title: Neural plasticity is affected by stress and heritable variation in stress coping style.
abstract: Here we use a comparative model to investigate how behavioral and physiological traits correlate with neural plasticity. Selection for divergent post-stress cortisol levels in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) has yielded low- (LR) and high responsive (HR) lines. Recent reports show low behavioral flexibility in LR compared to HR fish and we hypothesize that this divergence is caused by differences in neural plasticity. Genes involved in neural plasticity and neurogenesis were investigated by quantitative PCR in brains of LR and HR fish at baseline conditions and in response to two different stress paradigms: short-term confinement (STC) and long-term social (LTS) stress. Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), neurogenic differentiation factor (NeuroD) and doublecortin (DCX) was generally higher in HR compared to LR fish. STC stress led to increased expression of PCNA and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in both lines, whereas LTS stress generally suppressed PCNA and NeuroD expression while leaving BDNF expression unaltered. These results indicate that the transcription of neuroplasticity-related genes is associated with variation in coping style, while also being affected by STC - and LTS stress in a biphasic manner. A higher degree of neural plasticity in HR fish may provide the substrate for enhanced behavioral flexibility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1041, N-0316 Oslo, Norway. i.b.johansen@imbv.uio.no
authors.forename: Ida B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: Guro K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Sandvik
authors.forename: Göran E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Höglund
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakken
authors.forename: Oyvind
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Overli
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D012934:Social Isolation; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; C093564:Neurogenic differentiation factor 1