Meeting Abstract

P2-41   -   Parental Neuropeptide, Neurotensin, is Strongly Associated with Mouthbrooding and Fasting Behaviors in Female Astatotilapia Burtoni Spoto, AC*; Faber-Hammond, J; Renn, SCP; Reed College; Reed College; Reed College alspoto@reed.edu

Parental behavior has evolved multiple times in animals, and although it is a costly reproductive strategy for the parents it increases fitness through a higher offspring survival rate. For example, female mouthbrooding Astatotilapia burtoni protect their developing fry in a buccal cavity for two - four weeks, during which time they voluntarily fast and subject themselves to conditions resembling metabolic depression. To investigate the molecular underpinnings of these parental behaviors, we performed RNAseq on whole brain samples from females at four timepoints throughout the reproductive cycle, from early mouthbrooding through recovery following the release of fry. Differential expression analysis revealed a number of genes associated with mouthbrooding and fasting behaviors, notably the neuropeptide neurotensin (nts). Across a wide variety of taxa, including mammals, amphibians, and birds, nts is associated with parental behaviors ranging from protection of mouse pups to transportation of tadpoles on the backs of paternal Rana imitator frogs. This neuropeptide is pleiotropic in function and has been found to have anorexigenic effects in studies of mice and rats, therefore it is a strong regulatory candidate gene for concurrent A. burtoni parental and fasting behaviors. Currently we are conducting immunohistochemistry for nts in order to identify the brain region(s) in which expression fluctuates with brooding stage.