Specification of oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic circuits in the developing mouse brain.

Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) support a broad range of behaviors and homeostatic functions including sex-specific and context-appropriate social behaviors. Although the alterations of these systems have been linked with social-related disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, their formation and developmental dynamics remain largely unknown. Using novel brain clearing techniques and 3D imaging, we have reconstructed the specification of oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic circuits in the developing mouse brain with unprecedented cellular resolution. A systematic quantification indicates that OXT and AVP neurons in the hypothalamus display distinctive developmental dynamics and high cellular plasticity from embryonic to early postnatal stages. Our findings reveal new insights into the specification and consolidation of neuropeptidergic systems in the developing CNS. Madrigal and Jurado use brain clearing techniques and 3D imaging to generate high-resolution reconstructions of oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic circuits in the developing mouse brain, which are known to play a crucial role in social behaviours. They provide insight into the specification and consolidation of these circuits from embryonic to early postnatal stages of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]