title: Vasotocin neurons and septal V1a-like receptors potently modulate songbird flocking and responses to novelty.
abstract: Previous comparisons of territorial and gregarious finches (family Estrildidae) suggest the hypothesis that arginine vasotocin (VT) neurons in the medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTm) and V(1a)-like receptors in the lateral septum (LS) promote flocking behavior. Consistent with this hypothesis, we now show that intraseptal infusions of a V(1a) antagonist in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) reduce gregariousness (preference for a group of 10 versus 2 conspecific males), but have no effect on the amount of time that subjects spend in close proximity to other birds ("contact time"). The antagonist also produces a profound increase in anxiety-like behavior, as exhibited by an increased latency to feed in a novelty-suppressed feeding test. Bilateral knockdown of VT production in the BSTm using LNA-modified antisense oligonucleotides likewise produces increases in anxiety-like behavior and a potent reduction in gregariousness, relative to subjects receiving scrambled oligonucleotides. The antisense oligonucleotides also produced a modest increase in contact time, irrespective of group size. Together, these combined experiments provide clear evidence that endogenous VT promotes preferences for larger flock sizes, and does so in a manner that is coupled to general anxiolysis. Given that homologous peptide circuitry of the BSTm-LS is found across all tetrapod vertebrate classes, these findings may be predictive for other highly gregarious species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Indiana University,1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. aubkelly@indiana.edu
authors.forename: Aubrey M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Marcy A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kingsbury
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoffbuhr
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Schrock
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Waxman
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kabelik
authors.forename: Richmond R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Goodson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000502:physiology*; D020665:Septum of Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020308:Songbirds / Q000502:physiology*; D014668:Vasotocin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin; C034862:vasotocin receptor; D014668:Vasotocin