title: Embryonic transcription factor expression in mice predicts medial amygdala neuronal identity and sex-specific responses to innate behavioral cues.
abstract: The medial subnucleus of the amygdala (MeA) plays a central role in processing sensory cues required for innate behaviors. However, whether there is a link between developmental programs and the emergence of inborn behaviors remains unknown. Our previous studies revealed that the telencephalic preoptic area (POA) embryonic niche is a novel source of MeA destined progenitors. Here, we show that the POA is comprised of distinct progenitor pools complementarily marked by the transcription factors Dbx1 and Foxp2. As determined by molecular and electrophysiological criteria this embryonic parcellation predicts postnatal MeA inhibitory neuronal subtype identity. We further find thatDbx1-derived and Foxp2+ cells in the MeA are differentially activated in response to innate behavioral cues in a sex-specific manner. Thus, developmental transcription factor expression is predictive of MeA neuronal identity and sex-specific neuronal responses, providing a potential developmental logic for how innate behaviors could be processed by different MeA neuronal subtypes.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biomedical Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington DC, United States.|Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Julieta E
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1664-6642
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lischinsky
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sokolowski
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Peijun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.|Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto-University, Kumamoto City, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esumi
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goodrich
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oboti
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Timothy R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Meera
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krishnamoorthy
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huntsman
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Joshua G
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0122-4324
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Corbin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D066276:Corticomedial Nuclear Complex / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D007323:Instinct; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: C103403:Dbx1 protein, mouse; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C432918:Foxp2 protein, mouse; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins
keywords: innate behaviors; limbic system development; medial amygdala; mouse; neuroscience