Single-Cell Resolution of Individual Variation in Hypothalamic Neurons Allows Targeted Manipulation Affecting Social Motivation.

ABSTRACT: Despite decades of research, connecting molecular and cellular phenotypes to complex behavioral traits remains an elusive goal ¹ . Social motivation exhibits individual trait variation ² , which we hypothesize is mediated by molecular and cellular variability across hypothalamic neurons. To test this, we generated single-nucleus RNA-sequencing profiles ^3,4 of >120,000 neurons from tuberal hypothalamus and adjacent thalamus in 36 mice, balanced across sex and autism-associated mutation ⁵ , with all mice assessed for social motivation ² . First, we show that molecular activation patterns predict behavior across individuals: specifically, activation of paraventricular Agtr1a + (angiotensin receptor 1a) neurons predicted reduced soc

SUBMITTER: Sarafinovska S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11952468 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature