The V1a vasopressin receptor is necessary and sufficient for normal social recognition: a gene replacement study.
Vasopressin modulates many social and nonsocial behaviors, including emotionality. We have previously reported that male mice with a null mutation in the V1a receptor (V1aR) exhibit a profound impairment in social recognition and changes in anxiety-like behavior. Using site-specific injections of a V1aR-specific antagonist, we demonstrate that the lateral septum, but not the medial amygdala, is critical for social recognition. Reexpressing V1aR in the lateral septum of V1aR knockout mice (V1aRKO) using a viral vector resulted in a complete rescue of social recognition. Furthermore, overexpression of the V1aR in the lateral septum of wild-type (wt) mice resulted in a potentiation of social recognition behavior and a mild increase in anxiety-related behavior. These results demonstrate that the V1aR in the lateral septum plays a critical role in the neural processing of social stimuli required for complex social behavior.
Bielsky
Isadora F
IF
Department of Psychiatry and The Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA. alanwithisa@yahoo.com
Hu
Shuang-Bao
SB
Ren
Xianghui
X
Terwilliger
Ernest F
EF
Young
Larry J
LJ
D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D065092:Antidiuretic Hormone Receptor Antagonists; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000235:genetics; D012919:Social Behavior; D014162:Transfection
D065092:Antidiuretic Hormone Receptor Antagonists; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin