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Cited by 123Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroendocrine regulation and behaviorNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Control of Intermale Aggression by Medial Prefrontal Cortex Activation in the Mouse

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Takahashi, Aki, Nagayasu, Kazuki, Nishitani, Naoya, Kaneko, Shuji, Koide, Tsuyoshi·2014·PLoS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0094657PMC PMC3989250
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Abstract

Aggressive behavior is widely observed throughout the animal kingdom because of its adaptiveness for social animals. However, when aggressive behavior exceeds the species-typical level, it is no longer adaptive, so there should be a mechanism to control excessive aggression to keep it within the adaptive range. Using optogenetics, we demonstrate that activation of excitatory neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but not the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), inhibits inter-male aggression in mice. At the same time, optogenetic silencing of mPFC neurons causes an escalation of aggressive behavior both quantitatively and qualitatively. Activation of the mPFC suppresses aggressive bursts and reduces the intensity of aggressive behavior, but does not change the duration of the aggressive bursts. Our findings suggest that mPFC activity has an inhibitory role in the initiation and execution, but not the termination, of aggressive behavior, and maintains such behavior within the adaptive range.

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  • The PFC likely regulates play in a multifactorial manner, contributing to expression of the behavior through its roles in suppressing aggression, monitoring approach/avoid conflict, and modulating the stress response via its projections to the MeA and other stress-modulatory nodes.

    “The PFC likely regulates play in a multifactorial manner, contributing to expression of the behavior through its roles in suppressing aggression, monitoring approach/avoid conflict, and modulating the stress response via its projections to the MeA and other stress-modulatory nodes (Aupperle & Paulus, 2010; McEwen & Morrison, 2013; Takahashi et al., 2014).”

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

    The Discussion (page not provided) reports that mPFC activation inhibits aggression in male mice and describes projections to the medial amygdala and other aggression-related regions. It does not establish that the PFC regulates play, monitors approach–avoidance conflict, or modulates the stress response through those projections. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Takahashi, A., Nagayasu, K., Nishitani, N., Kaneko, S., & Koide, T.
Affiliations
  • National Institute of Genetics (JP)
  • Kyoto University (JP)
Corresponding author
Takahashi, Aki
ORCID
Venue
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2014-04-16
Volume
9
Issue
4
Pages
e94657
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0094657
PMC
PMC3989250
OpenAlex
W2110037546
Cited by
123
References
8
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 5
FWCI
3.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Research Foundation for Opto-Science and Technology
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (23650243, 26860055, 23683021)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
male-male aggression, medial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, optogenetic stimulation, optogenetic silencing, excitatory neurons, aggression escalation, mice
MeSH terms
Aggression, Animals, Female, Light, Luminescent Proteins, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Inbred ICR, Microscopy, Fluorescence, Motor Activity, Neurons, Prefrontal Cortex, Optogenetics

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