摘要：SummaryBehavior is context-dependent and often modulated by an animal’s internal state. In particular, different social contexts can alter anxiety levels and modulate social behavior. The vertebrate-specific neuropeptide parathyroid hormone 2 (pth2) is regulated by the presence of conspecifics in zebrafish. As its cognate receptor, the parathyroid hormone 2 receptor (pth2r), is widely expressed across the brain, we tested fish lacking the functional Pth2 peptide in several anxiety-related and social behavior paradigms. Here, we show that the propensity to react to sudden stimuli with an escape response was increased inpth2−/−zebrafish, consistent with an elevated anxiety level. While overall social preference for conspecifics was maintained inpth2−/−fish until the early juvenile stage, we found that both social preference and shoaling were altered later in development. The data presented suggest that the neuropeptide Pth2 modulates several conserved behaviors and may thus enable the animal to react appropriately in different social contexts.Graphical abstractDisplay OmittedHighlights•Lack of the neuropeptidepth2increases startle responsiveness in zebrafish•Social preference is decreased at the late juvenile stage inpth2mutants•Pth2mutant fish form less cohesive shoalsBiological sciences; Behavioral neuroscience; Molecular neuroscience
