Ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) nNOS neurons regulate social behaviors in a sex-specific manner.

Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; Estrogen Receptor alpha; Nos1 protein, mouse; Animals; Male; Female; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Estrogen Receptor alpha/metabolism; Aggression; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Sex Characteristics; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/metabolism; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/genetics; Social Behavior; Neurons/physiology; Neurons/metabolism; Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus/physiology; Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus/cytology; Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology; Neurons; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus; Medicine (miscellaneous); Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (all); Agricultural and Biological Sciences (all)

Abstract :

[en] Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) neurons are ubiquitously spread in the mouse brain. Data using knockouts and pharmacology have revealed that nNOS is essential for the display of sexual and aggressive behavior. Yet, the specific neuronal populations regulating those behaviors remain elusive. Here, we aim to study the role of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl)-nNOS neurons in social behaviors in both sexes. First, we evaluate whether the expression of nNOS overlaps with the well characterized estrogen receptor alpha (ERα + )-VMHvl population. Next, we assess how different social stimuli affected VMHvl-nNOS neurons' activity. Lastly, we use transgenic mice and viral approaches to ablate VMHvl-nNOS neurons and evaluate their impact on behavior. Our findings suggest that nNOS neurons constitute a small cluster within the VMHvl-ERα+ population that regulates social behaviors in a sex-specific manner. In males, those neurons seem to be essential for aggression, whereas in females for sexual behavior and social motivation.

Disciplines :

Neurosciences & behavior

Author, co-author :

Oliveira, Vinícius Elias de Moura ; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium. demourav@uni-mainz.de ; Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany. demourav@uni-mainz.de

Bodea, Ioana; Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium

Bakker, Julie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau

Language :

English

Title :

Ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) nNOS neurons regulate social behaviors in a sex-specific manner.

Publication date :

01 December 2025

Journal title :

Communications Biology

eISSN :

2399-3642

Publisher :

Nature Research

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

1732

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-09279-y.pdf

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique
Fondation Léon Fredericq

Funding text :

We would like to thank Laura de Vries, Chlo\u00E9 Beaudou, and Lozen Thies for their help with the experiments and Dr. Harold Gainer for giving us the anti-oxytocin antibody. This work was supported by the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique -FNRS Charg\u00E9 de Recherche (1.B.308.23AGGRESSIONKiNG project to V.O., by the Fondation L\u00E9on Fredericq Bourse de fonctionnement Post-Doctorant (Neuromodulation of aggression by kisspeptin, neurokinin B, and GnRH to V.O., and the FNRS (PDR T.0015.20 to J.B.).

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since 23 January 2026

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