Antibody Core

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Project Summary: Antibody Core One of the major features of this BRAIN Initative proposal on “Oxytocin Modulation of Neural Circuit Function and Behavior” is this Oxytocin Receptor Antibody Production Research Support Core. Each of the Project teams is examining oxytocin release and the action of oxytocin receptor signaling. Oxytocin is one of the best- understood modulators at the physiological and behavioral levels, having been studied in various forms for over a century. However, little is known about the cellular and network effects of oxytocin signaling, in part due to previous lack of specific antibodies for determining which brain areas and cell types express oxytocin receptors. Our labs have generated, validated, and are distributing the first specific antibodies to mouse oxytocin receptors, and given the successful use and enthusiasm by the scientific community, we feel obliged to scale-up production of these reagents and improve their functionality. Aim 1 of the Antibody Core is to continue production of oxytocin receptor antibodies, Aim 2 is to distribute these antibodies broadly, and Aim 3 is to generate monoclonal antibodies to facilitate their broader use by Project labs and other investigators both in the US and internationally. There is clearly urgent need for these resources, which are best produced, tested, and distributed by a Core facility rather than by individual labs.