title: Androgen receptor distribution in the social decision-making network of eusocial naked mole-rats.
abstract: Naked mole-rats are highly social rodents that live in large groups and exhibit a strict reproductive and social hierarchy. Only a few animals in each colony breed; the remainder are non-reproductive and are socially subordinate to breeders. We have examined androgen receptor immunoreactive (AR+) cells in brain regions comprising the recently described social decision-making network in subordinate and breeder naked mole-rats of both sexes. We find that subordinates have a significantly higher percentage of AR+ cells in all brain regions expressing this protein. By contrast, there were no significant effects of sex and no sex-by-status interactions on the percentage of AR+ cells. Taken together with previous findings, the present data complete a systematic assessment of the distribution of AR protein in the social decision-making network of the eusocial mammalian brain and demonstrate a significant role for social status in the regulation of this protein throughout many nodes of this network.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada. Electronic address: melissa.holmes@utoronto.ca.
authors: Melissa M
authors: MM
authors: Holmes
authors: Spencer
authors: S
authors: Van Mil
authors: Camila
authors: C
authors: Bulkowski
authors: Sharry L
authors: SL
authors: Goldman
authors: Bruce D
authors: BD
authors: Goldman
authors: Nancy G
authors: NG
authors: Forger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D019577:Mole Rats / Q000502:physiology*; D010784:Photomicrography; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen
keywords: Androgen receptor; Anterior hypothalamus; Lateral septum; Naked mole-rat; Preoptic area; Social status