Abstract
We examined neuronal responses of hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) to background color in the self-fertilizing fish, Kryptolebias marmoratus. Fish were individually reared in lidless white or black cylindrical plastic containers for 15 days. The number of MCH-immunoreactive (ir) cell bodies in the nucleus lateralis tuberis (NLT) of the hypothalamus was significantly greater in the white-acclimated fish, while no significant differences were observed in the nucleus anterior tuberis (NAT) of the hypothalamus. Significant differences were not seen in the number of CRH-ir cell bodies in the NLT between the groups. The body of the white- and black-acclimated fish appeared lighter and darker, respectively, compared with the baseline color. In the black-acclimated fish, feeding activity was significantly greater with a tendency toward higher specific growth rate compared with the observations in white-acclimated fish. No significant inter-group cortisol level differences were observed. These results indicate that background color affects MCH neuronal activity in the NLT as well as body color adaptation but does not affect CRH neuronal activity in K. marmoratus.
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Data availability
The datasets and materials used during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Abbreviations
- C:
-
Cerebellum
- CP:
-
Central posterior thalamic nucleus
- GA:
-
Corpus glomerulosus pars anterior
- GR:
-
Corpus glomerulosus pars rotunda
- HB:
-
Habenula
- Hyp:
-
Hypothalamus
- LI:
-
Inferior lobe
- M:
-
Medulla oblongata
- NAT:
-
Nucleus anterior tuberis
- NC:
-
Nucleus corticalis
- NLT:
-
Nucleus lateralis tuberis
- NRL:
-
Nucleus recessi lateralis
- OB:
-
Olfactory bulb
- OT:
-
Optic tectum
- PG:
-
Preglomerular complex
- PGZ:
-
Periventricular gray zone of optic tectum
- Pit:
-
Pituitary
- T:
-
Telencephalon
- TE:
-
Tectum
- TL:
-
Torus longitudinalis
- TLa:
-
Torus lateralis
- TS:
-
Torus semicircularis
- VM:
-
Ventromedial thalamic nucleus
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Acknowledgements
We thank Ms. Ayae Kuriu, Mr. Aoi Kato, and Mr. Takashi Sato of the School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, for their help in this study.
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This study was supported in part by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP23380115.
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Masafumi Amano and Yoshitaka Sakakura designed the study; Masafumi Amano, Noriko Amiya, and Naoyuki Yamamoto conducted immunohistochemistry; Naoyuki Yamamoto drew the brain atlas; Masafumi Amano and Yoshitaka Sakakura conducted the rearing experiment; Masafumi Amano drafted the manuscript and all authors approved the final manuscript.
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Fish maintenance and sacrifice were performed following the guidelines of the animal care committee of Nagasaki University and Kitasato University.
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Amano, M., Amiya, N., Yamamoto, N. et al. Neuronal responses of melanin-concentrating hormone and corticotropin-releasing hormone to background color in the self-fertilizing fish, Kryptolebias marmoratus. Fish Physiol Biochem 49, 385–398 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-023-01178-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-023-01178-5