title: Father absence in the monogamous california mouse impairs social behavior and modifies dopamine and glutamate synapses in the medial prefrontal cortex.
abstract: The role of the father in psycho-affective development is indispensable. Yet, the neurobehavioral effects of paternal deprivation (PD) are poorly understood. Here, we examined the behavioral consequences of PD in the California mouse, a species displaying monogamous bonding and biparental care, and assessed its impact on dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and glutamate (GLU) transmission in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In adult males, deficits in social interaction were observed, when a father-deprived (PD) mouse was matched with a PD partner. In adult females, deficits were observed when matching a PD animal with a non-PD control, and when matching 2 PD animals. PD also increased aggression in females. Behavioral abnormalities in PD females were associated with a sensitized response to the locomotor-activating effect of amphetamine. Following immunocytochemical demonstration of DA, 5-HT, and GLU innervations in the mPFC, we employed in vivo electrophysiology and microiontophoresis, and found that PD attenuated the basal activity of low-spiking pyramidal neurons in females. PD decreased pyramidal responses to DA in females, while enhancing responses to NMDA in both sexes. We thus demonstrate that, during critical neurodevelopmental periods, PD leads to sex-dependent abnormalities in social and reward-related behaviors that are associated with disturbances in cortical DA and GLU neurotransmission.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada and Behavioral Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada.
authors.forename: Francis R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Bambico
authors.affiliation: Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada and.
authors.forename: Baptiste
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lacoste
authors.affiliation: Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada and.
authors.forename: Patrick R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hattan
authors.affiliation: Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada and.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gobbi
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D010333:Paternal Deprivation; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012201:Reward; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D000661:Amphetamine; D004298:Dopamine
keywords: electrophysiology; immunohistochemistry; paternal deprivation; sensitization; social interaction