The molecular basis of monogamy
di Kjell Fuxe
di Luigi Agnati
The pioneering work in the field of pair bonding by Thomas Insel and his group (Insel and Young 2001, Young and Wang 2004) has documented the marked rise in the density of the oxytocin receptors all over the entire nuc acumbens and the dorsal striatum of the monogamous prairie vole compared with the polygamous montane vole. The partner preference formation in the mating female prairie vole is blocked through infusions of an oxytocin receptor antagonist into the nuc accumbens and the prefrontal cortex but not into the dorsal striatum.It is highly