Fig. 3
Optogenetic activation of pup retrieval in both sexes. a Representative raster plots of behaviors (color coded) of mCherry and ChR2 animals of either sex during a behavioral trial in which scattered pups were given as the stimuli. Blue bars indicate periods of light stimulation. b Body regions of a pup contacted by ChR2 animals during optogenetically induced retrieval compared with spontaneous retrieval in virgin females (female_spon). N = 43 ChR2 males, 42 ChR2 females, and 10 virgin females. c Percentage of optogenetically induced retrieval bouts that resulted in a pup being brought to the nest in male and female ChR2 animals compared to spontaneous retrieval in virgin females (female_spon). N = 8 ChR2 males, 5 ChR2 females, and 10 virgin females. d Distribution of ChR2 animals of both sexes that grouped pups or fake pups. Only animals that did not display spontaneous pup retrieval were analyzed. Grouping was defined by the appearance of ≥2 pups or fake pups together at the end of the behavioral trial. e–i Quantification of optogenetically induced pup retrieval behavior in both sexes. The percentage of animals that displayed pup retrieval behavior during photostimulation (e), trial-by-trial occurrence (f), average distribution (g), the latency (h), and average duration (i) of light-induced pup retrieval behaviors were plotted. N = 66 ChR2 and 11 mCherry for males, and 56 ChR2 and 15 mCherry for females. j Percentage of ChR2 animals showing light-induced retrieval behavior under low power and high power of stimulation. N = 8 males and 12 females. k Occurrence and distribution of pup retrieval before (bef.), during (dur.), and after light stimulation in ChR2 animals that had been castrated for >3 weeks. N = 5 males and 6 females. l Spontaneous pup retrieval behavior outside of photostimulation period. N = 66 ChR2 and 11 mCherry for males, and 56 ChR2 and 15 mCherry for females. Fisher’s exact test in e and l. Unpaired t test in i. Paired t test in k. *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001
