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Evolutionarily conserved role of oxytocin in social fear contagion in zebrafish

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Resumo:Emotional contagion is the most ancestral form of empathy. We tested to what extent the proximate mechanisms of emotional contagion are evolutionarily conserved by assessing the role of oxytocin, known to regulate empathic behaviors in mammals, in social fear contagion in zebrafish. Using oxytocin and oxytocin receptor mutants, we show that oxytocin is both necessary and sufficient for observer zebrafish to imitate the distressed behavior of conspecific demonstrators. The brain regions associated with emotional contagion in zebrafish are homologous to those involved in the same process in rodents (e.g., striatum, lateral septum), receiving direct projections from oxytocinergic neurons located in the pre-optic area. Together, our results support an evolutionary conserved role for oxytocin as a key regulator of basic empathic behaviors across vertebrates. Copyright © 2023 The Authors, some rights reserved.
Autores principais:Akinrinade, Ibukun
Outros Autores:Kareklas, Kyriacos; Teles, Magda C; Reis, Thais K.; Gliksberg, Michael; Petri, Giovanni; Levkowitz, Gil; Oliveira, Rui F.
Assunto:Animals Emotions Empathy Fear Oxytocin Rodentia Social Behavior Zebrafish
Ano:2023
País:Portugal
Tipo de documento:artigo
Tipo de acesso:acesso restrito
Instituição associada:Ispa-Instituto Universitário
Idioma:inglês
Origem:Repositório do Ispa - Instituto Universitário

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