Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States
Piper C Keyes
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, United States
Jeremy J Day
Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmangham, United States
Caely Hambro
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, United States
Curtis J Austin
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, United States
Francis K Maina
Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
Lori N Eidson
Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
Kirsten A Porter-Stransky
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, United States; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, United States
Natalie Nevárez
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, United States
J William McLean
Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmangham, United States
Morgan A Kuhnmuench
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, United States
Anne Z Murphy
Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
Tiffany A Mathews
Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
Brandon J Aragona
Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, United States
Prairie vole breeder pairs form monogamous pair bonds, which are maintained through the expression of selective aggression toward novel conspecifics. Here, we utilize behavioral and anatomical techniques to extend the current understanding of neural mechanisms that mediate pair bond maintenance. For both sexes, we show that pair bonding up-regulates mRNA expression for genes encoding D1-like dopamine (DA) receptors and dynorphin as well as enhances stimulated DA release within the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We next show that D1-like receptor regulation of selective aggression is mediated through downstream activation of kappa-opioid receptors (KORs) and that activation of these receptors mediates social avoidance. Finally, we also identified sex-specific alterations in KOR binding density within the NAc shell of paired males and demonstrate that this alteration contributes to the neuroprotective effect of pair bonding against drug reward. Together, these findings suggest motivational and valence processing systems interact to mediate the maintenance of social bonds.
