Li Chunyang, Miao Cheng, Ge Yao, Wu Jiaxing, Gao Panpan, Yin Songlin, Zhang Pei, Yang Hongbin, Tian Bo, Chen Wenqiang, Chen Xiao Qian
Institute of Trauma and Metabolism of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450007, China.
Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Theranostics. 2025 Jan 1;15(2):707-725. doi: 10.7150/thno.101658. eCollection 2025.
: The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a central hub for the regulation of aggression, whereas the circuitry and molecular mechanisms underlying this regulation remain uncharacterized. In this study, we investigate the role of a distinct cell type, -expressing (Tac2) neurons, located in the dorsomedial PAG (dmPAG) and their modulation of aggressive behavior in mice. : We combined activity mapping, Ca recording, chemogenetic and pharmacological manipulation, and a viral-based translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) profiling using a mouse resident-intruder model. : We revealed that dmPAG neurons are selectively activated by fighting behaviors. Chemogenetic activation of these neurons evoked fighting behaviors, while inhibition or genetic ablation of dmPAG neurons attenuated fighting behaviors. TRAP profiling of dmPAG neurons revealed an enrichment of serotonin-associated transcripts in response to fighting behaviors. Finally, we validated these effects by selectively administering pharmacological agents to the dmPAG, reversing the behavioral outcomes induced by chemogenetic manipulation. : We identify dmPAG neurons as critical modulators of aggressive behavior in mouse and thus suggest a distinct molecular target for the treatment of exacerbated aggressive behaviors in populations that exhibit high-level of violence.
中脑导水管周围灰质(PAG)是调节攻击行为的中枢枢纽,然而这种调节背后的神经回路和分子机制仍未明确。在本研究中,我们调查了位于背内侧PAG(dmPAG)中表达速激肽2(Tac2)的一类独特细胞的作用及其对小鼠攻击行为的调节。我们使用小鼠定居者-入侵者模型,结合了活动图谱、钙记录、化学遗传学和药理学操作以及基于病毒的翻译核糖体亲和纯化(TRAP)分析。我们发现dmPAG神经元被战斗行为选择性激活。这些神经元的化学遗传学激活引发战斗行为,而dmPAG神经元的抑制或基因敲除则减弱战斗行为。dmPAG神经元的TRAP分析显示,在战斗行为后,与血清素相关的转录本有所富集。最后,我们通过向dmPAG选择性施用药物来验证这些效应,逆转了化学遗传学操作诱导的行为结果。我们确定dmPAG神经元是小鼠攻击行为的关键调节因子,因此为治疗暴力水平高的人群中加剧的攻击行为提出了一个独特的分子靶点。