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01:18Cognitive Development During Adolescence
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Social Complexity During Early Development has Long-Term Effects on Neuroplasticity in the Social Decision-Making
Océane La Loggia1, Diogo F Antunes1, Nadia Aubin-Horth2
1Institute for Ecology and Evolution, Behavioural Ecology Division, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Molecular Ecology
|March 21, 2025
Summary
Early social experiences shape social competence by altering neuroplasticity markers, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), in the social fish Neolamprologus pulcher.
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Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ethology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Early social experiences are crucial for developing social competence in social species.
- The neurobiological mechanisms underlying social competence acquisition remain largely unknown.
- Neuroplasticity, mediated by factors like BDNF, is a potential mechanism influencing social competence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how variations in the early social environment affect neuroplasticity markers in the social decision-making network.
- To analyze the expression of the bdnf gene and its receptors (p75NTR, TrkB) in response to group size during early development.
Main Methods:
- Studied the highly social fish Neolamprologus pulcher.
- Experimentally manipulated early social environment (group size).
- Quantified relative gene expression of bdnf, p75NTR, and TrkB in specific brain regions.
Main Results:
- In larger groups, bdnf and TrkB were upregulated in the anterior tuberal nucleus.
- TrkB was downregulated and bdnf upregulated in the lateral dorsal telencephalon in larger groups.
- All three genes (bdnf, p75NTR, TrkB) were upregulated in the preoptic area (POA) in fish from larger groups.
Conclusions:
- Early social experiences influence the constitutive expression of neuroplasticity markers.
- Changes in neuroplasticity, particularly in the POA, may underlie the development of social competence.
- This study highlights the role of BDNF signaling in mediating the effects of early social environment on social behavior development.