In addition to the regulation of social and emotional behaviors, the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to stimulate neurogenesis in adult dentate gyrus; however, the mechanisms underlying the action of oxytocin are still unclear. Taking advantage of the conditional knockout mouse model, we show here that endogenous oxytocin signaling functions in a non-cell autonomous manner to regulate survival and maturation of newly generated dentate granule cells in adult mouse hippocampus via oxytocin receptors expressed in CA3 pyramidal neurons. Through bidirectional chemogenetic manipulations, we also uncover a significant role for CA3 pyramidal neuron activity in regulating adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. Retrograde neuronal tracing combined with immunocytochemistry revealed that the oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus project directly to the CA3 region of the hippocampus. Our findings reveal a critical role for oxytocin signaling in adult neurogenesis.Oxytocin (OXT) has been implicated in adult neurogenesis. Here the authors show that CA3 pyramidal cells in the adult mouse hippocampus express OXT receptors and receive inputs from hypothalamic OXT neurons; activation of OXT signaling in CA3 pyramidal cells promotes the survival and maturation of newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus in a non-cell autonomous manner.

中文翻译：

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催产素通过在CA3锥体神经元中表达的催产素受体刺激海马神经发生。

除了调节社交和情绪行为外，下丘脑神经肽催产素还被证明可以刺激成年齿状回的神经发生。然而，催产素作用的机制尚不清楚。利用条件基因敲除小鼠模型，我们在这里显示内源性催产素信号以非细胞自主方式发挥功能，通过在CA3锥体神经元中表达的催产素受体调节成年小鼠海马中新生成的齿状颗粒细胞的存活和成熟。通过双向化学发生操作，我们还发现了CA3锥体神经元活性在调节齿状回中成年神经发生中的重要作用。逆行神经元示踪结合免疫细胞化学发现，脑室旁核中的催产素神经元直接投射到海马的CA3区。我们的发现揭示了催产素信号在成人神经发生中的关键作用。催产素（OXT）与成人神经发生有关。在这里，作者表明成年小鼠海马中的CA3锥体细胞表达OXT受体并接受下丘脑OXT神经元的输入。CA3锥体细胞中OXT信号的激活以非细胞自主方式促进齿状回中新生神经元的存活和成熟。在这里，作者表明成年小鼠海马中的CA3锥体细胞表达OXT受体并接受下丘脑OXT神经元的输入。CA3锥体细胞中OXT信号的激活以非细胞自主方式促进齿状回新生神经元的存活和成熟。在这里，作者表明成年小鼠海马中的CA3锥体细胞表达OXT受体并接受下丘脑OXT神经元的输入。CA3锥体细胞中OXT信号的激活以非细胞自主方式促进齿状回新生神经元的存活和成熟。