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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Dietary Prevention of Obesity-related Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408999
Research Project: Modification of Diurnal Patterns to Promote Health in Models for Human Metabolic Dysfunction

Location: Dietary Prevention of Obesity-related Disease Research

Title: Single transcript level atlas of oxytocin and the oxytocin receptor in the mouse brain

Author
item RYU, VITALY - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item GUMEROVA, ANISA - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item PEVNEV, GEORGII - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item KORKMAZ, FUNDA - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item KANNANGARA, HASNI - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item CULLEN, LIAM - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item SULTANA, FARHATH - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item WITZTUM, RONIT - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item SIMS, STEVEN - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item FROLINGER, TAL - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item MOLDAVSKI, OFER - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item BARAK, ORLY - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item WEISS, EMILY - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item Cao, Jay
item LIZNEVA, DARIA - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item GOOSENS, KI - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item YUEN, TONY - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai
item ZAIDI, MONE - The Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai

Submitted to: eLife
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/17/2026
Publication Date: 2/23/2026
Citation: Ryu, V., Gumerova, A., Pevnev, G., Korkmaz, F., Kannangara, H., Cullen, L., Sultana, F., Witztum, R., Sims, S., Frolinger, T., Moldavski, O., Barak, O., Weiss, E., Cao, J.J., Lizneva, D., Goosens, K., Yuen, T., Zaidi, M. 2026. Single transcript level atlas of oxytocin and the oxytocin receptor in the mouse brain. eLife. 15. Article e95215. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.95215.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.95215

Interpretive Summary: Oxytocin is a peptide hormone produced in the hypothalamus and released into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland. The hormone plays a role in the control of parturition, lactation, appetite, emotions, stress responses, and social behavior. Studies show oxytocin also directly affects bone and body composition. In this study, we used RNAscope to create a comprehensive atlas of the oxytocin and oxytocin receptor in the mouse brain. The identification of brain nuclei with the highest oxytocin and its receptor transcript density will broaden future studies in understanding the roles of oxytocin in health, such as bone and adiposity.

Technical Abstract: Oxytocin (OXT), a primitive nonapeptide known to regulate reproduction and social behaviors, is synthesized primarily in the hypothalamus and is secreted via hypophyseal–portal system of the posterior pituitary gland. Given that pituitary hormones, traditionally thought of as regulators of single targets, display an array of central and peripheral actions, OXT also directly affects bone and body composition. Its effects on bone remodeling are physiologically relevant, as elevated OXT levels during pregnancy and lactation could cause calcium mobilization from the maternal skeleton for intergenerational calcium transfer towards fetal bone growth. There is an equally large body of evidence that has established the presence of OXT receptors (OXTRs) in the brain through which central functions, such as social bonding, and peripheral functions, such as the regulation of body composition, can be exerted. To purposefully address the effects of OXT on the brain, we used RNAscope to map OXT and OXTR expression, at the single transcript level, in the whole mouse brain. Identification of brain nuclei with the highest OXT and OXTR transcript density will shed further light on functional OXT nodes that could be further interrogated experimentally to define new physiologic circuitry.