Mapping Central Projection of Oxytocin Neurons in Unmated Mice Using Cre and Alkaline Phosphatase Reporter
Oxytocin, a neuropeptide and peptide hormone, is produced by neurons in the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary to control breastfeeding and labor. Recent studies have revealed that oxytocin in the central nervous system is also involved in modulating social interaction. To understa...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-10-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroanatomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnana.2020.559402/full |
| _version_ | 1828532666511654912 |
|---|---|
| author | Po-Yu Liao Yan-Min Chiu Jo-Hsien Yu Shih-Kuo Chen Shih-Kuo Chen Shih-Kuo Chen |
| author_facet | Po-Yu Liao Yan-Min Chiu Jo-Hsien Yu Shih-Kuo Chen Shih-Kuo Chen Shih-Kuo Chen |
| author_sort | Po-Yu Liao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Oxytocin, a neuropeptide and peptide hormone, is produced by neurons in the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary to control breastfeeding and labor. Recent studies have revealed that oxytocin in the central nervous system is also involved in modulating social interaction. To understand the potential role and innervation pattern of oxytocin neurons before sexual interaction, here we used transgenic mice which have the Cre recombinase under the control of an endogenous oxytocin promoter and Cre-dependent human placental alkaline phosphatase (AP) reporter to label the oxytocin neurons in the naive mouse brain. Since AP is located on the membrane of oxytocin neurons, AP histochemistry staining enabled us to observe the fine axonal terminals and the innervation pattern of oxytocin neurons in the thick serial coronal brain slices. Here we show that the number of AP-labeled cells varies with staining reaction time and ranges from 30% of the oxytocin immune-positive cell count to slightly higher than the oxytocin immune-positive cell count. Using AP staining with extended reaction time, which may not label all oxytocin neurons, we confirmed many innervation targets of oxytocin neurons from the anterior olfactory nucleus, some cortex regions, the limbic system, the hypothalamus, and the hindbrain, while the cell bodies were exclusively located in the hypothalamus and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Finally, we observe some individual variance at the olfactory area, isocortex, striatum, paraventricular nucleus of thalamus, locus coeruleus, and Barrington’s nucleus. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:56:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-98faca8ce8824b6494f4a0b1d333d194 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5129 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:56:26Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroanatomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-98faca8ce8824b6494f4a0b1d333d1942022-12-22T00:47:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroanatomy1662-51292020-10-011410.3389/fnana.2020.559402559402Mapping Central Projection of Oxytocin Neurons in Unmated Mice Using Cre and Alkaline Phosphatase ReporterPo-Yu Liao0Yan-Min Chiu1Jo-Hsien Yu2Shih-Kuo Chen3Shih-Kuo Chen4Shih-Kuo Chen5Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanGenome and Systems Biology, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, TaiwanDepartment of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanDepartment of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanGenome and Systems Biology, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, TaiwanCenter for Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanOxytocin, a neuropeptide and peptide hormone, is produced by neurons in the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary to control breastfeeding and labor. Recent studies have revealed that oxytocin in the central nervous system is also involved in modulating social interaction. To understand the potential role and innervation pattern of oxytocin neurons before sexual interaction, here we used transgenic mice which have the Cre recombinase under the control of an endogenous oxytocin promoter and Cre-dependent human placental alkaline phosphatase (AP) reporter to label the oxytocin neurons in the naive mouse brain. Since AP is located on the membrane of oxytocin neurons, AP histochemistry staining enabled us to observe the fine axonal terminals and the innervation pattern of oxytocin neurons in the thick serial coronal brain slices. Here we show that the number of AP-labeled cells varies with staining reaction time and ranges from 30% of the oxytocin immune-positive cell count to slightly higher than the oxytocin immune-positive cell count. Using AP staining with extended reaction time, which may not label all oxytocin neurons, we confirmed many innervation targets of oxytocin neurons from the anterior olfactory nucleus, some cortex regions, the limbic system, the hypothalamus, and the hindbrain, while the cell bodies were exclusively located in the hypothalamus and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Finally, we observe some individual variance at the olfactory area, isocortex, striatum, paraventricular nucleus of thalamus, locus coeruleus, and Barrington’s nucleus.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnana.2020.559402/fulloxytocininnervationnaïve mouseCre-loxPcircuit |
| spellingShingle | Po-Yu Liao Yan-Min Chiu Jo-Hsien Yu Shih-Kuo Chen Shih-Kuo Chen Shih-Kuo Chen Mapping Central Projection of Oxytocin Neurons in Unmated Mice Using Cre and Alkaline Phosphatase Reporter Frontiers in Neuroanatomy oxytocin innervation naïve mouse Cre-loxP circuit |
| title | Mapping Central Projection of Oxytocin Neurons in Unmated Mice Using Cre and Alkaline Phosphatase Reporter |
| title_full | Mapping Central Projection of Oxytocin Neurons in Unmated Mice Using Cre and Alkaline Phosphatase Reporter |
| title_fullStr | Mapping Central Projection of Oxytocin Neurons in Unmated Mice Using Cre and Alkaline Phosphatase Reporter |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mapping Central Projection of Oxytocin Neurons in Unmated Mice Using Cre and Alkaline Phosphatase Reporter |
| title_short | Mapping Central Projection of Oxytocin Neurons in Unmated Mice Using Cre and Alkaline Phosphatase Reporter |
| title_sort | mapping central projection of oxytocin neurons in unmated mice using cre and alkaline phosphatase reporter |
| topic | oxytocin innervation naïve mouse Cre-loxP circuit |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnana.2020.559402/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT poyuliao mappingcentralprojectionofoxytocinneuronsinunmatedmiceusingcreandalkalinephosphatasereporter AT yanminchiu mappingcentralprojectionofoxytocinneuronsinunmatedmiceusingcreandalkalinephosphatasereporter AT johsienyu mappingcentralprojectionofoxytocinneuronsinunmatedmiceusingcreandalkalinephosphatasereporter AT shihkuochen mappingcentralprojectionofoxytocinneuronsinunmatedmiceusingcreandalkalinephosphatasereporter AT shihkuochen mappingcentralprojectionofoxytocinneuronsinunmatedmiceusingcreandalkalinephosphatasereporter AT shihkuochen mappingcentralprojectionofoxytocinneuronsinunmatedmiceusingcreandalkalinephosphatasereporter |