%0 Journal Article
%T Mother每Pup Interactions: Rodents and Humans
%A Aldo B. Lucion
%A Maria C芍tira Bortolini
%J Frontiers in Endocrinology
%D 2014
%I Frontiers Media
%R 10.3389/fendo.2014.00017
%X In order to survive after birth, mammalian infants need a caretaker, usually the mother. Several behavioral strategies have evolved to guarantee the transition from a period of intense caregiving to offspring independence. Here, we examine a selection of literature on the genetic, epigenetic, physiological, and behavioral factors relating to development and mother每infant interactions. We intend to show the utility of comparisons between rodent and human models for deepening knowledge regarding this key relationship. Particular attention is paid to the following factors: the distinct developmental stages of the mother每pup relationship as relating to behavior; examples of key genetic components of mammalian mother每infant interactions, specifically those coding for the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin; and the possible functions of gene imprinting in mediating interactions between genetics and environment in the mother每infant relationship. As early mother每infant attachment seems to establish the basic parameters for later social interactions, ongoing investigations in this area are essential. We propose the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in order to better understand the network of genes, gene regulation, neuropeptide action, physiological processes, and feedback loops essential to understand the complex behaviors of mother每infant interaction.
%K mother每infant attachment
%K oxytocin receptor gene
%K innate behavior
%K social behaviors
%K behavior synchrony
%U http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fendo.2014.00017/abstract