Faculty

Hans A. Hofmann

Hofmann, Hans A.
Assistant Professor
ICMB Fellow

E-mail

Website

Main Office: PAT 320
Phone: 512-475-6754

Alternate Office: PAT 317
Phone: 512-475-7318

Mailing Address:
Integrative Biology
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712
Research Lab Students:
  • Duftner, Nina
  • Huffman , Lin
  • Kidd, Michael
  • Kidd, Celeste
  • Munchrath, Lauren
  • Sessa, Anna
  • Whitaker, Keith

    • Research Summary:

    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, repeated 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.
    Publications:
    2009Kidd C, Kidd MR, Hofmann HA, Measuring multiple hormones from a single water sample using enzyme immunoassays., General & Comparative Endocrinologyin press.
    2009Machado H, Pollen AA, Hofmann HA, Renn SCP, Interspecific profiling of gene expression informed by comparative genomic hybridization: A review and a novel approach in African cichlid fishes., Integrative & Comparative Biologyin press.
    2009Aubin-Horth N, Letcher BH, Hofmann HA, Gene-expression signatures of Atlantic salmon’s plastic life cycle, General & Comparative Endocrinology 163:278-284.
    2008Hofmann HA, Shumway CA , Preface: Neurobiological lessons learned from comparative studies: Evolutionary forces shaping brain and behavior., Brain, Behavior & Evolution 72:89–90.
    2008Renn SCP, Aubin-Horth N, Hofmann HA, Fish & Chips: Functional genomics of social plasticity in an African cichlid fish, Journal of Exp. Biology 211:3041-3056 view.
    2008Pollen AA, Hofmann HA, Beyond neuroanatomy: Novel approaches to studying brain evolution, Brain, Behavior & Evolution 72:145–158 view.
    2008Greenwood AK, Wark AR, Fernald RD, Hofmann HA, Arginine vasotocin expression is associated with both dominance and subordinance in an African cichlid fish, Proceedings of the Royal Society B 275:2393–2402 view.
    2008Salzburger W, Renn SCP, Steinke D, Braasch I, Hofmann HA, Meyer A, 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). view.
    2007Cummings ME, Larkins-Ford J, Reilly CRL, Wong RY, Ramsey M, Hofmann HA , Sexual and social stimuli elicit rapid and contrasting genomic responses, Proceedings of the Royal Society B 275:393-402 view.
    2007Duftner N, Larkins-Ford J, Legendre M, Hofmann HA , Efficacy of RNA amplification is dependent on sequence characteristics: Implications for gene expression profiling using a cDNA microarray, Genomics 91:108-117 view.
    2007Shumway CA, Hofmann HA, Dobberfuhl AP, Quantifying habitat complexity in aquatic ecosystems, Freshwater Biology 52:1065-1076 view.
    2007Trainor BC, Hofmann HA , Somatostatin and somatostatin receptor gene expression in dominant and subordinate cichlid fish., Behavioral Brain Research 179:314-320 view.
    2007Aubin-Horth N, Desjardins J, Martei Y, Balshine S, Hofmann HA , Masculinized dominant females in a cooperatively breeding species, Molecular Ecology 16:1349–1358 view.
    2007Pollen AA, Dobberfuhl AP, Scace J, Igulu MM, Renn SCP, Shumway CA, Hofmann HA, Environmental complexity and social organization sculpt the brain in Lake Tanganyikan cichlid fish., Brain, Behavior & Evolution 70:21–39 view.
    2006Hofmann HA, GnRH signaling in behavioral plasticity, Current Opinion in Neurobiology 16:343-350 view.
    2006Trainor BC, Hofmann HA, Somatostatin regulates aggressive behavior in an African cichlid fish, Endocrinology 147:5119–5125 view.
    2005Aubin-Horth N, Letcher BH, Hofmann HA , Interaction of rearing environment and reproductive tactic on gene expression profiles in Atlantic Salmon, Journal of Heredity 96:261-278 view.
    2005Aubin-Horth N, Landry CR, Letcher BH, Hofmann HA, Alternative life-histories shape different brain gene expression profiles in males of the same population., Proceedings of the Royal Society B 272:1655–1662 view.
    2004Renn SCP, Aubin-Horth N, Hofmann HA, Biologically meaningful expression profiling across species using heterologous hybridization to a cDNA microarray. , BMC Genomics, 5:42(1-13) view.
    2003Hofmann HA, Functional Genomics of Neural and Behavioral Plasticity, Journal of Neurobiology 54:272-282 view.
    2001Hofmann HA, Fernald RD , What cichlids tell us about the social regulation of brain and behavior., Journal of Aquariculture and Aquatic Sciences 9:17-31 view.
    2001Hofmann HA, Schildberger K, Assessment of strength and willingness to fight during aggressive encounters in crickets, Animal Behaviour 62:337-348 view.
    2000Hofmann HA, Stevenson PA , Flight restores fight in crickets., Nature 403:613 view.
    2000Stevenson PA, Hofmann HA, Schoch K, Schildberger K, The fight and flight responses of crickets depleted of biogenic amines., Journal of Neurobiology 43:107-120 view.
    2000Hofmann HA, Fernald RD , Social status controls somatostatin-neuron size and growth, Journal of Neuroscience 20:1248-1252 view.
    1999Hofmann HA, Benson ME, Fernald RD , Social status regulates growth rate: Consequences for life-history strategies., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 95:14171-14176 view.
    1996Hofmann HA, The history of Chinese cricket fighting: A contribution not only to the history of biology, Biologisches Zentralblatt 18:208-213.

     
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