1
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Sosnowski MJ, Brosnan SF. Conserved and differing functions of the endocrine system across different social systems - oxytocin as a case study. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1418089. [PMID: 39055053 PMCID: PMC11269223 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1418089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
A key goal of the field of endocrinology has been to understand the hormonal mechanisms that drive social behavior and influence reactions to others, such as oxytocin. However, it has sometimes been challenging to understand which aspects and influences of hormonal action are conserved and common among mammalian species, and which effects differ based on features of these species, such as social system. This challenge has been exacerbated by a focus on a relatively small number of traditional model species. In this review, we first demonstrate the benefits of using non-traditional models for the study of hormones, with a focus on oxytocin as a case study in adding species with diverse social systems. We then expand our discussion to explore differing effects of oxytocin (and its response to behavior) within a species, with a particular focus on relationship context and social environment among primate species. Finally, we suggest key areas for future exploration of oxytocin's action centrally and peripherally, and how non-traditional models can be an important resource for understanding the breadth of oxytocin's potential effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan J. Sosnowski
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Sarah F. Brosnan
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Decatur, GA, United States
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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2
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Fang YT, Kuo HC, Chen CY, Chou SJ, Lu CW, Hung CM. Brain Gene Regulatory Networks Coordinate Nest Construction in Birds. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae125. [PMID: 38916488 PMCID: PMC11223658 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae125] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Nest building is a vital behavior exhibited during breeding in birds, and is possibly induced by environmental and social cues. Although such behavioral plasticity has been hypothesized to be controlled by adult neuronal plasticity, empirical evidence, especially at the neurogenomic level, remains limited. Here, we aim to uncover the gene regulatory networks that govern avian nest construction and examine whether they are associated with circuit rewiring. We designed an experiment to dissect this complex behavior into components in response to pair bonding and nest material acquisition by manipulating the presence of mates and nest materials in 30 pairs of zebra finches. Whole-transcriptome analysis of 300 samples from five brain regions linked to avian nesting behaviors revealed nesting-associated gene expression enriched with neural rewiring functions, including neurogenesis and neuron projection. The enriched expression was observed in the motor/sensorimotor and social behavior networks of female finches, and in the dopaminergic reward system of males. Female birds exhibited predominant neurotranscriptomic changes to initiate the nesting stage, while males showed major changes after entering this stage, underscoring sex-specific roles in nesting behavior. Notably, major neurotranscriptomic changes occurred during pair bonding, with minor changes during nest material acquisition, emphasizing social interactions in nest construction. We also revealed gene expression associated with reproductive behaviors and tactile sensing for nesting behavior. This study presents novel neurogenomic evidence supporting the hypothesis of adult neural plasticity underlying avian nest-construction behavior. By uncovering the genetic toolkits involved, we offer novel insights into the evolution of animals' innate ability to construct nests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ting Fang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Chih Kuo
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yu Chen
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shen-Ju Chou
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Wei Lu
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ming Hung
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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3
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Zhou H, Zhu R, Xia Y, Zhang X, Wang Z, Lorimer GH, Ghiladi RA, Bayram H, Wang J. Neuropeptides affecting social behavior in mammals: Oxytocin. Peptides 2024; 177:171223. [PMID: 38626843 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT), a neuropeptide consisting of only nine amino acids, is synthesized in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus. Although OXT is best known for its role in lactation and parturition, recent research has shown that it also has a significant impact on social behaviors in mammals. However, a comprehensive review of this topic is still lacking. In this paper, we systematically reviewed the effects of OXT on social behavior in mammals. These effects of OXT from the perspective of five key behavioral dimensions were summarized: parental behavior, anxiety, aggression, attachment, and empathy. To date, researchers have agreed that OXT plays a positive regulatory role in a wide range of social behaviors, but there have been controversially reported results. In this review, we have provided a detailed panorama of the role of OXT in social behavior and, for the first time, delved into the underlying regulatory mechanisms, which may help better understand the multifaceted role of OXT. Levels of OXT in previous human studies were also summarized to provide insights for diagnosis of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhou
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; International Center for Redox Biology & Precision Medicine of Hubei Province, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Rui Zhu
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; International Center for Redox Biology & Precision Medicine of Hubei Province, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Yuqing Xia
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; International Center for Redox Biology & Precision Medicine of Hubei Province, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Xinming Zhang
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; International Center for Redox Biology & Precision Medicine of Hubei Province, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Zixu Wang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | | | - Reza A Ghiladi
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Hasan Bayram
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Jun Wang
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; International Center for Redox Biology & Precision Medicine of Hubei Province, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China.
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4
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Kojima L, Seiriki K, Rokujo H, Nakazawa T, Kasai A, Hashimoto H. Optimization of AAV vectors for transactivator-regulated enhanced gene expression within targeted neuronal populations. iScience 2024; 27:109878. [PMID: 38799556 PMCID: PMC11126825 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are potential tools for cell-type-selective gene delivery to the central nervous system. Although cell-type-specific enhancers and promoters have been identified for AAV systems, there is limited information regarding the effects of AAV genomic components on the selectivity and efficiency of gene expression. Here, we offer an alternative strategy to provide specific and efficient gene delivery to a targeted neuronal population by optimizing recombinant AAV genomic components, named TAREGET (TransActivator-Regulated Enhanced Gene Expression within Targeted neuronal populations). We established this strategy in oxytocinergic neurons and showed that the TAREGET enabled sufficient gene expression to label long-projecting axons in wild-type mice. Its application to other cell types, including serotonergic and dopaminergic neurons, was also demonstrated. These results demonstrate that optimization of AAV expression cassettes can improve the specificity and efficiency of cell-type-specific gene expression and that TAREGET can renew previously established cell-type-specific promoters with improved performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo Kojima
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kaoru Seiriki
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroki Rokujo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takanobu Nakazawa
- Department of Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kasai
- Systems Neuropharmacology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Hashimoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Molecular Research Center for Children’s Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Institute for Datability Science, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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5
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Inada K. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying oxytocin-mediated parental behavior in rodents. Neurosci Res 2024:S0168-0102(24)00052-X. [PMID: 38642676 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Parental behavior is essential for mammalian offspring to survive. Because of this significance, elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms that facilitate parental behavior has received strong interest. Decades of studies utilizing pharmacology and molecular biology have revealed that in addition to its facilitatory effects on parturition and lactation, oxytocin (OT) promotes the expression of parental behavior in rodents. Recent studies have also described the modulation of sensory processing by OT and the interaction of the OT system with other brain regions associated with parental behavior. However, the precise neurobiological mechanisms underlying the facilitation of caregiving behaviors by OT remain unclear. In this Review, I summarize the findings from rats and mice with a view toward integrating past and recent progress. I then review recent advances in the understanding of the molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms of OT-mediated parental behavior. Based on these observations, I propose a hypothetical model that would explain the mechanisms underlying OT-mediated parental behavior. Finally, I conclude by discussing some major remaining questions and propose potential future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kengo Inada
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.
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6
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Kuroda KO, Fukumitsu K, Kurachi T, Ohmura N, Shiraishi Y, Yoshihara C. Parental brain through time: The origin and development of the neural circuit of mammalian parenting. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1534:24-44. [PMID: 38426943 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
This review consolidates current knowledge on mammalian parental care, focusing on its neural mechanisms, evolutionary origins, and derivatives. Neurobiological studies have identified specific neurons in the medial preoptic area as crucial for parental care. Unexpectedly, these neurons are characterized by the expression of molecules signaling satiety, such as calcitonin receptor and BRS3, and overlap with neurons involved in the reproductive behaviors of males but not females. A synthesis of comparative ecology and paleontology suggests an evolutionary scenario for mammalian parental care, possibly stemming from male-biased guarding of offspring in basal vertebrates. The terrestrial transition of tetrapods led to prolonged egg retention in females and the emergence of amniotes, skewing care toward females. The nocturnal adaptation of Mesozoic mammalian ancestors reinforced maternal care for lactation and thermal regulation via endothermy, potentially introducing metabolic gate control in parenting neurons. The established maternal care may have served as the precursor for paternal and cooperative care in mammals and also fostered the development of group living, which may have further contributed to the emergence of empathy and altruism. These evolution-informed working hypotheses require empirical validation, yet they offer promising avenues to investigate the neural underpinnings of mammalian social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi O Kuroda
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kansai Fukumitsu
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Takuma Kurachi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nami Ohmura
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Center for Brain, Mind and Kansei Sciences Research, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuko Shiraishi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshihara
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
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7
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Miyamichi K. Neural basis for behavioral plasticity during the parental life-stage transition in mice. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 17:1340497. [PMID: 38298741 PMCID: PMC10829089 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1340497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Parental care plays a crucial role in the physical and mental well-being of mammalian offspring. Although sexually naïve male mice, as well as certain strains of female mice, display aggression toward pups, they exhibit heightened parental caregiving behaviors as they approach the time of anticipating their offspring. In this Mini Review, I provide a concise overview of the current understanding of distinct limbic neural types and their circuits governing both aggressive and caregiving behaviors toward infant mice. Subsequently, I delve into recent advancements in the understanding of the molecular, cellular, and neural circuit mechanisms that regulate behavioral plasticity during the transition to parenthood, with a specific focus on the sex steroid hormone estrogen and neural hormone oxytocin. Additionally, I explore potential sex-related differences and highlight some critical unanswered questions that warrant further investigation.
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8
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Kurachi T, Shinozuka K, Yoshihara C, Yano-Nashimoto S, Murayama AY, Hata J, Haga Y, Okano H, Kuroda KO. Distinct roles of amylin and oxytocin signaling in intrafamilial social behaviors at the medial preoptic area of common marmosets. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1231. [PMID: 38052969 PMCID: PMC10698028 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05593-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcitonin receptor (Calcr) and its brain ligand amylin in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) are found to be critically involved in infant care and social contact behaviors in mice. In primates, however, the evidence is limited to an excitotoxic lesion study of the Calcr-expressing MPOA subregion (cMPOA) in a family-living primate species, the common marmoset. The present study utilized pharmacological manipulations of the cMPOA and shows that reversible inactivation of the cMPOA abolishes infant-care behaviors in sibling marmosets without affecting other social or non-social behaviors. Amylin-expressing neurons in the marmoset MPOA are distributed in the vicinity of oxytocin neurons in the anterior paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. While amylin infusion facilitates infant carrying selectively, an oxytocin's inverse agonist, atosiban, reduces physical contact with non-infant family members without grossly affecting infant care. These data suggest that the amylin and oxytocin signaling mediate intrafamilial social interactions in a complementary manner in marmosets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Kurachi
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Shinozuka
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshihara
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Saori Yano-Nashimoto
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Ayako Y Murayama
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junichi Hata
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Arakawa, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yawara Haga
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kumi O Kuroda
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan.
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan.
- Laboratory for Circuit and Behavioral Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan.
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9
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Abstract
Fathers have been an important source of child endurance and prosperity since the dawn of civilization, promoting adaptation to social rules, defining cultural meaning systems, teaching daily living skills, and providing the material background against which children developed; still, the recent reformulation in the role of the father requires theory-building. Paternal caregiving is rare in mammals, occurring in 3-5% of species, expresses in multiple formats, and involves flexible neurobiological accommodations to ecological conditions and active caregiving. Here, we discuss father contribution to resilience across development. Our model proposes three tenets of resilience - plasticity, sociality, and meaning - and discussion focuses on father-specific contributions to each tenet at different developmental stages; newborn, infant, preschooler, child, and adolescent. Father's style of high arousal, energetic physicality, guided participation in daily skills, joint adventure, and conflict resolution promotes children's flexible approach and social competence within intimate bonds and social groups. By expanding children's interests, sharpening cognitions, tuning affect regulation, encouraging exploration, and accompanying the search for identity, fathers support the sense of meaning, enhancing the human-specific dimension of resilience. We end by highlighting pitfalls to paternal contribution, including absence, abuse, rigidity, expectations, and gender typing, and the need to formulate novel theories to accommodate the "involved dad."
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Feldman
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Reichman University,Israel
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, USA
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10
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Theofanopoulou C. A journey from speech to dance through the field of oxytocin. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2023; 16:100193. [PMID: 38108035 PMCID: PMC10724736 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In this article, I am going through my scientific and personal journey using my work on oxytocin as a compass. I recount how my scientific questions were shaped over the years, and how I studied them through the lens of different fields ranging from linguistics and neuroscience to comparative and population genomics in a wide range of vertebrate species. I explain how my evolutionary findings and proposal for a universal gene nomenclature in the oxytocin-vasotocin ligand and receptor families have impacted relevant fields, and how my studies in the oxytocin and vasotocin system in songbirds, humans and non-human primates have led me to now be testing intranasal oxytocin as a candidate treatment for speech deficits. I also discuss my projects on the neurobiology of dance and where oxytocin fits in the picture of studying speech and dance in parallel. Lastly, I briefly communicate the challenges I have been facing as a woman and an international scholar in science and academia, and my personal ways to overcome them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantina Theofanopoulou
- The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
- Center for the Ballet and the Arts, New York University, New York, USA
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11
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Clements KN, Ahn S, Park C, Heagy FK, Miller TH, Kassai M, Issa FA. Socially Mediated Shift in Neural Circuits Activation Regulated by Synergistic Neuromodulatory Signaling. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0311-23.2023. [PMID: 37914408 PMCID: PMC10683552 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0311-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals exhibit context-dependent behavioral decisions that are mediated by specific motor circuits. In social species these decisions are often influenced by social status. Although social status-dependent neural plasticity of motor circuits has been investigated in vertebrates, little is known of how cellular plasticity translates into differences in motor activity. Here, we used zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model organism to examine how social dominance influences the activation of swimming and the Mauthner-mediated startle escape behaviors. We show that the status-dependent shift in behavior patterns whereby dominants increase swimming and reduce sensitivity of startle escape while subordinates reduce their swimming and increase startle sensitivity is regulated by the synergistic interactions of dopaminergic, glycinergic, and GABAergic inputs to shift the balance of activation of the underlying motor circuits. This shift is driven by socially induced differences in expression of dopaminergic receptor type 1b (Drd1b) on glycinergic neurons and dopamine (DA) reuptake transporter (DAT). Second, we show that GABAergic input onto glycinergic neurons is strengthened in subordinates compared with dominants. Complementary neurocomputational modeling of the empirical results show that drd1b functions as molecular regulator to facilitate the shift between excitatory and inhibitory pathways. The results illustrate how reconfiguration in network dynamics serves as an adaptive strategy to cope with changes in social environment and are likely conserved and applicable to other social species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie N Clements
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858
| | - Sungwoo Ahn
- Department of Mathematics, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858
| | - Choongseok Park
- Department of Mathematics, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411
| | - Faith K Heagy
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858
| | - Thomas H Miller
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858
| | - Miki Kassai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858
| | - Fadi A Issa
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858
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12
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Corona A, Choe J, Muñoz-Castañeda R, Osten P, Shea SD. A circuit from the locus coeruleus to the anterior cingulate cortex modulates offspring interactions in mice. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112771. [PMID: 37421626 PMCID: PMC10529180 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Social sensitivity to other individuals in distress is crucial for survival. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a structure involved in making behavioral choices and is influenced by observed pain or distress. Nevertheless, our understanding of the neural circuitry underlying this sensitivity is incomplete. Here, we reveal unexpected sex-dependent activation of ACC when parental mice respond to distressed pups by returning them to the nest ("pup retrieval"). We observe sex differences in the interactions between excitatory and inhibitory ACC neurons during parental care, and inactivation of ACC excitatory neurons increased pup neglect. Locus coeruleus (LC) releases noradrenaline in ACC during pup retrieval, and inactivation of the LC-ACC pathway disrupts parental care. We conclude that ACC maintains sex-dependent sensitivity to pup distress under LC modulation. We propose that ACC's involvement in parenting presents an opportunity to identify neural circuits that support sensitivity to the emotional distress of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Corona
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Jane Choe
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | | | - Pavel Osten
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Stephen D Shea
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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13
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Wilson KM, Arquilla AM, Saltzman W. The parental umwelt: Effects of parenthood on sensory processing in rodents. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13237. [PMID: 36792373 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
An animal's umwelt, comprising its perception of the sensory environment, which is inherently subjective, can change across the lifespan in accordance with major life events. In mammals, the onset of motherhood, in particular, is associated with a neural and sensory plasticity that alters a mother's detection and use of sensory information such as infant-related sensory stimuli. Although the literature surrounding mammalian mothers is well established, very few studies have addressed the effects of parenthood on sensory plasticity in mammalian fathers. In this review, we summarize the major findings on the effects of parenthood on behavioural and neural responses to sensory stimuli from pups in rodent mothers, with a focus on the olfactory, auditory, and somatosensory systems, as well as multisensory integration. We also review the available literature on sensory plasticity in rodent fathers. Finally, we discuss the importance of sensory plasticity for effective parental care, hormonal modulation of plasticity, and an exploration of temporal, ecological, and life-history considerations of sensory plasticity associated with parenthood. The changes in processing and/or perception of sensory stimuli associated with the onset of parental care may have both transient and long-lasting effects on parental behaviour and cognition in both mothers and fathers; as such, several promising areas of study, such as on the molecular/genetic, neurochemical, and experiential underpinnings of parenthood-related sensory plasticity, as well as determinants of interspecific variation, remain potential avenues for further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerianne M Wilson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA, USA
| | - April M Arquilla
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Wendy Saltzman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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14
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Jin Y, Song D, Yan Y, Quan Z, Qing H. The Role of Oxytocin in Early-Life-Stress-Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10430. [PMID: 37445607 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress during critical periods of brain development can have long-term effects on physical and mental health. Oxytocin is a critical social regulator and anti-inflammatory hormone that modulates stress-related functions and social behaviors and alleviates diseases. Oxytocin-related neural systems show high plasticity in early postpartum and adolescent periods. Early-life stress can influence the oxytocin system long term by altering the expression and signaling of oxytocin receptors. Deficits in social behavior, emotional control, and stress responses may result, thus increasing the risk of anxiety, depression, and other stress-related neuropsychiatric diseases. Oxytocin is regarded as an important target for the treatment of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we describe the history of oxytocin and its role in neural circuits and related behaviors. We then review abnormalities in the oxytocin system in early-life stress and the functions of oxytocin in treating stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Jin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Da Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhenzhen Quan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hong Qing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
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15
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Aikins AO, Farmer GE, Little JT, Cunningham JT. Effects of bile duct ligation on the inhibitory control of supraoptic vasopressin neurons. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13312. [PMID: 37337093 PMCID: PMC10942741 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13312] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Dilutional hyponatremia due to increased plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) is associated with liver cirrhosis. However, plasma AVP remains elevated despite progressive hypoosmolality. This study investigated changes to inhibitory control of supraoptic nucleus (SON) AVP neurons during liver cirrhosis. Experiments were conducted with adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Bile duct ligation was used as a model of chronic liver cirrhosis. An adeno-associated virus containing a construct with an AVP promoter and either green fluorescent protein (GFP) or a ratiometric chloride indicator, ClopHensorN, was bilaterally injected into the SON of rats. After 2 weeks, rats received either BDL or sham surgery, and liver cirrhosis was allowed to develop for 4 weeks. In vitro, loose patch recordings of action potentials were obtained from GFP-labeled and unlabeled SON neurons in response to a brief focal application of the GABAA agonist muscimol (100 μM). Changes to intracellular chloride ([Cl]i) following muscimol application were determined by changes to the fluorescence ratio of ClopHensorN. The contribution of cation chloride cotransporters NKCC1 and KCC2 to changes in intracellular chloride was investigated using their respective antagonists, bumetanide (BU, 10 μM) and VU0240551 (10 μM). Plasma osmolality and hematocrit were measured as a marker of dilutional hyponatremia. The results showed reduced or absent GABAA -mediated inhibition in a greater proportion of AVP neurons from BDL rats as compared to sham rats (100% inhibition in sham vs. 47% in BDL, p = .001). Muscimol application was associated with increased [Cl]i in most cells from BDL as compared to cells from sham rats (χ2 = 30.24, p < .001). NKCC1 contributed to the impaired inhibition observed in BDL rats (p < .001 BDL - BU vs. BDL + BU). The results show that impaired inhibition of SON AVP neurons and increased intracellular chloride contribute to the sustained dilutional hyponatremia in liver cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ato O Aikins
- Department of Physiology and Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - George E Farmer
- Department of Physiology and Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Joel T Little
- Department of Physiology and Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - J Thomas Cunningham
- Department of Physiology and Anatomy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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16
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Talpo F, Kaur N, Biella G. Editorial: Oxytocin in brain health and disease: how can it exert such pleiotropic neuromodulatory effects? Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1215351. [PMID: 37266372 PMCID: PMC10230053 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1215351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Talpo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Lazzaro Spallanzani, University of Pavia, Pavia, Lombardy, Italy
| | - Navjot Kaur
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Gerardo Biella
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Lazzaro Spallanzani, University of Pavia, Pavia, Lombardy, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Pavia, Italy
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17
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Haimson B, Mizrahi A. Plasticity in auditory cortex during parenthood. Hear Res 2023; 431:108738. [PMID: 36931020 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Most animals display robust parental behaviors that support the survival and well-being of their offspring. The manifestation of parental behaviors is accompanied by physiological and hormonal changes, which affect both the body and the brain for better care giving. Rodents exhibit a behavior called pup retrieval - a stereotyped sequence of perception and action - used to identify and retrieve their newborn pups back to the nest. Pup retrieval consists of a significant auditory component, which depends on plasticity in the auditory cortex (ACx). We review the evidence of neural changes taking place in the ACx of rodents during the transition to parenthood. We discuss how the plastic changes both in and out of the ACx support the encoding of pup vocalizations. Key players in the mechanism of this plasticity are hormones and experience, both of which have a clear dynamic signature during the transition to parenthood. Mothers, co caring females, and fathers have been used as models to understand parental plasticity at disparate levels of organization. Yet, common principles of cortical plasticity and the biological mechanisms underlying its involvement in parental behavior are just beginning to be unpacked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baruch Haimson
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, and 2Department of Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, and 2Department of Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
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18
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Ng H, Ohmura N, Miyazawa E, Yoshihara C, Okuma L, Kuroda KO. Effects of oxytocin ablation on pup rescue, nursing behaviors and response to pup separation in early-to-mid postpartum mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2023:e13247. [PMID: 36973234 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin, a neuropeptide hormone, is indispensable for milk ejection during nursing and is important for uterine contractions during parturition. The exact functions of oxytocin in postpartum maternal behaviors and motivations require further investigation. To this end, we characterized the role of oxytocin in components of maternal motivations during the mid-postpartum period, which has not been previously studied. To maintain suckling stimuli, postpartum oxytocin knockout (Oxt-/- ) and heterozygous (Oxt+/- ) littermates were co-housed with a wild-type lactating mother and its litter, and were examined for their ability to retrieve pups under standard or high-risk conditions, nursing behavior, maternal aggression towards an unfamiliar intruder, and motivation to regain contact with separated pups. One-third of Oxt-/- mothers exhibited prolonged parturition but were otherwise grossly healthy. Despite their inability to eject milk, Oxt-/- mothers displayed nursing behaviors for similar durations to Oxt+/- mothers during the second postpartum week. In addition, Oxt-/- mothers were essentially intact for pup retrieval under standard conditions and were motivated to stay close to pups, although they showed a mild decrease in maternal care under high-risk conditions and increased anxiety-like behaviors in pup-related contexts. The present findings indicate that oxytocin is dispensable for nursing behavior and maternal motivations, yet suggest that oxytocin may be relevant for stress resilience in the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Ng
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Real Chemistry, London, UK
| | - Nami Ohmura
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Eri Miyazawa
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshihara
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Lana Okuma
- Laboratory for Human Cognition and Learning, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kumi O Kuroda
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
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19
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Chen Z, Wang Q, Xue X, Huang Z, Wang Y. The neural connections of oxytocin-mediated parental behavior in male mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1091139. [PMID: 36910264 PMCID: PMC9998477 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1091139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qian Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiumin Xue
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhihui Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yongjie Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Elemene Class Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Engineering Laboratory of Development and Application of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicines of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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20
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Yaguchi K, Hagihara M, Konno A, Hirai H, Yukinaga H, Miyamichi K. Dynamic modulation of pulsatile activities of oxytocin neurons in lactating wild-type mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285589. [PMID: 37163565 PMCID: PMC10171594 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Breastfeeding, which is essential for the survival of mammalian infants, is critically mediated by pulsatile secretion of the pituitary hormone oxytocin from the central oxytocin neurons located in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei of mothers. Despite its importance, the molecular and neural circuit mechanisms of the milk ejection reflex remain poorly understood, in part because a mouse model to study lactation was only recently established. In our previous study, we successfully introduced fiber photometry-based chronic imaging of the pulsatile activities of oxytocin neurons during lactation. However, the necessity of Cre recombinase-based double knock-in mice substantially compromised the use of various Cre-dependent neuroscience toolkits. To overcome this obstacle, we developed a simple Cre-free method for monitoring oxytocin neurons by an adeno-associated virus vector driving GCaMP6s under a 2.6 kb mouse oxytocin mini-promoter. Using this method, we monitored calcium ion transients of oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus in wild-type C57BL/6N and ICR mothers without genetic crossing. By combining this method with video recordings of mothers and pups, we found that the pulsatile activities of oxytocin neurons require physical mother-pup contact for the milk ejection reflex. Notably, the frequencies of photometric signals were dynamically modulated by mother-pup reunions after isolation and during natural weaning stages. Collectively, the present study illuminates the temporal dynamics of pulsatile activities of oxytocin neurons in wild-type mice and provides a tool to characterize maternal oxytocin functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasane Yaguchi
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mitsue Hagihara
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Ayumu Konno
- Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
- Viral Vector Core, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Hirai
- Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
- Viral Vector Core, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Hiroko Yukinaga
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
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21
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Hagihara M, Miyamichi K, Inada K. The importance of oxytocin neurons in the supraoptic nucleus for breastfeeding in mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283152. [PMID: 36930664 PMCID: PMC10022762 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The hormone oxytocin, secreted from oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular (PVH) and supraoptic (SO) hypothalamic nuclei, promotes parturition, milk ejection, and maternal caregiving behaviors. Previous experiments with whole-body oxytocin knockout mice showed that milk ejection was the unequivocal function of oxytocin, whereas parturition and maternal behaviors were less dependent on oxytocin. Whole-body knockout, however, could induce the enhancement of expression of related gene(s), a phenomenon called genetic compensation, which may hide the actual functions of oxytocin. In addition, the relative contributions of oxytocin neurons in the PVH and SO have not been well documented. Here, we show that females with conditional knockout of oxytocin gene in both the PVH and SO undergo grossly normal parturition and maternal caregiving behaviors, while dams with a smaller number of remaining oxytocin-expressing neurons exhibit severe impairments in breastfeeding, leading to the death of their pups within 24 hours after birth. We also found that the growth of pups is normal even under oxytocin conditional knockout in PVH and SO as long as pups survive the next day of delivery, suggesting that the reduced oxytocin release affects the onset of lactation most severely. These phenotypes are largely recapitulated by SO-specific oxytocin conditional knockout, indicating the unequivocal role of oxytocin neurons in the SO in successful breastfeeding. Given that oxytocin neurons not only secrete oxytocin but also non-oxytocin neurotransmitters or neuropeptides, we further performed cell ablation of oxytocin neurons in the PVH and SO. We found that cell ablation of oxytocin neurons leads to no additional abnormalities over the oxytocin conditional knockout, suggesting that non-oxytocin ligands expressed by oxytocin neurons have negligible functions on the responses measured in this study. Collectively, our findings confirm the dispensability of oxytocin for parturition or maternal behaviors, as well as the importance of SO-derived oxytocin for breastfeeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsue Hagihara
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- * E-mail: (KI); (KM)
| | - Kengo Inada
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- * E-mail: (KI); (KM)
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22
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Inada K, Tsujimoto K, Yoshida M, Nishimori K, Miyamichi K. Oxytocin signaling in the posterior hypothalamus prevents hyperphagic obesity in mice. eLife 2022; 11:75718. [PMID: 36281647 PMCID: PMC9596155 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades of studies have revealed molecular and neural circuit bases for body weight homeostasis. Neural hormone oxytocin (Oxt) has received attention in this context because it is produced by neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH), a known output center of hypothalamic regulation of appetite. Oxt has an anorexigenic effect, as shown in human studies, and can mediate satiety signals in rodents. However, the function of Oxt signaling in the physiological regulation of appetite has remained in question, because whole-body knockout (KO) of Oxt or Oxt receptor (Oxtr) has little effect on food intake. We herein show that acute conditional KO (cKO) of Oxt selectively in the adult PVH, but not in the supraoptic nucleus, markedly increases body weight and food intake, with an elevated level of plasma triglyceride and leptin. Intraperitoneal administration of Oxt rescues the hyperphagic phenotype of the PVH Oxt cKO model. Furthermore, we show that cKO of Oxtr selectively in the posterior hypothalamic regions, especially the arcuate hypothalamic nucleus, a primary center for appetite regulations, phenocopies hyperphagic obesity. Collectively, these data reveal that Oxt signaling in the arcuate nucleus suppresses excessive food intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kengo Inada
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research
| | | | - Masahide Yoshida
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University
- Division of Brain and Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Jichi Medical University
| | - Katsuhiko Nishimori
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University
- Department of Obesity and Inflammation Research, Fukushima Medical University
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency
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23
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Yukinaga H, Hagihara M, Tsujimoto K, Chiang HL, Kato S, Kobayashi K, Miyamichi K. Recording and manipulation of the maternal oxytocin neural activities in mice. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3821-3829.e6. [PMID: 35868323 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Pulsatile release of the hormone oxytocin (OT) mediates uterine contraction during parturition and milk ejection during lactation.1-3 These pulses are generated by the unique activity patterns of the central neuroendocrine OT neurons located in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamus. Classical studies have characterized putative OT neurons by in vivo extracellular recording techniques in rats and rabbits.1,4-10 Due to technical limitations, however, the identity of OT neurons in these previous studies was speculative based on their electrophysiological characteristics and axonal projection to the posterior pituitary, not on OT gene expression. To pinpoint OT neural activities among other hypothalamic neurons that project to the pituitary11,12 and make better use of cell-type-specific neuroscience toolkits,13 a mouse model needs to be developed for the studies of parturition and lactation. We herein introduce viral genetic approaches in mice to characterize the maternal activities of OT neurons by fiber photometry. A sharp photometric peak of OT neurons appeared at approximately 520 s following simultaneous suckling stimuli from three pups. The amplitude of the peaks increased as the mother mice experienced lactation, irrespective of the age of the pups, suggesting the intrinsic plasticity of maternal OT neurons. Based on a mono-synaptic input map to OT neurons, we pharmacogenetically activated the inhibitory neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and found the suppression of the activities of OT neurons. Collectively, our study illuminates temporal dynamics in the maternal neural activities of OT neurons and identifies one of its modulatory inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroko Yukinaga
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Mitsue Hagihara
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kazuko Tsujimoto
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hsiao-Ling Chiang
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shigeki Kato
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan; PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
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24
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Dickson RG, Jacobs MW, Kim EJ. Fatherhood is life changing: Uncovering structural and functional changes in the dad brain. Neuron 2022; 110:1889-1890. [PMID: 35709694 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
What are the cellular-level structural and functional changes underlying newly adaptive behaviors in the mammalian brain? In this issue of Neuron, Inada et al. (2022) identify the brain-wide connectivity and synaptic plasticity changes of hypothalamic oxytocin+ neurons in male mice contributing to their parental behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard G Dickson
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Matthew W Jacobs
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Euiseok J Kim
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
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