Social isolation modulates appetite and avoidance behavior via a common oxytocinergic circuit in larval zebrafish

Caroline L. Wee, Erin Song, Maxim Nikitchenko, Kristian J. Herrera, Sandy Wong, Florian Engert () and Samuel Kunes ()
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Caroline L. Wee: Harvard University
Erin Song: Harvard University
Maxim Nikitchenko: Harvard University
Kristian J. Herrera: Harvard University
Sandy Wong: Harvard University
Florian Engert: Harvard University
Samuel Kunes: Harvard University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Abstract Animal brains have evolved to encode social stimuli and transform these representations into advantageous behavioral responses. The commonalities and differences of these representations across species are not well-understood. Here, we show that social isolation activates an oxytocinergic (OXT), nociceptive circuit in the larval zebrafish hypothalamus and that chemical cues released from conspecific animals are potent modulators of this circuit’s activity. We delineate an olfactory to subpallial pathway that transmits chemical social cues to OXT circuitry, where they are transformed into diverse outputs simultaneously regulating avoidance and feeding behaviors. Our data allow us to propose a model through which social stimuli are integrated within a fundamental neural circuit to mediate diverse adaptive behaviours.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29765-9

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