Nature Communications (Aug 2018)

Social interactions impact on the dopaminergic system and drive individuality

  • N. Torquet,
  • F. Marti,
  • C. Campart,
  • S. Tolu,
  • C. Nguyen,
  • V. Oberto,
  • M. Benallaoua,
  • J. Naudé,
  • S. Didienne,
  • N. Debray,
  • S. Jezequel,
  • L. Le Gouestre,
  • B. Hannesse,
  • J. Mariani,
  • A. Mourot,
  • P. Faure

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05526-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Individual animals differ in behavioral traits, but the mechanisms underlying individuation are unclear. Here, the authors show that mice living in a ‘city’ develop individual behavior differences, associated with changes in dopamine cell firing, that can be reversed on moving them to a different social environment.