Oxytocin modulation of female aggression

项目总结(项目4，合作项目：林、弗罗梅克、布萨基、钱学森) 社会关系是指同一物种的成员之间形成的亲密关系。跨物种， 社会纽带通常伴随着对感知到的针对对象的威胁的攻击性增加 依恋之心。社会联系导致的攻击性增加背后的神经过程仍然存在 不清楚。催产素在社会纽带的形成中起着关键作用。巧合的是，大脑腹外侧部 下丘脑腹内侧区(VMHvl)，是男性和女性攻击不可或缺的下丘脑区域 高水平表达催产素受体，紧挨着脑组织发现密集的催产素神经元簇 VMHvl.因此，我们推测催产素可能在改变VMHv1细胞对 母婴结合后增加女性攻击性的潜在威胁。在这里，我们将检验这一假设 通过三个目标。在目标1中，我们将测试局部和远端催产素输入到VMHvl的功能作用 哺乳期女性攻击性增加。在目标2中，我们将进行体内细胞类型的特异性记录 解决VMHvl细胞及其邻近的催产素神经元在女性自然攻击时的反应。 此外，我们将使用一种新的基因编码的催产素传感器来解决催产素如何影响 幼稚和哺乳期雌性vmHvl细胞的活性。在目标3中，我们将使用RNAseq和体外切片记录 探讨VMHvl细胞在哺乳过程中如何改变其分子和电生理特性。在……里面 总结，此项目将结合项目1-3中开发的各种工具，以提供对 下丘脑的神经调节机制在社会联系中改变攻击性行为。

Project Summary (Project 4, Co-PIs: Lin, Froemke, Buzsaki, Tsien) Social bonding refers to an intimate relationship formed among members of the same species. Across species, social bonding is often accompanied by increased aggressiveness towards perceived threats against the object of attachment. The neural process underlying the social bonding induced increase in aggression remains unclear. Oxytocin plays pivotal roles in the formation of social bonds. Coincidently, the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl), a hypothalamic region indispensable for both male and female aggression expresses high level of oxytocin receptor and a dense cluster of oxytocin neurons are found right next to the VMHvl. Thus, we hypothesize that oxytocin may play an important role in altering the VMHvl cell responses to potential threat to increase female aggression after mother-infant bonding. Here we will test this hypothesis through three aims. In Aim 1, we will test the functional role of local and distal oxytocin inputs to the VMHvl in increasing female aggression during lactation. In Aim 2, we will perform in vivo cell-type specific recording to address how VMHvl cells and their neighboring oxytocin neurons respond during natural female aggression. Additionally, we will employ a novel genetically encoded oxytocin sensor to address how oxytocin influences the activity of VMHvl cells in naïve and lactating females. In Aim 3, we will employ RNAseq and in vitro slice recording to investigate how the VMHvl cells change the molecular and electrophysiological properties during lactation. In summary, this project will combine the various tools developed in Projects 1-3 to provide new insight into the neuromodulatory mechanisms in hypothalamus that alter aggressive behavior during social bonding.