2025-07-03 理化学研究所,科学技術振興機構
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ドーパミン系を介した眼窩前頭皮質の養育行動の学習における役割
<関連情報>
- https://www.riken.jp/press/2025/20250703_1/index.html
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr4620
眼窩前頭皮質がメスマウスの同種親行動獲得に関連するドーパミンの動態に影響を及ぼす Orbitofrontal cortex influences dopamine dynamics associated with alloparental behavioral acquisition in female mice
Gen-ichi Tasaka, Mitsue Hagihara, Satsuki Irie, Haruna Kobayashi, […] , and Kazunari Miyamichi
Science Advances Published:2 Jul 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr4620
Abstract
Maternal behaviors, which are crucial for the survival of mammalian infants, require the coordinated operation of multiple brain regions to process infant cues, make decisions, and execute motor plans. Although these processes likely demand higher cognitive functions, the prefrontal areas that regulate limbic parental programs remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) excitatory projection neurons promote alloparental caregiving behaviors in female mice. By chronic microendoscopy, we observed robust yet adaptable representations of pup-directed anticipatory and motor-related activities within the OFC. Some of these plastic responses were significantly overlapped with those related to nonsocial reward signals. The inactivation of OFC output reduced the phasic activities of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons specifically tied to pup retrieval and impaired the modulation of DA release to the ventral striatum during the acquisition of alloparental behaviors. These findings suggest that the OFC transiently boosts DA activity during the acquisition phase, thereby facilitating the manifestation of alloparental behaviors.
