Role of sexually dimorphic oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus on maternal behavior.

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide produced by magnocellular neurosecretory neurons located primarily in the supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. The long axons of these neurons project to the neurohypophysis where oxytocin is released into the general circulation in response to the physiological demands. Oxytocin plays critical roles in female reproductive physiology, specifically in uterine contraction during labor and milk ejection while nursing.

Sexually dimorphic oxytocin receptor-expressing (OXTR) neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) in the postpartum female mouse are involved in maternal behavior.

Maternal care is crucial for the survival and development of offspring. Oxytocin modulates maternal behavior by binding to oxytocin receptors (OXTRs) in various parts of the brain. Previously, we showed that OXTRs are expressed in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) of female, but not male mice.

Targeting oxytocin receptor (Oxtr)-expressing neurons in the lateral septum to restore social novelty in autism spectrum disorder mouse models.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a continuum of neurodevelopmental disorders and needs new therapeutic approaches. Recently, oxytocin (OXT) showed potential as the first anti-ASD drug. Many reports have described the efficacy of intranasal OXT therapy to improve the core symptoms of patients with ASD; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanism remains unknown.

Advances in the neurophysiology of magnocellular neuroendocrine cells.

Hypothalamic magnocellular neuroendocrine cells have unique electrical properties and a remarkable capacity for morphological and synaptic plasticity. Their large somatic size, their relatively uniform and dense clustering in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, and their large axon terminals in the neurohypophysis make them an attractive target for direct electrophysiological interrogation. Here, we provide a brief review of significant recent findings in the neuroplasticity and neurophysiological properties of these neurones that were presented at the symposium "Electrophysiology of Magnocellular Neurons" during the 13th World Congress on Neurohypophysial Hormones in Ein Gedi, Israel in April 2019.

Allele-specific enhancer interaction at the Peg3 imprinted domain.

The parental allele specificity of mammalian imprinted genes has been evolutionarily well conserved, although its functional constraints and associated mechanisms are not fully understood. In the current study, we generated a mouse mutant with switched active alleles driving the switch from paternal-to-maternal expression for Peg3 and the maternal-to-paternal expression for Zim1. The expression levels of Peg3 and Zim1, but not the spatial expression patterns, within the brain showed clear differences between wild type and mutant animals.