Hans Hofmann

E-mail:
hans@mail.utexas.edu
Office:
PAT 319
(512) 475-6754
Lab:
PAT 317
(512) 475-7318
Fax:
(512) 471-3878

Education

• M.S., Biology (Animal Physiology), University of Tübingen, 1993
• Ph.D., Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Behavioral Physiology and University of Leipzig, 1997

Research Interests

The research in Dr. Hofmann's laboratory seeks to understand the molecular and hormonal mechanisms that underlie social behavior and its evolution. African cichlid fishes are an ideal model system to address these questions because of their recent and rapid radiations that have resulted in hundreds of phenotypically diverse species. Our work uses a broad spectrum of approaches, ranging from ecological studies in the East African Great Lakes to functional genomics using custom-made cDNA microarrays for gene expression profiling in the brain. We also employ hormonal perturbations, neuroanatomical techniques and advanced microscopy, and bioinformatics tools. Although we have been working on a variety of topics in several model systems, current projects focus on two main areas: 1) Identifying genes that are involved in implementing social dominance and sex roles in the Tanganyikan mouthbrooder Astatotilapia burtoni; and 2) a comparative analysis of the ecological and molecular basis and evolution of divergent social organization (monogamy vs. polygamy) in a group of closely related (monophyletic) species, the Ectodini cichlids from Lake Tanganyika. By carefully and systematically querying the brains of these fish, we can use expression profiling to identify the molecular building blocks of complex behavior.

For more information see also the Hofman Lab website.

Teaching

Bio 361T Comparative Animal Physiology (every spring semester)

BIO 384K / NEU 385L Biological Foundations of Decision Making (fall of 2009)

Publications

• Kidd C, Kidd MR, Hofmann HA (2009) Measuring multiple hormones from a single water sample using enzyme immunoassays. General & Comparative Endocrinology, in press.
• Machado H, Pollen AA, Hofmann HA, Renn SCP (2009) Interspecific profiling of gene expression informed by comparative genomic hybridization: A review and a novel approach in African cichlid fishes. Integrative & Comparative Biology, in press.
• Aubin-Horth N, Letcher BH, Hofmann HA (2009) Gene-expression signatures of Atlantic salmon’s plastic life cycle. General & Comparative Endocrinology, 163:278-284.
• Pollen AA, Hofmann HA (2008) Beyond neuroanatomy: Novel approaches to studying brain evolution. Brain, Behavior & Evolution 72:145–158.
• Renn SCP, Aubin-Horth N, Hofmann HA (2008) Fish & Chips: Functional genomics of social plasticity in an African cichlid fish. Journal of Experimental Biology 211:3041-3056.
• Greenwood AK, Wark AR, Fernald RD, Hofmann HA (2008): Expression of arginine vasotocin in distinct preoptic regions is associated with dominant and subordinate behaviour in an African cichlid fish. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 275:2393–2402.
• Salzburger W, Renn SCP, Steinke D, Braasch I, Hofmann HA, Meyer A (2008): Annotation of expressed sequence tags for the East African cichlid fish species Astatotilapia burtoni and evolutionary analyses of cichlid ORFs. BMC Genomics 9:96 (1-14).
• Cummings ME, Larkins-Ford J, Reilly CRL, Wong RY, Ramsey M, Hofmann HA (2008): Sexual and social stimuli elicit rapid and contrasting genomic responses. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 275:393ˆ402.
• Duftner N, Larkins-Ford J, Legendre M, Hofmann HA (2008): Efficacy of RNA amplification is dependent on sequence characteristics: Implications for gene expression profiling using a cDNA microarray. Genomics 91:108-117.
• Trainor BC, Hofmann HA (2007): Somatostatin and somatostatin receptor gene expression in dominant and subordinate cichlid fish. Behavioral Brain Research 179:314-320.
• Shumway CA, Hofmann HA, Dobberfuhl AP (2007) A new technique for quantifying habitat complexity in freshwater or marine systems. Freshwater Biology 52:1065-1076.
• Aubin-Horth N, Desjardins J, Martei Y, Balshine S, Hofmann HA (2007): Masculinized dominant females in a cooperatively breeding species. Molecular Ecology 16:1349ˆ1358.
• Pollen AA, Dobberfuhl AP, Scace J, Igulu MM, Renn SCP, Shumway CA, Hofmann HA (2007): Environmental complexity and social organization sculpt the brain in Lake Tanganyikan cichlid fish. Brain, Behavior & Evolution 70:21ˆ39.
• Trainor BC, Hofmann HA (2006): Somatostatin regulates aggressive behavior in an African cichlid fish. Endocrinology, 147:5119√5125.
• Hofmann HA (2006): GnRH signaling in behavioral plasticity. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 16:343-350.
• Aubin-Horth N, Landry CR, Letcher BH, Hofmann HA (2005) Alternative life-histories shape different brain gene expression profiles in males of the same population. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 272:1655-1662.
• Aubin-Horth N, Letcher BH, Hofmann HA (2005) Interaction of rearing environment and reproductive tactic on gene expression profiles in Atlantic Salmon. Journal of Heredity, 96: 261-278.
• Renn SCP, Aubin-Horth N, Hofmann HA (2004) Biologically meaningful expression profiling across species using heterologous hybridization to a cDNA microarray. BMC Genomics, 5:42(1-13).
• Hofmann HA (2003) Functional Genomics of Neural and Behavioral Plasticity. Journal of Neurobiology, 54: 272-282.
• Hofmann HA, Schildberger K (2001) Assessment of strength and willingness to fight during aggressive encounters in crickets. Animal Behaviour, 62:337-348.
• Hofmann HA, Fernald RD (2001) What cichlids tell us about the social regulation of brain and behavior. Journal of Aquariculture and Aquatic Sciences, 9:17-31.
• Hofmann HA, Fernald RD (2000) Social status controls somatostatin-neuron size and growth. Journal of Neuroscience, 20:1248-1252.
• Stevenson PA, Hofmann HA, Schoch K, Schildberger K (2000) The fight and flight responses of crickets depleted of biogenic amines. Journal of Neurobiology 43:107-120.
• Hofmann HA, Stevenson PA (2000) Flight restores fight in crickets. Nature 403:613.
• Hofmann HA, Benson ME, Fernald RD (1999): Social status regulates growth rate: Consequences for life-history strategies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 95:14171-14176.