Effects of chronic stress: A comparison between tethered and loose sows
The present study aimed to investigate whether long-lasting, recurrent tethering of sows leads to enduring effects on measures that may be indicative of chronic stress. Sows that had experienced tethering for about 1.5 or 4.5 years and age-matched sows kept in a social housing system (loose sows) were compared. Immediately after slaughter, blood samples were taken […]
A single exposure to social isolation in domestic piglets activates behavioural arousal, neuroendocrine stress hormones, and stress-related gene expression in the brain
Stressful early life events can have short- and long-term effects on neuroendocrine and behavioural mechanisms of adaptation. Here, we investigated the effects of a single social isolation (4 h) of domestic piglets on both behavioural alterations in open-field tests and modifications in the expression of genes regulating glucocorticoid response in stress-related brain regions at 7, 21 […]
Domestication, selection, behaviour and welfare of animals — genetic mechanisms for rapid responses
Increased production has been the major goal of animal breeding for many decades, and the correlated side-effects have grown to become a major issue in animal welfare. In this paper, the main genetic mechanisms in which such side-effects may occur are reviewed with examples from our own research in chickens. Pleiotropy, linkage and regulatory pathways […]
Transgenerational Effects of Early Experience on Behavioral, Hormonal and Gene Expression Responses to Acute Stress in the Precocial Chicken
Stress during early life can profoundly influence an individual’s phenotype. Effects can manifest in the short-term as well as later in life and even in subsequent generations. Transgenerational effects of stress are potentially mediated via modulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) as well as epigenetic mechanisms causing heritable changes in gene expression. To investigate these […]
Plasticity of Boldness in Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss: Do Hunger and Predation Influence Risk-Taking Behaviour?
Boldness, a measure of an individual’s propensity for taking risks, is an important determinant of fitness but is not necessarily a fixed trait. Dependent upon an individual’s state, and given certain contexts or challenges, individuals may be able to alter their inclination to be bold or shy in response. Furthermore, the degree to which individuals […]
Changes in expression of appetite-regulating hormones in the cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus) during short-term fasting and winter torpor
Feeding in vertebrates is controlled by a number of appetite stimulating (orexigenic, e.g. orexin and neuropeptide Y, NPY) and appetite suppressing (anorexigenic, e.g. cholecystokinin, CCK and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript, CART) hormones. Cunners (Tautogolabrus adspersus) survive the winter in shallow coastal waters by entering a torpor-like state, during which they forgo feeding. In order to […]