Vasotocinergic control of agonistic behavior told by Neotropical fishes

PANDOLFI MATIAS; SILVA ANA

GENERAL AND COMPARATIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2019 p. 67 - 72

0016-6480

The hypothalamic neuropeptides of the vasopressin-oxytocin family (and their homologs for non-mammalianspecies) are key modulators of the Social Brain Network, acting via specific receptors reported in all the nuclei ofthis network. Different conclusive examples have proven the context-dependency actions of hypothalamicnonapeptides on social behavior in several vertebrate taxa. Teleost fishes provide endless possibilities of experimentalmodel systems to explore the underlying mechanisms of nonapeptide actions on social behavior giventhat they are the most diverse group of vertebrates. Although it has been difficult to identify commonalities ofnonapeptide actions across species, indisputable evidence in many teleost species have demonstrated a clear roleof vasotocin in the modulation of aggressive and sexual behaviors. Though Neotropical South American fishcontribute an important percentage of teleost diversity, most native species remain unexplored as model systemsfor the study of the neuroendocrine bases of social behavior. In this review, we will revise recent data on the twomodel systems of Neotropical fish, South American cichlids and weakly electric fish that have contributed to thisissue.