Studies have found that oxytocin drives the development of neuronal connections in adulthood

Learning a new task, mastering a musical instrument, or being able to adapt to a changing environment are all possible thanks to the plasticity of the brain, or it can adjust itself by rearranging existing neural networks and forming new ones to acquire new functional characteristics
.
This also helps the neural circuits stay healthy, strong, and stable
.

To better understand brain plasticity, a team of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital used mouse models to study how brain cells make connections
with newborn neurons in adult brains.
Their findings, published in the journal Genes and Development, not only expand our understanding of brain plasticity, but also open up new possibilities
for treating certain neurodevelopmental disorders and repairing damaged circuits in the future.

"In this study, we wanted to identify new molecules that help new neurons make connections in the brain," said corresponding author Benjamin R.
Arenkiel, Ph.
D
.
, professor of molecular and human genetics and neuroscience at Baylor University and the Duncan Neuroscience Institute at Texas Children's Hospital.
"We looked at the part of the brain that is related to smell – the olfactory bulb
.
In mice, the olfactory bulb is a highly plasticizable sensory region with a significant ability
to maintain plasticity into adulthood by constantly integrating adult neurons.
We found that oxytocin (a peptide or short protein) produced in the brain drives events
that contribute to the plasticity of neural circuits.
”

The researchers found that oxytocin levels in the olfactory bulb increased, peaking when new neurons were integrated into the neural network
.
Using viral markers, confocal microscopy, and cell type-specific RNA sequencing, the team found that oxytocin triggers a signaling pathway—a series of molecular events within the cell—that promotes the maturation of synapses, the connections
of newly integrated adult neurons.
When the researchers eliminated oxytocin receptors, the synapses of the cells were incomplete and impaired function
.

"Importantly, we found that synaptic maturation is achieved by regulating the morphological development of cells and the expression of some structural proteins," said
Arenkiel, a McNair scholar at Baylor University.

Brandon T.
Pekarek, a research associate and graduate student in Arenkiel's lab, said: "The most exciting aspect of this study is that our findings suggest that oxytocin drives the development and synaptic integration of new neurons in the adult brain, directly contributing to fitness and circuit plasticity
.
"

The discovery is relevant to all mammals, including humans, opening up new possibilities
for improving neurological disorders.
"Oxytocin is normally found in our brains, so if we know how to turn it on, off, or mobilize it, we can help keep our circuit connections healthy by facilitating undeveloped connections or strengthening new ones," Arenkiel said
.
"Our findings also suggest that oxytocin can promote the growth of new neurons to repair damaged tissue
.
Further research is needed to explore these possibilities
.
”

This work was supported by McNair Medical Institute, NDS grant R01NS078294, AHA grant and NICE grant U54HD083092
.

Journal Reference:

1. Brandon T.
   Pekarek, Mikhail Kochukov, Brittney Lozzi, Timothy Wu, Patrick J.
   Hunt, Burak Tepe, Elizabeth Hanson Moss, Evelyne K.
   Tantry, Jessica L.
   Swanson, Sean W.
   Dooling, Mayuri Patel, Benjamin D.
   W.
   Belfort, Juan M.
   Romero, Suyang Bao, Matthew C.
   Hill, Benjamin R.
   Arenkiel.
   Oxytocin signaling is necessary for synaptic maturation of adult-born neurons.
   Genes & Development, 2022; DOI: 10.
   1101/gad.
   349930.
   122