Pharmacological characterization of the stick insect Carausius morosus allatostatin-C receptor with its endogenous agonist

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a pivotal role in regulating key physiological events in all animal species. Recent advances in collective analysis of genes and proteins revealed numerous potential neuropeptides and GPCRs from insect species, allowing for the characterization of peptide–receptor pairs. In this work, we used fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based genetically encoded biosensors in intact mammalian cells to study the pharmacological features of the cognate GPCR of the type-C allatostatin (AST-C) peptide from the stick insect, Carausius morosus. Analysis of multiple downstream pathways revealed that AST-C can activate the human Gi(2) protein, and not Gs or Gq, through AST-C receptor (AlstRC). Activated AlstRC recruits β-arrestin2 independent of the Gi protein but stimulates ERK phosphorylation in a Gi protein-dependent manner. Identification of Gαi-, arrestin-, and GRK-like transcripts from C. morosus revealed high evolutionary conservation at the G protein level, while β-arrestins and GRKs displayed less conservation. In conclusion, our study provides experimental and homology-based evidence on the functionality of vertebrate G proteins and downstream signaling biosensors to characterize early signaling steps of an insect GPCR. These results may serve as a scaffold for developing assays to characterize pharmacological and structural aspects of other insect GPCRs and can be used in deorphanization and pesticide studies

Movement synchrony, social bonding and pro-sociality in ontogeny

Human sociality, with its wide scope, early ontogeny and pervasiveness across cultures, is remarkable from an evolutionary perspective. We form bonds with other individuals and live in large social groups. We help, empathise with and share our resources with others, who are unfamiliar and genetically unrelated to us. It has been suggested that interpersonal coordination and rhythmic synchronisation of movements may be one proximate mechanism that enables such widespread human sociality and facilitates cooperation. In the last decade, considerable research has examined the effect of movement synchrony on social bonding and cooperation. However, when this thesis started, there was virtually no experimental study investigating the ontogeny of the movement synchrony-social bonding link, which is proposed to have deep evolutionary roots and important, long-lasting consequences in social life. This thesis aims to investigate the effects of movement synchrony on social bonding and cooperative behaviour across different time points in ontogeny. Three experimental studies were conducted examining infancy, early childhood and middle childhood. Each study explored a different aspect of social bonding and cooperation based on the motor, social and cognitive developments that mark that age group. Study 1a found that at 12 months of age, infants prefer individuals who move in synchrony with them, when the individuals are social entities, but not when they are non-social. Study 1b showed no preferences for synchrony at 9 months in either social or non-social contexts, however. Study 2 revealed that in early childhood, performing synchronous movements actively with a peer facilitates helping behaviour among the children, as well as eye contact and mutual smiling during the interaction. Finally, Study 3 showed that the social bonding effects of movement synchrony applied to inter- group settings and that performing synchronous movements with out-groups increased bonding towards the out-group in middle childhood. This thesis followed an interdisciplinary, integrative and naturalistic approach, where (i) literature from a wide range of disciplines motivated and guided the present research; (ii) links between motor, social and cognitive aspects of development, which are often investigated separately, are formed; and (iii) the experiments were designed in ways that represent the real-life occurrences of the investigated phenomena. The current findings provide the first substantial evidence that movement synchrony facilitates social bonding and cooperation in childhood and thereby provides a foundation for future research.</p

Interpersonal movement synchrony facilitates pro-social behavior in children's peer-play

The emergence of pro-social behaviors and social interacton skills is a major focus of research on children’s development. Here, we consider one important feature of human social interactons, interpersonal movement synchrony, and explore its efects on pro-sociality among young children. Coordinated movements are a crucial part of mother–infant interactons, with important social efects extending well into childhood. Musical interactons are also known to facilitate bonding between infants and caretakers and pro-sociality among peers. We specifcally examine the pro-social effects of interpersonal movement synchrony in a naturalistc peer-play context among 4- to 6-year-old children. We assessed the amount of helping behavior between pairs of children following an actvity that they performed synchronously or nonsynchronously. Children who engaged in synchronous play, as compared with nonsynchronous play, showed signifcantly more subsequent spontaneous helping behavior. Further, more mutual smiling and eye contact were observed in the synchronous conditon and amounts of mutual smiling and eye contact during the movement task correlated with amount of helping behavior observed. Neither measure mediated the conditon-wise efects on helping, however. These results are discussed in terms of their contributon to existng literature and their broader implicatons for the development of pro-sociality and coordinated movements in early childhood

Interpersonal movement synchrony facilitates pro-social behavior in children's peer-play

The emergence of pro-social behaviors and social interacton skills is a major focus of research on children’s development. Here, we consider one important feature of human social interactons, interpersonal movement synchrony, and explore its efects on pro-sociality among young children. Coordinated movements are a crucial part of mother–infant interactons, with important social efects extending well into childhood. Musical interactons are also known to facilitate bonding between infants and caretakers and pro-sociality among peers. We specifcally examine the pro-social effects of interpersonal movement synchrony in a naturalistc peer-play context among 4- to 6-year-old children. We assessed the amount of helping behavior between pairs of children following an actvity that they performed synchronously or nonsynchronously. Children who engaged in synchronous play, as compared with nonsynchronous play, showed signifcantly more subsequent spontaneous helping behavior. Further, more mutual smiling and eye contact were observed in the synchronous conditon and amounts of mutual smiling and eye contact during the movement task correlated with amount of helping behavior observed. Neither measure mediated the conditon-wise efects on helping, however. These results are discussed in terms of their contributon to existng literature and their broader implicatons for the development of pro-sociality and coordinated movements in early childhood