RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics

Team Leader: Kazunari Miyamichi (Ph.D.)

Japanese Page

Research Summary

The brain can dynamically adjust body physiology and behavior to meet the demands of specific life stages, yet how this adaptive plasticity operates at the neural circuit level remains largely unknown. Our research seeks to uncover the mechanisms enabling flexible neuronal functions across life stages within the mouse hypothalamus and sympathetic nervous system. Through this work, we aim to shed new light on nervous system plasticity that underpins the regulation of animal behavior and physiological processes.

Main Research Fields

Biological Sciences

Related Research Fields

Biology

Keywords

Neural circuits
Hypothalamus
Viral and genetic technologies
Sympathetic nervous system
Bain-organ association

Selected Publications

1. Tsurutani, M., Goto, T., Hagihara, M., Irie, S., Miyamichi, K.:
"Selective vulnerability of parvocellular oxytocin neurons in social dysfunction."
Nat Commun 15: 8661 (2024)
2. Miyamichi, K.:
"Neural basis for behavioral plasticity during the parental life-stage transition in mice."
Front Neural Circuits 17: 1340497 (2024)
3. Goto, T., Hagihara, M., Miyamichi, K.:
"Dynamics of pulsatile activities of arcuate kisspeptin neurons in aging female mice."
Elife 12: e82533 (2022)
4. Yaguchi, K., Hagihara, M., Konno, A., Hirai, H., Yukinaga, H., Miyamichi, K.:
"Dynamic modulation of pulsatile activities of oxytocin neurons in lactating wild-type mice."
PLoS One 18: e0285589 (2023)
5. Inada, K., Tsujimoto, K., Yoshida, M., Nishimori, K., Miyamichi, K.:
"Oxytocin signaling in the posterior hypothalamus prevents hyperphagic obesity in mice."
Elife 11: e75718 (2022)
6. Yukinaga, H., Hagihara, M., Tsujimoto, K., Chiang, H.L., Kato, S., Kobayashi, K., Miyamichi, K.:
"Recording and manipulation of the maternal oxytocin neural activities in mice."
Curr Biol 32: 3821-3829 (2022)
7. Itakura, T., Murata, K., Miyamichi, K., Ishii, K.K., Yoshihara, Y., Touhara, K.:
"A single vomeronasal receptor promotes intermale aggression through dedicated hypothalamic neurons."
Neuron 110: 2455-2469 (2022)
8. Inada, K., Hagihara, M., Tsujimoto, K., Abe, T., Konno, A., Hirai, H., Kiyonari, H., Miyamichi, K.:
"Plasticity of neural connections underlying oxytocin-mediated parental behaviors of male mice."
Neuron 110: 2009-2023 (2022)
9. Yoshihara, C., Tokita, K., Maruyama, T., Kaneko, M., Tsuneoka, Y., Fukumitsu, K., Miyazawa, E., Shinozuka, K., Huang, A.J., Nishimori, K., McHugh, T.J., Tanaka, M., Itohara, S., Touhara, K., Miyamichi, K., Kuroda KO.:
"Calcitonin receptor signaling in the medial preoptic area enables risk-taking maternal care."
Cell Rep 35: 109204 (2021)
10. Sato, K., Hamasaki, Y., Fukui, K., Ito, K., Miyamichi, K., Minami, M., Amano, T.:
"Amygdalohippocampal Area Neurons That Project to the Preoptic Area Mediate Infant-Directed Attack in Male Mice."
J Neurosci 40: 3981-3994 (2020)