Maternal programming of defensive responses through sustained effects on gene expression

Zhang, Tieyuan; Bagot, Rose; Parent, Carine; Nesbitt, Cathy; Bredy, Timothy W.; Caldji, Christian; Fish, Eric W.; Anisman, Hymie; Szyf, Moshe; Meaney, Michael J.

doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.01.009

Cited by 133 publications

(117 citation statements)

References 167 publications

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“…The steps linking PS to altered amygdala physiology may partially occur postnatally, as early postnatal manipulations can also influence the development of emotional behavior and amygdala function Rincon-Cortes and Sullivan, 2014). More specifically, PS may indirectly influence amygdala physiology of offspring via direct effects on behavior of the dam, as offspring emotion is highly sensitive to maternal behavior (Zhang et al, 2006). Our PS paradigm acutely enhanced dam freezing in the shock context, and behavioral alterations may persist during rearing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal Stress Alters the Development of Socioemotional Behavior and Amygdala Neuron Excitability in Rats

Ehrlich

Rainnie

2015

Neuropsychopharmacol

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Prenatal stress (PS) is a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders with diverse ages of onset and socioemotional symptoms. Some PS-linked disorders involve characteristic social deficits, such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia, but PS also promotes anxiety disorders. We propose the diversity of symptoms following PS arises from perturbations to early brain development. To this end, we characterized the effects of PS on the developmental trajectory of physiology of the amygdala, a late-developing center for socioemotional control. We found that PS dampened socioemotional behavior and reduced amygdala neuron excitability in offspring during infancy (at postnatal days (P)10, 14, 17 and 21), preadolescence (day 28), and adulthood (day 60). PS offspring in infancy produced fewer isolation-induced vocalizations and in adulthood exhibited less anxiety-like behavior and deficits in social interaction. PS neurons had a more hyperpolarized resting membrane potential from infancy to adulthood and produced fewer action potentials. Moreover, adult amygdala neurons from PS animals expressed larger action potential afterhyperpolarizations and H-current relative to controls, further limiting excitability. Our results suggest that PS can suppress socioemotional behavior throughout development and produce age-specific alterations to amygdala physiology.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal Stress Alters the Development of Socioemotional Behavior and Amygdala Neuron Excitability in Rats

Ehrlich

Rainnie

2015

Neuropsychopharmacol

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“…These can affect the mother and its egg (foetus in viviparous organisms), the post-natal environment and the quality of post-natal care by the parents where this occurs (Zhang et al 2006). Potentially, the offspring might receive signals during its embryonic development that are indicative of the environmental circumstances it is likely to experience after birth.…”

Section: Phenotypic and Environmental Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early growth conditions, phenotypic development and environmental change

Monaghan

2007

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

814

943

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Phenotypic development is the result of a complex interplay involving the organism's own genetic make-up and the environment it experiences during development. The latter encompasses not just the current environment, but also indirect, and sometimes lagged, components that result from environmental effects on its parents that are transmitted to their developing offspring in various ways and at various stages. These environmental effects can simply constrain development, for example, where poor maternal condition gives rise to poorly provisioned, low-quality offspring. However, it is also possible that environmental circumstances during development shape the offspring phenotype in such a way as to better prepare it for the environmental conditions it is most likely to encounter during its life. Studying the extent to which direct and indirect developmental responses to environmental effects are adaptive requires clear elucidation of hypotheses and careful experimental manipulations. In this paper, I outline how the different paradigms applied in this field relate to each other, the main predictions that they produce and the kinds of experimental data needed to distinguish among competing hypotheses. I focus on birds in particular, but the theories discussed are not taxon specific. Environmental influences on phenotypic development are likely to be mediated, in part at least, by endocrine systems. I examine evidence from mechanistic and functional avian studies and highlight the general areas where we lack key information.

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“…The females, in addition, show enhanced reproductive activity [62]. It is hypothesized that increased HPA activity may allow animals of both sexes to better cope with the 'predicted' challenging environment in adulthood [36]. Similarly, greater fecundity (as opposed to greater investment in few offspring) is hypothesized to favour females in these circumstances [62].…”

Section: The Shaping Of Behavioural Profiles During Early Phases Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural profiles are shaped by social experience: when, how and why

Sachser

Kaiser

Hennessy

2013

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

129

158

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The comprehensive understanding of individual variation in behavioural profiles is a current and timely topic not only in behavioural ecology, but also in biopsychological and biomedical research. This study focuses on the shaping of behavioural profiles by the social environment in mammals. We review evidence that the shaping of behavioural profiles occurs from the prenatal phase through adolescence and beyond. We focus specifically on adolescence, a sensitive phase during which environmental stimuli have distinctive effects on the modulation of behavioural profiles. We discuss causation, in particular, how behavioural profiles are shaped by social stimuli through behavioural and neuroendocrine processes. We postulate a central role for maternal hormones during the prenatal phase, for maternal behaviour during lactation and for the interaction of testosterone and stress hormones during adolescence. We refer to evolutionary history and attempt to place developmental shaping into broader evolutionary historical trends. Finally, we address survival value. We argue that the shaping of behavioural profiles by environmental stimuli from the prenatal phase through adolescence represents an effective mechanism for repeated and rapid adaptation during the lifetime. Notably, the adolescent phase may provide a last chance for correction if the future environment deviates from that predicted in earlier phases.

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Maternal programming of defensive responses through sustained effects on gene expression

Cited by 133 publications

References 167 publications

Prenatal Stress Alters the Development of Socioemotional Behavior and Amygdala Neuron Excitability in Rats

Prenatal Stress Alters the Development of Socioemotional Behavior and Amygdala Neuron Excitability in Rats

Early growth conditions, phenotypic development and environmental change

Behavioural profiles are shaped by social experience: when, how and why

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