Social interactions impact on the dopaminergic system and drive individuality

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 3081 - 11
• Main Authors: Torquet, N, Marti, F, Campart, C, Tolu, S, Nguyen, C, Oberto, V, Benallaoua, M, Naudé, J, Didienne, S, Debray, N, Jezequel, S, Le Gouestre, L, Hannesse, B, Mariani, J, Mourot, A, Faure, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 06.08.2018; Nature Publishing Group UK; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Sciences; Decision Making; Divergence; Dopamine; Dopamine - metabolism; Dopamine receptors; Exploratory Behavior - physiology; Firing pattern; Genetic diversity; Genetic Variation; Inbreeding; Life Sciences; Male; Maze Learning; Mesencephalon; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Motor Activity; Neurobiology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons and Cognition; Pattern Recognition, Automated; Psychology and behavior; Social Behavior; Social environment; Social factors; Social interactions; Species Specificity
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05526-5

Individuality is a striking feature of animal behavior. Individual animals differ in traits and preferences which shape their interactions and their prospects for survival. However, the mechanisms underlying behavioral individuation are poorly understood and are generally considered to be genetic-based. Here, we devised a large environment, Souris City, in which mice live continuously in large groups. We observed the emergence of individual differences in social behavior, activity levels, and cognitive traits, even though the animals had low genetic diversity (inbred C57BL/6J strain). We further show that the phenotypic divergence in individual behaviors was mirrored by developing differences in midbrain dopamine neuron firing properties. Strikingly, modifying the social environment resulted in a fast re-adaptation of both the animal's traits and its dopamine firing pattern. Individuality can rapidly change upon social challenges, and does not just depend on the genetic status or the accumulation of small differences throughout development.