美国拉霍亚斯克里普斯研究公司Lisa Stowers团队取得一项新突破。他们揭示社会言语交际的灵活性和持久性。相关论文于2021年3月31日发表在《自然》杂志上。
他们从侧视前区（LPOA）识别表达雌激素受体1（LPOAESR1神经元）的小鼠神经元，并在激活时引发自然求爱时发出的超声（USV）音节的完整曲目。神经解剖学和功能数据揭示了一个两步的双突触回路图元，其中主要的远程抑制性LPOAESR1神经元减轻了对局部水周导水管（PAG）抑制的钳位，使兴奋性PAG USV门控神经元能够触发发声。
他们发现，社会背景影响了广泛的USV振幅和发声持续时间。直接刺激PAG神经元时，没有这种可变性。PAG引起的发声在时间上与神经活动相关，并且刻板印象很大。相比之下，增加LPOAESR1神经元的活动会缩放发声的幅度，而且延迟抑制钳的恢复会延长USV发声。因此，LPOA的抑制性图元有助于灵活的响度以及发声的持续时间和持续性，这是有效的语言社交交流的关键方面。
据介绍，诸如笑、尖叫或哭泣之类的内在声响将人的感觉传达给他人。在包括人类在内的许多物种中，调整发声的幅度和持续时间对于有效的社会交流是至关重要的。在小鼠中，雌性气味触发雄性小鼠发出先天的求爱USV。但是，小鼠是否可以灵活地缩放其发声能力以及如何构造神经回路以产生灵活性仍是未知之数。
附：英文原文
Title: Flexible scaling and persistence of social vocal communication
Author: Jingyi Chen, Jeffrey E. Markowitz, Varoth Lilascharoen, Sandra Taylor, Pete Sheurpukdi, Jason A. Keller, Jennifer R. Jensen, Byung Kook Lim, Sandeep Robert Datta, Lisa Stowers
Issue&Volume: 2021-03-31
Abstract: Innate vocal sounds such as laughing, screaming or crying convey one’s feelings to others. In many species, including humans, scaling the amplitude and duration of vocalizations is essential for effective social communication1,2,3. In mice, female scent triggers male mice to emit innate courtship ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs)4,5. However, whether mice flexibly scale their vocalizations and how neural circuits are structured to generate flexibility remain largely unknown. Here we identify mouse neurons from the lateral preoptic area (LPOA) that express oestrogen receptor 1 (LPOAESR1 neurons) and, when activated, elicit the complete repertoire of USV syllables emitted during natural courtship. Neural anatomy and functional data reveal a two-step, di-synaptic circuit motif in which primary long-range inhibitory LPOAESR1 neurons relieve a clamp of local periaqueductal grey (PAG) inhibition, enabling excitatory PAG USV-gating neurons to trigger vocalizations. We find that social context shapes a wide range of USV amplitudes and bout durations. This variability is absent when PAG neurons are stimulated directly; PAG-evoked vocalizations are time-locked to neural activity and stereotypically loud. By contrast, increasing the activity of LPOAESR1 neurons scales the amplitude of vocalizations, and delaying the recovery of the inhibition clamp prolongs USV bouts. Thus, the LPOA disinhibition motif contributes to flexible loudness and the duration and persistence of bouts, which are key aspects of effective vocal social communication.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03403-8
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03403-8
Nature：《自然》，创刊于1869年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团，最新IF：69.504
官方网址：http://www.nature.com/
投稿链接：http://www.nature.com/authors/submit_manuscript.html
本期文章：《自然》：Online/在线发表
