Urocortin-3 neurons in the mouse perifornical area promote infant-directed neglect and aggression

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Biology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Understanding the neural basis of parenting is crucial, yet the regulation of infant-directed aggression and its link to adult aggression remains unclear.
• While positive parenting pathways are known, the mechanisms controlling negative parenting behaviors like aggression are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural circuits underlying infant-directed aggression and neglect.
• To determine the role of hypothalamic perifornical area (PeFA) neurons expressing urocortin-3 (Ucn3) in regulating parenting behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized male and female rodent models to observe neural activation patterns during infant-directed behaviors.
• Employed functional manipulations (e.g., optogenetics) of PeFA Ucn3 neurons.
• Traced neural projections from PeFA to other brain regions involved in social behavior and stress.

Main Results:

• Urocortin-3 (Ucn3)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamic perifornical area (PeFA) were specifically activated during infant-directed attacks.
• Functional inactivation of PeFA neurons impaired infant-directed aggression, while activation triggered neglect, repulsion, and aggression.
• PeFA neurons receive input from sensory and stress-related areas and project to hypothalamic and limbic regions.

Conclusions:

• PeFA Ucn3 neurons represent a critical neural circuit for the negative control of parenting, specifically regulating infant-directed neglect and aggression.
• This discovery provides a novel framework for understanding the dual regulation (positive and negative) of parenting behaviors in both health and disease states.