Neuronal mechanisms of nest building behavior in mice

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06011
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 42030:Animal life science-related
• Research Institution: Ibaraki University
• Principal Investigator: Toyoda Atsushi 茨城大学, 農学部, 教授 (00292483)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 岡山 毅 茨城大学, 農学部, 教授 (90575226)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: マウス / 巣作り

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to clarify the neural basis of nest-building behavior in mice, we set the following tasks: analyzing nest-building behavior using infrared depth sensors, identifying brain regions involved in nest-building behavior, and clarifying the neural circuits that control nest-building behavior using pharmacological and optogenetics methods. We were able to obtain quantitative three-dimensional data on the process of nest-building behavior, and clarified the process of nest-building in both healthy mice and social defeat stress model mice. However, we were not able to identify the brain regions involved in nest-building. The arginine vasopressin (AVP) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of hypothalamus, which have been implicated in nest-building behavior as previous reports, did not linked to nesting in this study. Furthermore, central administration of AVP receptor inhibitors did not affect nest-building behavior.

Free Research Field

動物科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

巣作りは体温維持や睡眠、養育などに関わる行動であり、哺乳類だけではなく昆虫、魚類なども含めて多様な動物に見られる。しかしながら、その脳内神経機構はほとんど明らかにされていない。本研究ではマウスの巣作り行動に焦点をあて、その詳細な行動を赤外線深度センサおよび画像解析技術で明らかにした。特にうつ病モデルである社会的敗北ストレスモデルマウスの巣作り行動失調を客観的なデータを元に解明することができた。巣作り行動やその失調のメカニズム解明の端緒となる研究成果である。動物生命科学分野における学術的意義だけではなく、脳疾患モデルを用いた創薬開発などでも活用可能な成果であり、社会的意義もあると考える。