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Published on: September 3, 2015
Selective breeding for infant vocal response: a role for postnatal maternal effects?
S A Brunelli1, M A Hofer, A Weller
1Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA. sab9@columbia
Developmental Psychobiology
|April 25, 2001
Summary
Maternal care after birth does not influence ultrasonic vocalization (USV) rates in NIH rats. Cross-fostering experiments showed no significant changes in USV, indicating other factors may be involved.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Animal Models
Background:
- NIH rats were selectively bred for high or low ultrasonic vocalization (USV) rates in response to isolation at 10 days of age.
- Understanding generational trait transmission is crucial for developmental and behavioral studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of postnatal maternal effects on the transmission of divergent ultrasonic vocalization (USV) traits in selectively bred rat lines.
- To determine if maternal care influences the development of high or low USV phenotypes.
Main Methods:
- Cross-fostering of pups between High-USV and Low-USV rat lines shortly after birth.
- Comparison of USV rates in cross-fostered pups versus in-fostered (control) pups within each line.
- Measurement of pup weight on the day of testing.
Main Results:
- Cross-fostered pups in both High-USV and Low-USV lines exhibited USV rates not significantly different from in-fostered controls.
- High-USV line pups cross-fostered to Low-USV dams showed significantly lower body weight compared to in-fostered pups.
- No evidence found for postnatal maternal contribution to the USV phenotype.
Conclusions:
- Postnatal maternal care does not appear to be a significant factor in the generational transmission of ultrasonic vocalization (USV) rates in these rat lines.
- Prenatal and/or perinatal maternal influences on the USV phenotype remain possibilities that warrant further investigation.
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