Oxytocin/vasopressin-related peptides have an ancient role in reproductive behavior
Open accessAbstract
Many biological functions are conserved, but the extent to which conservation applies to integrative behaviors is unknown. Vasopressin and oxytocin neuropeptides are strongly implicated in mammalian reproductive and social behaviors, yet rodent loss-of-function mutants have relatively subtle behavioral defects. Here we identify an oxytocin/vasopressin-like signaling system in Caenorhabditis elegans, consisting of a peptide and two receptors that are expressed in sexually dimorphic patterns. Males lacking the peptide or its receptors perform poorly in reproductive behaviors, including mate search, mate recognition, and mating, but other sensorimotor behaviors are intact. Quantitative analysis indicates that mating motor patterns are fragmented and inefficient in mutants, suggesting that oxytocin/vasopressin peptides increase the coherence of mating behaviors. These results indicate that conserved molecules coordinate diverse behavioral motifs in reproductive behavior.
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OT is a highly conserved neuropeptide that modulates reproductive physiology and behavior across bilaterian animals, including nematode worms, rodents, and humans.
“OT is a highly conserved neuro-peptide that modulates reproductive physiology and behavior across bilaterian animals, including nematode worms, rodents, and humans”
From Oxytocin receptors modulate a social salience neural network in male prairie voles (2017) · cites this paper as Garrison et al., 2012
OT has deeply conserved roles in reproductive physiology and behavior across distant taxa spanning invertebrates and vertebrates, including mammalian species such as mice, rats, rabbits, and squirrel monkeys.
“OT has deeply conserved roles in reproductive physiology and behavior across distant taxa spanning invertebrates and vertebrates (Garrison et al., 2012), including mammalian species such as mice, rats, rabbits, and squirrel monkeys (Argiolas and Melis, 2004).”
From Central oxytocin receptors mediate mating-induced partner preferences and enhance correlated activation across forebrain nuclei in male prairie voles (2016) · cites this paper as Garrison et al., 2012
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- Authors
- Garrison, J. L., Macosko, E. Z., Bernstein, S., Pokala, N., Albrecht, D. R., & Bargmann, C. I.
- Affiliations
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2012-10-26
- Volume
- 338
- Issue
- 6106
- Pages
- 540-543
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- PMC
- PMC3597094
- OpenAlex
- W1983009028
- Cited by
- 266
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 40.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- National Institute of Mental Health (R25MH094612)
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (K99GM092859, GM 07739, T32GM007739)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Keywords
- oxytocin, vasopressin, Caenorhabditis elegans, reproductive behavior, mating behavior, neuropeptides, peptide receptors, sexually dimorphic gene expression, mate searching, mate recognition, loss-of-function mutants
- MeSH terms
- Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Biological Evolution, Cricetinae, Humans, Male, Neuropeptides, Oxytocin, Reproduction, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Vasopressins, CHO Cells, Caenorhabditis elegans, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins, Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
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