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Sofer Y, Zilkha N, Gimpel E, Wagner S, Chuartzman SG, Kimchi T. Sexually dimorphic oxytocin circuits drive intragroup social conflict and aggression in wild house mice. Nat Neurosci 2024:10.1038/s41593-024-01685-5. [PMID: 38969756 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01685-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
In nature, both males and females engage in competitive aggressive interactions to resolve social conflicts, yet the behavioral principles guiding such interactions and their underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. Through circuit manipulations in wild mice, we unveil oxytocin-expressing (OT+) neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) as a neural hub governing behavior in dyadic and intragroup social conflicts, influencing the degree of behavioral sexual dimorphism. We demonstrate that OT+ PVN neurons are essential and sufficient in promoting aggression and dominance hierarchies, predominantly in females. Furthermore, pharmacogenetic activation of these neurons induces a change in the 'personality' traits of the mice within groups, in a sex-dependent manner. Finally, we identify an innervation from these OT neurons to the ventral tegmental area that drives dyadic aggression, in a sex-specific manner. Our data suggest that competitive aggression in naturalistic settings is mediated by a sexually dimorphic OT network connected with reward-related circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhak Sofer
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Noga Zilkha
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Elena Gimpel
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, the Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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2
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Winter S, Mahzarnia A, Anderson RJ, Han ZY, Tremblay J, Stout J, Moon HS, Marcellino D, Dunson DB, Badea A. APOE, Immune Factors, Sex, and Diet Interact to Shape Brain Networks in Mouse Models of Aging. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.04.560954. [PMID: 39005377 PMCID: PMC11244909 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.04.560954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) presents complex challenges due to its multifactorial nature, poorly understood etiology, and late detection. The mechanisms through which genetic, fixed and modifiable risk factors influence susceptibility to AD are under intense investigation, yet the impact of unique risk factors on brain networks is difficult to disentangle, and their interactions remain unclear. To model multiple risk factors including APOE genotype, age, sex, diet, and immunity we leveraged mice expressing the human APOE and NOS2 genes, conferring a reduced immune response compared to mouse Nos2. Employing graph analyses of brain connectomes derived from accelerated diffusion-weighted MRI, we assessed the global and local impact of risk factors in the absence of AD pathology. Aging and a high-fat diet impacted extensive networks comprising AD-vulnerable regions, including the temporal association cortex, amygdala, and the periaqueductal gray, involved in stress responses. Sex impacted networks including sexually dimorphic regions (thalamus, insula, hypothalamus) and key memory-processing areas (fimbria, septum). APOE genotypes modulated connectivity in memory, sensory, and motor regions, while diet and immunity both impacted the insula and hypothalamus. Notably, these risk factors converged on a circuit comprising 63 of 54,946 total connections (0.11% of the connectome), highlighting shared vulnerability amongst multiple AD risk factors in regions essential for sensory integration, emotional regulation, decision making, motor coordination, memory, homeostasis, and interoception. These network-based biomarkers hold translational value for distinguishing high-risk versus low-risk participants at preclinical AD stages, suggest circuits as potential therapeutic targets, and advance our understanding of network fingerprints associated with AD risk. Significance Statement Current interventions for Alzheimer's disease (AD) do not provide a cure, and are delivered years after neuropathological onset. Addressing the impact of risk factors on brain networks holds promises for early detection, prevention, and revealing putative therapeutic targets at preclinical stages. We utilized six mouse models to investigate the impact of factors, including APOE genotype, age, sex, immunity, and diet, on brain networks. Large structural connectomes were derived from high resolution compressed sensing diffusion MRI. A highly parallelized graph classification identified subnetworks associated with unique risk factors, revealing their network fingerprints, and a common network composed of 63 connections with shared vulnerability to all risk factors. APOE genotype specific immune signatures support the design of interventions tailored to risk profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Winter
- Statistical Science, Trinity School, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710 USA
| | - Ali Mahzarnia
- Department of Radiology, Duke University School of Medicine. Durham, NC, 27710. USA
| | - Robert J Anderson
- Department of Radiology, Duke University School of Medicine. Durham, NC, 27710. USA
| | - Zay Yar Han
- Department of Radiology, Duke University School of Medicine. Durham, NC, 27710. USA
| | - Jessica Tremblay
- Department of Radiology, Duke University School of Medicine. Durham, NC, 27710. USA
| | - Jacques Stout
- Duke UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Hae Sol Moon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Daniel Marcellino
- Department of Medical and Translational Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, 901 87, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, 22184, Sweden
| | - David B. Dunson
- Statistical Science, Trinity School, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710 USA
| | - Alexandra Badea
- Department of Radiology, Duke University School of Medicine. Durham, NC, 27710. USA
- Duke UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine. Durham, NC, 27710, USA
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3
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Rappeneau V, Castillo Díaz F. Convergence of oxytocin and dopamine signalling in neuronal circuits: Insights into the neurobiology of social interactions across species. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 161:105675. [PMID: 38608828 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105675] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Social behaviour is essential for animal survival, and the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) critically impacts bonding, parenting, and decision-making. Dopamine (DA), is released by ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons, regulating social cues in the mesolimbic system. Despite extensive exploration of OXT and DA roles in social behaviour independently, limited studies investigate their interplay. This narrative review integrates insights from human and animal studies, particularly rodents, emphasising recent research on pharmacological manipulations of OXT or DA systems in social behaviour. Additionally, we review studies correlating social behaviour with blood/cerebral OXT and DA levels. Behavioural facets include sociability, cooperation, pair bonding and parental care. In addition, we provide insights into OXT-DA interplay in animal models of social stress, autism, and schizophrenia. Emphasis is placed on the complex relationship between the OXT and DA systems and their collective influence on social behaviour across physiological and pathological conditions. Understanding OXT and DA imbalance is fundamental for unravelling the neurobiological underpinnings of social interaction and reward processing deficits observed in psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Rappeneau
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 31, Regensburg 93053, Germany.
| | - Fernando Castillo Díaz
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 31, Regensburg 93053, Germany
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4
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Nagayama S, Hasegawa-Ishii S, Kikuta S. Anesthetized animal experiments for neuroscience research. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 18:1426689. [PMID: 38884008 PMCID: PMC11177690 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2024.1426689] [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: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain research has progressed with anesthetized animal experiments for a long time. Recent progress in research techniques allows us to measure neuronal activity in awake animals combined with behavioral tasks. The trends became more prominent in the last decade. This new research style triggers the paradigm shift in the research of brain science, and new insights into brain function have been revealed. It is reasonable to consider that awake animal experiments are more ideal for understanding naturalistic brain function than anesthetized ones. However, the anesthetized animal experiment still has advantages in some experiments. To take advantage of the anesthetized animal experiments, it is important to understand the mechanism of anesthesia and carefully handle the obtained data. In this minireview, we will shortly summarize the molecular mechanism of anesthesia in animal experiments, a recent understanding of the neuronal activities in a sensory system in the anesthetized animal brain, and consider the advantages and disadvantages of the anesthetized and awake animal experiments. This discussion will help us to use both research conditions in the proper manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Nagayama
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sanae Hasegawa-Ishii
- Pathology Research Team, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, Mitaka, Japan
| | - Shu Kikuta
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical School of Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
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5
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Rigney N, Campos-Lira E, Kirchner MK, Wei W, Belkasim S, Beaumont R, Singh S, Suarez SG, Hartswick D, Stern JE, de Vries GJ, Petrulis A. A vasopressin circuit that modulates mouse social investigation and anxiety-like behavior in a sex-specific manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319641121. [PMID: 38709918 PMCID: PMC11098102 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319641121] [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: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the largest sex differences in brain neurochemistry is the expression of the neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP) within the vertebrate brain, with males having more AVP cells in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) than females. Despite the long-standing implication of AVP in social and anxiety-like behaviors, the circuitry underlying AVP's control of these behaviors is still not well defined. Using optogenetic approaches, we show that inhibiting AVP BNST cells reduces social investigation in males, but not in females, whereas stimulating these cells increases social investigation in both sexes, but more so in males. These cells may facilitate male social investigation through their projections to the lateral septum (LS), an area with the highest density of sexually differentiated AVP innervation in the brain, as optogenetic stimulation of BNST AVP → LS increased social investigation and anxiety-like behavior in males but not in females; the same stimulation also caused a biphasic response of LS cells ex vivo. Blocking the vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) in the LS eliminated all these responses. Together, these findings establish a sexually differentiated role for BNST AVP cells in the control of social investigation and anxiety-like behavior, likely mediated by their projections to the LS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Rigney
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA30302
| | - Elba Campos-Lira
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA30302
| | | | - Wei Wei
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA30302
| | - Selma Belkasim
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA30302
| | - Rachael Beaumont
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA30302
| | - Sumeet Singh
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA30302
| | | | - Delenn Hartswick
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA30302
| | - Javier E. Stern
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA30302
| | | | - Aras Petrulis
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA30302
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6
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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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7
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Kuebler IRK, Suárez M, Wakabayashi KT. Sex differences and sex-specific regulation of motivated behavior by Melanin-concentrating hormone: a short review. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:33. [PMID: 38570844 PMCID: PMC10993549 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00608-0] [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: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent preclinical research exploring how neuropeptide transmitter systems regulate motivated behavior reveal the increasing importance of sex as a critical biological variable. Neuropeptide systems and their central circuits both contribute to sex differences in a range of motivated behaviors and regulate sex-specific behaviors. In this short review, we explore the current research of how sex as a biological variable influences several distinct motivated behaviors that are modulated by the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neuropeptide system. First, we review how MCH regulates feeding behavior within the context of energy homeostasis differently between male and female rodents. Then, we focus on MCH's role in lactation as a sex-specific process within the context of energy homeostasis. Next, we discuss the sex-specific effects of MCH on maternal behavior. Finally, we summarize the role of MCH in drug-motivated behaviors. While these topics are traditionally investigated from different scientific perspectives, in this short review we discuss how these behaviors share commonalities within the larger context of motivated behaviors, and that sex differences discovered in one area of research may impact our understanding in another. Overall, our review highlights the need for further research into how sex differences in energy regulation associated with reproduction and parental care contribute to regulating motivated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel R K Kuebler
- Neurocircuitry of Motivated Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA
| | - Mauricio Suárez
- Neurocircuitry of Motivated Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA
| | - Ken T Wakabayashi
- Neurocircuitry of Motivated Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA.
- Rural Drug Addiction Research Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 660 N 12th St., Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
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8
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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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Stagkourakis S, Williams P, Spigolon G, Khanal S, Ziegler K, Heikkinen L, Fisone G, Broberger C. Maternal Aggression Driven by the Transient Mobilisation of a Dormant Hormone-Sensitive Circuit. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.02.02.526862. [PMID: 38585740 PMCID: PMC10996482 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.02.526862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Aggression, a sexually dimorphic behaviour, is prevalent in males and typically absent in virgin females. Following parturition, however, the transient expression of aggression in adult female mice protects pups from predators and infanticide by male conspecifics. While maternal hormones are known to elicit nursing, their potential role in maternal aggression remains elusive. Here, we show in mice that a molecularly defined subset of ventral premammillary (PMvDAT) neurons, instrumental for intermale aggression, switch from quiescence to a hyperexcitable state during lactation. We identify that the maternal hormones prolactin and oxytocin excite these cells through actions that include T-type Ca2+ channels. Optogenetic manipulation or genetic ablation of PMvDAT neurons profoundly affects maternal aggression, while activation of these neurons impairs the expression of non-aggression-related maternal behaviours. This work identifies a monomorphic neural substrate that can incorporate hormonal cues to enable the transient expression of a dormant behavioural program in lactating females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanos Stagkourakis
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum B:4, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paul Williams
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 16C, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Giada Spigolon
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum B:4, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shreya Khanal
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum B:4, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katharina Ziegler
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum B:4, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura Heikkinen
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum B:4, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 16C, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gilberto Fisone
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum B:4, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christian Broberger
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum B:4, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 16C, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
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10
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Veyrunes F, Perez J, Heitzmann LD, Saunders PA, Givalois L. Hormone profiles of the African pygmy mouse Mus minutoides, a species with XY female sex reversal. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:130-137. [PMID: 38059664 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, most sex differences in phenotype are controlled by gonadal hormones, but recent work on transgenic mice has shown that sex chromosomes can have a direct influence on sex-specific behaviors. In this study, we take advantage of the naturally occurring sex reversal in a mouse species, Mus minutoides, to investigate for the first time the relationship between sex chromosomes, hormones, and behaviors in a wild species. In this model, a feminizing variant of the X chromosome, named X*, produces three types of females with different sex chromosome complements (XX, XX*, and X*Y), associated with alternative behavioral phenotypes, while all males are XY. We thus compared the levels of three major circulating steroid hormones (testosterone, corticosterone, and estradiol) in the four sex genotypes to disentangle the influence of sex chromosomes and sex hormones on behavior. First, we did not find any difference in testosterone levels in the three female genotypes, although X*Y females are notoriously more aggressive. Second, in agreement with their lower anxiety-related behaviors, X*Y females and XY males display lower baseline corticosterone concentration than XX and XX* females. Instead of a direct hormonal influence, this result rather suggests that sex chromosomes may have an impact on the baseline corticosterone level, which in turn may influence behaviors. Third, estradiol concentrations do not explain the enhanced reproductive performance and maternal care behavior of the X*Y females compared to the XX and XX* females. Overall, this study highlights that most of the behaviors varying along with sex chromosome complement of this species are more likely driven by genetic factors rather than steroid hormone concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Veyrunes
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Julie Perez
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Louise D Heitzmann
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Paul A Saunders
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent Givalois
- MMDN, Molecular Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Dementia Laboratory, Université Montpellier, EPHE-PSL, INSERM U1198, Montpellier, France
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CR-CHUQ, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec City, Canada
- CNRS, Paris, France
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11
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Kaplan HS, Logeman BL, Zhang K, Santiago C, Sohail N, Naumenko S, Ho Sui SJ, Ginty DD, Ren B, Dulac C. Sensory Input, Sex, and Function Shape Hypothalamic Cell Type Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.23.576835. [PMID: 38328205 PMCID: PMC10849564 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.23.576835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian behavior and physiology undergo dramatic changes in early life. Young animals rely on conspecifics to meet their homeostatic needs, until weaning and puberty initiate nutritional independence and sex-specific social interactions, respectively. How neuronal populations regulating homeostatic functions and social behaviors develop and mature during these transitions remains unclear. We used paired transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility profiling to examine the developmental trajectories of neuronal populations in the hypothalamic preoptic region, where cell types with key roles in physiological and behavioral control have been identified1-6. These data reveal a remarkable diversity of developmental trajectories shaped by the sex of the animal, and the location and behavioral or physiological function of the corresponding cell types. We identify key stages of preoptic development, including the perinatal emergence of sex differences, postnatal maturation and subsequent refinement of signaling networks, and nonlinear transcriptional changes accelerating at the time of weaning and puberty. We assessed preoptic development in various sensory mutants and find a major role for vomeronasal sensing in the timing of preoptic cell type maturation. These results provide novel insights into the development of neurons controlling homeostatic functions and social behaviors and lay ground for examining the dynamics of these functions in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harris S. Kaplan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brandon L. Logeman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Center for Epigenomics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Current address: Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Celine Santiago
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 220 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Noor Sohail
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Serhiy Naumenko
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Newborn Screening Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Shannan J. Ho Sui
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David D. Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 220 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Bing Ren
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Center for Epigenomics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Catherine Dulac
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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12
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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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13
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Stagkourakis S, Spigolon G, Marks M, Feyder M, Kim J, Perona P, Pachitariu M, Anderson DJ. Anatomically distributed neural representations of instincts in the hypothalamus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.21.568163. [PMID: 38045312 PMCID: PMC10690204 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.21.568163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Artificial activation of anatomically localized, genetically defined hypothalamic neuron populations is known to trigger distinct innate behaviors, suggesting a hypothalamic nucleus-centered organization of behavior control. To assess whether the encoding of behavior is similarly anatomically confined, we performed simultaneous neuron recordings across twenty hypothalamic regions in freely moving animals. Here we show that distinct but anatomically distributed neuron ensembles encode the social and fear behavior classes, primarily through mixed selectivity. While behavior class-encoding ensembles were spatially distributed, individual ensembles exhibited strong localization bias. Encoding models identified that behavior actions, but not motion-related variables, explained a large fraction of hypothalamic neuron activity variance. These results identify unexpected complexity in the hypothalamic encoding of instincts and provide a foundation for understanding the role of distributed neural representations in the expression of behaviors driven by hardwired circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanos Stagkourakis
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Giada Spigolon
- Biological Imaging Facility, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Markus Marks
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Michael Feyder
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94305, USA
| | - Joseph Kim
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Pietro Perona
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Marius Pachitariu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - David J. Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Blvd, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
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14
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Menon R, Neumann ID. Detection, processing and reinforcement of social cues: regulation by the oxytocin system. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:761-777. [PMID: 37891399 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00759-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Many social behaviours are evolutionarily conserved and are essential for the healthy development of an individual. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is crucial for the fine-tuned regulation of social interactions in mammals. The advent and application of state-of-the-art methodological approaches that allow the activity of neuronal circuits involving OXT to be monitored and functionally manipulated in laboratory mammals have deepened our understanding of the roles of OXT in these behaviours. In this Review, we discuss how OXT promotes the sensory detection and evaluation of social cues, the subsequent approach and display of social behaviour, and the rewarding consequences of social interactions in selected reproductive and non-reproductive social behaviours. Social stressors - such as social isolation, exposure to social defeat or social trauma, and partner loss - are often paralleled by maladaptations of the OXT system, and restoring OXT system functioning can reinstate socio-emotional allostasis. Thus, the OXT system acts as a dynamic mediator of appropriate behavioural adaptations to environmental challenges by enhancing and reinforcing social salience and buffering social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Menon
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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15
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Rigney N, Campos-Lira E, Kirchner MK, Wei W, Belkasim S, Beaumont R, Singh S, de Vries GJ, Petrulis A. A vasopressin circuit that modulates sex-specific social interest and anxiety-like behavior in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.06.564847. [PMID: 37986987 PMCID: PMC10659331 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.06.564847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
One of the largest sex differences in brain neurochemistry is the male-biased expression of the neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP) within the vertebrate social brain. Despite the long-standing implication of AVP in social and anxiety-like behavior, the precise circuitry and anatomical substrate underlying its control are still poorly understood. By employing optogenetic manipulation of AVP cells within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), we have unveiled a central role for these cells in promoting social investigation, with a more pronounced role in males relative to females. These cells facilitate male social investigation and anxiety-like behavior through their projections to the lateral septum (LS), an area with the highest density of sexually-dimorphic AVP fibers. Blocking the vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) in the LS eliminated stimulation-mediated increases in these behaviors. Together, these findings establish a distinct BNST AVP → LS V1aR circuit that modulates sex-specific social interest and anxiety-like behavior.
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16
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Rybka KA, Lafrican JJ, Rosinger ZJ, Ariyibi DO, Brooks MR, Jacobskind JS, Zuloaga DG. Sex differences in androgen receptor, estrogen receptor alpha, and c-Fos co-expression with corticotropin releasing factor expressing neurons in restrained adult mice. Horm Behav 2023; 156:105448. [PMID: 38344954 PMCID: PMC10861933 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105448] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Gonadal hormone actions through androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) regulate sex differences in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responsivity and stress-related behaviors. Here we tested whether corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) expressing neurons, which are widely known to regulate neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responses, co-express AR and ERα as a potential mechanism for gonadal hormone regulation of these responses. Using Crh-IRES-Cre::Ai9 reporter mice we report high co-localization of AR in CRF neurons within the medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), medial amygdala (MeA), and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), moderate levels within the central amygdala (CeA) and low levels in the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN). Sex differences in CRF/AR co-expression were found in the principal nucleus of the BST (BSTmpl), CeA, MeA, and VMH (males>females). CRF co-localization with ERα was generally lower relative to AR co-localization. However, high co-expression was found within the MPOA, AVPV, and VMH, with moderate co-expression in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), BST, and MeA and low levels in the PVN and CeA. Sex differences in CRF/ERα co-localization were found in the BSTmpl and PVN (males>females). Finally, we assessed neural activation of CRF neurons in restraint-stressed mice and found greater CRF/c-Fos co-expression in females in the BSTmpl and periaqueductal gray, while co-expression was higher in males within the ARC and dorsal CA1. Given the known role of CRF in regulating behavioral stress responses and the HPA axis, AR/ERα co-expression and sex-specific activation of CRF cell groups indicate potential mechanisms for modulating sex differences in these functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystyna A Rybka
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Jennifer J Lafrican
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Zachary J Rosinger
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Deborah O Ariyibi
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Mecca R Brooks
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Jason S Jacobskind
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America.
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17
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Inada K, Miyamichi K. Association between parental behaviors and structural plasticity in the brain of male rodents. Neurosci Res 2023; 196:1-10. [PMID: 37343600 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, human fathers across the globe have shown a substantial increase in their engagement in paternal caregiving behaviors. Despite the growing interest, the precise neurobiological mechanisms underlying caregiving behaviors in males remain unclear. Neurobiological studies conducted on rodents have advanced our understanding of the molecular, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms. Typically, sexually naïve males exhibit aggression toward offspring, while fathers display parental behaviors. This drastic behavioral plasticity may be associated with changes in connections among specific regions or cell types. Recent studies have begun to describe this structural plasticity by comparing neural connections before and after fatherhood. In this Perspective, we summarize the findings from four well-studied rodent species, namely prairie voles, California mice, laboratory rats, and laboratory mice, with a view toward integrating past and current progress. We then review recent advances in the understanding of structural plasticity for parental behaviors. Finally, we discuss remaining questions that require further exploration to gain a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying paternal behaviors in males, including their possible implications for the human brain.
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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.
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.
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18
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Fong H, Zheng J, Kurrasch D. The structural and functional complexity of the integrative hypothalamus. Science 2023; 382:388-394. [PMID: 37883552 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh8488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamus ("hypo" meaning below, and "thalamus" meaning bed) consists of regulatory circuits that support basic life functions that ensure survival. Sitting at the interface between peripheral, environmental, and neural inputs, the hypothalamus integrates these sensory inputs to influence a range of physiologies and behaviors. Unlike the neocortex, in which a stereotyped cytoarchitecture mediates complex functions across a comparatively small number of neuronal fates, the hypothalamus comprises upwards of thousands of distinct cell types that form redundant yet functionally discrete circuits. With single-cell RNA sequencing studies revealing further cellular heterogeneity and modern photonic tools enabling high-resolution dissection of complex circuitry, a new era of hypothalamic mapping has begun. Here, we provide a general overview of mammalian hypothalamic organization, development, and connectivity to help welcome newcomers into this exciting field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harmony Fong
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jing Zheng
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Deborah Kurrasch
- Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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19
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Adamantidis AR, de Lecea L. Sleep and the hypothalamus. Science 2023; 382:405-412. [PMID: 37883555 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh8285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Neural substrates of wakefulness, rapid eye movement sleep (REMS), and non-REMS (NREMS) in the mammalian hypothalamus overlap both anatomically and functionally with cellular networks that support physiological and behavioral homeostasis. Here, we review the roles of sleep neurons of the hypothalamus in the homeostatic control of thermoregulation or goal-oriented behaviors during wakefulness. We address how hypothalamic circuits involved in opposing behaviors such as core body temperature and sleep compute conflicting information and provide a coherent vigilance state. Finally, we highlight some of the key unresolved questions and challenges, and the promise of a more granular view of the cellular and molecular diversity underlying the integrative role of the hypothalamus in physiological and behavioral homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine R Adamantidis
- Zentrum für Experimentelle Neurologie, Department of Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Luis de Lecea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford, CA, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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20
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Hung YC, Wu YJ, Chien ME, Lin YT, Tsai CF, Hsu KS. Loss of oxytocin receptors in hilar mossy cells impairs social discrimination. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106311. [PMID: 37769745 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106311] [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: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal oxytocin receptor (OXTR) signaling is crucial for discrimination of social stimuli to guide social recognition, but circuit mechanisms and cell types involved remain incompletely understood. Here, we report a role for OXTR-expressing hilar mossy cells (MCs) of the dentate gyrus in social stimulus discrimination by regulating granule cell (GC) activity. Using a Cre-loxP recombination approach, we found that ablation of Oxtr from MCs impairs discrimination of social, but not object, stimuli in adult male mice. Ablation of MC Oxtr increases spontaneous firing rate of GCs, synaptic excitation to inhibition ratio of MC-to-GC circuit, and GC firing when temporally associated with the lateral perforant path inputs. Using mouse hippocampal slices, we found that bath application of OXTR agonist [Thr4,Gly7]-oxytocin causes membrane depolarization and increases MC firing activity. Optogenetic activation of MC-to-GC circuit ameliorates social discrimination deficit in MC OXTR deficient mice. Together, our results uncover a previously unknown role of MC OXTR signaling for discrimination of social stimuli and delineate a MC-to-GC circuit responsible for social information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chieh Hung
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jen Wu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70457, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan
| | - Miao-Er Chien
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70457, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Lin
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Fang Tsai
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 60002, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan.
| | - Kuei-Sen Hsu
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
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21
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Sharma K, Govar AA, Ghimire B, Nishimori K, Hammock E, Teruyama R. Sexually dimorphic oxytocin receptor-expressing (OXTR) neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) in the postpartum female mouse are involved in maternal behavior. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13337. [PMID: 37784240 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13337] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Maternal care is crucial for the survival and development of offspring. Oxytocin modulates maternal behavior by binding to oxytocin receptors (OXTRs) in various parts of the brain. Previously, we showed that OXTRs are expressed in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) of female, but not male mice. Because the AVPV is involved in the regulation of maternal behavior and oxytocin enhances its induction, this finding leads to the hypothesis that the female specific population of OXTR neurons in the AVPV regulates maternal behavior. To address this hypothesis, OXTR-Venus reporter mice were used to assess if expression levels of OXTR in the AVPV are changed during the postpartum period. The total number of OXTR-Venus neurons was significantly greater in postpartum dams compared to virgin females. To assess efferent projections of the AVPV-OXTR neurons, a Cre-dependent fluorescent protein (tdTomato) expressing a viral vector was injected into one side of the AVPV of female OXTR-Cre mice. Fibers expressing tdTomato were found in hypothalamic areas containing oxytocin neurons (the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei) and the midbrain areas (the ventral tegmental area and periaqueductal gray) that are involved in the regulation of maternal motivation. To assess if activity of the AVPV-OXTR neurons is involved in the regulation of maternal behaviors, a chemogenetic approach was employed. Specific inhibition of activity of AVPV-OXTR neurons completely abolished pup retrieval and nest building behaviors. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that AVPV-OXTR neurons in postpartum female mice constitute an important node in the neural circuitry that regulates maternal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaustubh Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Armita A Govar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Bandana Ghimire
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Katsuhiko Nishimori
- Laboratory of Obesity and Internal Inflammation, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Elizabeth Hammock
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Ryoichi Teruyama
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
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22
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Heitzmann LD, Challe M, Perez J, Castell L, Galibert E, Martin AO, Valjent E, Veyrunes F. Genotypic sex shapes maternal care in the African pygmy mouse, Mus minutoides. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231224. [PMID: 37670585 PMCID: PMC10510450 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic behaviours, such as parental care, have long been thought to be mainly driven by gonadal hormones. In the past two decades, a few studies have challenged this view, highlighting the direct influence of the sex chromosome complement (XX versus XY or ZZ versus ZW). The African pygmy mouse, Mus minutoides, is a wild mouse species with naturally occurring XY sex reversal induced by a third, feminizing X* chromosome, leading to three female genotypes: XX, XX* and X*Y. Here, we show that sex reversal in X*Y females shapes a divergent maternal care strategy (maternal aggression, pup retrieval and nesting behaviours) from both XX and XX* females. Although neuroanatomical investigations were inconclusive, we show that the dopaminergic system in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus is worth investigating further as it may support differences in pup retrieval behaviour between females. Combining behaviours and neurobiology in a rodent subject to natural selection, we evaluate potential candidates for the neural basis of maternal behaviours and strengthen the underestimated role of the sex chromosomes in shaping sex differences in brain and behaviours. All things considered, we further highlight the emergence of a third sexual phenotype, challenging the binary view of phenotypic sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise D. Heitzmann
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie Challe
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Julie Perez
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Laia Castell
- IGF, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Evelyne Galibert
- IGF, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Agnès O. Martin
- IGF, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Valjent
- IGF, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Veyrunes
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
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23
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Bayless DW, Davis CHO, Yang R, Wei Y, de Andrade Carvalho VM, Knoedler JR, Yang T, Livingston O, Lomvardas A, Martins GJ, Vicente AM, Ding JB, Luo L, Shah NM. A neural circuit for male sexual behavior and reward. Cell 2023; 186:3862-3881.e28. [PMID: 37572660 PMCID: PMC10615179 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Male sexual behavior is innate and rewarding. Despite its centrality to reproduction, a molecularly specified neural circuit governing innate male sexual behavior and reward remains to be characterized. We have discovered a developmentally wired neural circuit necessary and sufficient for male mating. This circuit connects chemosensory input to BNSTprTac1 neurons, which innervate POATacr1 neurons that project to centers regulating motor output and reward. Epistasis studies demonstrate that BNSTprTac1 neurons are upstream of POATacr1 neurons, and BNSTprTac1-released substance P following mate recognition potentiates activation of POATacr1 neurons through Tacr1 to initiate mating. Experimental activation of POATacr1 neurons triggers mating, even in sexually satiated males, and it is rewarding, eliciting dopamine release and self-stimulation of these cells. Together, we have uncovered a neural circuit that governs the key aspects of innate male sexual behavior: motor displays, drive, and reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Bayless
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chung-Ha O Davis
- Stanford Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Renzhi Yang
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yichao Wei
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Joseph R Knoedler
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Taehong Yang
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Oscar Livingston
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Akira Lomvardas
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Ana Mafalda Vicente
- Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, Seattle, WA 98109; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Jun B Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Departments of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Liqun Luo
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nirao M Shah
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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24
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Dawson M, Terstege DJ, Jamani N, Tsutsui M, Pavlov D, Bugescu R, Epp JR, Leinninger GM, Sargin D. Hypocretin/orexin neurons encode social discrimination and exhibit a sex-dependent necessity for social interaction. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112815. [PMID: 37459234 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112815] [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: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamus plays a crucial role in the modulation of social behavior by encoding internal states. The hypothalamic hypocretin/orexin neurons, initially identified as regulators of sleep and appetite, are important for emotional and motivated behaviors. However, their role in social behavior remains unclear. Using fiber photometry and behavioral analysis, we show here that hypocretin neurons differentially encode social discrimination based on the nature of social encounters. The optogenetic inhibition of hypocretin neuron activity or blocking of hcrt-1 receptors reduces the amount of time mice are engaged in social interaction in males but not in females. Reduced hcrt-1 receptor signaling during social interaction is associated with altered activity in the insular cortex and ventral tegmental area in males. Our data implicating hypocretin neurons as sexually dimorphic regulators within social networks have significant implications for the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases with social dysfunction, particularly considering varying prevalence among sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Dawson
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Dylan J Terstege
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Naila Jamani
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mio Tsutsui
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Dmitrii Pavlov
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Raluca Bugescu
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jonathan R Epp
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Gina M Leinninger
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Derya Sargin
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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25
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Fischer KB, Collins HK, Pang Y, Roy DS, Zhang Y, Feng G, Li SJ, Kepecs A, Callaway EM. Monosynaptic restriction of the anterograde herpes simplex virus strain H129 for neural circuit tracing. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:584-595. [PMID: 36606699 PMCID: PMC10040246 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Identification of synaptic partners is a fundamental task for systems neuroscience. To date, few reliable techniques exist for whole brain labeling of downstream synaptic partners in a cell-type-dependent and monosynaptic manner. Herein, we describe a novel monosynaptic anterograde tracing system based on the deletion of the gene UL6 from the genome of a cre-dependent version of the anterograde Herpes Simplex Virus 1 strain H129. Given that this knockout blocks viral genome packaging and thus viral spread, we reasoned that co-infection of a HSV H129 ΔUL6 virus with a recombinant adeno-associated virus expressing UL6 in a cre-dependent manner would result in monosynaptic spread from target cre-expressing neuronal populations. Application of this system to five nonreciprocal neural circuits resulted in labeling of neurons in expected projection areas. While some caveats may preclude certain applications, this system provides a reliable method to label postsynaptic partners in a brain-wide fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle B Fischer
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Hannah K Collins
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Yan Pang
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Dheeraj S Roy
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Guoping Feng
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shu-Jing Li
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, USA
| | - Adam Kepecs
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Edward M Callaway
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, USA
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26
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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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27
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Lei H, Shu H, Xiong R, He T, Lv J, Liu J, Pi G, Ke D, Wang Q, Yang X, Wang JZ, Yang Y. Poststress social isolation exerts anxiolytic effects by activating the ventral dentate gyrus. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 24:100537. [PMID: 37081927 PMCID: PMC10112178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
After aversive stress, people either choose to return to their previously familiar social environment or tend to adopt temporary social withdrawal to buffer negative emotions. However, which behavior intervention is more appropriate and when remain elusive. Here, we unexpectedly found that stressed mice experiencing social isolation exhibited less anxiety than those experiencing social contact. Within the first 24 h after returning to their previous social environment, mice experienced acute restraint stress (ARS) displayed low social interest but simultaneously received excessive social disturbance from their cage mates, indicating a critical time window for social isolation to balance the conflict. To screen brain regions that were differentially activated between the poststress social isolation and poststress social contact groups, we performed ΔFosB immunostaining and found that ΔFosB + signals were remarkably increased in the vDG of poststress social isolation group compared with poststress social contact group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the other anxiety- and social-related brain regions, such as prelimbic cortex, infralimbic cortex, nucleus accumbens, etc. These data indicate that vDG is closely related to the differential phenotypes between the poststress social isolation and poststress social contact groups. Electrophysiological recording, further, revealed a higher activity of vDG in the poststress social isolation group than the poststress social contact group. Chemogenetically inhibiting vDG excitatory neurons within the first 24 h after ARS completely abolished the anxiolytic effects of poststress social isolation, while stimulating vDG excitatory neurons remarkably reduced anxiety-like behaviors in the poststress social contact group. Together, these data suggest that the activity of vDG excitatory neurons is essential and sufficient to govern the anxiolytic effect of poststress social isolation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to uncover a beneficial role of temporal social isolation in acute stress-induced anxiety. In addition to the critical 24-h time window, activation of vDG is crucial for ameliorating anxiety through poststress social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyang Lei
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Huaqing Shu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Rui Xiong
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ting He
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jingru Lv
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jiale Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Guilin Pi
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Dan Ke
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qun Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xifei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 8 Longyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jian-Zhi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226000, China
- Corresponding author. Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Corresponding author.
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28
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Grgurevic N. Testing the extreme male hypothesis in the valproate mouse model; sex-specific effects on plasma testosterone levels and tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus, but not on parental behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1107226. [PMID: 36818606 PMCID: PMC9932272 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1107226] [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: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a strong male bias in prevalence and severity. The extreme male hypothesis proposed that autism is a manifestation of extreme male traits as evidenced by increased masculine behaviors, hypermasculinization of some brain regions, and alterations in androgen metabolism. In the present study, the extreme male hypothesis was tested in the valproate (VPA) mouse model. Methods Females of the C57BL/6JOlaHsd mouse strain were treated with 500 mg/kg VPA on gestational day 12. Offspring of both sexes were tested at 3 to 4 months of age in the elevated plus maze (EPM), open field, sociability tests, and for parental behavior. After sacrifice at 5 to 6 months of age, plasma testosterone was measured in males, while the brains of both sexes were examined for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV). Results VPA treatment significantly increased plasma testosterone levels and decreased AVPV TH expression in males, whereas the expression of TH in females remained at the same level. In parental behavior test none of the pup-oriented behavior was affected by VPA treatment in both sexes, the exception was nest quality which was lower after VPA exposure in males, but not in females. Discussion Our results suggest a hypermasculinizing effect of VPA that occurred specifically in males but not in females, and this effect could be related to changes in androgen physiology. Nevertheless, a generalized interpretation of the extreme male hypothesis on brain and behavior should be avoided due to the complex effects of VPA.
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29
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Edwards PD, Toor I, Holmes MM. The Curious Case of the Naked Mole-Rat: How Extreme Social and Reproductive Adaptations Might Influence Sex Differences in the Brain. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 62:47-70. [PMID: 35301704 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Research in the neurobiology of sex differences is inherently influenced by the study species that are used. Some traditional animal research models, such as rats and mice, show certain sex differences in the brain that have been foundational to neurobiological research. However, subsequent work has demonstrated that these differences are not always generalizable, especially to species with different social structures and sex-associated roles or behaviors. One such example is the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), which has an unusual social structure among mammals. Naked mole-rats live in large groups where reproduction is restricted to a dominant female, called the "queen," and often only one breeding male. All other animals in the group, the "subordinates," are socially suppressed from reproduction and remain in a prepubescent state as adults, unless they are removed from the presence of the queen. These subordinates show little to no sex differences in external morphology, neural morphology, or behavior. However, there are a suite of neurobiological differences between subordinate and breeding naked mole-rats. After naked mole-rats attain breeding status, many of the classically sexually differentiated brain regions increase in volume (paraventricular nucleus, medial amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis). There are additionally social status differences in sex hormone receptor expression in the brain, as well as other changes in gene expression, some of which also show sex differences - though not always in the predicted direction based on other rodent studies. Data from naked mole-rats show that it is critical to consider the evolved social structure of a species when studying sex differences in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe D Edwards
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Ilapreet Toor
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Melissa M Holmes
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
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30
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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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31
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Male and female mice display consistent lifelong ability to address potential life-threatening cues using different post-threat coping strategies. BMC Biol 2022; 20:281. [PMID: 36522765 PMCID: PMC9753375 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01486-x] [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: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences ranging from physiological functions to pathological disorders are developmentally hard-wired in a broad range of animals, from invertebrates to humans. These differences ensure that animals can display appropriate behaviors under a variety of circumstances, such as aggression, hunting, sleep, mating, and parental care, which are often thought to be important in the acquisition of resources, including territory, food, and mates. Although there are reports of an absence of sexual dimorphism in the context of innate fear, the question of whether there is sexual dimorphism of innate defensive behavior is still an open question. Therefore, an in-depth investigation to determine whether there are sex differences in developmentally hard-wired innate defensive behaviors in life-threatening circumstances is warranted. RESULTS We found that innate defensive behavioral responses to potentially life-threatening stimuli between males and females were indistinguishable over their lifespan. However, by using 3 dimensional (3D)-motion learning framework analysis, we found that males and females showed different behavioral patterns after escaping to the refuge. Specifically, the defensive "freezing" occurred primarily in males, whereas females were more likely to return directly to exploration. Moreover, there were also no estrous phase differences in innate defensive behavioral responses after looming stimuli. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that visually-evoked innate fear behavior is highly conserved throughout the lifespan in both males and females, while specific post-threat coping strategies depend on sex. These findings indicate that innate fear behavior is essential to both sexes and as such, there are no evolutionary-driven sex differences in defensive ability.
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32
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Glat M, Gundacker A, Cuenca Rico L, Czuczu B, Ben‐Simon Y, Harkany T, Pollak DD. An accessory prefrontal cortex-thalamus circuit sculpts maternal behavior in virgin female mice. EMBO J 2022; 41:e111648. [PMID: 36341708 PMCID: PMC9753463 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022111648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to care for the young is innate and readily displayed by postpartum females after delivery to ensure offspring survival. Upon pup exposure, rodent virgin (nulliparous) females also develop parental behavior that over time becomes displayed at levels equivalent to parenting mothers. Although maternal behavior in postpartum females and the associated neurocircuits are well characterized, the neural mechanisms underlying the acquisition of maternal behavior without prior experience remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the development of maternal care behavior in response to first-time pup exposure in virgin females is initiated by the activation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). ACC activity is dependent on feedback excitation by Vglut2+ /Galanin+ neurons of the centrolateral nucleus of the thalamus (CL), with their activity sufficient to display parenting behaviors. Accordingly, acute bidirectional chemogenetic manipulation of neuronal activity in the ACC facilitates or impairs the attainment of maternal behavior, exclusively in virgin females. These results reveal an ACC-CL neurocircuit as an accessory loop in virgin females for the initiation of maternal care upon first-time exposure to pups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela Glat
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Anna Gundacker
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Laura Cuenca Rico
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Barbara Czuczu
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Yoav Ben‐Simon
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Tibor Harkany
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain ResearchMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum 7DKarolinska InstitutetSolnaSweden
| | - Daniela D Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and PharmacologyMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
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33
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Ugartemendia L, De Guzman RM, Cai J, Rajamanickam S, Jiang Z, Tao J, Zuloaga DG, Justice NJ. A subpopulation of oxytocin neurons initiate expression of CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) in females post parturition. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 145:105918. [PMID: 36116320 PMCID: PMC9881188 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is essential for successful reproduction, particularly during parturition and lactation. During the postpartum period, OT also influences maternal behavior to promote bonding between mothers and their newborns, and increases stress resilience. However, the mechanism by which stress influences OT neuron activity and OT release has remained unclear. Here, we provide evidence that a subpopulation of OT neurons initiate expression of the receptor for the stress neuropeptide Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF), CRFR1, in reproductive females. OT neuron expression of CRFR1 begins at the first parturition and increases during the postpartum period until weaning. The percentage of OT neurons that express CRFR1 increases with successive breeding cycles until it reaches a plateau of 20-25% of OT neurons. OT neuron expression of CRFR1 in reproductive females is maintained after they are no longer actively breeding. CRFR1 expression leads to activation of OT neurons when animals are stressed. We propose a model in which direct CRF signaling to OT neurons selectively in reproductive females potentiates OT release to promote stress resilience in mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lierni Ugartemendia
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Jing Cai
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Shivakumar Rajamanickam
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Zhiying Jiang
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Jonathan Tao
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States.
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
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34
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A hypothalamic dopamine locus for psychostimulant-induced hyperlocomotion in mice. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5944. [PMID: 36209152 PMCID: PMC9547883 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33584-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The lateral septum (LS) has been implicated in the regulation of locomotion. Nevertheless, the neurons synchronizing LS activity with the brain’s clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) remain unknown. By interrogating the molecular, anatomical and physiological heterogeneity of dopamine neurons of the periventricular nucleus (PeVN; A14 catecholaminergic group), we find that Th+/Dat1+ cells from its anterior subdivision innervate the LS in mice. These dopamine neurons receive dense neuropeptidergic innervation from the SCN. Reciprocal viral tracing in combination with optogenetic stimulation ex vivo identified somatostatin-containing neurons in the LS as preferred synaptic targets of extrahypothalamic A14 efferents. In vivo chemogenetic manipulation of anterior A14 neurons impacted locomotion. Moreover, chemogenetic inhibition of dopamine output from the anterior PeVN normalized amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion, particularly during sedentary periods. Cumulatively, our findings identify a hypothalamic locus for the diurnal control of locomotion and pinpoint a midbrain-independent cellular target of psychostimulants. The psychostimulant-sensitive neural mechanism linking the circadian clock to locomotion is unknown. Here, hypothalamic A14 neurons are shown to time diurnal activity by entraining the lateral septum, and their activity is shown to be sensitive to amphetamine.
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35
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Keller D, Tsuda MC, Usdin TB, Dobolyi A. Behavioural actions of tuberoinfundibular peptide 39 (parathyroid hormone 2). J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13130. [PMID: 35499975 PMCID: PMC9515240 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Tuberoinfundibular peptide of 39 residues (TIP39) acts via its endogenous class B G-protein coupled receptorthe parathyroid hormone 2 receptor (PTH2R). Hence, it is also known as parathyroid hormone 2. The peptide is expressed in the brain by a small number of neurons with a highly restricted distribution, which in turn project to a large number of brain regions that contain PTH2R. This peptide neuromodulator system has been extensively investigated over the past 20 years including its behavioural actions, such as its role in the control of nociception, fear and fear incubation, anxiety and depression-like behaviours, and maternal and social behaviours. It also influences thermoregulation and potentially auditory responses. TIP39 probably exerts direct effect on the neuronal networks controlling these behaviours based on the localization of PTH2R and local TIP39 actions. In addition, TIP39 also affects the secretion of several hypothalamic hormones providing the basis for indirect behavioural actions. Recently developed experimental tools have stimulated further behavioural investigations, and novel results obtained are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dávid Keller
- ELKH‐ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd Research Network and Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
- Laboratory of Neuromorphology, Department of Anatomy, Histology and EmbryologySemmelweis UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Mumeko C. Tsuda
- Preclinical Behavior and Modeling Core, Uniformed Services UniversityBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Ted B. Usdin
- Systems Neuroscience Imaging Resource, National Institute of Mental Health, NIHBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Arpád Dobolyi
- ELKH‐ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd Research Network and Eötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
- Department of Physiology and NeurobiologyEötvös Loránd UniversityBudapestHungary
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36
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Paletta P, Bass N, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. The role of oxytocin in shaping complex social behaviours: possible interactions with other neuromodulators. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210058. [PMID: 35858107 PMCID: PMC9272141 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
This review explores the role of oxytocin in the mediation of select social behaviours, with particular emphasis on female rodents. These behaviours include social recognition, social learning, pathogen detection and avoidance, and maternal care. Specific brain regions where oxytocin has been shown to directly mediate various aspects of these social behaviours, as well as other proposed regions, are discussed. Possible interactions between oxytocin and other regulatory systems, in particular that of oestrogens and dopamine, in the modulation of social behaviour are considered. Similarities and differences between males and females are highlighted. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Paletta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Noah Bass
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
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Navarro-Moreno C, Barneo-Muñoz M, Ibáñez-Gual MV, Lanuza E, Agustín-Pavón C, Sánchez-Catalán MJ, Martínez-García F. Becoming a mother shifts the activity of the social and motivation brain networks in mice. iScience 2022; 25:104525. [PMID: 35754727 PMCID: PMC9218376 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104525] [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: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy hormones increase motivated pup-directed behaviors. We here analyze hormone-induced changes in brain activity, by comparing cFos-immunoreactivity in the sociosexual (SBN) and motivation brain networks (including medial preoptic area, MPO) of virgin versus late-pregnant pup-naïve female mice exposed to pups or buttons (control). Pups activate more the SBN than buttons in both late-pregnant and virgin females. By contrast, pregnancy increases pup-elicited activity in the motivation circuitry (e.g. accumbens core) but reduces button-induced activity and, consequently, button investigation. Principal components analysis supports the identity of the social and motivation brain circuits, placing the periaqueductal gray between both systems. Linear discriminant analysis of cFos-immunoreactivity in the socio-motivational brain network predicts the kind of female and stimulus better than the activity of the MPO alone; this suggests that the neuroendocrinological basis of social (e.g. maternal) behaviors conforms to a neural network model, rather than to distinct hierarchical linear pathways for different behaviors. Pups activate the sociosexual brain network of females more than nonsocial objects Pregnancy boosts motivation for pups and reduces incentive salience of buttons During pregnancy, specific circuits govern decision of caring or attacking pups The socio-motivational brain works as a network rather than a labelled-line circuit
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinta Navarro-Moreno
- Joint Research Unit on Functional Neuroanatomy (NeuroFun) - UJI. Predepartamental Unit of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló. Campus Riu Sec. Av. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, Castelló de la Plana 12071, Spain
| | - Manuela Barneo-Muñoz
- Joint Research Unit on Functional Neuroanatomy (NeuroFun) - UJI. Predepartamental Unit of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló. Campus Riu Sec. Av. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, Castelló de la Plana 12071, Spain
| | - María Victoria Ibáñez-Gual
- Department of Mathematics, IMAC, School of Technology and Experimental Sciences (ESTCE), Universitat Jaume I de Castelló. Campus Riu Sec. Av. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, Castelló de la Plana 12071, Spain
| | - Enrique Lanuza
- Joint Research Unit on Functional Neuroanatomy (NeuroFun) - UV. Department of Cell and Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de València. C. Doctor Moliner 50, Burjassot 46100, Spain
| | - Carmen Agustín-Pavón
- Joint Research Unit on Functional Neuroanatomy (NeuroFun) - UV. Department of Cell and Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de València. C. Doctor Moliner 50, Burjassot 46100, Spain
| | - María José Sánchez-Catalán
- Joint Research Unit on Functional Neuroanatomy (NeuroFun) - UJI. Predepartamental Unit of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló. Campus Riu Sec. Av. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, Castelló de la Plana 12071, Spain
| | - Fernando Martínez-García
- Joint Research Unit on Functional Neuroanatomy (NeuroFun) - UJI. Predepartamental Unit of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló. Campus Riu Sec. Av. Vicente Sos Baynat s/n, Castelló de la Plana 12071, Spain
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38
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Biggs LM, Hammock EAD. Oxytocin via oxytocin receptor excites neurons in the endopiriform nucleus of juvenile mice. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11401. [PMID: 35794163 PMCID: PMC9259672 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15390-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) modulates social behaviors across species and may play a developmental role for these behaviors and their mediating neural pathways. Despite having high, stable levels of OXT receptor (OXTR) ligand binding from birth, endopiriform nucleus (EPN) remains understudied. EPN integrates olfactory and gustatory input and has reciprocal connections with several limbic areas. Because the role of OXTR signaling in EPN is unknown, we sought to provide anatomical and electrophysiological information about OXTR signaling in mouse EPN neurons. Using in situ hybridization, we found that most EPN neurons co-express Oxtr mRNA and the marker for VGLUT1, a marker for glutamatergic cells. Based on high levels of OXTR ligand binding in EPN, we hypothesized that oxytocin application would modulate activity in these cells as measured by whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. Bath application of OXT and an OXTR specific ligand (TGOT) increased the excitability of EPN neurons in wild-type, but not in OXTR-knockout (KO) tissue. These results show an effect of OXT on a mainly VGLUT1+ cell population within EPN. Given the robust, relatively stable OXTR expression in EPN throughout life, OXTR in this multi-sensory and limbic integration area may be important for modulating activity in response to an array of social or other salient stimuli throughout the lifespan and warrants further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey M Biggs
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A D Hammock
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
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39
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Buck J, Manion MTC, Zhang W, Glasper ER, Wang KH. Comparative anatomical analysis of dopamine systems in Mus musculus and Peromyscus californicus. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:2219-2227. [PMID: 35501609 PMCID: PMC11115318 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02497-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine plays important roles in motivational and social behaviors in mammals, and it has been implicated in several human neurological and psychiatric disorders. Rodents are used extensively as experimental models to study dopamine function in health and disease. However, interspecies differences of dopamine systems remain incompletely characterized. Here, we assessed whether the commonly referenced anatomical organization of dopamine systems in Mus musculus differs from another rodent species, Peromyscus californicus, which exhibits unique social behaviors such as biparental care. We applied tyrosine hydroxylase immunofluorescence labeling and high-throughput microscopy to establish whole-brain maps of dopamine systems in P. californicus. By comparing these maps to those from M. musculus, we identified unexpected anatomical similarity and difference between these two species. A sex difference in dopamine neurons at the anteroventral periventricular nucleus of hypothalamus, which has been implicated in regulating the maternal behaviors of the uniparental M. musculus, is similarly present in the biparental P. californicus. In contrast, major interspecies differences from M. musculus are found in the ventral midbrain and striatum of P. californicus, including the expansion of midbrain dopamine neurons into the ventral substantia nigra and the presence of an internal capsule-like white matter tract that demarcates a dorsomedial area from the rest of the striatum. These features identified in P. californicus resemble the anatomical organization of the primate brain more closely compared to those in M. musculus. Our findings suggest that P. californicus is a unique model organism for studying the evolution of dopamine systems in mammals and the disorders of dopamine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Buck
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
- Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Matthew T C Manion
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Erica R Glasper
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43235, USA
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Unit on Neural Circuits and Adaptive Behaviors, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
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40
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Kashash Y, Smarsh G, Zilkha N, Yovel Y, Kimchi T. Alone, in the dark: The extraordinary neuroethology of the solitary blind mole rat. eLife 2022; 11:78295. [PMID: 35674717 PMCID: PMC9177142 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
On the social scale, the blind mole rat (BMR; Spalax ehrenbergi) is an extreme. It is exceedingly solitary, territorial, and aggressive. BMRs reside underground, in self-excavated tunnels that they rarely leave. They possess specialized sensory systems for social communication and navigation, which allow them to cope with the harsh environmental conditions underground. This review aims to present the blind mole rat as an ideal, novel neuroethological model for studying aggressive and solitary behaviors. We discuss the BMR's unique behavioral phenotype, particularly in the context of 'anti-social' behaviors, and review the available literature regarding its specialized sensory adaptations to the social and physical habitat. To date, the neurobiology of the blind mole rat remains mostly unknown and holds a promising avenue for scientific discovery. Unraveling the neural basis of the BMR's behavior, in comparison to that of social rodents, can shed important light on the underlying mechanisms of psychiatric disorders in humans, in which similar behaviors are displayed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Kashash
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Grace Smarsh
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.,School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Noga Zilkha
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yossi Yovel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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41
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de Souza GO, Wasinski F, Donato J. Characterization of the metabolic differences between male and female C57BL/6 mice. Life Sci 2022; 301:120636. [PMID: 35568227 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The present study aims to compare the responses between male and female C57BL/6 mice to multiple metabolic challenges to understand the importance of sex in the control of energy homeostasis. MAIN METHODS Male and female C57BL/6 mice were subjected to nutritional and hormonal challenges, such as food restriction and refeeding, diet-induced obesity, feeding response to ghrelin and leptin, ghrelin-induced growth hormone secretion, and central responsiveness to ghrelin and leptin. The hypothalamic expression of transcripts that control energy homeostasis was also evaluated. KEY FINDINGS Male mice lost more weight and lean body mass in response to food restriction, compared to females. During refeeding, males accumulated more body fat and exhibited lower energy expenditure and glycemia, as compared to females. Additionally, female mice exhibited a higher protection against diet-induced obesity and related metabolic imbalances in comparison to males. Low dose ghrelin injection elicited higher food intake and growth hormone secretion in male mice, whereas the acute anorexigenic effect of leptin was more robust in females. However, the sex differences in the feeding responses to ghrelin and leptin were not explained by variations in the central responsiveness to these hormones nor by differences in the fiber density from arcuate nucleus neurons. Female, but not male, mice exhibited compensatory increases in hypothalamic Pomc mRNA levels in response to diet-induced obesity. SIGNIFICANCE Our findings revealed several sexually differentiated responses to metabolic challenges in C57BL/6 mice, highlighting the importance of taking into account sex differences in metabolic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel O de Souza
- Universidade de Sao Paulo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofisica, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Frederick Wasinski
- Universidade de Sao Paulo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofisica, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Jose Donato
- Universidade de Sao Paulo, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofisica, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil..
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42
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Inada K, Hagihara M, Tsujimoto K, Abe T, Konno A, Hirai H, Kiyonari H, Miyamichi K. Plasticity of neural connections underlying oxytocin-mediated parental behaviors of male mice. Neuron 2022; 110:2009-2023.e5. [PMID: 35443152 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The adult brain can flexibly adapt behaviors to specific life-stage demands. For example, while sexually naive male mice are aggressive to the conspecific young, they start to provide caregiving to infants around the time when their own young are expected. How such behavioral plasticity is implemented at the level of neural connections remains poorly understood. Here, using viral-genetic approaches, we establish hypothalamic oxytocin neurons as the key regulators of the parental caregiving behaviors of male mice. We then use rabies-virus-mediated unbiased screening to identify excitatory neural connections originating from the lateral hypothalamus to the oxytocin neurons to be drastically strengthened when male mice become fathers. These connections are functionally relevant, as their activation suppresses pup-directed aggression in virgin males. These results demonstrate the life-stage associated, long-distance, and cell-type-specific plasticity of neural connections in the hypothalamus, the brain region that is classically assumed to be hard-wired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kengo Inada
- 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
| | - Takaya Abe
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Ayumu Konno
- Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan; Viral Vector Core, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Hirai
- Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan; Viral Vector Core, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kiyonari
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan; Japan Science and Technology Agency, PRESTO, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
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43
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Ni R, Shu Y, Luo P, Zhou J. Sexual dimorphism in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial preoptic area and suprachiasmatic nucleus in male and female tree shrews. J Anat 2022; 240:528-540. [PMID: 34642936 PMCID: PMC8819044 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13568] [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: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in behaviour partly arise from the sexual dimorphism of brain anatomy between males and females. However, the sexual dimorphism of the tree shrew brain is unclear. In the present study, we examined the detailed distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-immunoreactive (VIP-ir) neurons and fibres in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and VIP-ir fibres in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) of male and female tree shrews. The overall volume of the SCN in male tree shrews was comparable with that in females. However, males showed a significantly higher density of VIP-ir cells and fibres in the SCN than females. The shape of the VIP-stained area in coronal sections was arched, elongated or oval in the lateral division (STL) and the anterior part of the medial division (STMA) of the BST and oval or round in the posterior part of the medial division of the BST (STMP). The volume of the VIP-stained BST in male tree shrews was similar to that in females. The overall distribution of VIP-ir fibres was similar between the sexes throughout the BST except within the STMA, where darkly stained fibres were observed in males, whereas lightly stained fibres were observed in females. Furthermore, male tree shrews showed a significantly higher intensity of Nissl staining in the medial preoptic area (MPA) and the ventral part of the medial division of the BST than females. These findings are the first to reveal sexual dimorphism in the SCN, BST and MPA of the tree shrew brain, providing neuroanatomical evidence of sexual dimorphism in these regions related to their roles in sex differences in physiology and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong‐Jun Ni
- Psychiatric Laboratory and Mental Health CenterWest China Hospital of Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Huaxi Brain Research CenterWest China Hospital of Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yu‐Mian Shu
- School of Architecture and Civil EngineeringChengdu UniversityChengduChina
| | - Peng‐Hao Luo
- Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Brain Function and DiseasesSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiChina
| | - Jiang‐Ning Zhou
- Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Brain Function and DiseasesSchool of Life SciencesUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiChina
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Kumari R, Fazekas EA, Morvai B, Udvari EB, Dóra F, Zachar G, Székely T, Pogány Á, Dobolyi Á. Transcriptomics of Parental Care in the Hypothalamic-Septal Region of Female Zebra Finch Brain. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052518. [PMID: 35269661 PMCID: PMC8910180 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: The objective of this study was to uncover genomic causes of parental care. Since birds do not lactate and, therefore, do not show the gene expressional changes required for lactation, we investigate gene expression associated with parenting in caring and non-caring females in an avian species, the small passerine bird zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Here, we compare expression patterns in the hypothalamic–septal region since, previously, we showed that this area is activated in parenting females. (2) Methods: Transcriptome sequencing was first applied in a dissected part of the zebra finch brain related to taking care of the nestlings as compared to a control group of social pairs without nestlings. (3) Results: We found genes differentially expressed between caring and non-caring females. When introducing a log2fold change threshold of 1.5, 13 annotated genes were significantly upregulated in breeding pairs, while 39 annotated genes were downregulated. Significant enrichments of dopamine and acetylcholine biosynthetic processes were identified among upregulated pathways, while pro-opiomelanocortin and thyroid hormone pathways were downregulated, suggesting the importance of these systems in parental care. Network analysis further suggested neuro-immunological changes in mothers. (4) Conclusions: The results confirm the roles of several hypothesized major pathways in parental care, whereas novel pathways are also proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Kumari
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd Network of Research Excellence and Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (R.K.); (E.A.F.); (E.B.U.)
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Emese A. Fazekas
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd Network of Research Excellence and Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (R.K.); (E.A.F.); (E.B.U.)
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (B.M.); (Á.P.)
| | - Boglárka Morvai
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (B.M.); (Á.P.)
| | - Edina B. Udvari
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd Network of Research Excellence and Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (R.K.); (E.A.F.); (E.B.U.)
| | - Fanni Dóra
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, 1093 Budapest, Hungary; (F.D.); (G.Z.)
| | - Gergely Zachar
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, 1093 Budapest, Hungary; (F.D.); (G.Z.)
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK;
| | - Ákos Pogány
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (B.M.); (Á.P.)
| | - Árpád Dobolyi
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd Network of Research Excellence and Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (R.K.); (E.A.F.); (E.B.U.)
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-1-372-2500 (ext. 8775)
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Shin H, Byun J, Roh D, Choi N, Shin HS, Cho IJ. Interference-free, lightweight wireless neural probe system for investigating brain activity during natural competition. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 195:113665. [PMID: 34610533 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Competition is one of the most fundamental, yet complex, conflicts between social animals, and previous studies have indicated that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) region of a brain is involved in social interactions. However, because we do not have a lightweight, wireless recording system that is free of interference, it is still unclear how the neural activity of the mPFC region is involved in the diverse, interacting behaviors that comprise competition. Herein, we present an interference-free, lightweight, wireless neural probe system that we applied to two mice to measure mPFC neural activities during a food competition test. In the test, we categorized 18 behavioral repertoires expressed by the mice. From the analysis of the neural signals during each repetition of the test, we found that the mPFC neural activity had the most positive correlation with goal-driven competitive behaviors, such as guarding resources and behaviors related to the extortion of resources. Remarkably, we found that the neural activity associated with guarding behavior was higher than that of extorting behavior, and this highlighted the importance of resource-guarding behavior for winning the competition, i.e., 'winning a trophy is hard, but keeping it is harder'. Our approach in which a wireless system is used will enable in-depth studies of the brains of mice in their natural social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyogeun Shin
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Junweon Byun
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Department for Basic Science, IBS School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghyun Roh
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Nakwon Choi
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea; KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Sup Shin
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Department for Basic Science, IBS School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
| | - Il-Joo Cho
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, Republic of Korea; School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Yonsei-KIST Convergence Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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46
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Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a nonapeptide mainly produced in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. OT in the brain and blood has extensive functions in both mental and physical activities. These functions are mediated by OT receptors (OTRs) that are distributed in a broad spectrum of tissues with dramatic sexual dimorphism. In both sexes, OT generally facilitates social cognition and behaviors, facilitates parental behavior and sexual activity and inhibits feeding and pain perception. However, there are significant differences in OT levels and distribution of OTRs in men from women. Thus, many OT functions in men are different from women, particularly in the reproduction. In men, the reproductive functions are relatively simple. In women, the reproductive functions involve menstrual cycle, pregnancy, parturition, lactation, and menopause. These functions make OT regulation of women's health and disease a unique topic of physiological and pathological studies. In menstruation, pre-ovulatory increase in OT secretion in the hypothalamus and the ovary can promote the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and facilitate ovulation. During pregnancy, increased OT synthesis and preterm release endow OT system the ability to promote maternal behavior and lactation. In parturition, cervix expansion-elicited pulse OT secretion and uterine OT release accelerate the expelling of fetus and reduce postpartum hemorrhage. During lactation, intermittent pulsatile OT secretion is necessary for the milk-ejection reflex and maternal behavior. Disorders in OT secretion can account for maternal depression and hypogalactia. In menopause, the reduction of OT secretion accounts for many menopausal symptoms and diseases. These issues are reviewed in this work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Haipeng Yang
- Neonatal Division of the Department of Pediatrics, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Liqun Han
- Department of Radiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Mingxing Ma
- Department of Colorectal Cancer Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- *Correspondence: Mingxing Ma,
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47
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Markov AG, Shadrin LV, Kruglova NM, Fedorova AA, Razgovorova IA, Chernysheva MP. Is Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone an Integrator of Prolactin- and Oxytocin-Dependent Processes in the Mammary Gland and Maternal Behavior of Lactating Mice? J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093021050203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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48
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Dimén D, Puska G, Szendi V, Sipos E, Zelena D, Dobolyi Á. Sex-specific parenting and depression evoked by preoptic inhibitory neurons. iScience 2021; 24:103090. [PMID: 34604722 PMCID: PMC8463871 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of preoptic GABAergic inhibitory neurons was addressed in parenting, anxiety and depression. Pup exposure and forced swimming resulted in similar c-Fos activation pattern in neurons expressing vesicular GABA transporter in the preoptic area with generally stronger labeling and different distributional pattern in females than in males. Chemogenetic stimulation of preoptic GABAergic cells resulted in elevated maternal motivation and caring behavior in females and mothers but aggression toward pups in males. Behavioral effects were the opposite following inhibition of preoptic GABAergic neurons suggesting their physiological relevance. In addition, increased anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors were found following chemogenetic stimulation of the same neurons in females, whereas previous pup exposure increased only anxiety-like behavior suggesting that not the pups, but overstimulation of the cells can lead to depression-like behavior. A sexually dimorphic projection pattern of preoptic GABAergic neurons was also identified, which could mediate sex-dependent parenting and associated emotional behaviors. Preoptic GABAergic neurons promote maternal behaviors in females mice Activation of preoptic GABAergic neurons induces pup-directed aggression in males Projection pattern of preoptic GABAergic neurons is sexually dimorphic Depression-like behaviors are provoked by stimulation of preoptic GABAergic neurons
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Affiliation(s)
- Diána Dimén
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gina Puska
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, 1078 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Vivien Szendi
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Sipos
- Department of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1080 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Department of Behavioral and Stress Studies, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1080 Budapest, Hungary.,Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Árpád Dobolyi
- MTA-ELTE Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
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49
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De Guzman RM, Rosinger ZJ, Parra KE, Jacobskind JS, Justice NJ, Zuloaga DG. Alterations in corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1 in the preoptic area and hypothalamus in mice during the postpartum period. Horm Behav 2021; 135:105044. [PMID: 34507241 PMCID: PMC8653990 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling through CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) regulates autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral responses to stress, as well as behavioral changes during the maternal period. Previous work in our lab reported higher levels of CRFR1 in female, compared to male, mice within the rostral anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV/PeN), a brain region involved in maternal behaviors. In this study, we used CRFR1-GFP reporter mice to investigate whether the reproductive status (postpartum vs. nulliparous) of acutely stressed females affects levels of CRFR1 in the AVPV/PeN and other regions involved in maternal functions. Compared to nulliparous, postpartum day 14 females showed increased AVPV/PeN CRFR1-GFP immunoreactivity and an elevated number of restraint stress-activated AVPV/PeN CRFR1 cells as assessed by immunohistochemical co-localization of CRFR1-GFP and phosphorylated CREB (pCREB). The medial preoptic area (MPOA) and paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN) of postpartum mice showed modest decreases in CRFR1-GFP immunoreactivity, while increased CRFR1-GFP/pCREB co-expressing cells were found in the PVN following restraint stress relative to nulliparous mice. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and CRFR1-GFP co-localization was also assessed in the AVPV/PeN and other regions and revealed a decrease in co-localized neurons in the AVPV/PeN and ventral tegmental area of postpartum mice. Corticosterone analysis of restrained mice revealed blunted peak, but elevated recovery, levels in postpartum compared to nulliparous mice. Finally, we investigated projection patterns of AVPV/PeN CRFR1 neurons using female CRFR1-Cre mice and revealed dense efferent projections to several preoptic, hypothalamic, and hindbrain regions known to control stress-associated and maternal functions. Together, these findings contribute to our understanding of the neurobiology that might underlie changes in stress-related functions during the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Zachary J Rosinger
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Katherine E Parra
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Jason S Jacobskind
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States.
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50
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Zhang SX, Lutas A, Yang S, Diaz A, Fluhr H, Nagel G, Gao S, Andermann ML. Hypothalamic dopamine neurons motivate mating through persistent cAMP signalling. Nature 2021; 597:245-249. [PMID: 34433964 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03845-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Transient neuromodulation can have long-lasting effects on neural circuits and motivational states1-4. Here we examine the dopaminergic mechanisms that underlie mating drive and its persistence in male mice. Brief investigation of females primes a male's interest to mate for tens of minutes, whereas a single successful mating triggers satiety that gradually recovers over days5. We found that both processes are controlled by specialized anteroventral and preoptic periventricular (AVPV/PVpo) dopamine neurons in the hypothalamus. During the investigation of females, dopamine is transiently released in the medial preoptic area (MPOA)-an area that is critical for mating behaviours. Optogenetic stimulation of AVPV/PVpo dopamine axons in the MPOA recapitulates the priming effect of exposure to a female. Using optical and molecular methods for tracking and manipulating intracellular signalling, we show that this priming effect emerges from the accumulation of mating-related dopamine signals in the MPOA through the accrual of cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels and protein kinase A activity. Dopamine transients in the MPOA are abolished after a successful mating, which is likely to ensure abstinence. Consistent with this idea, the inhibition of AVPV/PVpo dopamine neurons selectively demotivates mating, whereas stimulating these neurons restores the motivation to mate after sexual satiety. We therefore conclude that the accumulation or suppression of signals from specialized dopamine neurons regulates mating behaviours across minutes and days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen X Zhang
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew Lutas
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shang Yang
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Adriana Diaz
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hugo Fluhr
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Georg Nagel
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Shiqiang Gao
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mark L Andermann
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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