Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior

Same-sex mounting in single-housed C57BL/6J female mice is not coupled to estrous state

This study shows that same-sex mounting in single-housed C57BL/6J female mice is not influenced by the estrous state of either the mounter or the stimulus female.

Social hierarchy and behavioral individuality in colonies of isogenic female mice

This study shows that isogenic female mice form stable social hierarchies, with high-ranked females showing greater sociability and different dopamine and glucocorticoid receptor signaling compared to males.

Where's my mom? Resilient maternal preference in post-weaning male and female mice within a multi-chamber social behavior task

This study shows that juvenile mice retain strong maternal preference post-weaning, which remains resilient to immune activation, with sex-specific differences in exploration behavior.

Sociability genetically separable from social hierarchy in amniotes

This study shows that sociability and social hierarchy are genetically separable in amniotes through PAS1 mutations in mice and wallabies/chickens.

Overnight circuit remodelling drives juvenile alloparental care

This study shows that juvenile mice develop caregiving behavior through rapid neural circuit remodelling in the medial preoptic area, mediated by microglia.

The transcriptome of playfulness is sex-biased in the juvenile rat medial amygdala: a role for inhibitory neurons

The paper identifies sex-biased gene expression in the juvenile rat medial amygdala associated with playfulness, showing inhibitory neurons drive this difference.

Like sisters but not twins - vasopressin and oxytocin excite BNST neurons via cell type-specific expression of oxytocin receptor to reduce anxious arousal

The paper shows that oxytocin receptor-expressing BNST neurons are excited by AVP and OT inputs, reducing anxious arousal and threat avoidance.

A Ventromedial Hypothalamic Neuron Subset Encodes a Conspecific-Tuned Behavior State Driving Social Investigation

The paper identifies a subset of VMHSF1 neurons in male mice that encode conspecific social cues with sex bias and drive social investigation, distinct from neurons involved in predator defense.

Oxytocin receptor absence reduces selectivity in peer relationships and alters neurochemical release dynamics in prairie voles

This study shows that oxytocin receptor absence in prairie voles impairs peer relationship formation, stability, and reward, with reduced oxytocin release in the nucleus accumbens.

Behavioral and neural correlates of social hierarchy formation in a sex-changing fish

This study examines social hierarchy formation in sex-changing fish, finding that dominance is size-based and disruption leads to rapid behavioral and neural changes.

Acute Administration of Oxytocin in the Functional Recovery of Neurocognitive and Social Deficits Following Juvenile Frontal Traumatic Brain Injury

This study investigates the effects of intranasal oxytocin on functional recovery after juvenile frontal traumatic brain injury, finding mixed behavioral improvements and increased brain oxytocin levels.

Cellular evolution of the hypothalamic preoptic area of behaviorally divergent deer mice

The paper builds a cellular atlas of the hypothalamic preoptic area in two deer mouse species, identifying cell types linked to behavioral differences and sex-specific evolution.

Effects of systemic oxytocin receptor activation and blockade on risky decision making in female and male rats

This study investigates how oxytocin and its antagonist affect risky decision-making in male and female rats, finding sex-dependent effects on reward preference.

Expression of sex steroid receptors and sex differences of Otp glutamatergic neurons of the medial extended amygdala

The paper examines sex steroid receptor expression in Otp glutamatergic neurons of the medial extended amygdala and finds sex differences in receptor expression and neuronal morphology.

Neuropeptide oxytocin facilitates its own brain-to-periphery uptake by regulating blood flow dynamics and permeability

This study shows oxytocin regulates blood flow and permeability in the neurohypophyseal system to enhance its own uptake into the bloodstream.

Social complexity during early development has long-term effects on neuroplasticity in the social decision-making network

The paper investigates how early social experience in fish affects neuroplasticity markers in brain regions related to social decision-making.

Single-Cell Resolution of Individual Variation in Hypothalamic Neurons Allows Targeted Manipulation Affecting Social Motivation

The paper uses single-nucleus RNA-sequencing to link molecular variation in hypothalamic neurons to social motivation behavior in mice, identifying actionable targets for social deficit disorders.

Oxtyocin and vasopressin 1a receptor alterations in the superior temporal sulcus and hypothalamus in schizophrenia

This study examines AVPR1a and OXTR receptor densities in schizophrenia patients and controls, finding age- and sex-dependent changes in the superior temporal sulcus and hypothalamus.

Short-term social isolation acts on hypothalamic neurons to promote social behavior in a sex- and context-dependent manner

The paper identifies hypothalamic neurons that promote social behavior after short-term isolation, showing sex- and context-dependent effects.

A Hypothalamic Circuit Underlying the Dynamic Control of Social Homeostasis

Opposing glutamatergic MPN Isolation and mostly GABAergic MPN Reunion neurons in the mouse preoptic hypothalamus encode social need and satiety, with touch as a likely cue.

Oxytocin enhances acquisition in a social trust task in mice, whereas both oxytocin and its antagonist block trust violation learning

This study shows that oxytocin enhances trust acquisition in male mice but blocks trust violation learning, while its antagonist has similar effects, with no impact on females.

Persistent dopamine-dependent remodeling of the neural transcriptome in response to pregnancy and postpartum

This study identifies dopamine-dependent transcriptional changes in the dorsal hippocampal formation during pregnancy and postpartum, showing how dopamine modulates neural plasticity and behavior.

Brain aromatase and its relationship with parental experience and behavior in male mice

The paper examines how paternal experience in male mice affects aromatase expression in specific brain regions, linking it to changes in paternal behavior and brain lateralization.

Extended amygdala corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons regulate sexually dimorphic changes in pair bond formation following social defeat in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

This study shows that social defeat affects pair bond formation differently in male and female prairie voles, with BNST CRH neurons playing a sex-specific role in regulating these changes.

Disruption of the CRF1 receptor eliminates morphine-induced sociability deficits and firing of oxytocinergic neurons in male mice

This study shows that blocking the CRF1 receptor in male mice prevents morphine-induced sociability deficits and oxytocinergic neuron firing, with sex-specific effects.

Hypothalamic Vasopressin Neurons Enable Maternal Thermoregulatory Behaviors

This study shows that vasopressin neurons in the hypothalamus regulate maternal thermoregulatory behaviors in mice, influenced by ambient temperature and TRPM8 thermosensation.

Rapid changes in plasma corticosterone and medial amygdala transcriptome profiles during social status change reveal molecular pathways associated with a major life history transition in mouse dominance hierarchies

This study examines how male CD-1 mice respond molecularly to changes in social hierarchy, finding greater stress and gene expression changes in formerly dominant mice during social descent.

Sex differences in aggression and its neural substrate in a cichlid fish

The paper investigates sex differences in aggression and neural substrates in Astatotilapia burtoni using behavioral assays and immunohistochemistry to analyze neural activation patterns.

Coordination and persistence of aggressive visual communication in Siamese fighting fish

This study investigates turn-taking aggressive behavior in Siamese fighting fish, identifying a brain region involved in persistence but not coordination of social interactions.

Visual Identification of Conspecifics Shapes Social Behavior in Mice

This study shows that visual identification of conspecifics influences social behavior in mice, highlighting the role of vision in social interactions.