The Lin Lab

In the last year, we made good progress in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying social behaviors. In particular, we identified an oxytocin microcircuit essential for mediating defeat-induced social avoidance. To survive in a complex social group, one needs to know who to approach and, more importantly, who to avoid. In mice, a single defeat causes the losing mouse to stay away from the winner for weeks. Through a series of functional manipulation and recording experiments, we identify oxytocin neurons in the retrochiasmatic supraoptic nucleus (SOROXT) and oxytocin-receptor-expressing cells in the anterior subdivision of the ventromedial hypothalamus, ventrolateral part (aVMHvlOXTR) as a key circuit motif for defeat-induced social avoidance. Before defeat, aVMHvlOXTR cells minimally respond to aggressor cues. During defeat, aVMHvlOXTR cells are highly activated and, with the help of an exclusive oxytocin supply from the SOR, potentiate their responses to aggressor

cues. After defeat, strong aggressor-induced aVMHvlOXTR cell activation drives the animal to avoid the aggressor and minimizes future defeat. Our study uncovers a neural process that supports rapid social learning caused by  defeat and highlights the importance of the brain oxytocin system in social plasticity.

Publications

Journal of Neural Engineering

Neuron

STAR Protocols

Nature

Science

Nature Neuroscience

Science (review)

Read the press release for a recent Lin Lab publication in

Nature:

https://nyulangone.org/news/brain-mechanism-teaches-mice-

avoid-bullies