Cited by 1,161Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Social reward requires coordinated activity of nucleus accumbens oxytocin and serotonin

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Dölen, Gül, Darvishzadeh, Ayeh, Huang, Kee Wui, Malenka, Robert C.·2013·Nature

Abstract

Social behaviours in species as diverse as honey bees and humans promote group survival but often come at some cost to the individual. Although reinforcement of adaptive social interactions is ostensibly required for the evolutionary persistence of these behaviours, the neural mechanisms by which social reward is encoded by the brain are largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that in mice oxytocin acts as a social reinforcement signal within the nucleus accumbens core, where it elicits a presynaptically expressed long-term depression of excitatory synaptic transmission in medium spiny neurons. Although the nucleus accumbens receives oxytocin-receptor-containing inputs from several brain regions, genetic deletion of these receptors specifically from dorsal raphe nucleus, which provides serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) innervation to the nucleus accumbens, abolishes the reinforcing properties of social interaction. Furthermore, oxytocin-induced synaptic plasticity requires activation of nucleus accumbens 5-HT1B receptors, the blockade of which prevents social reward. These results demonstrate that the rewarding properties of social interaction in mice require the coordinated activity of oxytocin and 5-HT in the nucleus accumbens, a mechanistic insight with implications for understanding the pathogenesis of social dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nature12518

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  • Oxytocin induced LTD in nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons, as presynaptic oxytocin receptors on serotoninergic terminals lead to increased serotonin release onto medium spiny neurons and consequent LTD.

    “Oxytocin induced LTD in nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons (Figure 4b), as presynaptic oxytocin receptors on serotoninergic terminals lead to increased serotonin release onto medium spiny neurons and consequent LTD”

    From Oxytocin, Neural Plasticity, and Social Behavior (2021) · cites this paper as Dölen et al. 2013

  • PVN oxytocin fibers innervate mouse nucleus accumbens, where oxytocin release was important for social-conditioned place preference and serotonin-dependent long-term depression (LTD).

    “Dölen et al. (2013) observed PVN oxytocin fibers innervating mouse nucleus accumbens, where oxytocin release was important for social-conditioned place preference and serotonin-dependent long-term depression (LTD).”

    From Oxytocin, Neural Plasticity, and Social Behavior (2021) · cites this paper as Dölen et al. 2013

  • Increased activity in VTA dopaminergic neurons promotes social reinforcement learning.

    “Specifically, research has demonstrated that VTA dopaminergic neurons become activated in rodents engaged in conspecific interactions, and increased activity in these neurons promotes social reinforcement learning (Bariselli et al., 2018; D ¨ olen et al., 2013; Soli ´ e et al., 2022).”

    From Convergence of oxytocin and dopamine signalling in neuronal circuits: Insights into the neurobiology of social interactions across species (2024) · cites this paper as Dölen et al., 2013

    The Abstract reports that oxytocin and serotonin activity in the nucleus accumbens is required for social reward in mice. The Concluding remarks say that future studies of dopamine’s role in social reward would be informative; our copy does not report that increased VTA dopaminergic-neuron activity promotes social reinforcement learning (searched: VTA dopaminergic neurons, ventral tegmental area). (LLM, conf=0.74)

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  • VTA dopaminergic neurons become activated in rodents engaged in conspecific interactions.

    “Specifically, research has demonstrated that VTA dopaminergic neurons become activated in rodents engaged in conspecific interactions, and increased activity in these neurons promotes social reinforcement learning (Bariselli et al., 2018; D ¨ olen et al., 2013; Soli ´ e et al., 2022).”

    From Convergence of oxytocin and dopamine signalling in neuronal circuits: Insights into the neurobiology of social interactions across species (2024) · cites this paper as Dölen et al., 2013

    The Concluding remarks discuss oxytocin- and serotonin-dependent social reward in the nucleus accumbens and say that dopamine’s role in social reward warrants future study. Our copy does not report activation of VTA dopaminergic neurons during conspecific interactions or show that increased activity in those neurons promotes social reinforcement learning (searched: VTA dopaminergic activation; ventral tegmental area dopamine and social reward). (LLM, conf=0.77)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In mice, formation of social reward requires coordinated activity of oxytocin and serotonin within the NAcc.

    “In mice, formation of social reward requires coordinated activity of oxytocin and serotonin within the NAcc (Dölen et al., 2013).”

    From Social functioning in major depressive disorder (2016) · cites this paper as Dölen et al., 2013

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [37]Shultz S Opie C Atkinson QD Stepwise evolution of stable sociality in primates Nature 479 219 222 2011 22071768

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Authors
Dölen, G., Darvishzadeh, A., Huang, K. W., & Malenka, R. C.
Affiliations
Stanford Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Malenka, Robert C.
Venue
Nature
Published
2013-09
Volume
501
Issue
7466
Pages
179-184
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2099168883
Cited by
1,161
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 72 · 2025: 107 · 2024: 86 · 2023: 87 · 2022: 124 · 2021: 118 · 2020: 119 · 2019: 77 · 2018: 95 · 2017: 75 · 2016: 84 · 2015: 62 · 2014: 45 · 2013: 9
FWCI
100.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R21DA032955, P01DA008227)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS069375, P30NS069375)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
social reward, oxytocin, serotonin, nucleus accumbens core, dorsal raphe nucleus, 5-HT1B receptor, medium spiny neurons, social reinforcement, synaptic plasticity, autism spectrum disorder, social dysfunction
MeSH terms
Animals, Autistic Disorder, Conditioning, Psychological, Female, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Transgenic, Synaptic Transmission, Neurons, Nucleus Accumbens, Oxytocin, Raphe Nuclei, Reward, Serotonin, Social Behavior, Gene Deletion, Presynaptic Terminals, Receptors, Oxytocin, Mice, Knockout, Long-Term Synaptic Depression, Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B, Mice

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