Untitled Seminar

Mammalian neonates are born immature. Thus mothers are equipped with innate motivation to nurture them. Moreover, in species that live in a family group, fathers and older siblings may also provide extensive care to the young. By studying those highly social species, including laboratory mice, common marmosets, and humans, we are trying to elucidate the neural mechanisms of parental care. Neuronal activity mapping and site-specific functional suppression in mice identified the central part of the medial preoptic area (cMPOA) as the hub of caregiving network for both mothers and fathers.Recent findings about the neural circuit and molecular signaling involved in caregiving motivation will be discussed.