Role of Androgens in the Regulation of Sexual Behavior in the Female Musk Shrew

Rissman, Emilie F.; Clendenon, Annie L.; Krohmer, Randolph W.

doi:10.1159/000125376

Cited by 44 publications

(27 citation statements)

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“…Interestingly, unlike in other mammals, quite a large number of POA kisspeptin neurons remained in the OVX musk shrew. Rissman's group (27,28) showed that the adrenal glands produce androgens that may be converted to estrogen in the POA to regulate sexual behavior in the female musk shrew. Likewise, Kiss1 expression in the POA after ovariectomy might be maintained by adrenal androgens in the musk shrew.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kisspeptin neurons mediate reflex ovulation in the musk shrew ( Suncus murinus )

Inoue

Sasagawa

Ikai

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The present study investigated whether kisspeptin-G protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54) signaling plays a role in mediating mating-induced ovulation in the musk shrew (Suncus murinus), a reflex ovulator. For this purpose, we cloned suncus Kiss1 and Gpr54 cDNA from the hypothalamus and found that suncus kisspeptin (sKp) consists of 29 amino acid residues (sKp-29). Injection of exogenous sKp-29 mimicked the mating stimulus to induce follicular maturation and ovulation. Administration of several kisspeptins and GPR54 agonists also induced presumed ovulation in a dose-dependent manner, and Gpr54 mRNA was distributed in the hypothalamus, showing that kisspeptins induce ovulation through binding to GPR54. The sKp-29-induced ovulation was blocked completely by pretreatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, suggesting that kisspeptin activates GnRH neurons to induce ovulation in the musk shrew. In addition, in situ hybridization revealed that Kiss1-expressing cells are located in the medial preoptic area (POA) and arcuate nucleus in the musk shrew hypothalamus. The number of Kiss1-expressing cells in the POA or arcuate nucleus was up-regulated or downregulated by estradiol, suggesting that kisspeptin neurons in these regions were the targets of the estrogen feedback action. Finally, mating stimulus largely induced c-Fos expression in Kiss1-positive cells in the POA, indicating that the mating stimulus activates POA kisspeptin neurons to induce ovulation. Taken together, these results indicate that kisspeptin-GPR54 signaling plays a role in the induction of ovulation in the musk shrew, a reflex ovulator, as it does in spontaneous ovulators.brain | copulation | Kiss1r | metastin | ovary

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kisspeptin neurons mediate reflex ovulation in the musk shrew ( Suncus murinus )

Inoue

Sasagawa

Ikai

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Likewise, estradiol treat- : north latitude ment to female musk shrews activated sexual behavior, though only when administered in supraphysiological doses (183). Testosterone appears to be more effective than estradiol in activating behavioral receptivity in ovariectomized musk shrews (182). There is no indication that progesterone is also needed for the induction of behavioral receptivity in induced ovulators that have been estrogen primed.…”

Section: Ovarian Control Of Female Sexual Receptivitymentioning

confidence: 97%

“…This response of behavioral receptivity toward the male is too rapid to be stimulated by ovarian estradiol production, because circulating estradiol levels are relatively low around the time of mating (75). Females' sexual behavior is probably stimulated by testosterone from adrenal origin, which acts in the hypothalamus after being aromatized to estradiol (182). In induced ovulating species, estradiol is the sole endocrine stimulus acting in the brain to promote behavioral estrus.…”

Section: Ovarian Control Of Female Sexual Receptivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuroendocrine Regulation of GnRH Release in Induced Ovulators

Bakker

Baum

2000

Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology

178

135

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GnRH is the key neuropeptide controlling reproductive function in all vertebrate species. Two different neuroendocrine mechanisms have evolved among female mammals to regulate the mediobasal hypothalamic (MBH) release of GnRH leading to the preovulatory secretion of LH by the anterior pituitary gland. In females of spontaneously ovulating species, including rats, mice, guinea pigs, sheep, monkeys, and women, ovarian steroids secreted by maturing ovarian follicles induce a pulsatile pattern of GnRH release in the median eminence that, in turn, stimulates a preovulatory LH surge. In females of induced ovulating species, including rabbits, ferrets, cats, and camels, the preovulatory release of GnRH, and the resultant preovulatory LH surge, is induced by the receipt of genital somatosensory stimuli during mating. Induced ovulators generally do not show "spontaneous" steroid-induced LH surges during their reproductive cycles, suggesting that the positive feedback actions of steroid hormones on GnRH release are reduced or absent in these species. By contrast, mating-induced preovulatory surges occasionally occur in some spontaneously ovulating species. Most research in the field of GnRH neurobiology has been performed using spontaneous ovulators including rat, guinea pig, sheep, and rhesus monkey. This review summarizes the literature concerning the neuroendocrine mechanisms controlling GnRH biosynthesis and release in females of several induced ovulating species, and whenever possible it contrasts the results with those obtained for spontaneously ovulating species. It also considers the adaptive, evolutionary benefits and disadvantages of each type of ovulatory control mechanism. In females of induced ovulating species estradiol acts in the brain to induce aspects of proceptive and receptive sexual behavior. The primary mechanism involved in the preovulatory release of GnRH among induced ovulators involves the activation of midbrain and brainstem noradrenergic neurons in response to genital-somatosensory signals generated by receipt of an intromission from a male during mating. These noradrenergic neurons project to the MBH and, when activated, promote the release of GnRH from nerve terminals in the median eminence. In contrast to spontaneous ovulators, there is little evidence that endogenous opioid peptides normally inhibit MBH GnRH release among induced ovulators. Instead, the neural signals that induce a preovulatory LH surge in these species seem to be primarily excitatory. A complete understanding of the neuroendocrine control of ovulation will only be achieved in the future by comparative studies of several animal model systems in which mating-induced as well as spontaneous, hormonally stimulated activation of GnRH neurons drives the preovulatory LH surge. KEY WORDS: GnRH; MBH; induced ovulators; neuroendocrine regulation; preovulatory LH surge; spontaneous ovulators. © 2000 Academic Press Address correspondence and reprint requests to M. J. Baum at Dept. Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Street, Boston...

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“…In females, E 2 mediates receptivity and solicitation behaviour (reviewed in Riters and Alger, 2011), and experimental studies in birds and mammals have demonstrated that these behaviours can be delayed or suppressed using an aromatase inhibitor (Rissman et al, 1990;Leboucher et al, 1998;Belle et al, 2005; but see Tomaszycki et al, 2006). While the lower proportion of extra-pair offspring in the nests of ATD+F females may be due to lower receptivity or solicitation behaviour as a result of ATD suppressing E 2 concentrations, previous studies in male song sparrows (Melospiza melodia morphna) and both sexes of zebra finch reported ATD to be ineffective at suppressing E 2 production (Soma et al, 1999;Kabelik et al, 2010, respectively) and my blood samples collected during the nestling period cannot confirm that E 2 concentrations in the ATD+F females were lower than control females during egg laying.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Blocking the effects of E 2 may have lowered the receptivity or solicitation behaviour of females (Rissman et al, 1990;Leboucher et al, 1998;Belle et al, 2005; but see Tomaszycki et al, 2006), leading to the production of fewer extra-pair offspring, although it is important to note that my blood samples collected late in the breeding season (June) cannot confirm different personalities having different mating strategies. Future studies should explore whether females with personality traits that are more bold, exploratory, and receptive towards males have a greater proportion of extra-pair paternity in their brood, and whether such traits are also indicative of whether females engage in extra-pair copulations with neighbouring males or with males from long distances away from the breeding colony at feeding and roosting sites.…”

Section: Chapter 7: Synthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of making success in female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor)

Berzins¹

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Females from a wide variety of taxa display elaborate ornaments and aggressive behaviours that are similar to those expressed by males. Although recent empirical investigation has demonstrated that ornamental traits and behaviours of females may function by attracting mates or signalling competitive ability when competing against conspecifics for access to mates and resources, less is known about how such traits influence the mating success of free-living female birds. For my research, I experimentally examined how variation in plumage brightness and behaviour of female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) influenced their mating success.Plumage brightness of females had no influence on investment in parental care or mating strategies of males, or the quality of social mate paired to the female. These results suggest that bright plumage is not a signal of attractiveness preferred by male tree swallows.In contrast, I report evidence that plumage brightness of female tree swallows is involved in agonistic interactions with conspecifics. Females whose plumage brightness was enhanced to signal high quality were less able to retain their nest site than females whose plumage brightness was reduced to signal low quality. This suggests that females displaying bright plumage may be challenged by conspecifics of high quality to test the quality signalled by bright plumage, and is supported by the finding that females displaying enhanced plumage brightness suffered social costs, such as delaying breeding and producing low-quality nestlings. Despite these costs, females in the enhanced plumage brightness treatment mated with extra-pair males that were higher quality than their social mate.Behaviour of females, manipulated by elevating testosterone (T), lowered the proportion of extra-pair offspring in the broods of T-treated females. Females manipulated so that the androgenic and estrogenic actions of T were blocked also produced fewer extra-pair iii offspring, and suggest that the androgenic and/or estrogenic actions of T influence extra-pair copulation behavior of female tree swallows. In conclusion, my results show that plumage brightness and behaviour of female tree swallows influence their mating success, and highlight the importance of studies experimentally manipulating ornamental and behavioural traits of free-living female birds prior to breeding.iv

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Role of Androgens in the Regulation of Sexual Behavior in the Female Musk Shrew

Cited by 44 publications

References 24 publications

Kisspeptin neurons mediate reflex ovulation in the musk shrew ( Suncus murinus )

Kisspeptin neurons mediate reflex ovulation in the musk shrew ( Suncus murinus )

Neuroendocrine Regulation of GnRH Release in Induced Ovulators

Determinants of making success in female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor)

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