Identification and functional characterization of an oxytocin neuronal population coordinating lactation

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Valery Grinevich
• Subject Area: Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology ; Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells
• Term: from 2017 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 341162785

• Final Report Year: 2021

Final Report Abstract

We are currently preparing the complete set of results for a publication addressing longstanding question, which is vital for survival and propagation of mammalian species: how does the OT system is synchronized during lactation to efficiently control lactation. Our results propose a novel mechanism that a small fraction of parvocellular OT neurons, at least partially, controls lactation via receiving indirect synaptic input from sensory neurons of the spinal cord innervating the mammary glands. In turn, the same population of parvocellular OT neurons elicits coherent activation of magnocellular OT neurons in the PVN as well as in the SON to elicit pulsatile OT release into the blood to subsequently evoke milk ejection. However, the precise modalities and ascending pathways, which activates parvocellular OT neurons by the sensory stimuli in socially interacting virgin female rats and/or in lactating rats, remain further dissection.

Publications

• (2019): Chemogenetic activation of oxytocin neurons: Temporal dynamics, hormonal release, and behavioral consequences. Psychoneuroendocrinology 106, 77-84
  Grund, T., Tang, Y., Benusiglio, D., Althammer, F., Probst, S., Oppenlander, L., Neumann, I.D., and Grinevich, V.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.03.019)
• (2019): Oxytocin signaling in the central amygdala modulates emotion discrimination in mice. Cur. Biol., 29, 1938-1953
  Ferretti, V., Maltese, F., Contarini, G., Nigro, M., Bonavia, A., Huiping, H., Gigliucci, V., Morelli, G., Scheggia, D., Managò, F., Castellani, G., Lefevre, A., Cancedda, L., Bice Chini, B., Grinevich, V., and Papaleo, F.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.04.070)
• (2020): Distinct dynamics of social motivation drive different patterns of social behavior in Sprague Dawley rats and C57BL/6J mice. Nature Commun.
  Netser, S., Meyer, A., Magalnik, H., Zylbertal, A., de la Zerda, S.H., Briller, M., Bizer, A., Grinevich, V., Wagner, S.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19569-0)
• (2020): Extrahypothalamic oxytocin neurons drive stress-induced social vigilance and avoidance. PNAS
  Duque-Wilckens, N., Torres, L., Yokoyama, S., Minie, V.A, Tran, A., Stela P. Petkova, S.P., Hao, R., Ramos-Maciel, S., Jackson, K., Pesavento, P., Iñiguez, S., Grinevich, V., Trainor, B.C.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2011890117)
• (2021): Astrocytes mediate the effect of oxytocin in the central amygdala on neuronal activity and affective states in rodents. Nature Neurosci., 24: 529-541
  Wahis, J., Kerspern, D., Althammer, F., Baudon, A., Goyon, S., Hagiwara, D., Lefèvre, A., Boury-Jamot, B., Bellanger, B., Abatis, M., Silva da Gouveia, M., Benusiglio, D., Marina Eliava, Rozov, A., Weinsanto, I., Knobloch-Bollmann, H.S., Wang, H., Pertin, M., Inquimbert, P., Pitzer, C., Siemens, J., Goumon, Y., Boutrel, B., Darbon, P., Lamy, C.M., Stern, J.E., Décosterd,I., Chatton, J-Y., Young, W.S., Stoop, R., Poisbeau, P., Grinevich, V., Charlet, A.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-021-00800-0)