The Effects of Arginine Vasotocin on the Calling Behavior of Male Cricket Frogs in Changing Social Contexts

doi:10.1006/hbeh.1998.1479

Hormones and Behavior

Volume 34, Issue 3, December 1998, Pages 248-261

https://doi.org/10.1006/hbeh.1998.1479 Get rights and content

Abstract

We investigated the effects of the neurohypophysial peptide, arginine vasotocin (AVT), on the calling behavior of maleAcris crepitansduring and immediately following a simulated acoustic agonistic encounter. AVT did not block the aggressive response to agonistic calls, as the changes in temporal call characteristics in response to the encounter were similar to those of saline-treated males. However, AVT caused males to begin calling sooner during the agonistic encounter and to call significantly more than saline males during and after the agonistic encounter. In addition, AVT-treated males maintained a higher dominant frequency compared to saline animals during and following the agonistic encounter. Changes in temporal characteristics in the period following the agonistic encounter indicated that control males were more likely to exhibit a rebound effect which resulted in larger changes in calling parameters compared to AVT-treated animals. The results indicate that AVT causes changes in calling behavior in maleA. crepitansduring and following an agonistic encounter that are consistent with animals highly motivated to maintain vigorous active calling throughout changing social conditions.

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Arginine vasotocin affects vocal behavior but not selective responses to conspecific calls in male túngara frogs
2021, Hormones and Behavior
Citation Excerpt :
The current analysis quantifies an earlier observation from Kime et al. (2010), which reported low-amplitude chucks in AVT males and suggested that males treated with exogenous AVT are unable to produce attractive chucks because they over-exert in the production of whines. It is also similar to the effects of AVT on cricket frogs, where “vigorous” calling in AVT-treated males compromised an aggressive response (a decrease in dominant frequency) (Chu et al., 1998). In other words, we speculate that túngara frog males treated with exogenous AVT decrease the number of attractive chucks that they produce not because they are less motivated or choose not to produce them but instead because they overproduce the whine.
Arginine vasotocin (AVT) and its homolog arginine vasopressin (AVP) modulate social behavior, including social communication. In anuran amphibians, male-male competition and female mate choice rely heavily on acoustic signaling. Behavioral experiments show that AVT influences motivation to call and vocal production. It may also influence how males process and respond to socially relevant auditory stimuli, but few studies have explored this possibility in this taxon. Túngara frogs produce a “whine” that is used for species recognition; in competition with other males they append one or more attractive “chucks” to the whine. Frequency modulation in the whine is an important cue for recognizing conspecifics, and gating of conspecific signals begins in the auditory midbrain. We used dynamic playback experiments to investigate the effects of exogenous AVT on males' responses to stimuli with species-typical and altered frequency modulation. We used avoidance of call overlap as evidence that a male recognizes a stimulus as salient and the production of attractive chucks as evidence of his competitive response to a proximate rival. We used call rate, whine duration, and whine frequency as measures of motivation and motor production. Males responded selectively to a stimulus with species-typical frequency modulation. Following treatment with AVT, they increased call rate and altered whines and chucks in a way that suggests increased air flow during the whine. We did not, however, find evidence that treatment with AVT alters the salience of frequency modulation in recognizing and responding to acoustic signals, at least for the stimuli used in this study.
Serotonin and vasotocin function in territoriality
2020, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
This ethopharmacological investigation comprised a long-term field study that examined the function of serotonergic and vasotonergic systems in territoriality. Adult territorial and non-territorial (silent) male coquí frogs (Eleutherodactylus coqui) were injected (IP) with either arginine vasotocin (AVT) or one of two serotonin agonists, 5-HT_2A/2C selective agonist, (±) DOI – [(±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane], or 2) the 5-HT_1A selective agonist, 8-OH-DPAT – [(±)-2-dipropylamino-8-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene]. Control groups received saline injections. Each male received two injections. Following the first injection, whether AVT or a 5HT agonist, the male was observed so that behavior could be documented prior to the second injection, which consisted of the other drug class. All frogs were marked, placed back in the exact location as captured, and observed for all behaviors and vocalizations. Territoriality in E. coqui includes several behavioral components: movement into a calling site, presentation of dominant physical displays, emitting advertisement calls, and defense a territory (including the use of physical force and/or aggressive vocalizations). This investigation found that particular territorial behaviors were significantly influenced by 5HT and AVT action. Initiation of advertisement calling is activated by AVT and suppressed by 5HT, calling rate is affected by 5HT activation, presentation of dominant physical displays are activated by AVT and repressed by 5HT activation, and movement associated with activation of territorial behavior is stimulated by AVT. These data suggested that both 5HT and AVT have a profound impact on territoriality and are two fundamental neuroendocrine systems that govern territorial behavior in social systems.
Mammalian nonapeptides activate territorial behavior in an amphibian
2017, Physiology and Behavior
Arginine vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) are two nonapeptides present in mammals and execute a wide array of physiological and behavioral functions. In amphibians arginine vasotocin (VT) is hypothesized as a homologous nonapeptide for VP and also performs physiological and behavioral tasks. Studies have demonstrated that the structural and functional relationships between VP, OT, and VT receptor families are similar; however, little behavioral data has complimented these studies. The objective of this investigation was to determine if the mammalian nonapeptides VP and OT would activate behavioral manifestations naturally activated by VT. Frogs are particularly attractive for such an investigation because it is well documented that VT activates advertisement calling and territorial behavior. This investigation was a large sample size field study that utilized the territorial frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui. Fieldwork occurred on the Islands of Puerto Rico and Hawai'i and focused on territorial (calling) and non-territorial (silent) males. Frogs were administered exogenous injections of VP, OT, VT (positive control), or saline (control) in the field, placed back in their original locations, and were observed for behaviors. Exogenous injections of VP and OT significantly activated silent males to emit advertisement calls and exhibit territorial behavior. Additionally, silent males moved into new areas prior to calling whereas territorial males remained in their own territories. Control (saline) males displayed normal behaviors. This is the first study to demonstrate that mammalian nonapeptides activate calling and territorial behaviors in frogs and corroborates the close evolutionary relationships within the nonapeptide family.
Searching for hormonal facilitators: Are vasotocin and mesotocin involved in parental care behaviors in poison frogs?
2017, Physiology and Behavior
Although the involvement of peptide hormones in parental care behaviors is well investigated in vertebrates, in amphibians the physiological basis of parental care is largely unknown. This is all the more surprising as parental care behaviors in these tetrapods are remarkably diverse. The poison frog Ranitomeya imitator performs biparental care, including clutch guarding, tadpole transportation and nutrient provisioning. Here we tested whether the nonapeptides arginine-vasotocin (AVT) and mesotocin (MT) are involved in clutch guarding and tadpole transportation in these frogs. In ex-sito experiments we injected males and females after clutch deposition and before tadpole transport with AVT and MT, respectively, as well as their antagonist or a control. We measured two types of egg caring behavior (intense and general care) and compared the success rate of tadpole transportation after treatments. Surprisingly we found that AVT did not trigger, but decreased intense egg care behaviors in males and females. However, there was a trend for general care behavior to increase, which might explain the adverse effect regarding intense care. MT did not have an effect on egg caring behaviors, but after administration of this hormone males were less likely to transport their offspring later on. Our results indicate that AVT might be partly involved in egg caring behaviors in R. imitator, while MT does not appear to play any role in behaviors prior to tadpole transportation in males. This implies that other hormones, such as steroids or prolactin are likely to be important for early parental care behaviors in poison frogs.
Arginine vasotocin induces calling behavior with a female social stimulus and interacts with gonadotropins to affect sexual behaviors in male Xenopus tropicalis
2015, Physiology and Behavior
Arginine vasotocin (AVT) and the mammalian homologue, arginine vasopressin (AVP), modulate vertebrate social behaviors, including vocalizations in male anurans. To study the impact of AVT and social stimuli on calling in male Xenopus tropicalis, we injected males with vehicle, 1 μg, or 10 μg AVT and recorded vocalizations under four social contexts (no stimulus, with male call playback, with a female, and with call playback and a female). More males called when injected with 10 μg AVT. Furthermore, calling males called only when paired with a female. We identified four call types: long fast trill; short fast trill; slow trill; or click. Next, we injected males with vehicle, 10 μg, or 20 μg AVT and recorded vocalizations with or without a female. AVT treatment did not affect calling in this experiment, but we confirmed that more males, regardless of AVT treatment, called when a female was present. Then we evaluated the effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on male sexual behavior. 20 IU hCG elevated behavior compared to controls while the 10 IU hCG treatment group was not different from either treatment. Last, we examined the effect of AVT on hCG-induced reproductive behavior. Males were injected with 10 IU hCG or with 10 IU hCG and 20 μg AVT. Males receiving hCG and AVT clasped and called significantly more than males receiving hCG only. Our results suggest that AVT and a female stimulus induce vocalizations in a male pipid anuran, X. tropicalis, and the interaction between gonadotropins and neurohormones influences reproductive behaviors in this anuran amphibian.
Arginine vasotocin activates aggressive calls during paternal care in the Puerto Rican coquí frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui
2012, Neuroscience Letters
Citation Excerpt :
No behavioral differences were observed or noted between AVT and control males with regard to interaction with other males or females in the terraria. Past studies in frogs have shown that exogenously administrated AVT promotes advertisement calling [5,3,6,10,12,20,23,24]. Interestingly, exogenous injections of AVT in paternal E. coqui produced a significant increase in aggressive calls.
The Puerto Rican coquí frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui, is a directly developing frog that exhibits male territoriality and paternal behaviors. Male frogs also produce advertisement and aggressive vocalizations or calls. Territorial males emit advertisement calls to delineate territories and attract mates. Paternal males guard and brood the directly developing embryos during embryogenesis and up to five days after hatching; advertisement calling is normally absent or infrequent during paternal care. Territorial and paternal males commonly produce aggressive calls during agonistic situations. The neuropeptide, arginine vasotocin (AVT), has been shown to promote calling in anurans, including E. coqui. The objective of this study was to determine if exogenous AVT promotes calling and territorial behavior in paternal males and if it promotes males to abandon their offspring. Injections (IP) of AVT were given to paternal males immediately before the scotoperiod. Frogs were monitored for at least four hours after the injection and the following morning for calling activity and abandonment of egg clutches. AVT-injected males showed a dramatic and significant increase in aggressive calls compared to control males (saline injections). Exogenous AVT did induce advertisement calling in some paternal males but did not significantly elevate paternal males to territorial status nor did it significantly induce abandonment of eggs/embryos. In conclusion, the type of vocalization that AVT activates in E. coqui depends upon the reproductive state of the male and the social environment that surrounds the male.

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^☆: D. Crews

¹: To whom correspondence should be addressed at University of Texas, Dept. of Psychology, Mezes Hall, Rm. 330, Austin, TX 78712.

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Regular ArticleThe Effects of Arginine Vasotocin on the Calling Behavior of Male Cricket Frogs in Changing Social Contexts☆

Abstract

Horm. Behav.

Behav. Neurol. Biol.

Physiol. Behav.

Horm. Behav.

Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.

Leptodactylus albilabris. Anim. Behav.

Horm. Behav.

Gen. Comp. Endocrinol.

Horm. Behav.

Horm. Behav.

Anim. Behav.

Anim. Behav.

Anim. Behav.

Responses to nonspecific advertisement calls in the green frog (Rana clamitans

Behavior

The neurohypophysial peptides, learning, and memory processing

Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci.

Acoustic competition in male midwife toadsAlytes obstetricansAlytes cisternasii:

Ethology

A vasopressin metabolite increases attentional selectivity

Behav. Neurosci.

Physiological substrates of mammalian monogamy: The prairie vole

Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev.

Rana pipiens. Science

Vasopressin injected into the hypothalamus triggers a stereotypic behavior in golden hamsters

Science

Regular Article
The Effects of Arginine Vasotocin on the Calling Behavior of Male Cricket Frogs in Changing Social Contexts☆