Developmental and circuit mechanisms for innate social behaviors in the medial amygdala

项目摘要 天生的社会行为对生存至关重要，因此在动物物种中共享。在人类中，精神病学 在社会交往中具有缺陷的障碍包括自闭症谱系障碍和行为障碍。两 这些情况可以在儿童早期发育过程中观察到， 功能障碍然而，仍然缺乏对神经系统的电路和发育机制的了解， 社会行为的产生;我打算长期研究的课题。为了做到这一点，我专注于内侧 杏仁核（MeA），因为它是一个涉及社会嗅觉线索处理和 小鼠社会运动行为的产生。这个项目的目标是揭示神经元回路， 社会行为的感觉和运动处理，特别是攻击性，以及发展性 它们在雄性和雌性小鼠中建立的机制。我将采取发展的方法来学习 攻击利用我以前的特点MeA神经元亚群，标记为 胚胎和出生后转录因子Foxp2的表达。MeA Foxp2+细胞在分子上是， 在生理上不同于该地区其他发展定义的亚群。我提出一个中央 在社会信息的感觉处理中存在两性差异的假说 在出生后的发育过程中出现在MeA中，导致特定的下游功能回路。我带 一个整体的方法和研究性别特异性差异在不同的发展轨迹和不同的 环境条件在目的1（K99）中，我将研究MeA Foxp2+的细胞反应和功能 在攻击和其他社会行为期间，通过使用纤维光度法， 化学遗传学工具在目标2（K99）中，我将在男性和女性中建立MeA Foxp2+细胞下游投射， 雌性小鼠，以揭示攻击性回路中的性别特异性差异。在目标3（R00）中，我将研究 这些电路在青春期前和青春期后的不同时间点产生的发育机制。我会 还研究了早期生活中的不良经历如何改变电路。在辅导阶段， 获奖后，我将完成一项培训计划，以发展和加强成人回路解剖的技术技能， 幼年小鼠通过整合各种会聚技术，包括多光纤测光，电路 在雄性和雌性小鼠的发育时间点上绘制和遗传编码传感器， 该项目将大大促进我们对建立发展机制的理解， 社会行为的性二态回路

Project Summary Innate social behaviors are crucial for survival, thus shared across animal species. In humans, psychiatric disorders with deficits in social interactions include autism spectrum disorders and conduct disorder. Both of these conditions can be observed during early child development and have been associated with amygdala dysfunction. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the circuitry and developmental mechanisms for the generation of social behaviors; topics I aim to study in the long-term. To do so, I focus on the medial amygdala (MeA) as it is a region that has been implicated in both the processing of social olfactory cues and the generation of social motor actions in mice. The goal of this project is to uncover the neuronal circuitry for the sensory and motor processing of social behaviors, specifically aggression, and the developmental mechanisms for their establishment in male and female mice. I will take a developmental approach to study aggression by taking advantage of my previously characterized MeA neuronal subpopulation, marked by the expression of the embryonic and postnatal transcription factor Foxp2. MeA Foxp2+ cells are molecularly and physiologically distinct from other developmentally-defined subpopulations in the region. I present a central hypothesis in which there are sexually dimorphic differences in the sensory processing of social information arising during postnatal development in the MeA, resulting in specific downstream functional circuits. I will take a holistic approach and study sex-specific differences at distinct developmental trajectories and under different environmental conditions. In Aim 1 (K99), I will investigate the cellular responses and functions of MeA Foxp2+ cells in female mice during aggression and other social behaviors through the use of fiber photometry and chemogenetic tools. In Aim 2 (K99), I will establish the MeA Foxp2+ cells downstream projections in male and female mice to uncover sex-specific differences in the circuits for aggression. In Aim 3 (R00), I will study the developmental mechanisms for the generation of these circuits at distinct time-points pre-and post-puberty. I will also investigate how the circuit may be modified by early life adverse experiences. In the mentored phase of the award, I will complete a training plan to develop and strengthen technical skills for circuit dissection in adult and juvenile mice. By integrating a diverse set of convergent techniques, including multi-fiber photometry, circuit mapping and genetically encoded sensors across developmental time-points in male and female mice, this project will greatly advance our understanding of the developmental mechanisms for the establishment of sexually dimorphic circuits for social behaviors.