Lower brain levels of serotonin in rainbow trout larvae with a propensity for social dominance

Erik Höglund, Madelene Åberg Andersson

Research output: Contribution to conferencePosterResearch

Abstract

There is general consensus that low levels of brain serotonin are associated with aggression and social dominance. However, most of the studies investigating the relationship between serotonin (5-HT) and aggressive behavior have been performed in animals with previous social experience. Studies performed on socially naive animals, predisposed to different levels of aggression, are needed to investigate to which extent inherited differences in 5-HTergic transmission underlie this behavioral variability. In this work we show that rainbow trout larvae, having a large yolk during emergence from the spawning nests, also have higher probability to become social dominant. Furthermore, newly emerged socially naïve individuals with larger yolk also had lower brain 5-HT levels. This demonstrates a propensity to social dominance, which is associated with lower brain serotonin levels, in larvae that emerge from the spawning nests with a big yolk. Further studies utilizing this animal model may reveal inherited differences in 5-HTergic transmission underlying individual variation in aggressive behavior
Original languageEnglish
Publication date2012
Publication statusPublished - 2012
EventSociety for Neuroscience 2012 - New Orleans, United States
Duration: 13 Oct 201217 Oct 2012

Conference

ConferenceSociety for Neuroscience 2012
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityNew Orleans
Period13/10/201217/10/2012

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