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Cellular neuroscience

Social studies

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 8, pages 248–249 (2007)Cite this article

The transmembrane glycoprotein CD38, found on many immune cells, is also expressed in the brain, although its function there has remained elusive. Jin, Liu et al. have now shown that CD38 is required in mice for the regulation of social behaviour by oxytocin.

The researchers infused a lentivirus carrying the human CD38 gene into the third ventricle of Cd38−/− mice, which resulted in normalization of plasma and CSF oxytocin levels. It also normalized their social memory, indicating that the mechanisms underlying social behaviour require CD38-dependent oxytocin secretion.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Jin, D., Liu, H. -X. et al. CD38 is critical for social behaviour by regulating oxytocin secretion. Nature 446, 41–45 (2007)

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  1. Leonie Welberg
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Welberg, L. Social studies. Nat Rev Neurosci 8, 248–249 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2120

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