2 research outputs found
The parenting hub of the hypothalamus is a focus of imprinted gene action
Imprinted genes are subject to germline epigenetic modification resulting in parental-specific allelic silencing. Although genomic imprinting is thought to be important for maternal behaviour, this idea is based on serendipitous findings from a small number of imprinted genes. Here, we undertook an unbiased systems biology approach, taking advantage of the recent delineation of specific neuronal populations responsible for controlling parental care, to test whether imprinted genes significantly converge to regulate parenting behaviour. Using single-cell RNA sequencing datasets, we identified a specific enrichment of imprinted gene expression in a recognised “parenting hub”, the galanin-expressing neurons of the preoptic area. We tested the validity of linking enriched expression in these neurons to function by focusing on MAGE family member L2 (Magel2), an imprinted gene not previously linked to parenting behaviour. We confirmed expression of Magel2 in the preoptic area galanin expressing neurons. We then examined the parenting behaviour of Magel2-null(+/p) mice. Magel2-null mothers, fathers and virgin females demonstrated deficits in pup retrieval, nest building and pup-directed motivation, identifying a central role for this gene in parenting. Finally, we show that Magel2-null mothers and fathers have a significant reduction in POA galanin expressing cells, which in turn contributes to a reduced c-Fos response in the POA upon exposure to pups. Our findings identify a novel imprinted gene that impacts parenting behaviour and, moreover, demonstrates the utility of using single-cell RNA sequencing data to predict gene function from expression and in doing so here, have identified a purposeful role for genomic imprinting in mediating parental behaviour
Conversational homes: a uniform natural language approach for collaboration among humans and devices
As devices proliferate, the ability for us to interact with
them in an intuitive and meaningful way becomes increasingly
challenging. In this paper we take the typical home as an
experimental environment to investigate the challenges and potential
solutions arising from ever-increasing device proliferation
and complexity. We describe and evaluate a potential solution
based on conversational interactions between “things” in the
environment where those things can be either machine devices
or human users. Our key innovation is the use of a Controlled
Natural Language (CNL) technology as the underpinning information
representation language for both machine and human
agents, enabling humans and machines to trivially “read” the
information being exchanged. The core CNL is augmented with
a conversational protocol enabling different speech acts to be
exchanged within the system. This conversational layer enables
key contextual information to be conveyed, as well as providing
a mechanism for translation from the core CNL to other forms,
such as device specific API (Application Programming Interface)
requests, or more easily consumable human representations. Our
goal is to show that a single, uniform language can support
machine-machine, machine-human, human-machine and humanhuman
interaction in a dynamic environment that is able to
rapidly evolve to accommodate new devices and capabilities as
they are encountered. We also report results from our first formal
evaluation of a Conversational Homes prototype and demonstrate
users with no previous experience of this environment are able
to rapidly and effectively interact with simulated devices in a
number of simple scenarios