1
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Rogers JF, Vandendoren M, Prather JF, Landen JG, Bedford NL, Nelson AC. Neural cell-types and circuits linking thermoregulation and social behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 161:105667. [PMID: 38599356 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how social and affective behavioral states are controlled by neural circuits is a fundamental challenge in neurobiology. Despite increasing understanding of central circuits governing prosocial and agonistic interactions, how bodily autonomic processes regulate these behaviors is less resolved. Thermoregulation is vital for maintaining homeostasis, but also associated with cognitive, physical, affective, and behavioral states. Here, we posit that adjusting body temperature may be integral to the appropriate expression of social behavior and argue that understanding neural links between behavior and thermoregulation is timely. First, changes in behavioral states-including social interaction-often accompany changes in body temperature. Second, recent work has uncovered neural populations controlling both thermoregulatory and social behavioral pathways. We identify additional neural populations that, in separate studies, control social behavior and thermoregulation, and highlight their relevance to human and animal studies. Third, dysregulation of body temperature is linked to human neuropsychiatric disorders. Although body temperature is a "hidden state" in many neurobiological studies, it likely plays an underappreciated role in regulating social and affective states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph F Rogers
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; University of Wyoming Sensory Biology Center, USA
| | - Morgane Vandendoren
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; University of Wyoming Sensory Biology Center, USA
| | - Jonathan F Prather
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Jason G Landen
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; University of Wyoming Sensory Biology Center, USA
| | - Nicole L Bedford
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Adam C Nelson
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; University of Wyoming Sensory Biology Center, USA.
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2
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Denney KA, Wu MV, Sun SED, Moon S, Tollkuhn J. Comparative analysis of gonadal hormone receptor expression in the postnatal house mouse, meadow vole, and prairie vole brain. Horm Behav 2024; 158:105463. [PMID: 37995608 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) and promiscuous meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are closely related, but only prairie voles display long-lasting pair bonds, biparental care, and selective aggression towards unfamiliar individuals after pair bonding. These social behaviors in mammals are largely mediated by steroid hormone signaling in the social behavior network (SBN) of the brain. Hormone receptors are reproducible markers of sex differences that can provide more information than anatomy alone and can even be at odds with anatomical dimorphisms. We reasoned that behaviors associated with social monogamy in prairie voles may emerge in part from unique expression patterns of steroid hormone receptors in this species, and that these expression patterns would be more similar across males and females in prairie than in meadow voles or the laboratory mouse. To obtain insight into steroid hormone signaling in the developing prairie vole brain, we assessed expression of estrogen receptor alpha (Esr1), estrogen receptor beta (Esr2), and androgen receptor (Ar) within the SBN, using in situ hybridization at postnatal day 14 in mice, meadow, and prairie voles. We found species-specific patterns of hormone receptor expression in the hippocampus and ventromedial hypothalamus, as well as species differences in the sex bias of these markers in the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. These findings suggest the observed differences in gonadal hormone receptor expression may underlie species differences in the display of social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Denney
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11790, USA
| | - Melody V Wu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Simón E D Sun
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Soyoun Moon
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Jessica Tollkuhn
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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3
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Osakada T, Yan R, Jiang Y, Wei D, Tabuchi R, Dai B, Wang X, Zhao G, Wang CX, Liu JJ, Tsien RW, Mar AC, Lin D. A dedicated hypothalamic oxytocin circuit controls aversive social learning. Nature 2024; 626:347-356. [PMID: 38267576 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06958-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
To survive in a complex social group, one needs to know who to approach and, more importantly, who to avoid. In mice, a single defeat causes the losing mouse to stay away from the winner for weeks1. Here through a series of functional manipulation and recording experiments, we identify oxytocin neurons in the retrochiasmatic supraoptic nucleus (SOROXT) and oxytocin-receptor-expressing cells in the anterior subdivision of the ventromedial hypothalamus, ventrolateral part (aVMHvlOXTR) as a key circuit motif for defeat-induced social avoidance. Before defeat, aVMHvlOXTR cells minimally respond to aggressor cues. During defeat, aVMHvlOXTR cells are highly activated and, with the help of an exclusive oxytocin supply from the SOR, potentiate their responses to aggressor cues. After defeat, strong aggressor-induced aVMHvlOXTR cell activation drives the animal to avoid the aggressor and minimizes future defeat. Our study uncovers a neural process that supports rapid social learning caused by defeat and highlights the importance of the brain oxytocin system in social plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Osakada
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Rongzhen Yan
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yiwen Jiang
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dongyu Wei
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rina Tabuchi
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bing Dai
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiaohan Wang
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gavin Zhao
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clara Xi Wang
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jing-Jing Liu
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard W Tsien
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam C Mar
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dayu Lin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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4
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Prakash N, Matos HY, Sebaoui S, Tsai L, Tran T, Aromolaran A, Atrachji I, Campbell N, Goodrich M, Hernandez-Pineda D, Jesus Herrero M, Hirata T, Lischinsky J, Martinez W, Torii S, Yamashita S, Hosseini H, Sokolowski K, Esumi S, Kawasawa YI, Hashimoto-Torii K, Jones KS, Corbin JG. Connectivity and molecular profiles of Foxp2- and Dbx1-lineage neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb and medial amygdala. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25545. [PMID: 37849047 PMCID: PMC10922300 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
In terrestrial vertebrates, the olfactory system is divided into main (MOS) and accessory (AOS) components that process both volatile and nonvolatile cues to generate appropriate behavioral responses. While much is known regarding the molecular diversity of neurons that comprise the MOS, less is known about the AOS. Here, focusing on the vomeronasal organ (VNO), the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), and the medial amygdala (MeA), we reveal that populations of neurons in the AOS can be molecularly subdivided based on their ongoing or prior expression of the transcription factors Foxp2 or Dbx1, which delineate separate populations of GABAergic output neurons in the MeA. We show that a majority of AOB neurons that project directly to the MeA are of the Foxp2 lineage. Using single-neuron patch-clamp electrophysiology, we further reveal that in addition to sex-specific differences across lineage, the frequency of excitatory input to MeA Dbx1- and Foxp2-lineage neurons differs between sexes. Together, this work uncovers a novel molecular diversity of AOS neurons, and lineage and sex differences in patterns of connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandkishore Prakash
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Heidi Y Matos
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Sonia Sebaoui
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Luke Tsai
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Tuyen Tran
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Adejimi Aromolaran
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Isabella Atrachji
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Nya Campbell
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Meredith Goodrich
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - David Hernandez-Pineda
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Maria Jesus Herrero
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Tsutomu Hirata
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Julieta Lischinsky
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Wendolin Martinez
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Shisui Torii
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Satoshi Yamashita
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Hassan Hosseini
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical
School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan
Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Katie Sokolowski
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Shigeyuki Esumi
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Yuka Imamura Kawasawa
- Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University
College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Kazue Hashimoto-Torii
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Kevin S Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical
School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan
Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Joshua G Corbin
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
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5
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Sakuma Y. Preoptic and hypothalamic regulation of multi-tiered, chronologically arranged female rat sexual behavior. J Physiol Sci 2023; 73:35. [PMID: 38066413 PMCID: PMC10717147 DOI: 10.1186/s12576-023-00890-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
As in many mammalian behaviors, sexual behavior exhibits structure. Each modular components of the structure, that are linked together over time, occur in probabilistic manner. Endocrine milieu, in particular sex hormones, define the probability to synchronize the behavior with the production of gametes. Developmental experience and environmental cues affect the hormonal milieu of the brain. This is especially true in female mammals, in which ova mature with certain intervals along with ovarian secretion of sex hormones. Estrogens secreted by mature ovarian follicles support both affiliative and executive components of female sexual behavior. In the absence of the ovarian steroids, females avoid males when possible, or antagonize and reject males when put together. Female sexual behavior is intimately linked with the estrous cycle in many species such that females are only receptive for a brief period at the estrus stage surrounding ovulation. Thus, in the rat, females strongly influence the outcome of mating encounter with a male. Affiliative or solicitatory behavior shown by females in estrus leads to the female adapting the lordosis posture, which is characterized by hindleg postural rigidity and lordotic dorsiflexion of the spine, in response to touch-pressure somatosensory stimuli on the skin of the flanks, rump-tail base, perineum region given by male partner. The posture facilitates intromission and consequently fertilization. Although dependence on estrogens is the most important feature of female rat sexual behavior, cervical probing combined with palpation of the hindquarter skin acts as a supranormal stimulus to elicit lordosis. Thus, lordosis behavior is a hub of multi-tiered, chronologically arranged set of behaviors and estrogen appear to alter excitability of neural network for lordosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuo Sakuma
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nippon Medical School, 25-16 Nezu 1 Chome, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan.
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6
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Lischinsky JE, Yin L, Shi C, Prakash N, Burke J, Shekaran G, Grba M, Corbin JG, Lin D. Transcriptionally defined amygdala subpopulations play distinct roles in innate social behaviors. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:2131-2146. [PMID: 37946049 PMCID: PMC10689240 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01475-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Social behaviors are innate and supported by dedicated neural circuits, but the molecular identities of these circuits and how they are established developmentally and shaped by experience remain unclear. Here we show that medial amygdala (MeA) cells originating from two embryonically parcellated developmental lineages have distinct response patterns and functions in social behavior in male mice. MeA cells expressing the transcription factor Foxp2 (MeAFoxp2) are specialized for processing male conspecific cues and are essential for adult inter-male aggression. By contrast, MeA cells derived from the Dbx1 lineage (MeADbx1) respond broadly to social cues, respond strongly during ejaculation and are not essential for male aggression. Furthermore, MeAFoxp2 and MeADbx1 cells show differential anatomical and functional connectivity. Altogether, our results suggest a developmentally hardwired aggression circuit at the MeA level and a lineage-based circuit organization by which a cell's embryonic transcription factor profile determines its social information representation and behavioral relevance during adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta E Lischinsky
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Luping Yin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chenxi Shi
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Hunter College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nandkishore Prakash
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jared Burke
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Govind Shekaran
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria Grba
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua G Corbin
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Dayu Lin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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7
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Troconis EL, Seo C, Guru A, Warden MR. Serotonin neurons in mating female mice are activated by male ejaculation. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4926-4936.e4. [PMID: 37865094 PMCID: PMC10901455 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Sexual stimulation triggers changes in female physiology and behavior, including sexual satiety and preparing the uterus for pregnancy. Serotonin (5-HT) is an important regulator of reproductive physiology and sexual receptivity, but the relationship between sexual stimulation and 5-HT neural activity in females is poorly understood. Here, we investigated dorsal raphe 5-HT neural activity in female mice during sexual behavior. We found that 5-HT neural activity in mating females peaked specifically upon male ejaculation and remained elevated above baseline until disengagement. Artificial intravaginal mechanical stimulation was sufficient to elicit increased 5-HT neural activity but the delivery of ejaculatory fluids was not. Distal penis expansion ("penile cupping") at ejaculation and forceful expulsion of ejaculatory fluid each provided sufficient mechanical stimulation to elicit 5-HT neuron activation. Our study identifies a female ejaculation-specific signal in a major neuromodulatory system and shows that intravaginal mechanosensory stimulation is necessary and sufficient to drive this signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen L Troconis
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Changwoo Seo
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Akash Guru
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Melissa R Warden
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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8
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Stuber GD. Neurocircuits for motivation. Science 2023; 382:394-398. [PMID: 37883553 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh8287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The nervous system coordinates various motivated behaviors such as feeding, drinking, and escape to promote survival and evolutionary fitness. Although the precise behavioral repertoires required for distinct motivated behaviors are diverse, common features such as approach or avoidance suggest that common brain substrates are required for a wide range of motivated behaviors. In this Review, I describe a framework by which neural circuits specified for some innate drives regulate the activity of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons to reinforce ongoing or planned actions to fulfill motivational demands. This framework may explain why signaling from VTA dopamine neurons is ubiquitously involved in many types of diverse volitional motivated actions, as well as how sensory and interoceptive cues can initiate specific goal-directed actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garret D Stuber
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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9
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Abstract
Sexual, parental, and aggressive behaviors are central to the reproductive success of individuals and species survival and thus are supported by hardwired neural circuits. The reproductive behavior control column (RBCC), which comprises the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN), the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl), and the ventral premammillary nucleus (PMv), is essential for all social behaviors. The RBCC integrates diverse hormonal and metabolic cues and adjusts an animal's physical activity, hence the chance of social encounters. The RBCC further engages the mesolimbic dopamine system to maintain social interest and reinforces cues and actions that are time-locked with social behaviors. We propose that the RBCC and brainstem form a dual-control system for generating moment-to-moment social actions. This Review summarizes recent progress regarding the identities of RBCC cells and their pathways that drive different aspects of social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Mei
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Takuya Osakada
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Dayu Lin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
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10
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Troconis EL, Seo C, Guru A, Warden MR. Serotonin neurons in mating female mice are activated by male ejaculation. bioRxiv 2023:2023.05.14.540716. [PMID: 37645786 PMCID: PMC10461921 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.14.540716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Sexual stimulation triggers changes in female physiology and behavior, including sexual satiety and preparing the uterus for pregnancy. Serotonin is an important regulator of reproductive physiology and sexual receptivity, but the relationship between sexual stimulation and serotonin neural activity in females is poorly understood. Here, we investigated dorsal raphe serotonin neural activity in females during sexual behavior. We found that serotonin neural activity in mating females peaked specifically upon male ejaculation, and remained elevated above baseline until disengagement. Artificial intravaginal mechanical stimulation was sufficient to elicit increased 5-HT neural activity but the delivery of ejaculatory fluids was not. Distal penis erectile enlargement ("penile cupping") at ejaculation and forceful expulsion of ejaculatory fluid each provided sufficient mechanical stimulation to elicit serotonin neuron activation. Our study identifies a female ejaculation-specific signal in a major neuromodulatory system and shows that intravaginal mechanosensory stimulation is necessary and sufficient to drive this signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen L. Troconis
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Changwoo Seo
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Akash Guru
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Melissa R. Warden
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Lead Contact
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11
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Yu ZX, Zha X, Xu XH. Estrogen-responsive neural circuits governing male and female mating behavior in mice. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 81:102749. [PMID: 37421660 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Decades of knockout analyses have highlighted the crucial involvement of estrogen receptors and downstream genes in controlling mating behaviors. More recently, advancements in neural circuit research have unveiled a distributed subcortical network comprising estrogen-receptor or estrogen-synthesis-enzyme-expressing cells that transforms sensory inputs into sex-specific mating actions. This review provides an overview of the latest discoveries on estrogen-responsive neurons in various brain regions and the associated neural circuits that govern different aspects of male and female mating actions in mice. By contextualizing these findings within previous knockout studies of estrogen receptors, we emphasize the emerging field of "circuit genetics", where identifying mating behavior-related neural circuits may allow for a more precise evaluation of gene functions within these circuits. Such investigations will enable a deeper understanding of how hormone fluctuation, acting through estrogen receptors and downstream genes, influences the connectivity and activity of neural circuits, ultimately impacting the manifestation of innate mating actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Xian Yu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xi Zha
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 200031, China.
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12
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Mei L, Yan R, Yin L, Sullivan RM, Lin D. Antagonistic circuits mediating infanticide and maternal care in female mice. Nature 2023; 618:1006-1016. [PMID: 37286598 PMCID: PMC10648307 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06147-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In many species, including mice, female animals show markedly different pup-directed behaviours based on their reproductive state1,2. Naive wild female mice often kill pups, while lactating female mice are dedicated to pup caring3,4. The neural mechanisms that mediate infanticide and its switch to maternal behaviours during motherhood remain unclear. Here, on the basis of the hypothesis that maternal and infanticidal behaviours are supported by distinct and competing neural circuits5,6, we use the medial preoptic area (MPOA), a key site for maternal behaviours7-11, as a starting point and identify three MPOA-connected brain regions that drive differential negative pup-directed behaviours. Functional manipulation and in vivo recording reveal that oestrogen receptor α (ESR1)-expressing cells in the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNSTprESR1) are necessary, sufficient and naturally activated during infanticide in female mice. MPOAESR1 and BNSTprESR1 neurons form reciprocal inhibition to control the balance between positive and negative infant-directed behaviours. During motherhood, MPOAESR1 and BNSTprESR1 cells change their excitability in opposite directions, supporting a marked switch of female behaviours towards the young.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Mei
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Rongzhen Yan
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luping Yin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dayu Lin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
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Liu M, Nair A, Linderman SW, Anderson DJ. Periodic hypothalamic attractor-like dynamics during the estrus cycle. bioRxiv 2023:2023.05.22.541741. [PMID: 37292695 PMCID: PMC10245896 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.22.541741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic changes in hormonal state are well-known to regulate mating behavior during the female reproductive cycle, but whether and how these changes affect the dynamics of neural activity in the female brain is largely unknown. The ventromedial hypothalamus, ventro-lateral subdivision (VMHvl) contains a subpopulation of VMHvl Esr1+,Npy2r- neurons that controls female sexual receptivity. Longitudinal single cell calcium imaging of these neurons across the estrus cycle revealed that overlapping but distinct subpopulations were active during proestrus (mating-accepting) vs. non-proestrus (rejecting) phases. Dynamical systems analysis of imaging data from proestrus females uncovered a dimension with slow ramping activity, which generated approximate line attractor-like dynamics in neural state space. During mating, the neural population vector progressed along this attractor as male mounting and intromission proceeded. Attractor-like dynamics disappeared in non-proestrus states and reappeared following re-entry into proestrus. They were also absent in ovariectomized females but were restored by hormone priming. These observations reveal that hypothalamic line attractor-like dynamics are associated with female sexual receptivity and can be reversibly regulated by sex hormones, demonstrating that attractor dynamics can be flexibly modulated by physiological state. They also suggest a potential mechanism for the neural encoding of female sexual arousal.
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14
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Wei D, Osakada T, Guo Z, Yamaguchi T, Varshneya A, Yan R, Jiang Y, Lin D. A hypothalamic pathway that suppresses aggression toward superior opponents. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:774-787. [PMID: 37037956 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01297-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Aggression is costly and requires tight regulation. Here we identify the projection from estrogen receptor alpha-expressing cells in the caudal part of the medial preoptic area (cMPOAEsr1) to the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) as an essential pathway for modulating aggression in male mice. cMPOAEsr1 cells increase activity mainly during male-male interaction, which differs from the female-biased response pattern of rostral MPOAEsr1 (rMPOAEsr1) cells. Notably, cMPOAEsr1 cell responses to male opponents correlated with the opponents' fighting capability, which mice could estimate based on physical traits or learn through physical combats. Inactivating the cMPOAEsr1-VMHvl pathway increased aggression, whereas activating the pathway suppressed natural intermale aggression. Thus, cMPOAEsr1 is a key population for encoding opponents' fighting capability-information that could be used to prevent animals from engaging in disadvantageous conflicts with superior opponents by suppressing the activity of VMHvl cells essential for attack behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyu Wei
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Takuya Osakada
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhichao Guo
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Takashi Yamaguchi
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Avni Varshneya
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rongzhen Yan
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yiwen Jiang
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dayu Lin
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
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15
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Zhou X, Li A, Mi X, Li Y, Ding Z, An M, Chen Y, Li W, Tao X, Chen X, Li Y. Hyperexcited limbic neurons represent sexual satiety and reduce mating motivation. Science 2023; 379:820-825. [PMID: 36758107 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl4038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Transient sexual experiences can have long-lasting effects on behavioral decisions, but the neural coding that accounts for this change is unclear. We found that the ejaculation experience selectively activated estrogen receptor 2 (Esr2)-expressing neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST)-BNSTEsr2-and led to persistent decreases in firing threshold for days, during which time the mice displayed sexual satiety. Inhibition of hyperexcited BNSTEsr2 elicited fast mating recovery in satiated mice of both sexes. In males, such hyperexcitability reduced mating motivation and was partially mediated by larger HCN (hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated) currents. Thus, BNSTEsr2 not only encode a specific mating action but also represent a persistent state of sexual satiety, and alterations in a neuronal ion channel contribute to sexual experience-dependent long-term changes to mating drive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Zhou
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Ang Li
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xue Mi
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yixuan Li
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Zhaoyi Ding
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Min An
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yalan Chen
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Wei Li
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xianming Tao
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xinfeng Chen
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Ying Li
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
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16
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Lecca S, Congiu M, Royon L, Restivo L, Girard B, Mazaré N, Bellone C, Telley L, Mameli M. A neural substrate for negative affect dictates female parental behavior. Neuron 2023; 111:1094-1103.e8. [PMID: 36731469 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Parental behaviors secure the well-being of newborns and concomitantly limit negative affective states in adults, which emerge when coping with neonatal distress becomes challenging. Whether negative-affect-related neuronal circuits orchestrate parental actions is unknown. Here, we identify parental signatures in lateral habenula neurons receiving bed nucleus of stria terminalis innervation (BNSTLHb). We find that LHb neurons of virgin female mice increase their activity following pup distress vocalization and are necessary for pup-call-driven aversive behaviors. LHb activity rises during pup retrieval, a behavior worsened by LHb inactivation. Intersectional cell identification and transcriptional profiling associate BNSTLHb cells to parenting and outline a gene expression in female virgins similar to that in mothers but different from that in non-parental virgin male mice. Finally, tracking and manipulating BNSTLHb cell activity demonstrates their specificity for encoding negative affect and pup retrieval. Thus, a negative affect neural circuit processes newborn distress signals and may limit them by guiding female parenting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Lecca
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mauro Congiu
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Léa Royon
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Leonardo Restivo
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Benoit Girard
- The Department of Basic Neuroscience, The University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Noemie Mazaré
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Camilla Bellone
- The Department of Basic Neuroscience, The University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ludovic Telley
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Mameli
- The Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland; Inserm, UMR-S 839, 75005 Paris, France.
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17
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Gutierrez-Castellanos N, Husain BFA, Dias IC, Lima SQ. Neural and behavioral plasticity across the female reproductive cycle. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2022; 33:769-785. [PMID: 36253276 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Sex is fundamental for the evolution and survival of most species. However, sex can also pose danger, because it increases the risk of predation and disease transmission, among others. Thus, in many species, cyclic fluctuations in the concentration of sex hormones coordinate sexual receptivity and attractiveness with female reproductive capacity, promoting copulation when fertilization is possible and preventing it otherwise. In recent decades, numerous studies have reported a wide variety of sex hormone-dependent plastic rearrangements across the entire brain, including areas relevant for female sexual behavior. By contrast, how sex hormone-induced plasticity alters the computations performed by such circuits, such that collectively they produce the appropriate periodic switches in female behavior, is mostly unknown. In this review, we highlight the myriad sex hormone-induced neuronal changes known so far, the full repertoire of behavioral changes across the reproductive cycle, and the few examples where the relationship between sex hormone-dependent plasticity, neural activity, and behavior has been established. We also discuss current challenges to causally link the actions of sex hormones to the modification of specific cellular pathways and behavior, focusing on rodents as a model system while drawing a comparison between rodents and humans wherever possible.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Basma F A Husain
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Avenida Brasília, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês C Dias
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Avenida Brasília, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Susana Q Lima
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Avenida Brasília, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal.
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18
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Liu Z, Cao P. Love or not? A new subpopulation of neurons controls the switch of female sexual behavior. Neuron 2022; 110:2893-5. [PMID: 36137518 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In this issue of Neuron, Yin and colleagues describe a new subpopulation of neurons in the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus, cholecystokinin A receptor (Cckar)-expressing cells, and unravel their roles in regulating female sexual behavior over reproductive cycles.
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