Neural circuitry for observational learning of maternal behavior - Administrative Supplement

项目总结/摘要 对生存至关重要的行为，包括养育行为，是由神经回路驱动的， 遗传学和经验学习的结合。父母的行为在多大程度上是后天习得的， 是由先天的神经回路特化决定的吗处女雌鼠可以学习一些母性 当与有经验的母亲和她的幼崽一起圈养时，特别是将孤立的幼崽带回到 巢初步数据表明，处女可以通过听觉和视觉观察来学习这种行为。无论是 母亲和有过幼犬经验的处女，提取行为与大脑感觉区域的可塑性有关， 包括听觉皮层对幼犬发声的高度敏感性。这位学识渊博、善于社交的 传递行为是一个理想的模型，用于测量突触可塑性与学习相关的自然， 上下文在这个建议中，我将使用头部固定的虚拟现实范例结合全细胞 电生理学和功能成像来测量由真实的时间观察诱导的可塑性。我会 解构视觉和听觉线索的具体组合如何改善幼犬的听觉皮层调谐 发声，使小鼠能够将这些声音归类为行为上显著的。我会用功能成像 光遗传学操作以测量诱导所需的神经调节活性的动力学， 保持这种可塑性。

Project Summary/Abstract Behaviors essential for survival, including parenting behaviors, are driven by neural circuits that arise from combinations of genetics and experience-dependent learning. To what extent is parental behavior learned, vs. predetermined by innate specializations of neural circuits? Virgin female mice can learn some maternal behaviors when housed with an experienced mother and her pups, in particular retrieving isolated pups to the nest. Preliminary data indicates that virgins can learn this behavior via auditory and visual observation. In both mothers and pup-experienced virgins, retrieval behavior is correlated with plasticity in sensory areas of the brain, including heightened sensitivity for pup vocalizations in auditory cortex. This robustly-learned, socially- transmitted behavior is an ideal model for measuring synaptic plasticity correlated with learning in a naturalistic context. In this proposal I will use a head-fixed virtual reality paradigm combined with whole-cell electrophysiology and functional imaging to measure plasticity induced by observation in real time. I will deconstruct what specific combinations of visual and auditory cues refine auditory cortex tuning for pup vocalizations, enabling mice to categorize these sounds as behaviorally salient. I will use functional imaging and optogenetic manipulations to measure the dynamics of neuromodulatory activity required for induction and maintenance of this plasticity.