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Full-Text Articles in Genetics and Genomics
Recovery From Social Isolation In Drosophila: The Role Of Dopamine And The Autism-Related Gene Nlg3., Ryley T. Yost
Recovery From Social Isolation In Drosophila: The Role Of Dopamine And The Autism-Related Gene Nlg3., Ryley T. Yost
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Within a group, individuals establish their preferred distance from each other, or social space, a form of social behaviour. The resulting distance depends on the exchange of social cues from others that needs to be perceived and integrated within the organism’s neural circuitry. In humans, social spacing can be impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. When organisms are subject to social isolation, profound changes in social behaviour are observed in a variety of species from insects to mammals, including social space. However, the genetic and molecular mechanisms modulating a behavioural response to isolation and possible recovery remain …
Effects Of 11-Kt And Prolactin On Gene Expression, Parental Care Behaviour And Immune Response In Male Bluegill Sunfish., Adriano A P Da Cunha
Effects Of 11-Kt And Prolactin On Gene Expression, Parental Care Behaviour And Immune Response In Male Bluegill Sunfish., Adriano A P Da Cunha
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Parental care is very critical for reproduction in species that provide it. Hormones such as prolactin and androgens play a crucial role in parenting and reproductive behaviours. In mammals and birds, prolactin’s role in parental care is well-established; it stimulates milk production and stimulates attachment to newborns by its release in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA), among other functions. Androgens, on the other hand, are commonly associated with male secondary sex characteristics, territoriality, and aggressiveness in mammals and birds. There are similar reports of prolactin and androgen effects in fish, but there are fewer studies. I investigated if …
Elucidating The Neural Circuitry Underlying Social Spacing In Drosophila Melanogaster Through The Lens Of Neuroligin 3, Abigail T. Bechard
Elucidating The Neural Circuitry Underlying Social Spacing In Drosophila Melanogaster Through The Lens Of Neuroligin 3, Abigail T. Bechard
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Social interactions among animals can be complex, and abnormal social behaviours may result in negative fitness consequences for both the individual displaying them, and the entire group. To understand the neural basis of complex social behaviour, we can study simpler behaviours that precede and mediate them. Social spacing, the typical distance between individuals in a group, is an easily quantifiable behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster. Here, I investigated the neural circuitry underlying social spacing through the lens of Autism-candidate gene neuroligin 3. Based on the Nlg3 enrichment pattern in adult fly brains, I hypothesized that nlg3-expressing neurons, along …