FRM 2025 Symposium
Hypothalamic mechanisms for adaptive behavioral control
When
Tuesday, 17 June
14:15-15:30
Where
University of Oslo,
campus Blindern
Vilhelm Bjerknes’ hus, Auditorium 5
Chair:
Anne Petzold, Georg August University, Germany
Speakers:
Derya Sargin, University of Calgary, Canada: Lateral hypothalamic pathways and social behavior modulation
Maribel Rios, Tufts University School of Medicine, USA: BDNF control of energy and glucose homeostasis in the ventromedial hypothalamus
Nicholas Betley, University of Pennsylvania, USA: To feed or not to feed: hypothalamic hunger circuits in the face of competing needs
Brief description
Hypothalamic circuits are essential for the flexible regulation of diverse innate behaviours. However, which neural computations and circuit motifs enable hypothalamic populations to adapt innate behaviour to physiological states has remained elusive. In this symposium, leading experts will present their latest studies on the neural mechanisms that enable flexible hypothalamic behaviour control across physiological states.
Abstract
Healthy animals continuously adapt innate behaviours to current need states. The flexible regulation of diverse innate behaviours relies on hypothalamic circuits. However, which neural computations and circuit motifs enable hypothalamic populations to adapt innate behaviour to physiological states has remained elusive. Recent developments of powerful tools such as optogenetics, calcium imaging and in vivo and in vitro electrophysiology vastly improved our ability to probe neural activity in freely behaving animals, even in brain regions as deep as hypothalamic nuclei. In this symposium, leading experts will present their latest findings on the neural mechanisms that enable flexible hypothalamic behaviour control across physiological states.
Derya Sargin will present highly novel work on the circuit architecture and function of lateral hypothalamic subcircuits underlying social behaviours. Maribel Rios will discuss her recent work on neurotrophic mechanisms for the hypothalamic regulation of feeding behaviour. Nicolas Betley will share his recent work on neural circuits that enable animals to resolve the conflict between competing needs.
The session will be chaired by Anne Petzold, whose work focuses on neural circuits for behavioral adaptation, and Derya Sargin.
The proposed symposium will highlight novel mechanisms for the need-dependent regulation of innate behaviours through hypothalamic circuits and thus provide important insights into the neural basis of behavioural adaptation.
References
Ramkumar R … Sargin D. Long-Term Impact of Early-Life Stress on Serotonin Connectivity. Biol Psychiatry, 2024. PMID: 38316332.
Dawson M … Sargin D. Hypocretin/orexin neurons encode social discrimination and exhibit a sex-dependent necessity for social interaction. Cell Rep, 2023. PMID: 37459234.
Terstege DJ … Sargin D. Protocol for the integration of fiber photometry and social behavior in rodent models. STAR Protoc, 2023. PMID: 37979176.
Ameroso D … Rios M. Astrocytic BDNF signaling within the ventromedial hypothalamus regulates energy homeostasis. Nat Metab, 2022. PMID: 35501599.
Cordeira J, Rios M. Weighing in the role of BDNF in the central control of eating behavior.
Mol Neurobiol, 2011. PMID: 22012072.
Fagan MP … Rios M. Essential and sex-specific effects of mGluR5 in ventromedial hypothalamus regulating estrogen signaling and glucose balance. PNAS, 2020. PMID: 32719118.
Petzold A … Korotkova T. Complementary lateral hypothalamic populations resist hunger pressure to balance nutritional and social needs. Cell Metab, 2023. PMID: 36827985.
Petzold A … Korotkova T. Identification of state-dependent encoding of innate rewards by deep-brain single-cell imaging in freely behaving mice. Neuromethods: Fluorescence Imaging of the Brain, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-4011-1_11
Keywords
neural circuits; behaviour