Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40759971›Full record

ArticleBiology of sex differences2025

Sex differences in structural and receptor mRNA expression in the ventral anterior cingulate cortex and a potential role of perineuronal nets in monogamous pair bond establishment (Peromyscus californicus).

Candice L Malone, Jiaxuan Li, Elsa M Luebke, Leykza Carreras-Simons, Warren W Treis, Emma R Hammond, Patrick K Monari, Catherine A Marler

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Article in Biology of sex differences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Candice L MaloneDept. of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA.
Jiaxuan LiDept. of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA.
Elsa M LuebkeDept. of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA.
Leykza Carreras-SimonsDept. of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA.
Warren W TreisDept. of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA.
Emma R HammondDept. of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA.
Patrick K MonariDept. of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA.
Catherine A MarlerDept. of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA. camarler@wisc.edu.

Funding

Animal Behavior Society MSN278502NSF 1946613
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) exhibits distinct behavioral changes during pair bond formation. Using a detailed temporal behavioral analysis over seven days, we found a rapid decrease in aggression within 24 h of pair introduction in this highly territorial species. After this aggression reduction, the gradual increase in affiliative behaviors varied by type of affiliative behavior and ranged from one to seven days. We then measured neurobiological changes at three time points during this transition to uncover mechanisms that might govern this shift from aggressive to affiliative behavior, revealing novel sex differences that add to current research on biological mechanisms of social bonding. Specifically, we examined plasticity through mRNA expression of two perineuronal net (PNN) associated proteins, HAPLN and ACAN, in two brain regions implicated in affiliation, aggression, and social cognition: the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC) and lateral septum (LS). The vACC in females exhibited higher expression levels of both of these PNN components relative to males. Additionally, we observed a decrease in ACAN mRNA expression in the vACC over the course of pair bond establishment, but no such change in the LS. Furthermore, oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and vasopressin receptor (AVPR) plasticity exhibited sex-specific patterns in the vACC during pair bond formation. Females displayed higher OXTR mRNA expression across the bonding period, whereas males expressed higher AVPR mRNA levels. We discuss how a decrease in PNNs could allow for an increase in receptor plasticity in the vACC as the pair bond is established. Moreover, we suggest that structural plasticity across this social transition may differ between males and females due to factors such as pre-pair sociality and aggression/territoriality changes.

Indexed as

Gyrus CinguliPair BondPeromyscusSex CharacteristicsAggressionAnimalsExtracellular Matrix ProteinsFemaleMaleReceptors, OxytocinReceptors, VasopressinRNA, MessengerExtracellular Matrix ProteinsReceptors, OxytocinReceptors, VasopressinRNA, MessengerAffiliationAggressionOxytocinPair bondingPerineuronal netsPlasticitySocial behaviorVasopressin

Identifiers

PMID40759971
PMCPMC12323146

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.