# Neural and molecular control of subordinate social status in a cichlid fish

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · 2024 · $28,262

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Social stability for many species is maintained via social hierarchies, wherein displaying subordinate behavior to
higher ranking individuals is key. A subordinate social rank influences the brain and behavior by altering neural
circuitry and the production and signaling of neuromodulators, such as steroid hormones and neurotransmitters.
For example, androgens tend to be negatively correlated with a subordinate social rank, while the neural
expression of the serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptor is positively associated with subordinate behavior. Although
clear relationships have been established between a subordinate social status, the brain, and behavior, the
molecular and neural mechanisms regulating these changes are not known. A major challenge in elucidating
these mechanisms is that social rank is often tied to both physiological and behavioral traits, making it difficult to
distinguish the effects of neuromodulators (e.g., androgens and serotonin) on individual traits associated with
social subordination. Thus, the use of novel model organisms, in which distinct traits of subordinate social status
can be studied in isolation, is necessary to enhance our understanding of the neuroendocrine regulation of
subordination. The proposed work will use state-of-the-art sequencing and genome editing technologies to
identify genes and cell types in the brain that govern subordinate social status in the African cichlid fish
Astatotilapia burtoni. A. burtoni is a highly social species in which males display subordinate or dominant
behavior based on social status. Recent work showed that androgen receptor (AR) mutant males generated via
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing do not exhibit distinct traits of dominant social rank. For example, ARα mutants do
not perform dominant behaviors (mating or aggression), whereas ARβ mutants lack bright coloration and show
reduced testes growth, making these fish an excellent tool for taxing the molecular and neural systems controlling
distinct aspects of subordinate social status. In Specific Aim 1, I will identify cell types and their genetic signatures
in the hypothalamus of dominant WT males and subordinate WT and AR mutant males using single-nucleus
RNA sequencing. In Specific Aim 2, I will determine the role of androgens in regulating subordinate social status
by measuring physiological and behavioral traits of social rank in subordinate AR mutants. Finally, in Specific
Aim 3, I will generate novel mutant A. burtoni lacking the 5-HT1Aβ receptor using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to
assess the role of serotoninergic signaling in governing social subordination. Based on preliminary data showing
that AR and AR mutants display distinct physiological responses to social suppression, I predict these mutants
will have cell type-specific gene expression patterns that mirror different aspects of subordination. Moreover,
given the known relationship between androgen and serotoninergic signaling, I expect to observe ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10826263
- **Project number:** 1F32GM153130-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Kathleen Munley
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $28,262
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-03-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10826263

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10826263, Neural and molecular control of subordinate social status in a cichlid fish (1F32GM153130-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10826263. Licensed CC0.

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