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13 results for “Siberian hamsters”
Sex-specific endocrine regulation of seasonal aggression in Siberian hamsters
<p>Coordinating physiological and behavioural processes across the annual cycle is essential in enabling individuals to maximize fitness. While the mechanisms underlying seasonal reproduction and its associated behaviours are well-characterized, fewer studies have examined the hormonal basis of non-reproductive social behaviours (e.g., aggression) on a seasonal timescale. Our previous work suggests that the pineal hormone melatonin facilitates a 'seasonal switch' in neuroendocrine regulation of aggression in male and female Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), specifically by acting on the adrenal glands to increase the production of the androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) during the short-day (SD) photoperiods of the non-breeding season. Here, we provide evidence that the activity of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/∆5-∆4 isomerase (3β-HSD), a key enzyme within the steroidogenic pathway that mediates DHEA synthesis and metabolism, varies in a sex-specific and melatonin-dependent manner. Although both male and female hamsters displayed increased aggression in response to SDs and SD-like melatonin, only males showed an increase in adrenal 3β-HSD activity. Conversely, SD and melatonin-treated females exhibited reductions in both adrenal and neural 3β-HSD activity. Collectively, these results suggest a potential role for 3β-HSD in modulating non-breeding aggression and, more broadly, demonstrate how distinct neuroendocrine mechanisms may underlie the same behavioural phenotype in males and females.</p>
Sex-specific endocrine regulation of seasonal aggression in Siberian hamsters
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Seasonal patterns of melatonin alter aggressive phenotypes of female Siberian hamsters
<p>Many animal species exhibit year-round aggression, a behaviour that allows individuals to compete for limited resources in their environment (e.g., food and mates).<br> Interestingly, this high degree of territoriality persists during the non-breeding season, despite low levels of circulating gonadal steroids (i.e., testosterone [T] and oestradiol<br> [E<sub>2</sub>]). Our previous work suggests that the pineal hormone melatonin mediates a 'seasonal switch' from gonadal to adrenal regulation of aggression in Siberian hamsters<br> (<em>Phodopus sungorus</em>); solitary, seasonally breeding mammals that display increased aggression during the short, 'winter-like' days (SDs) of the non-breeding season. To test<br> the hypothesis that melatonin elevates non-breeding aggression by increasing circulating and neural steroid metabolism, we housed female hamsters in long days (LDs)<br> or SDs, administered them timed or mis-timed melatonin injections (mimic or do not mimic a SD-like signal, respectively), and measured aggression, circulating hormone<br> profiles, and aromatase (ARO) immunoreactivity in brain regions associated with aggressive or reproductive behaviours (paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus [PVN],<br> periaqueductal gray [PAG], and ventral tegmental area [VTA]). Females that were responsive to SD photoperiods (SD-R) and LD females given timed melatonin injections<br> (Mel-T) exhibited gonadal regression and reduced circulating E<sub>2</sub>, but increased aggression and circulating dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Furthermore, aggressive challenges differentially altered circulating hormone profiles across seasonal phenotypes; reproductively inactive females (ie, SD-R and Mel-T females) reduced circulating<br> DHEA and T, but increased E<sub>2</sub> after an aggressive interaction, whereas reproductively active females (i.e., LD females, SD non-responder females, and LD females given mis-timed melatonin injections) solely increased circulating E<sub>2</sub>. Although no differences in neural ARO abundance were observed, LD and SD-R females showed distinct associations between ARO cell density and aggressive behaviour in the PVN, PAG, and VTA. Taken together, these results suggest that melatonin increases non-breeding<br> aggression by elevating circulating steroid metabolism after an aggressive encounter and by regulating behaviourally relevant neural circuits in a region-specific manner.</p>
Data from: Aggressive behaviours track transitions in seasonal phenotypes of female Siberian hamsters
Seasonally breeding animals exhibit profound physiological and behavioural responses to changes in ambient day length (photoperiod), including changes in reproductive function and territorial aggression. Species where aggression persists when gonads are regressed and circulating levels of gonadal hormones are low, such as Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) and song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), challenge the well-established framework that gonadal hormones are important mediators of aggression. A solution to this apparent paradox is that a season-specific increase in sensitivity to hormones in brain areas associated with aggression offsets low levels of gonadal hormones during periods of reproductive quiescence. To test this hypothesis, we manipulated photoperiod to induce natural fluctuations in seasonal phenotype across multiple stages of the annual reproductive cycle in female Siberian hamsters that display increased aggression during short-day reproductive quiescence, suggesting that behaviour persists independent of gonadal steroids. Females were housed in long "summer" days or short "winter" days for 10, 24 or 30 weeks to capture gonadal regression, transition back to a reproductively functional state and full gonadal recrudescence, respectively. Long-day animals maintained reproductive functionality and displayed low aggression across all time points. By week 10, short-day reproductively responsive females underwent gonadal regression and displayed increased aggression; non-responsive animals showed no such changes. At week 24, animals were in a transitional period and displayed an intermediate phenotype with respect to reproduction and aggression. By week 30, short-day females were fully recrudesced and returned to long-day-like levels of aggression. Consistent with our hypothesis, gonadally regressed females displayed decreases in 17β-oestradiol (oestradiol) levels, but site-specific increases in the abundance of brain oestrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) in regions associated with aggression, but not reproduction. Increased site-specific ERα may function as a compensatory mechanism to allow increased responsiveness to oestradiol in regulating aggression in lieu of high circulating concentrations of hormones. Collectively, these results broaden our understanding of how breeding phenology maps onto social behaviour and the mechanisms that have evolved to coordinate behaviours that occur in non-breeding contexts.
On following pages: 4. Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus); 5. Ciscaucasian Hamster (Mesocricetus raddei); 6 Hamster (Cricetulus migratorius); 9. Long-tailed Dwarf Hamster (Cricetulus longicaudatus); 10. Striped Dwarf Hamster (Cricetulus alticola); 13. Tibetan Dwarf Hamster (Cricetulus kamensis); 14. Gansu Hamster (Cansumys canus); 15. Eversmann's Hamster (Allocricetulus eversmanni); 18. Common Hamster (Cricetus cricetus); 19. Long-clawed Mole (Ondatra zibethicus); 22. Western Heather Vole (Phenacomys intermedius); 23. Eastern Heather Vole (Phenacomys Tree Vole (Arborimus pomo); 27. Northern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys borealis); 28. Southern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys 31. Norway Brown Lemming (Lemmus lemmus); 32. Siberian Brown Lemming (Lemmus sibiricus); 33. Nearctic Brown. Brandt's Hamster (Mesocricetus brandti); 7. Romanian Hamster (Mesocricetus newton); 8. Gray Dwarf (Cricetulus barabensis); 11. Sokolov's Dwarf Hamster (Cricetulus sokolovi); 12. Ladakh Dwarf Hamster Greater Long-tailed Hamster (Tscherskia triton); 16. Mongolian Hamster (Allocricetulus curtatus); 17. Vole (Prometheomys schaposchnikowi); 20. Round-tailed Muskrat (Neofiber allen); 21. Common Muskrat ungava); 24. White-footed Vole (Arborimus albipes); 25. Red Tree Vole (Arborimus longicaudus); 26. Sonoma cooperi); 29. Wood Lemming (Myopus schisticolor); 30. Amur Brown Lemming (Lemmus amurensis); Lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus). in Cricetidae
On following pages: 4. Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus); 5. Ciscaucasian Hamster (Mesocricetus raddei); 6 Hamster (Cricetulus migratorius); 9. Long-tailed Dwarf Hamster (Cricetulus longicaudatus); 10. Striped Dwarf Hamster (Cricetulus alticola); 13. Tibetan Dwarf Hamster (Cricetulus kamensis); 14. Gansu Hamster (Cansumys canus); 15. Eversmann's Hamster (Allocricetulus eversmanni); 18. Common Hamster (Cricetus cricetus); 19. Long-clawed Mole (Ondatra zibethicus); 22. Western Heather Vole (Phenacomys intermedius); 23. Eastern Heather Vole (Phenacomys Tree Vole (Arborimus pomo); 27. Northern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys borealis); 28. Southern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys 31. Norway Brown Lemming (Lemmus lemmus); 32. Siberian Brown Lemming (Lemmus sibiricus); 33. Nearctic Brown. Brandt's Hamster (Mesocricetus brandti); 7. Romanian Hamster (Mesocricetus newton); 8. Gray Dwarf (Cricetulus barabensis); 11. Sokolov's Dwarf Hamster (Cricetulus sokolovi); 12. Ladakh Dwarf Hamster Greater Long-tailed Hamster (Tscherskia triton); 16. Mongolian Hamster (Allocricetulus curtatus); 17. Vole (Prometheomys schaposchnikowi); 20. Round-tailed Muskrat (Neofiber allen); 21. Common Muskrat ungava); 24. White-footed Vole (Arborimus albipes); 25. Red Tree Vole (Arborimus longicaudus); 26. Sonoma cooperi); 29. Wood Lemming (Myopus schisticolor); 30. Amur Brown Lemming (Lemmus amurensis); Lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus).
Seasonal patterns of melatonin alter aggressive phenotypes of female Siberian hamsters
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Data from: Aggressive behaviours track transitions in seasonal phenotypes of female Siberian hamsters
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Data from: Exogenous kisspeptin enhances seasonal reproductive function in male Siberian hamsters
Animals living in temperate climates are faced with the challenge of reproducing only when environmental conditions are suitable for offspring survival. Environmental cues signalling current and future energy availability (e.g., food availability and photoperiod respectively) are used to appropriately time reproduction. The precise neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating reproduction in response to these cues are unknown. The goal of the present study was to investigate a functional role for kisspeptin, a neuropeptide that shows promise as a key regulator of seasonal reproduction, in integrating multiple environmental cues to regulate reproduction in the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus). Siberian hamsters undergo robust gonadal regression and terminate reproduction in unsuitable environments [short winter-like day lengths (photoperiods), low food availability]. Adult male hamsters were housed in short-day or intermediate photoperiods, received either ad-libitum access to food or mild food restriction, and were treated with either kisspeptin or a vehicle for 6 weeks to determine the ability of kisspeptin to attenuate gonadal regression. Hamsters exhibited varying degrees of gonadal regression in response to inhibitory environments (short-day photoperiod, food restriction). Kisspeptin treatment successfully enhanced testis mass under these inhibitory conditions, but did not affect normal seasonal changes in body mass and food intake. Thus, kisspeptin specifically enhanced reproductive function without altering other, non-reproductive physiological responses to these environmental treatments. The inhibitory environmental conditions used in this study caused little if any decline in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone over the course of the experiment. Kisspeptin treatment tended to exacerbate the decline in LH within individuals, but there were no significant effects of kisspeptin when comparing changes in the hormone levels amongst groups. The interesting outcome that kisspeptin enhanced testis mass, apparently independently of hypothalamic endocrine mechanisms, suggests the possibility of local kisspeptin action within the gonads. Overall, we show a functional role for kisspeptin in integrating complex environmental information to specifically support reproduction. Future work should focus on direct effects of kisspeptin at the gonadal level of the HPG axis as well as its interactions with the metabolic functions and other hormones involved in reproduction, e.g., gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH).
Data from: Exogenous kisspeptin enhances seasonal reproductive function in male Siberian hamsters
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Photoperiod regulates genes encoding melanocortin 3 and serotonin receptors, and secretogranins expressed in the dmpARC of the Siberian hamster
GEO Series GSE10278. Phodopus sungorus. 5 samples. Type: Expression profiling by array.
Different developmental trajectories of ovaries in Siberian hamsters raised in long and short day lengths
GEO Series GSE50869. Phodopus sungorus; Mus musculus. 16 samples. Type: Expression profiling by array.
Prolactin Regulates Seasonal Changes in Water Rheostasis in Siberian Hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)
GEO Series GSE292481. Phodopus sungorus. 24 samples. Type: Expression profiling by high throughput sequencing.
Comparative transcriptomics across photoperiod in the Siberian hamster and Japanese quail brains
GEO Series GSE300190. Phodopus sungorus; Coturnix japonica. 48 samples. Type: Expression profiling by high throughput sequencing.
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