Nested Neuronal Dynamics Orchestrate a Behavioral Hierarchy across Timescales.

Classical and modern ethological studies suggest that animal behavior is organized hierarchically across timescales, such that longer-timescale behaviors are composed of specific shorter-timescale actions. Despite progress relating neuronal dynamics to single-timescale behavior, it remains unclear how different timescale dynamics interact to give rise to such higher-order behavioral organization. Here, we show, in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, that a behavioral hierarchy spanning three timescales is implemented by nested neuronal dynamics.

Single-Cell Reconstruction of Oxytocinergic Neurons Reveals Separate Hypophysiotropic and Encephalotropic Subtypes in Larval Zebrafish.

Oxytocin regulates a diverse set of processes including stress, analgesia, metabolism, and social behavior. How such diverse functions are mediated by a single hormonal system is not well understood. Different functions of oxytocin could be mediated by distinct cell groups, yet it is currently unknown whether different oxytocinergic cell types exist that specifically mediate peripheral neuroendocrine or various central neuromodulatory processes via dedicated pathways.