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Why do mice squeak? Toward a better understanding of defensive vocalization
Julia Ruat1,2,3, Andreas J Genewsky2, Daniel E Heinz2,4
1Department Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany.
Iscience
|July 18, 2022
Summary
Mice emit audible calls when anxious, attracting predators and other mice. Targeting the periaqueductal gray (PAG) reduces anxiety and vocalizations, revealing a key brain region for this behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Bioacoustics
Background:
- Mice primarily use ultrasonic vocalizations for communication.
- Audible sonic calls in mice are less understood but can be context-dependent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the production and function of audible sonic vocalizations in mice.
- To explore the neural basis of sonic call emission in high anxiety-related behavior (HAB) mice.
Main Methods:
- Selective breeding for high anxiety-related behavior (HAB).
- Behavioral testing including anxiolytic sensitivity.
- Manganese-enhanced MRI to assess neural activity in the periaqueductal gray (PAG).
- Optogenetic inhibition of the dorsolateral PAG.
- Acoustic analysis of vocalizations and playback experiments.
Main Results:
- HAB mice exhibit a high propensity for sonic vocalization when stressed.
- Vocalizations are linked to anxiety, not pain, and are modulated by anxiolytics.
- Increased tonic activity in the PAG of HAB mice was observed.
- Inhibiting the dorsolateral PAG reduced anxiety and abolished sonic calls.
- Sonic calls (3.8 kHz) attracted rats and influenced mouse social interactions.
Conclusions:
- Sonic vocalizations in mice are associated with anxiety and modulated by the PAG.
- These calls serve dual functions, attracting predators and conspecifics based on social context.
