Paternal deprivation induces dendritic and synaptic changes and hemispheric asymmetry of pyramidal neurons in the
Josephine Pinkernelle1, Andreas Abraham, Katja Seidel
1Department of Zoology and Developmental Neurobiology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
Insights
Paternal care provides essential sensory stimulation for neonatal development. Father-deprived rodents show reduced dendritic spine numbers and altered somatosensory cortex development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Paternal care is crucial for neonatal sensory stimulation, impacting sensory cortex development in rodents and primates.
- The biparental rodent Octodon degus offers a model to study the specific role of paternal care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of paternal deprivation on the dendritic and synaptic development of the somatosensory cortex in Octodon degus.
- To quantify paternal care's contribution to total parental investment and its behavioral components.
Main Methods:
- Quantified paternal care interactions and compared dendritic and synaptic development in father-deprived versus biparentally raised Octodon degus.
- Analyzed pyramidal neuron morphology in the somatosensory cortex using behavioral and morphological assessments.
Main Results:
- Paternal care accounted for 37% of parent-offspring interactions, involving huddling, licking/grooming, and playing.
- Father-deprived animals exhibited significantly fewer dendritic spines on basal dendrites of somatosensory cortex pyramidal neurons.
- Paternal deprivation led to hemispheric asymmetry in dendritic morphology, with shorter, less complex basal dendrites in the left somatosensory cortex.
Conclusions:
- Paternal deprivation retards dendritic and synaptic development in the somatosensory cortex.
- Paternal sensory stimulation is vital for the normal morphological maturation of somatosensory circuits.
Abstract:
Similar to maternal care, paternal care is a source of neonatal sensory stimulation, which in primates and rodents has been shown to be essential for developing structure and function of sensory cortices. The aim of our study in the biparental rodent Octodon degus was to assess the impact of paternal deprivation on dendritic and synaptic development in the somatosensory cortex. We (i) quantified the amount of paternal care in relation to total parental investment and (ii) compared dendritic and synaptic development of pyramidal neurons in the somatosensory cortex of animals raised by a single mother or by both parents. On the behavioral level we show that paternal care comprises 37% of total parent-offspring interactions, and that the somatosensory stimulation provided by the fathers primarily consists of huddling, licking/grooming, and playing. On the morphological level we found that, compared with offspring raised by both parents (mother and father), the father-deprived animals displayed significantly reduced spine numbers on the basal dendrites of pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, paternal deprivation induces hemispheric asymmetry of the dendritic morphology of somatosensory pyramidal neurons. Father-deprived animals show shorter and less complex basal dendrites in the left somatosensory cortex compared with the right hemisphere. These findings indicate that paternal deprivation results in delayed or retarded dendritic and synaptic development of somatosensory circuits.
