). However, the principal investigator has previously observed marked differences in paternal behavior as a function of differential handling during the postnatal period. Experiences during the postnatal period and the availability of neuropeptide hormones, including oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), may contribute to the expression of positive behaviors toward pups as well. In this project the researcher will study the neurobiology underlying the effects of varying levels of early experience on male alloparental care. Pups will receive different levels of handling during the first week of life. Later variables measured will include alloparental care and anxiety, as well as long-term changes in peptide receptor systems (OT, AVP, and CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone), mRNA expression for these receptors, and short-term peptide changes in the brain and blood when exposed to a pup. This project will help us to understand the biology of male parenting. Prairie voles are a monogamous species of rodent in which males participate in infant care. This project will investigate the effects of early experiences on later male parental care and its underlying neurobiology.