Aberrant functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a hallmark of conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Early-life adversity and genetic variation can interaction to disrupt HPA axis regulation, potentially contributing to certain forms of psychopathology. This study employs a rhesus macaque model to investigate how early parental neglect interacts with a single nucleotide polymorphism within the promoter region of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH-248) gene, impacting the development of the HPA axis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: (sugar kelp) is one of the most widely cultivated brown marine macroalgae species in the North Atlantic and the eastern North Pacific Oceans. To meet the expanding demands of the sugar kelp mariculture industry, selecting and breeding sugar kelp that is best suited to offshore farm environments is becoming necessary. To that end, a multi-year, multi-institutional breeding program was established by the U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is widely held that the central monoamine neurotransmitters modulate alcohol intake. Few studies, however, directly assess the relationship between baseline and alcohol-induced monoamine turnover, as well as the change from baseline, as predictors of alcohol intake. Using a nonhuman primate model, this study investigates baseline, alcohol-induced and alcohol-induced change in monoamine activity and their relationship with alcohol intake.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA μ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) single-nucleotide-polymorphism, found in both humans and rhesus macaques mediates the mother-infant attachment bond. Because mothers treat their sons and daughters differently, it is somewhat surprising that the role of infant sex has not been assessed in the context of a maternal-OPRM1-genotype-by-infant-sex interaction. The present study investigates the effect of maternal-OPRM1-genotype and infant sex on mother-infant behaviors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHorm Behav
April 2022
A variety of studies show that the s-allele of the serotonin transporter genotype (5-HTT) is related to aggression. However, influences of sex and 5-HTT genotype of both subject and opponent have not received as much attention in aggression research. Using a nonhuman primate model, the present study explores differences in rates of aggression exhibited by 201 group-housed male and female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta; 122 females; 79 males) exposed to an unfamiliar age- and sex-matched stranger while in the presence of other same-sex members of their social group.
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