OXYTOCIN & SOCIAL ATTACHMENT

这个项目的目标是研究中枢催产素的作用 在社会依恋的中介途径。 本项目采用 分子，细胞和行为技术，重点是 一夫一妻制的哺乳动物 这项研究主要集中在啮齿动物上， 比较一夫一妻制和非一夫一妻制的物种， 转基因小鼠 主要的发现是催产素受体 似乎分布在不同的地区， 物种，导致肽的不同功能效应。 在 对于一夫一妻制草原田鼠，催产素在配对中起着重要作用 前将芯片 受体分布的物种差异不是 与受体基因编码序列的变异有关 但可能是由于启动子中的广泛变异。 最近， 先前已经在猴子中进行了解剖学和分子学研究， 研究人类大脑 恒河猴的基因定位研究 已经在子宫中发现了催产素受体， 利用结合技术或聚合酶 链反应 一个相关的受体，V1a受体，已经被发现， 在恒河猴前脑的选择区域中， 杂交，并且基于其表达模式，可能具有 在记忆中的重要作用。 本研究的最终目的是 识别依恋行为的神经回路，提供一个 人类社会疾病研究领域的潜在地图 依恋，例如自闭症。

The goal of this project is to study the role of central oxytocin pathways in the mediation of social attachment. This project uses molecular, cellular, and behavioral techniques with a focus on monogamous mammals. This research has focused primarily on rodents, comparing monogamous and non-monogamous species as well as developing transgenic mice. The major finding is that the oxytocin receptor appears to be distributed in markedly different patterns across species, leading to different functional effects of the peptide. In the monogamous prairie vole, oxytocin has an important role for pair bonding. The species differences in receptor distribution are not associated with variations in the coding sequence of the receptor gene but may be due to extensive variation in the promoter. Recently, anatomic and molecular studies in monkeys have been undertaken prior to investigating the human brain. Mapping studies in rhesus monkey have identified an oxytocin receptor in the u terus but fail to detect this receptor in brain using either binding techniques or polymerase chain reaction. A related receptor, the V1a receptor, has been found in select regions of the rhesus forebrain with binding and in situ hybridization and, based on its pattern of expression, may have an important role in memory. The ultimate purpose of this research is to identify the neural circuitry for attachment behavior, providing a potential map of areas for study in human disorders of social attachment, such as autism.