Neurons for infant social behaviors in the mouse zona incerta

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Li, Yuexuan; Liu, Zhong-Wu; Santana, Gustavo M.; Capaz, Ana Marta; Doumazane, Etienne; Gao, Xiao-Bing; Renier, Nicolas; Dietrich, Marcelo O.
• 署名单位: Yale University; Yale University; Yale University; Sorbonne Universite; Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (Inserm); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); CNRS - National Institute for Biology (INSB); Assistance Publique Hopitaux Paris (APHP)
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-13833
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adk7411
• 发表日期: 2024-07-26
• 页码: 409-416
• 关键词: ultrasonic vocalizations; responses; ORGANIZATION; methimazole; attraction; attachment; toxicity; cortex; fear

摘要

Understanding the neural basis of infant social behaviors is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms of early social and emotional development. In this work, we report a specific population of somatostatin-expressing neurons in the zona incerta (ZI(SST)) of preweaning mice that responds dynamically to social interactions, particularly those with their mother. Bidirectional neural activity manipulations in pups revealed that widespread connectivity of preweaning ZI(SST) neurons to sensory, emotional, and cognitive brain centers mediates two key adaptive functions associated with maternal presence: the reduction of behavior distress and the facilitation of learning. These findings reveal a population of neurons in the infant mouse brain that coordinate the positive effects of the relationship with the mother on an infant's behavior and physiology.