小柯机器人

美国纽约大学Robert C. Froemke、Ioana Carcea等研究人员合作发现，催产素神经元使母性行为的社会传播成为可能。相关论文于2021年8月11日在线发表在《自然》杂志上。

研究人员连续监测了雌性处女鼠与有经验的母亲鼠和幼崽同住的行为。这种记录方法与来自处女鼠下丘脑室旁核（PVN）的神经记录同步，包括催产素神经元。这些细胞被激活，因为处女鼠被有经验的母亲鼠召唤参与母性护理，母亲鼠将处女鼠领入巢中并演示幼崽的取回。处女鼠直接观察了母亲鼠的取回行为，这激活了PVN催产素神经元，促进了异亲行为。因此，啮齿动物可以通过社会传播获得母性行为，这提供了一种通过内源性催产素使成年照顾者的大脑适应婴儿需求的机制。

据了解，母体关照，包括非亲生父母的照顾，对后代的存活非常重要。催产素由PVN释放，是一种关键的母体激素。在小鼠中，催产素使听觉皮层的神经可塑性得到提高，以便母体识别幼崽的危险。然而，目前还不清楚最初的父母经验是如何促进下丘脑信号和大脑皮层可塑性来实现可靠的母体关照的。

附：英文原文

Title: Oxytocin neurons enable social transmission of maternal behaviour

Author: Carcea, Ioana, Caraballo, Naomi Lpez, Marlin, Bianca J., Ooyama, Rumi, Riceberg, Justin S., Mendoza Navarro, Joyce M., Opendak, Maya, Diaz, Veronica E., Schuster, Luisa, Alvarado Torres, Maria I., Lethin, Harper, Ramos, Daniel, Minder, Jessica, Mendoza, Sebastian L., Bair-Marshall, Chloe J., Samadjopoulos, Grace H., Hidema, Shizu, Falkner, Annegret, Lin, Dayu, Mar, Adam, Wadghiri, Youssef Z., Nishimori, Katsuhiko, Kikusui, Takefumi, Mogi, Kazutaka, Sullivan, Regina M., Froemke, Robert C.

Issue&Volume: 2021-08-11

Abstract: Maternal care, including by non-biological parents, is important for offspring survival1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Oxytocin1,2,9,10,11,12,13,14,15, which is released by the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), is a critical maternal hormone. In mice, oxytocin enables neuroplasticity in the auditory cortex for maternal recognition of pup distress15. However, it is unclear how initial parental experience promotes hypothalamic signalling and cortical plasticity for reliable maternal care. Here we continuously monitored the behaviour of female virgin mice co-housed with an experienced mother and litter. This documentary approach was synchronized with neural recordings from the virgin PVN, including oxytocin neurons. These cells were activated as virgins were enlisted in maternal care by experienced mothers, who shepherded virgins into the nest and demonstrated pup retrieval. Virgins visually observed maternal retrieval, which activated PVN oxytocin neurons and promoted alloparenting. Thus rodents can acquire maternal behaviour by social transmission, providing a mechanism for adapting the brains of adult caregivers to infant needs via endogenous oxytocin.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03814-7

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03814-7

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