Extended Data Fig. 3: Oxytocinergic innervation to VTA and Avpr1a mRNA levels are not affected in Nlgn3^KO mice.

a, Representative images from 3 mice per genotype of neurophysin 1 (green), a cleavage product of the oxytocin neuropeptide precursor that is transported in vesicles together with oxytocin⁶³, and TH (red) immunofluorescence in the VTA of wild-type and Nlgn3^KO mice. Note that oxytocinergic axons arise from multiple hypothalamic nuclei, including the paraventricular nucleus. b, c, Mean VTA area coverage (b) and puncta fluorescence in the VTA (c) from wild-type and Nlgn3^KO mice. n = 3 mice per genotype. Numbers in brackets represent sections. d, Quantification of mean Th intensity per TH⁺ cell. e, Quantification of Nlgn3 puncta per 100 μm² TH⁺ cell. f, Quantification of Oxtr puncta per 100 μm² TH⁺ cell. n = WT: 280 cells from 4 mice; Nlgn3^KO: 265 cells from 3 mice (d–f). g, Targeted proteomic (PRM) measurements for oxytocin receptor (OXTR; left) and AVPR1A (right) proteins in VTA. Numbers on bars indicate mice. h, Representative images of FISH labelling of Avrp1a (cyan), Th (red) and Nlgn3 (green) in the VTA from wild-type and Nlgn3^KO mice. Experiment was repeated independently twice. i, Quantification of mean Avpr1a intensity per TH⁺ cell. j, Quantification of Avpr1a puncta per 100 μm² TH⁺ cell from wild-type and Nlgn3^KO VTA. n = wild type: 169 cells from 4 animals; Nlgn3^KO: 200 cells from 3 mice (i, j). All error bars are s.e.m. P values determined by unpaired two-sided t-test (b, c, g), two-sided Mann–Whitney U test (d–f, i, j). See Supplementary Information for additional statistics.

Source data