AGONISTIC BEHAVIOR AND ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE ANTENNAE INDUCES FOS-LIKE PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN THE MALE CRICKET BRAIN

Immediate early genes (IEG) such as c-Fos and Fos-related antigens (FRA) have been used as markers of neuronal activation. In this study, we determined whether the expression of c-Fos/FRAs is increased in the brains of adult male Acheta domesticus crickets following agonistic interactions. We looked for c-Fos/FRA proteins in the brain of un-fought, control male crickets and of dominant and subordinate male crickets sacrificed at different time periods following an agonistic interaction. Using immunoblot analysis, we found four different c-Fos/FRA-like proteins in the adult cricket brain. Continuous agonistic interaction increased c-Fos/FRA protein expression in the brains of subordinate males compared to control and dominant males. In addition, direct electrical stimulation of the male cricket antennae increased c-Fos/FRAlike protein in the brain. We identified the specific brain regions that exhibit c-Fos/FRA-like immunoreactivity in crickets. We detected c-Fos/ FRA-like cellular immunoreactivity in different functional regions of the adult brain including the pars intercerebralis, protocerebrum, deutocerebrum, and the cortex of the mushroom bodies. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals,