Socially contagious itch is ubiquitous in human society, but whether it exists in rodents is unclear. Using a behavioral paradigm that does not entail prior training or reward, we found that mice scratched after observing a conspecific scratching. Molecular mapping showed increased neuronal activity in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus of mice that displayed contagious scratching. Ablation of gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) or GRPR neurons in the SCN abolished contagious scratching behavior, which was recapitulated by chemogenetic inhibition of SCN GRP neurons. Activation of SCN GRP/GRPR neurons evoked scratching behavior. These data demonstrate that GRP-GRPR signaling is necessary and sufficient for transmitting contagious itch information in the SCN. The findings may have implications for our understanding of neural circuits that control socially contagious behaviors.
基金:
NIH-NIDA T32 training grant [5T32DA007261-23]; W. M. Keck Fellowship; NIH [1R01AR056318-06, R21 NS088861-01A1, R01NS094344, R01 DA037261-01A1, R56 AR064294-01A1]
第一作者单位:[1]Washington Univ, Sch Med, Ctr Study Itch, St Louis, MO 63110 USA[2]Washington Univ, Sch Med, Dept Anesthesiol, St Louis, MO 63110 USA[3]Fourth Mil Med Univ, Tangdu Hosp, Inst Biomed Sci Pain, Xian 710038, Shaanxi, Peoples R China
通讯作者:
通讯机构:[1]Washington Univ, Sch Med, Ctr Study Itch, St Louis, MO 63110 USA[2]Washington Univ, Sch Med, Dept Anesthesiol, St Louis, MO 63110 USA[4]Washington Univ, Sch Med, Dept Psychiat, St Louis, MO 63110 USA[5]Washington Univ, Sch Med, Dept Dev Biol, St Louis, MO 63110 USA
推荐引用方式(GB/T 7714):
Yu Yao-Qing,Barry Devin M.,Hao Yan,et al.Molecular and neural basis of contagious itch behavior in mice[J].SCIENCE.2017,355(6329):doi:10.1126/science.aak9748.
APA:
Yu, Yao-Qing,Barry, Devin M.,Hao, Yan,Liu, Xue-Ting&Chen, Zhou-Feng.(2017).Molecular and neural basis of contagious itch behavior in mice.SCIENCE,355,(6329)
MLA:
Yu, Yao-Qing,et al."Molecular and neural basis of contagious itch behavior in mice".SCIENCE 355..6329(2017)