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Functional identification of an aggression locus in the mouse hypothalamus

Author

Listed:
  • Dayu Lin

    (California Institute of Technology
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology)

  • Maureen P. Boyle

    (Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle)

  • Piotr Dollar

    (Computation and Neural Systems 136-93, California Institute of Technology)

  • Hyosang Lee

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • E. S. Lein

    (Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle)

  • Pietro Perona

    (Computation and Neural Systems 136-93, California Institute of Technology)

  • David J. Anderson

    (California Institute of Technology
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Electrical stimulation of certain hypothalamic regions in cats and rodents can elicit attack behaviour, but the exact location of relevant cells within these regions, their requirement for naturally occurring aggression and their relationship to mating circuits have not been clear. Genetic methods for neural circuit manipulation in mice provide a potentially powerful approach to this problem, but brain-stimulation-evoked aggression has never been demonstrated in this species. Here we show that optogenetic, but not electrical, stimulation of neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus, ventrolateral subdivision (VMHvl) causes male mice to attack both females and inanimate objects, as well as males. Pharmacogenetic silencing of VMHvl reversibly inhibits inter-male aggression. Immediate early gene analysis and single unit recordings from VMHvl during social interactions reveal overlapping but distinct neuronal subpopulations involved in fighting and mating. Neurons activated during attack are inhibited during mating, suggesting a potential neural substrate for competition between these opponent social behaviours.

Suggested Citation

  • Dayu Lin & Maureen P. Boyle & Piotr Dollar & Hyosang Lee & E. S. Lein & Pietro Perona & David J. Anderson, 2011. "Functional identification of an aggression locus in the mouse hypothalamus," Nature, Nature, vol. 470(7333), pages 221-226, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:470:y:2011:i:7333:d:10.1038_nature09736
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09736
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    Cited by:

    1. Predrag Jovanovic & Allan-Hermann Pool & Nancy Morones & Yidan Wang & Edward Novinbakht & Nareg Keshishian & Kaitlyn Jang & Yuki Oka & Celine E. Riera, 2023. "A sex-specific thermogenic neurocircuit induced by predator smell recruiting cholecystokinin neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Sorinel A Oprisan & Xandre Clementsmith & Tamas Tompa & Antonieta Lavin, 2019. "Dopamine receptor antagonists effects on low-dimensional attractors of local field potentials in optogenetic mice," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(10), pages 1-39, October.
    3. Solomiia Korchynska & Patrick Rebernik & Marko Pende & Laura Boi & Alán Alpár & Ramon Tasan & Klaus Becker & Kira Balueva & Saiedeh Saghafi & Peer Wulff & Tamas L. Horvath & Gilberto Fisone & Hans-Ulr, 2022. "A hypothalamic dopamine locus for psychostimulant-induced hyperlocomotion in mice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Eric R. Schuppe & Irene Ballagh & Najva Akbari & Wenxuan Fang & Jonathan T. Perelmuter & Caleb H. Radtke & Margaret A. Marchaterre & Andrew H. Bass, 2024. "Midbrain node for context-specific vocalisation in fish," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    5. Kenkichi Takase & Kenichi Kikuchi & Yousuke Tsuneoka & Satoko Oda & Masaru Kuroda & Hiromasa Funato, 2014. "Meta-Analysis of Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Signaling-Deficient Mice on Behavioral and Metabolic Phenotypes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(6), pages 1-15, June.
    6. Darshini Mahadevia & Rinki Saha & Alessia Manganaro & Nao Chuhma & Annette Ziolkowski-Blake & Ashlea A. Morgan & Dani Dumitriu & Stephen Rayport & Mark S. Ansorge, 2021. "Dopamine promotes aggression in mice via ventral tegmental area to lateral septum projections," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.

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