# Characterization of amygdalar circuits mediating suppression of innate social behaviors

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2022 · $534,600

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 Of the innate behaviors, mating and aggression are termed as social for these behaviors
are elicited by and directed at another social individual. Innate social behaviors, such as mating
and aggression, in rodents are driven by the accessory olfactory circuits. Both of these
behaviors need to be tightly regulated to prevent inappropriate social interactions under adverse
condition (e.g. in the presence of sick females or predators). While previous studies have mostly
focused on elucidating neural pathways driving innate social behaviors, neural circuits and
mechanism, by which these behaviors are suppressed under inappropriate conditions are poorly
understood. As preliminary results, we are able to show that activation of cortical amygdala
posterior medial (CoApm), the major recipient of accessory olfactory information, suppresses
male reproductive behaviors. Consistent with this inhibitory function, CoApm activity was
enhanced by sick conspecifics that are known to inhibit these social behaviors. Together, our
preliminary results suggest that the CoApm might be involved in inhibiting innate social
behaviors under unfavorable conditions. We will test this hypothesis by asking 1) if CoApm is
required to inhibit male reproductive behavior toward sick females, 2) if CoApm mediates this
function via its efferents to medial amygdala (MeA), and 3) whether the CoApm to MeA
projection is modulated thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10430053
- **Project number:** 5R01MH122270-04
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** Gloria Choi
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $534,600
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-10 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10430053

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10430053, Characterization of amygdalar circuits mediating suppression of innate social behaviors (5R01MH122270-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10430053. Licensed CC0.

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