Topic: social novelty preference

Despite its critical importance to social animals, the mechanisms underlying the establishment of new social interactions remain largely unknown. We identified a role for neurons expressing neuropeptide B/W receptor-1 (NPBWR1) in the central amygdala (CeANpbwr1 neurons) in this process. CeANpbwr1 neurons were activated only during physical interactions with unfamiliar mice, but not with familiar mice. Manipulations of the neuronal circuit comprising CeANpbwr1 neurons suggested that this excitation was essential for sustaining physical interactions with novel conspecifics. Remarkably, stimulati

Serotonin receptors of class 3 (5HT3-R) are the only subtype of serotonin-gated ion channels which allow for fast synaptic transmissions. Within this family, 5HT3A is the predominant subtype. These receptors are thought to be involved learning, memory and neuroprotection and mutations in HTR3A gene is associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, a mechanistic understanding of the role of these receptors in learning and memory is not well understood. Using a gene-trap FLP-dependent conditional knock-in and CRE-dependent conditional knock-out mouse model for 5HT3AR, we show that restorat

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining the physical and mental well-being of the host. It is influenced by diverse factors, including pesticides. Glyphosate, a globally used herbicide, is understood to be harmless to humans as it targets the shikimate pathway, which is absent in animal cells. However, this idea is now being challenged as research suggests that glyphosate may negatively affect the pathway in microorganisms residing in the gut, such as gut bacteria, which could have an impact on the host. Former research has tested either high dose exposure for toxicological effe

The ventral hippocampus (vHPC) is particularly sensitive to the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Proper activity of the vHPC is mediated by parvalbumin (PV) interneurons, which constitute 25% of all inhibitory GABAergic cells. They play a crucial role in processing prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex (PPI) and social memory, which are managed by the vHPC. In this study, we first investigated the vHPC-related deficits in PPI and social novelty preference in 10-month-old APP/PS1 mice, a transgenic model of AD. We found a significant impairment in startle reduction in APP/PS1