Experience-facilitated improvements in pup retrieval; evidence for an epigenetic effect.
The quality and quantity of maternal care received during infancy are highly predictive of successful infant development. It has been well established, primarily in rats, that the combination of hormonal and infant stimuli at birth modifies neural circuits that regulate maternal responsiveness. During subsequent interactions, infant stimuli are more likely to elicit rapid maternal responsiveness. Some species, such as humans, can display maternal care in the absence of the endocrine events of pregnancy and birth. Similarly, virgin C57BL/6J female mice, display maternal care toward infants, and experience with infants elicits long-lasting increases in maternal care. We hypothesized that these experience-induced changes in behavior may be mediated by chromatin modifications, which in turn change expression of genes that promote maternal care. One site of action is the medial preoptic area (MPOA). To test our hypothesis we treated virgin female mice with sodium butyrate, a histone deacetylase inhibitor. This treatment potentiated maternal responsiveness as well as the expression of several genes: estrogen receptor β (Esr2), oxytocin (Oxt), and cyclicAMP response element binding protein (CREB) binding protein (Crebbp; a histone acetyltransferase) in the MPOA. These data suggest that experience induces high levels of maternal care via epigenetic modifications.
University of Virginia School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, 1340 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. danielle.stolzenberg@gmail.com
Danielle S
DS
Stolzenberg
Jacqueline S
JS
Stevens
Emilie F
EF
Rissman
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002087:Butyrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy
D002087:Butyrates; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors