Hypothalamic Vasopressin Neurons Enable Maternal Thermoregulatory Behaviors.

ABSTRACT: Newborns of many mammalian species are partial poikilotherms and require adult thermoregulatory care for survival. In mice, pup survival in cold and cool ambient temperature depends on the ability of adult caregivers to huddle pups and bring them into a high-quality nest. It is therefore essential that adult mice adjust parental care as a function of changes in ambient temperature. Here, we investigated how mouse maternal care adapts to a range of temperatures, from cold to warm. We show that changes in ambient temperature affect several individual and co-parenting maternal behaviors in both dams and virgin female mice, and modulate activity of vasopressin neurons. Furthermore, we establish that the effects of ambient temperature on both maternal care and the activity of vasopressin neuron

SUBMITTER: Adahman Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11974691 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature