# Oxytocin Ligand/Receptor Variants and Social Behavior

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA OMAHA · 2020 · $301,899

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The brain neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) play important roles in altering neural
circuits that regulate social behavior. These ligands regulate normative social function in a host of areas,
including social attachment, parental behavior, aggression, and complex social cognition. In pathological
brain/behavior conditions, many disorders are characterized by dramatic deficits in the social realm.
Knowledge of the way OT and AVP alter cellular function in neurons has the potential to both identify
mechanisms that produce social dysfunction and to design compounds that normalize cellular function and
behavior. The present project takes advantage of the discovery of novel OT ligand structure, and variation in
cellular receptors for OT and AVP in the marmoset, a species that exhibits social monogamy, infant care by
males, and a family-like social structure. The first aim will characterize the effects of ligand diversity on the
alteration of behavior in a variety of social domains by using in vivo behavioral pharmacology. These domains
include male-female attachment, infant care, mate-defense aggression, and social cooperation/altruism. The
second aim will quantify the receptor pharmacology and binding characteristics of the ligand variants with the
cell membrane G protein-coupled receptors for these related ligands. The final aim will define the specific
modifications in G protein-mediated cell signaling processes brought about by these ligands to determine if
ligand variation that modifies social behavior does so through specific or `biased' activation of different
signaling pathways. Collectively, these three aims will provide important insights into the ways in which
neurons and behavior are modified by OT and AVP ligand variants, leading to enhanced knowledge of the
neurobiology of social behavior. The project can point to potential options for designing neuropeptide ligand-
receptor complexes that could serve as effective tools to treat social dysfunction.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9948492
- **Project number:** 5R01HD089147-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA OMAHA
- **Principal Investigator:** Jeffrey A French
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $301,899
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-20 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9948492

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9948492, Oxytocin Ligand/Receptor Variants and Social Behavior (5R01HD089147-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9948492. Licensed CC0.

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