Figure 7: The VMHvl^Cckar/Esr1 and VMHvl^{Cckar−/Esr1} cell types are required for female mating and maternal aggression, respectively.

A. Violin plot showing FR-specific expression of Cckar in the VMHvl^Cckar/Esr1 cell type (#20).

B. Representative eDEGs significantly enriched in VMHvl^Cckar/Esr1 cell type compared to VMHvl^{Cckar−/Esr1} cell types.

C. Cckar expression is restricted to the ventrolateral component of the Esr1⁺ VMHvl population, in agreement with previous work (Hashikawa et al., 2017; Xu et al., 2012). Scale bar = 100 μm.

D. Schematic of intersectional chemogenetic strategy to inhibit VMHvl^Cckar/Esr1 (top) or VMHvl^{Cckar−/Esr1} (bottom) cell types.

E. Inhibition of VMHvl^Cckar/Esr1 cell type in Fr mice significantly reduces lordosis, receptivity index and increases rejection behavior. Lordosis quotient, (lordosis events/# of mounts); Receptivity index (# of intromissions/# of mounts).

F. Inhibition of the VMHvl^{Cckar−/Esr1}, but not VMHvl^Cckar/Esr1, cell types abrogates maternal aggression.

G. Inhibition of VMHvl^{Cckar−/Esr1} cell types in F_R mice does not disable mating behavior.

H. Schematic of strategy to label presynaptic termini of VMHvl^Cckar/Esr1 and Cckar⁻ neurons.

I. Higher density of mCherry⁺ termini of VMHvl^Cckar/Esr1 neurons in AVPV of F_R compared to F_NR mice. For all findings related to mCherry⁺ termini in this and subsequent Figures, density of termini is normalized to the number of mCherry⁺ soma in the VMHvl as described previously (Inoue et al., 2019).

J. No change in density of mCherry⁺ termini of VMHvl^Cckar− neurons in AVPV between F_R and F_NR mice.

Mean ± SEM. n = 2 (B), 6 (F), ≥7 (G), 8 (H), ≥7 (J), and 6 (K). *p < 0.05.

See also Fig. S7 and Table S7.