Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Curr Biol. 2024 Oct 7;34(19):4452-4463.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.08.019. Epub 2024 Sep 11.
Despite the prevalence of large-group living across the animal kingdom, no studies have examined the neural mechanisms that make group living possible. Spiny mice, Acomys, have evolved to live in large groups and exhibit a preference to affiliate with large over small groups. Here, we determine the neural circuitry that facilitates the drive to affiliate with large groups. We first identify an anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to lateral septum (LS) circuit that is more responsive to large than small groups of novel same-sex peers. Using chemogenetics, we then demonstrate that this circuit is necessary for both male and female group investigation preferences but only males' preference to affiliate with larger peer groups. Furthermore, inhibition of the ACC-LS circuit specifically impairs social, but not nonsocial, affiliative grouping preferences. These findings reveal a key circuit for the regulation of mammalian peer group affiliation.
尽管群居现象在动物界普遍存在，但目前还没有研究探讨使群居生活成为可能的神经机制。沙鼠属（Acomys）动物进化到了群居生活，并表现出对大群体的偏好，而不是小群体。在这里，我们确定了促进与大群体建立联系的神经回路。我们首先确定了一个前扣带皮层（ACC）到侧隔核（LS）的回路，该回路对大群体的反应比对小群体的反应更敏感。然后，我们使用化学遗传学方法证明，该回路对于雄性和雌性的群体调查偏好都是必要的，但只是雄性与更大的同龄群体建立联系的偏好。此外，抑制 ACC-LS 回路特异性地损害了社会，但不是非社会的，亲和性分组偏好。这些发现揭示了调节哺乳动物同龄群体依附的关键回路。
