2024年10月14日，《细胞》杂志在线发表了美国科学家的一项最新研究成果。来自纽约大学的Dayu Lin等研究人员合作揭示胜利效应背后的攻击性回路中的多阶段可塑性。

研究人员揭示了在雄性小鼠的10天胜利过程中，从目标特异性的攻击增强向广泛攻击增强的转变。这一行为变化由位于腹内侧下丘脑（VMHvl）的攻击性关键节点中的三个因果相关的可塑性事件所支持。在10天的胜利过程中，VMHvl细胞经历了长距离兴奋性输入的单调增强、瞬时局部连接的增强以及延迟的兴奋性增加。

光遗传学共激活后杏仁核（PA）末梢和VMHvl细胞增强了PA-VMHvl通路，并触发了在重复胜利中观察到的相同可塑性事件级联。光遗传学阻断PA-VMHvl突触增强则消除了所有由胜利引发的可塑性。这些结果揭示了在胜利期间攻击性回路中的复杂海珀结合突触可塑性和兴奋性可塑性，最终导致重复获胜者的“攻击性”增加。

据悉，胜利增强了攻击的准备性和获胜的概率，这一现象被称为“胜利效应”。

附：英文原文

Title: The multi-stage plasticity in the aggression circuit underlying the winner effect

Author: Rongzhen Yan, Dongyu Wei, Avni Varshneya, Lynn Shan, Bing Dai, Hector J. Asencio, Aishwarya Gollamudi, Dayu Lin

Issue&Volume: 2024-10-14

Abstract: Winning increases the readiness to attack and the probability of winning, a widespread phenomenon known as the “winner effect.” Here, we reveal a transition from target-specific to generalized aggression enhancement over 10 days of winning in male mice. This behavioral change is supported by three causally linked plasticity events in the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl), a critical node for aggression. Over 10 days of winning, VMHvl cells experience monotonic potentiation of long-range excitatory inputs, transient local connectivity strengthening, and a delayed excitability increase. Optogenetically coactivating the posterior amygdala (PA) terminals and VMHvl cells potentiates the PA-VMHvl pathway and triggers the same cascade of plasticity events observed during repeated winning. Optogenetically blocking PA-VMHvl synaptic potentiation eliminates all winning-induced plasticity. These results reveal the complex Hebbian synaptic and excitability plasticity in the aggression circuit during winning, ultimately leading to increased “aggressiveness” in repeated winners.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.030

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(24)01088-2