Sex Differences in Aggression Are Paralleled by Differential Activation of the Brain Social Decision-Making Network in Zebrafish

• DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.784835
• Publication Date: 2022-02-16T17:56:32Z
• Authors: María Florencia S...; Ibukun Akinrinade; Giovanni Petri; Rui F. Oliveira
• Keywords: Agonistic behaviour

Although aggression is more prevalent in males, females also express aggressive behaviors and specific ecological contexts can be than males. The aim of this work to assess sex differences characterize the patterns neuronal activation social-decision making network (SDMN) response intra-sexual both male female zebrafish. Adult fish were exposed social interaction with a same-sex opponent all behavioral displays, latency, time resolution quantified. After conflict resolution, brains sampled on functional connectivity throughout SDMN assessed by immunofluorescence marker pS6. Results suggest that sexes share similar level motivation for aggression, but encounters show shorter preferential use antiparallel displays instead overt showing reduction putative maladaptive effects. there are no any individual brain area from SDMN, agonistic interactions increased activity most areas sexes. Functional was using bootstrapped adjacency matrices capture co-activation nodes. Male winners overall excitation showed changes inhibition across whereas losers decrease comparison non-interacting control fish. Moreover, centrality analysis revealed shared hubs, as well sex-specific between each condition SDMN. In summary, distinct neural pattern associated experience during fights found sex, suggesting differential consequence experience. Overall, our study adds insights into behavior architecture intrasexual