{
  "abstract": "RTEL1, a DNA helicase that resolves G-quadruplexes to maintain telomere and genome stability, has emerged as a candidate autism spectrum disorder risk gene, but its neural functions remain unknown. Here, we show that Rtel1 haploinsufficiency in mice impairs social novelty and increases marble burying and anxiety-related behaviors without affecting locomotion or spatial learning. RTEL1 is expressed in oxytocin (OXT) neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, where Rtel1 haploinsufficiency reduces OXT abundance and blunts social-evoked OXT sensor responses. RTEL1 associates with a G-quadruplex-forming sequence near the Oxt transcription start site, and purified RTEL1 binds and unwinds this structure in an ATP-dependent manner. Rtel1 reduction in Oxt -lineage cells recapitulates the social and OXT phenotypes, whereas adult RTEL1 re-expression in paraventricular OXT neurons increases OXT abundance and ameliorates behavioral abnormalities. These findings uncover a non-telomeric function for RTEL1 linking promoter DNA structure to hypothalamic oxytocin output and social behavior.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "J. Wang"
    },
    {
      "name": "X. Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Z. Qiu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4c635y3ptqnpb.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.10.750776",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.10.750776v1.full",
  "id": "4c635y3ptqnpb",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.10.750776v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "PDM-1.0",
  "licence_label": "Public domain",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "neuroscience"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3207|Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7212442593",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.10.750776v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-10",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4c635y3ptqnpb.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:47Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.10.750776",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.10.750776v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:neuroscience",
      "subfield": "neuroscience"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Rtel1 in hypothalamic oxytocin neurons regulates oxytocin output and social behaviors in mice",
  "title_text": "Rtel1 in hypothalamic oxytocin neurons regulates oxytocin output and social behaviors in mice",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:47Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4c635y3ptqnpb",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}