{
  "abstract": "Repeated exposure to young can induce caregiving in virgin female mice, a phenomenon known as pup sensitization, but whether virgin males can similarly acquire parental behavior and the neural mechanisms underlying this transition remain unclear. We show that 7 days of continuous pup exposure reliably converts virgin adult male mice to a parental state. This transition requires calcitonin receptor (CalcR)-expressing neurons in the medial preoptic area (MPOA): silencing MPOACalcR neurons disrupts both the acquisition and expression of paternal behavior, whereas optogenetic activation of GABAergic MPOACalcR neurons promotes caregiving in virgin males. Longitudinal two-photon calcium imaging reveals that MPOACalcR neurons develop enhanced pup-selective responses as males transition to a parental state. Moreover, CalcR signaling in the MPOA promotes synaptic potentiation and facilitates the emergence of parental behavior. These results identify an experience-dependent hypothalamic plasticity mechanism that enables parental behavior in non-father males.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "New York University Langone Medical Center"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 14,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "P. T. O'Neill"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. Yan"
    },
    {
      "name": "Y. Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "Q. Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Yin"
    },
    {
      "name": "G. Lhamo"
    },
    {
      "name": "D. J. Rhodes"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Little"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Cheng"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Chen"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Shoham"
    },
    {
      "name": "X. Chen"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. C. Froemke"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "D. Lin"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2wdtx653kjhm3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.21.760822",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.21.760822v1.full",
  "id": "2wdtx653kjhm3",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.21.760822v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "neuroscience"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3207|Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223170183",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.21.760822v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-21",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2wdtx653kjhm3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:29:06Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.21.760822",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.21.760822v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:neuroscience",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Hypothalamic plasticity for alloparenting in male mice",
  "title_text": "Hypothalamic plasticity for alloparenting in male mice",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:29:06Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2wdtx653kjhm3",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}