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Huijgens PT, Heijkoop R, Vanderschuren LJMJ, Lesscher HMB, Snoeren EMS. CaMKIIa+ neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis modulate pace of natural reward seeking depending on internal state. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1245-1263. [PMID: 38396196 PMCID: PMC11106149 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06561-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the underlying neurobiological mechanisms that regulate natural reward seeking behaviors, specifically in the context of sexual behavior and sucrose self-administration. The role of CaMKIIa+ neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) was explored using chemogenetic silencing and -stimulation. Additionally, the study examined how these effects interacted with the internal state of the animals. Through detailed behavioral analysis, it was demonstrated that CaMKIIa+ neurons in the BNST play a significant role in the regulation of both sexual behavior and sucrose self-administration. Although the behavioral outcome measures differed between the two behaviors, the regulatory role of the CaMKIIa+ neurons in the BNST was found to converge on the modulation of the pacing of engagement in these behaviors in male rats. Moreover, our study confirmed that the internal physiological state of the animal affects how the BNST modulates these behaviors. These findings suggest that different types of natural rewards may recruit a similar brain circuitry to regulate the display of motivated behaviors. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the neural mechanisms underlying natural reward seeking and sheds light on the interconnected nature of reward-related behaviors in male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patty T Huijgens
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Roy Heijkoop
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi M B Lesscher
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eelke M S Snoeren
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
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2
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Huang J, Zhang YY, Qiu YY, Yao S, Qiu WT, Peng JL, Li YQ, You QL, Wu CH, Wu EJ, Wang J, Zhou YL, Ning YP, Wang HS, Chen WB, Hu BJ, Liu Y, Sun XD. NRG1-ErbB4 signaling in the medial amygdala controls mating motivation in adult male mice. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113905. [PMID: 38446660 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Motivation-driven mating is a basic affair for the maintenance of species. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that control mating motivation are not fully understood. Here, we report that NRG1-ErbB4 signaling in the medial amygdala (MeA) is pivotal in regulating mating motivation. NRG1 expression in the MeA negatively correlates with the mating motivation levels in adult male mice. Local injection and knockdown of MeA NRG1 reduce and promote mating motivation, respectively. Consistently, knockdown of MeA ErbB4, a major receptor for NRG1, and genetic inactivation of its kinase both promote mating motivation. ErbB4 deletion decreases neuronal excitability, whereas chemogenetic manipulations of ErbB4-positive neuronal activities bidirectionally modulate mating motivation. We also identify that the effects of NRG1-ErbB4 signaling on neuronal excitability and mating motivation rely on hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 3. This study reveals a critical molecular mechanism for regulating mating motivation in adult male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan-Yan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, and Emergency Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Yang Qiu
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, and Emergency Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shan Yao
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, and Emergency Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wan-Ting Qiu
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, and Emergency Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin-Lin Peng
- Guangzhou Medical University-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health (GMU-GIBH) Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuan-Quan Li
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Qingyuan Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, China
| | - Qiang-Long You
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, and Emergency Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cui-Hong Wu
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, and Emergency Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Er-Jian Wu
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, and Emergency Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Physiology, Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou, China
| | - Yan-Ling Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Ping Ning
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hong-Sheng Wang
- Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Bing Chen
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, and Emergency Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bing-Jie Hu
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, and Emergency Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Youtan Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xiang-Dong Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Psychiatric Disorders, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine for Qingzhi Diseases, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Hoglen NEG, Manoli DS. Cupid's quiver: Integrating sensory cues in rodent mating systems. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:944895. [PMID: 35958042 PMCID: PMC9358210 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.944895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In many animal species, males and females exploit different mating strategies, display sex-typical behaviors, and use distinct systems to recognize ethologically relevant cues. Mate selection thus requires mutual recognition across diverse social interactions based on distinct sensory signals. These sex differences in courtship and mating behaviors correspond to differences in sensory systems and downstream neural substrates engaged to recognize and respond to courtship signals. In many rodents, males tend to rely heavily on volatile olfactory and pheromone cues, while females appear to be guided more by a combination of these chemosensory signals with acoustic cues in the form of ultrasonic vocalizations. The mechanisms by which chemical and acoustic cues are integrated to control behavior are understudied in mating but are known to be important in the control of maternal behaviors. Socially monogamous species constitute a behaviorally distinct group of rodents. In these species, anatomic differences between males and females outside the nervous system are less prominent than in species with non-monogamous mating systems, and both sexes engage in more symmetric social behaviors and form attachments. Nevertheless, despite the apparent similarities in behaviors displayed by monogamous males and females, the circuitry supporting social, mating, and attachment behaviors in these species is increasingly thought to differ between the sexes. Sex differences in sensory modalities most important for mate recognition in across species are of particular interest and present a wealth of questions yet to be answered. Here, we discuss how distinct sensory cues may be integrated to drive social and attachment behaviors in rodents, and the differing roles of specific sensory systems in eliciting displays of behavior by females or males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerissa E G Hoglen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Devanand S Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Wen J, Xu Y, Yu Z, Zhou Y, Wang W, Yang J, Wang Y, Bai Q, Li Z. The cAMP Response Element- Binding Protein/Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Pathway in Anterior Cingulate Cortex Regulates Neuropathic Pain and Anxiodepression Like Behaviors in Rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:831151. [PMID: 35401106 PMCID: PMC8987281 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.831151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is often accompanied by anxiety and depression-like manifestations. Many studies have shown that alterations in synaptic plasticity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) play a critical role, but the specific underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Previously, we showed that cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) acts as a transcription factor contributing to neuropathic pain development. At the same time, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as important targets of CREB, is intricate in neuronal growth, differentiation, as well as the establishment of synaptic plasticity. Here, we found that peripheral nerve injury activated the spinal cord and ACC, and silencing the ACC resulted in significant relief of pain sensitivity, anxiety, and depression in SNI rats. In parallel, the CREB/BDNF pathway was activated in the spinal cord and ACC. Central specific knockdown and peripheral non-specific inhibition of CREB reversed pain sensitivity and anxiodepression induced by peripheral nerve injury. Consequently, we identified cingulate CREB/BDNF as an assuring therapeutic method for treating neuropathic pain as well as related anxiodepression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yaowei Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhixiang Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yifan Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jingjie Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yiming Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qian Bai
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qian Bai,
| | - Zhisong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Zhisong Li,
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5
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Neural circuit control of innate behaviors. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:466-499. [PMID: 34985643 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2043-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
All animals possess a plethora of innate behaviors that do not require extensive learning and are fundamental for their survival and propagation. With the advent of newly-developed techniques such as viral tracing and optogenetic and chemogenetic tools, recent studies are gradually unraveling neural circuits underlying different innate behaviors. Here, we summarize current development in our understanding of the neural circuits controlling predation, feeding, male-typical mating, and urination, highlighting the role of genetically defined neurons and their connections in sensory triggering, sensory to motor/motivation transformation, motor/motivation encoding during these different behaviors. Along the way, we discuss possible mechanisms underlying binge-eating disorder and the pro-social effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin, elucidating the clinical relevance of studying neural circuits underlying essential innate functions. Finally, we discuss some exciting brain structures recurrently appearing in the regulation of different behaviors, which suggests both divergence and convergence in the neural encoding of specific innate behaviors. Going forward, we emphasize the importance of multi-angle and cross-species dissections in delineating neural circuits that control innate behaviors.
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Huijgens PT, Guarraci FA, Olivier JDA, Snoeren EMS. Male rat sexual behavior: Insights from inter-copulatory intervals. Behav Processes 2021; 190:104458. [PMID: 34252565 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The assessment of sexual behavior in male rats with the aim of unraveling underlying neurobiological mechanisms has in the recent decades been reduced to the annotation of mounts, intromissions and ejaculations. To provide a better understanding of the structure and patterns of copulation, it is necessary to extend and tailor the analysis to the natural organization of male rat copulation. This will lead to better formulation of hypotheses about neurobiological underpinnings of behavior. Mounts and intromissions are naturally organized in mount bouts consisting of one or more copulatory behaviors and are interspersed with time outs. We hypothesized that time outs and the post-ejaculatory interval (inter-copulatory intervals) are related and possibly under the control of a common copulatory inhibition mechanism that is the result of penile sensory stimulation. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed sexual behavior in male rats of three different cohorts from three different laboratories. Results showed that the post-ejaculatory interval and mean time out duration are strongly correlated in all cohorts analyzed. In addition, we showed that individual time out duration is at least partially predicted by the sum of sensory stimulation of copulatory components in the preceding mount bout, with more penile stimulation associated with longer time outs. These findings suggest that both time out and post-ejaculatory interval duration may be determined by the magnitude of sensory stimulation, which inhibits copulation. Whether the same neural pathways are involved in the central orchestration of both time outs and the post-ejaculatory interval should be subject to future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patty T Huijgens
- Department of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Fay A Guarraci
- Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX, USA
| | - Jocelien D A Olivier
- Department of Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Eelke M S Snoeren
- Department of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
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