Meeting Abstract
47.3 Monday, Jan. 5 Arginine Vasotocin Induces Calling Behavior in Xenopus tropicalis MIRANDA, R.A.*; SEARCY, B.T.; PROPPER, C.R.; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University ram257@nau.edu
The non-mammalian neurohormone arginine vasotocin (AVT) and its mammalian homologue, arginine vasopressin (AVP), influence a variety of social and sexual behaviors across vertebrate taxa. The AVT/AVP peptide and receptor structures are conserved throughout vertebrate evolution as are the endocrine, neuroendocrine, and behavioral effects. Vocal modulation is the most widely established behavioral role for AVT/AVP and has been documented from fish through mammals. We investigated whether AVT induces calling behavior in male Xenopus tropicalis, the Western clawed frog. Ten adult males received three different doses of AVT (0 ug, 1 ug, 10 ug) in 50 ul saline Ringers solution. The injections were given in random order with at least three days between injections. Frogs were kept in separate tanks with six liters of salt-conditioned RO water and recorded using a hydrophone under four different contexts (no stimulus, with male call playback, with an untreated adult female, and with male call playback and an untreated female) for 15 minutes per context over the course of six hours. The following number of frogs was observed calling at some point during the experiment: one injected with 0 ug AVT; three with 1 ug; six with 10 ug. The difference between treatments is significant (G-test, p=0.0495). Furthermore, all calling males from the three treatments were observed calling when a female was present while no males called when a female was absent (G-test, p<0.001). Male calls were identified as one of four types: a fast (>25 Hz), long (> 1 s) trill; a fast, short (<1 s) trill; a slow (5-25 Hz) trill; a click. Future work will determine if calling is, indeed, female-dependent and, if it is female-dependent, whether this contextual element is a result of tactile, visual, and/or pheromonal cues.
