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Updated: Oct 11, 2025
Assessment of Sexual Behavior of Male Mice
Published on: March 5, 2020
Oxytocin receptor disruption in Avil-expressing cells results in blunted sociability and increased inter-male
Manal Tabbaa1, Ashley Moses1, Elizabeth A D Hammock1
1Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States of America.
Abstract:
Social behaviors are foundational to society and quality of life while social behavior extremes are core symptoms in a variety of psychopathologies and developmental disabilities. Oxytocin (OXT) is a neuroactive hormone that regulates social behaviors through its receptor (OXTR), with all previously identified social behavior effects attributed to the central nervous system, which has developmental origins in the neural tube. However, OXTR are also present in neural crest-derived tissue including sensory ganglia of the peripheral nervous system. Avil encodes for the actin-binding protein ADVILLIN, is expressed in neural crest-derived cells, and was therefore used as a target in this study to knock out OXTR expression in neural-crest derived cells. Here, we tested if OXTRs specifically expressed in Avil positive neural crest-derived cells are necessary for species-typical adult social behaviors using a Cre-LoxP strategy. Genetically modified male and female mice lacking OXTR in Avil expressing cells (OXTRAvil KO) were tested for sociability and preference for social novelty. Males were also tested for resident intruder aggression. OXTRAvil KO males and females had reduced sociability compared to OXTRAvil WT controls. Additionally, OXTRAvil KO males had increased aggressive behaviors compared to controls. These data indicate that OXTRs in cells of neural crest origin are important regulators of typical social behaviors in C57BL/6J adult male and female mice and point to needed directions of future research.
Insights
Oxytocin receptors (OXTR) in neural crest cells regulate social behaviors. Mice lacking OXTR in these cells showed reduced sociability and increased aggression, highlighting the peripheral nervous system's role in sociality.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Behavioral Genetics
Background:
- Oxytocin (OXT) and its receptor (OXTR) are key regulators of social behaviors, traditionally linked to the central nervous system.
- OXTR are also found in neural crest-derived cells of the peripheral nervous system, suggesting a broader role in sociality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the necessity of OXTR in Avil-expressing neural crest-derived cells for typical adult social behaviors.
- To determine if genetic deletion of OXTR in these specific cells impacts sociability, social novelty preference, and aggression.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Cre-LoxP strategy to generate mice with a specific knockout of OXTR in Avil-positive neural crest-derived cells (OXTRAvil KO).
- Assessed social behaviors, including sociability, preference for social novelty, and resident-intruder aggression, in OXTRAvil KO and wild-type (WT) control mice.
- Focused on adult male and female C57BL/6J mice.
Main Results:
- OXTRAvil KO males and females exhibited significantly reduced sociability compared to OXTRAvil WT controls.
- OXTRAvil KO males displayed increased aggressive behaviors compared to their WT counterparts.
- No significant differences were reported for preference for social novelty in this study.
Conclusions:
- OXTRs expressed in neural crest-derived cells are crucial for regulating typical social behaviors in adult mice.
- These findings reveal a significant role for the peripheral nervous system, mediated by OXTR in neural crest cells, in social behavior regulation.
- Future research should explore the precise mechanisms and implications of peripheral OXTR in sociality and related disorders.
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