Lizarazo Simon, Nielsen Chandler, London Evan, Pietrunti Nicole

The hypothalamus is a region of the brain that comprises a collection of small nuclei with diverse functions. One of its main functions is to produce and release hormones which contribute to the regulation of several endocrine glands and organs. In addition to its neuroendocrine role, the hypothalamus is also responsible for regulating physiological and behavioral processes such as body temperature, emotions, sleep, thirst, and hunger. The preoptic region, which is a set of nuclei in the hypothalamus, is known to be responsible for thermoregulation, sleep, and social behaviors such as parenting, aggression, and mating. Structural understanding of this region is limited given the intrinsic spatial complexity of the brain. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the composition, spatial organization, and gene expression profiles of cells in the hypothalamic preoptic region by analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and Multiplexed Error Robust Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (MERFISH) data obtained from mice by Moffit et al. (2018)..

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