Paternal deprivation impairs social behavior putatively via epigenetic modification to lateral septum vasopressin receptor.

ABSTRACT: Although it is well appreciated that the early-life social environment asserts subsequent long-term consequences on offspring brain and behavior, the specific mechanisms that account for this relationship remain poorly understood. Using a novel assay that forced biparental pairs or single mothers to prioritize caring for offspring or themselves, we investigated the impact of parental variation on adult expression of nonapeptide-modulated behaviors in prairie voles. We demonstrated that single mothers compensate for the lack of a co-parent. Moreover, mothers choose to invest in offspring over themselves when faced with a tradeoff, whereas fathers choose to invest in themselves. Furthermore, our study suggests a pathway whereby variation in parental behavior (specifically paternal care) may

SUBMITTER: Kelly AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7467705 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature