NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, and Oslo University Hospital, PO Box 4956, Oslo, Norway.
Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0373, Norway.
Nat Commun. 2019 Feb 8;10(1):668. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-08503-8.
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide involved in animal and human reproductive and social behavior. Three oxytocin signaling genes have been frequently implicated in human social behavior: OXT (structural gene for oxytocin), OXTR (oxytocin receptor), and CD38 (oxytocin secretion). Here, we characterized the distribution of OXT, OXTR, and CD38 mRNA across the human brain by creating voxel-by-voxel volumetric expression maps, and identified putative gene pathway interactions by comparing gene expression patterns across 20,737 genes. Expression of the three selected oxytocin pathway genes was enriched in subcortical and olfactory regions and there was high co-expression with several dopaminergic and muscarinic acetylcholine genes, reflecting an anatomical basis for critical gene pathway interactions. fMRI meta-analysis revealed that the oxytocin pathway gene maps correspond with the processing of anticipatory, appetitive, and aversive cognitive states. The oxytocin signaling system may interact with dopaminergic and muscarinic acetylcholine signaling to modulate cognitive state processes involved in complex human behaviors.
催产素是一种参与动物和人类生殖和社会行为的神经肽。三种催产素信号基因经常与人类的社会行为有关：OXT（催产素的结构基因）、OXTR（催产素受体）和 CD38（催产素分泌）。在这里，我们通过创建体素到体素的体积表达图谱，描述了人类大脑中 OXT、OXTR 和 CD38 mRNA 的分布，并通过比较 20737 个基因的基因表达模式来确定潜在的基因途径相互作用。三个选定的催产素途径基因的表达在皮质下和嗅觉区域富集，并且与几种多巴胺能和毒蕈碱乙酰胆碱基因高度共表达，反映了关键基因途径相互作用的解剖学基础。fMRI 荟萃分析表明，催产素途径基因图谱与预期、渴望和厌恶认知状态的处理相对应。催产素信号系统可能与多巴胺能和毒蕈碱乙酰胆碱信号相互作用，调节参与复杂人类行为的认知状态过程。
