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The effects of repeated early deprivation on ultrasonic vocalizations and ontogenetic development in mandarin vole
Peng Yu1, Jianli Wang, Fadao Tai
1Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Insights
Early deprivation in mandarin vole pups significantly altered ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and ontogenetic development. Pups experienced reduced USV numbers, altered pulse durations, and changes in frequency range, impacting body weight and eye opening.
Area of Science:
- Ethology
- Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Early life stress, such as social deprivation, is a critical factor influencing brain and behavioral development in rodent models.
- Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are crucial for parent-offspring communication during the neonatal period.
- The impact of prolonged early deprivation on USV characteristics and subsequent ontogenetic development in mandarin voles remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of repeated early deprivation (ED) on ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in mandarin vole pups.
- To assess the subsequent impact of ED on the ontogenetic development of these pups.
- To explore the relationship between USV emissions, ontogenetic development, and parental care in mandarin voles.
Main Methods:
- Mandarin vole pups were subjected to daily 3-hour periods of early deprivation (ED) or maintained under normal nest conditions (PC).
- USVs were recorded and analyzed for properties such as number, pulse duration, and frequency range throughout the postnatal period.
- Developmental parameters including body weight and eye opening were measured and compared between ED and PC groups.
Main Results:
- ED pups exhibited significantly fewer USVs compared to PC pups.
- Pulse durations of USVs in ED pups were longer at early ages (2 and 5 days) but shorter at later ages (14 days) compared to PC pups.
- ED led to reduced pup body weight and earlier eye opening, with significant alterations in USV frequency range and variability across development.
Conclusions:
- Prolonged parental and littermate deprivation significantly alters USV properties in mandarin vole pups, affecting their ontogenetic development and potentially parental care dynamics.
- Pup USVs serve as an age-dependent behavioral phenotype crucial for parent-offspring communication.
- The findings support the hypothesis that USV patterns vary across species with different social systems, with mandarin voles showing similarities to socially monogamous rodents.
Abstract:
Early deprivation is popularly used in rodent models as an early life social stress to investigate and determine the factors that affect the development of the brain and behavior. Ultrasonic calls made by pups play an important role in parental-pup interactions during the neonatal period. However, whether repeated early deprivation affects the properties of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) produced by mandarin vole (Microtus mandarinus) pups, and whether ontogenetic development is subsequently affected, remains unclear. Here we measured USVs and developmental parameters in mandarin vole pups deprived of their parents and littermates for 3h per day (ED, which is significantly different from 5 min isolation used to induce USVs) and another pup group developed under normal nest conditions (PC). Repeated measures analysis indicated that the number of USVs from ED pups was significantly lower than those from PC pups during the postnatal period (p<0.05). The pulse durations of ED pups were longer than those of PC pups at two (p<0.001) and five days of age (p<0.05), but shorter at 14 days of age (p<0.001). Compared with PC pups, the frequency range of the ED pups was wider at 18-45 kHZ, variable during the first week, smaller and narrower at 18-30 kHZ at eight and 11 days of age, and became stable similar to PC pups at 25 kHZ after 14 days of age. ED also reduced pup body weight significantly and resulted in earlier eye opening compared with PC pups (p<0.001). A positive relationship was also found between USV emissions and levels of parental care received by pups. It appears that pup USVs are an important age-dependent behavioral phenotype and an effective communicative method between parents and offspring. Prolonged parental and littermate deprivation (ED) may alter USVs emitted by pups and then ontogenetic development and parental care. Mandarin voles show USV properties similar to socially monogamous rodents and this add further support to the hypothesis that species with different social systems produce different patterns of ultrasonic vocalizations. USVs, ontogenetic development and parental care are closely associated.
