Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) support sex-specific and context-appropriate social behaviors. Although alterations of these systems underlie the appearance of neuropsychiatric disorders, their formation and developmental dynamics remain largely unknown. Using novel brain clearing techniques and 3D imaging, we have reconstructed the specification of oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic circuits in the developing mouse brain with unprecedented cellular resolution. A systematic quantification indicates that OXT and AVP neurons in the hypothalamus display distinctive dynamics, but also share common features as a high cellular plasticity from embryonic to early postnatal stages. Our findings reveal new insights into the appearance and consolidation of neuropeptidergic systems in the developing CNS which is a critical step to unveil brain formation and function.

中文翻译：

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发育中的小鼠大脑中催产素和血管加压素回路的规范

催产素（OXT）和精氨酸加压素（AVP）支持特定于性别和特定情境的社交行为。尽管这些系统的改变是神经精神疾病的基础，但它们的形成和发育动力学仍然未知。使用新颖的大脑清除技术和3D成像，我们以空前的细胞分辨率重建了发育中的小鼠大脑中催产素和血管加压素电路的规格。系统的量化表明，下丘脑中的OXT和AVP神经元显示出独特的动力学，但也具有共同的特征，即从胚胎到出生后早期的高细胞可塑性。