Cited by 405Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroendocrine regulation and behaviorNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Antagonistic control of social versus repetitive self-grooming behaviors by separable amygdala neuronal subsets

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Hong, Weizhe, Kim, Dong-Wook, Anderson, David J.·2014·Cell

Abstract

Animals display a range of innate social behaviors that play essential roles in survival and reproduction. While the medial amygdala (MeA) has been implicated in prototypic social behaviors such as aggression, the circuit-level mechanisms controlling such behaviors are not well understood. Using cell-type-specific functional manipulations, we find that distinct neuronal populations in the MeA control different social and asocial behaviors. A GABAergic subpopulation promotes aggression and two other social behaviors, while neighboring glutamatergic neurons promote repetitive self-grooming, an asocial behavior. Moreover, this glutamatergic subpopulation inhibits social interactions independently of its effect to promote self-grooming, while the GABAergic subpopulation inhibits self-grooming, even in a nonsocial context. These data suggest that social versus repetitive asocial behaviors are controlled in an antagonistic manner by inhibitory versus excitatory amygdala subpopulations, respectively. These findings provide a framework for understanding circuit-level mechanisms underlying opponency between innate behaviors, with implications for their perturbation in psychiatric disorders.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cell.2014.07.049

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  • Advanced circuit mapping tools have recently been effective at identifying specific nodes critical for sex-specific behaviors like mating, parenting, and aggression, but many rely on transgenic mice, which do not engage in tertiary social play.

    “While advanced circuit mapping tools have recently been effective at identifying specific nodes critical for sex-specific behaviors like mating, parenting, and aggression (Hong et al., 2014; Wu et al., 2009), many of these techniques rely on the use of transgenic mice, which, in contrast to rats, do not engage in tertiary social play.”

    From Developmental origins of sex differences in the neural circuitry of play (2020) · cites this paper as Hong et al., 2014

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  • Activation of GABAergic rather than glutamatergic neurons in the MeA is associated with onset of male aggression.

    “previous work has demonstrated that activation of GABAergic rather than glutamatergic neurons in the MeA is associated with onset of male aggression [82].”
  • The medial amygdala posterodorsal (MeApd) is primarily involved in conspecific social behaviors such as mating and aggression.

    “The MeA has been subdivided into distinct functional regions along the anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral axes, with the medial amygdala posterodorsal (MeApd) primarily involved in conspecific social behaviors such as mating and aggression (Choi et al., 2005; Hong et al., 2014).”
  • The MeApd comprises GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons at an approximate ratio of 2:1, with GABAergic neurons representing the major population of projection neurons driving social responses.

    “The MeApd comprises GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons at an approximate ratio of 2:1, with GABAergic neurons representing the major population of projection neurons driving social responses (Choi et al., 2005; Hong et al., 2014; Keshavarzi et al., 2014).”

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Authors
Hong, W., Kim, D.-W., & Anderson, D. J.
Affiliations
California Institute of Technology (US)
Corresponding author
Anderson, David J.
Venue
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-09
Volume
158
Issue
6
Pages
1348-1361
ISSN
0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2065254519
Cited by
405
References
68
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 51 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 3
FWCI
15.61
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • Simons Foundation
  • California Institute of Technology
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH085082, MH070053, R01MH085082, R01MH070053)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
medial amygdala, social behavior, aggression, GABAergic neurons, glutamatergic neurons, neuronal subpopulations, asocial behavior
MeSH terms
Aggression, Amygdala, Animals, Female, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Grooming, Male, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neurons, Social Behavior, Mice, In Vitro Techniques

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