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Reposted by Christian Broberger

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation @kawresearch.bsky.social · 6d

A new study by @broberger.bsky.social has found a system in the #brain that explains why female mice, who are not normally aggressive, suddenly exhibit this behaviour after becoming pregnant and giving birth #research supported by Knut and Alice Foundation @ki.se tinyurl.com/yh7s2bvb

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

16/n. This work @stockholm-uni.bsky.social was generously funded by @kawresearch.bsky.social and @vetenskapsradet.bsky.social w/ support to the lab also from @erc.europa.eu. If you like this study: first-author Stefanos Stagkourakis has just opened his own lab at SciLifeLabs/Karolinska Institutet.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

15/n. …With the sudden appearance of an intruder, activation of these cells may serve to prioritize attack over nursing to direct attention and resources towards the most imminent threat to the pups’ survival.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

14/n. We propose a model in which PMvDAT neurons are hormonally primed into a hyperexcitable state in the dam, greatly lowering the threshold for eliciting attacks against conspecifics…

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

13/n. To our surprise, this intervention dramatically disrupted pup care (without eliciting any attacks toward the pups); retrieval failed almost completely.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

12/n. Finally, we wondered if PMvDAT cells can also activate other components of the maternal behavioural repertoire, a question we addressed by opto-activating these neurons system during a pup retrieval test, i.e. in the •absence• of an adult intruder.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

11/n. So some, as yet unidentified, factor, likely operating during pregnancy, seems to be a required switch to facilitate the attack mode in dams.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

10/n. However, there’s definitely more to maternal aggression than the rise of prolactin and oxytocin post-partum. We were not able to trigger aggression in virgin females by infusing the hormones, separately or in cocktail, into the PMv.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

9/n. Patch clamp recordings from PMvDAT neurons showed that prolactin powerfully excites these cells through a multitude of mechanisms. Similarly, oxytocin had a strong depolarizing action on PMvDAT neurons.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

8/n. Which factors could influence the expression of aggression in the females? Here, we decided to take a closer look at the pituitary hormones that define physiology and behaviour of the puerperal state: prolactin and oxytocin.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

7/n. Contrariwise, optoinhibition significantly attenuated attacks; ablation of these neurons cells had the same effect. So an active PMvDAT system appears necessary for aggression in mouse mothers.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

6/n. So, are PMvDAT cells required for maternal aggression? Optogenetic stimulation of these neurons in dams triggered attacks against cage intruders that would normally have been left alone.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

5/n. Intriguingly, we previously reported a similar difference in cell state earlier between non-aggressive (hyperpolarized PMvDAT) and aggressive (hyperexcitable PMvDAT ) males, respectively.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

4/n. Recordings from PMvDAT neurons ex vivo revealed that in virgin females they are typically hyperpolarized and fire action potentials rarely, if at all. In contrast, the same cells in dams were highly active and in a hyperexcited state.

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

3/n. We focused on a group of neurons in the ventral premammillary nucleus (PMvDAT); some years ago we showed that these cells can powerfully drive aggression in male mice. If PMvDAT cells - which synapse with the VMHvl - are silenced, males cease attacking intruders. What about females?

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

2/n. In lab settings, aggression is rare among female mice prior to pregnancy. However, when pups are born, mouse mothers often engage in intense attacks on cage intruders. Why? How does the 🧠 change it’s relationship to conspecifics post-partum?

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 3d

1/n. New paper from us: here we explore the mechanisms underlying maternal aggression in mice as a means of addressing how an individual transiently can gain access to a behaviour normally outside of its repertoire. Lead investigator Stefanos Stagkourakis (not on 🦋)🧵:

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Maternal aggression driven by the transient mobilisation of a dormant hormone-sensitive circuit - Nature Communications

Mothers can fiercely defend their young, but how the brain triggers this response remains to a large extent a mystery. Here, authors show that a dormant, hormone-sensitive brain circuit switches on to spark maternal aggression during the lactation period.

www.nature.com

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 7d

Tenure track PI position in data-driven cell and molecular biology open at @stockholm-uni.bsky.social and SciLifeLab. Competitive startup package. Neuroscientists (and junior scientists from all eligible disciplines) encouraged to apply! Please re-post.
su.varbi.com/en/what:job/...

Assistant Professor in Data-driven cell and molecular biology

At Stockholm University the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (DBB) and the Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute (MBW) are looking to fill one position as DDLS fellow

su.varbi.com

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · 7d

Check out this postdoc opportunity: exciting electrophysiology collaboration on Parkinson-diabetes links in a great team at Karolinska Institutet.

Anders Borgkvist @borgkvistlab.bsky.social · 7d

Postdoc Opportunity at Karolinska Institutet: We're seeking an electrophysiologist to join an exciting collaborative project focusing on diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

Join us!

ki.varbi.com/what:job/job...

Postdoktor i Diabetes och Parkinsons sjukdom

Vill du bidra till medicinsk forskning av toppkvalitet? Det strategiska forskningsprogrammet för diabetes (SRP Diabetes) vid Karolinska Institutet finansierar ett prestigefyllt stipendieprogram för

ki.varbi.com

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Reposted by Christian Broberger

Daniel Durocher @durocher1.bsky.social · Aug 28

JOB ALERT 🚨 We are hiring TWO principal investigators in cell, molecular, systems, or chemical biology in Toronto, Canada at @sinaihealth.bsky.social. We provide a generous startup, fully funded salary and academic appointment at U of Toronto.

www.nature.com/naturecareer...

Please repost!

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · Aug 18

Hey 🧠 students, check this out! You’d be fortunate to be mentored by Silvana. ⬇️

Silvana Valtcheva @svaltcheva.bsky.social · Aug 18

Go ahead and apply to the @cga-age.bsky.social ⚡⚡

We are looking for a PhD student
www.ageing-grad-school.de/phd/host-lab...

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · Aug 15

Today’s lab meeting fueled by Ukrainian chocolate. 🇺🇦 @stockholm-uni.bsky.social

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Reposted by Christian Broberger

British Society for Neuroendocrinology @bsneuroendo.bsky.social · Aug 13

Found a neuroendo lab whose work you love❤️?

Get up to £6000 support for travel and accommodation with our research visit grant

Apply: www.neuroendo.org.uk...
Deadline: 1 September 2025

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · Aug 13

We don’t have an open postdoc call right now, but we’re always interested to hear from people who want to study neuronal networks, innate behaviour and the neuroendocrine system. To learn more about the lab, get in touch here at 🦋 or through the usual channels! @stockholm-uni.bsky.social

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Christian Broberger @broberger.bsky.social · Aug 1

📝 accepted. 🧵 to follow. We celebrate in style 🍾.

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