Reproduction and survival of organisms are inseparable from the mating behavior of both sexes. In this process, the coordinated control of neural activity plays a crucial role. The initiation, execution, and termination of sexual behavior are precisely regulated by complex neural networks involving multiple brain regions, including but not limited to the hypothalamus, limbic system, and various sensory processing areas. Additionally, the regulation of sexual behavior by neural activity also depends on sex hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. These biochemical signals can modulate emotions, desires, and reward perception, thus influencing sexual impulses and mating behavior.

Due to the complexity of the estrous cycle in females, previous research has primarily focused on males, while the study of the neural basis of reproductive behavior in females has been relatively limited. Dr. Luping Yin has long been interested in the cyclic regulation mechanism of female sexual behavior and is dedicated to deepening the understanding of the variations in sexual behavior from various perspectives, including neurobiology and endocrinology. In her previous research, Dr. Yin discovered a subgroup of neurons expressing cholecystokinin receptor in the ventrolateral part of the hypothalamus (VMHvl-CCKAR), which can encode the level of female sexual arousal. These cells are selectively activated by olfactory cues and skin touch from males and their activation or inhibition has a strong impact on female sexual behavior. Interestingly, this group of cells also expresses estrogen receptors.

Our laboratory is devoted to studying the neural regulatory mechanisms of sexual behavior and other social behaviors. Using mice as the primary experimental subjects, we employ various experimental techniques such as brain slice electrophysiology, two-photon in vivo single-cell imaging, multi-brain region fiber recording, optogenetics/chemogenetics, behavioral analysis, single-cell sequencing, in situ hybridization, molecular genetic manipulation, etc. Our current research focuses include, but are not limited to:
(1) the circuitry underlying sexual behavior in single brain regions and across multiple brain regions;
(2) the mechanisms of multisensory integration in sexual behavior;
(3) the reciprocal transformations between sexual behavior and other social behaviors during the reproductive cycle;
(4) the pathological mechanisms and therapeutic strategies in sexual disorders.