Roles of sex and gonadal steroids in mammalian pheromonal communication

Baum, Michael J.; Bakker, Julie

doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2013.07.004

Cited by 51 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 148 publications

(193 reference statements)

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“…By contrast, in most experiments by Keller and co-workers that found innate attraction for male volatiles, female mice were treated with steroids (estradiol implants plus progesterone injections) to induce a behavioural oestrus, thus suggesting that preference for male urinary volatiles might be restricted to oestrus. If this explanation were correct, the innate attraction for male volatiles would differ from that for non-volatile pheromones, which is present in ovariectomized females (Moncho-Bogani et al 2004) even though there is some evidence for steroid modulation of VNO sensitivity (see Baum and Bakker, 2013).…”

Section: A Volatile Male Sexual Pheromones: Chemical Species and Thementioning

confidence: 99%

“…regulation (Baum and Bakker, 2013); c) possible inter-strain differences; d) dual action of some volatiles through the olfactory and vomeronasal epithelia (see Fortes-Marco et al, 2013); and e) possible roles of olfactory stimuli in triggering contact-mediated vomeronasal chemoinvestigation (Mandiyan et al, 2005). And third, by contrast, there seems to be consensus that some vomeronasal stimuli trigger both intersexual attraction and aggression.…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From sexual attraction to maternal aggression: When pheromones change their behavioural significance

Martín‐Sánchez

McLean

Beynon

et al. 2015

Hormones and Behavior

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From sexual attraction to maternal aggression: When pheromones change their behavioural significance, Hormones and Behavior (2014), doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT2 AbstractThis paper reviews the role of chemosignals in the socio-sexual interactions of female mice, and reports two experiments testing the role of pup-derived chemosignals and the male sexual pheromone darcin in inducing and promoting maternal aggression. Female mice are attracted to urine-borne male pheromones. Volatile and non-volatile urine fractions have been proposed to contain olfactory and vomeronasal pheromones. In particular, the male-specific major urinary protein (MUP) MUP20, darcin, has been shown to be rewarding and attractive to females. Non-urinary male chemosignals, such as the lacrimal protein ESP1, promote lordosis in female mice, but its attractive properties are still to be tested. There is evidence indicating that ESP1 and MUPs are detected by vomeronasal type 2 receptors (V2R).When a female mouse becomes pregnant, she undergoes dramatic changes in her physiology and behaviour. She builds a nest for her pups and takes care of them. Dams also defend the nest against conspecific intruders, attacking especially gonadally intact males. Maternal behaviour is dependent on a functional olfactory system, thus suggesting a role of chemosignals in the development of maternal behaviour. Our first experiment demonstrates, however, that pup chemosignals are not sufficient to induce maternal aggression in virgin females. In addition, it is known that vomeronasal stimuli are needed for maternal aggression.Since MUPs (and other molecules) are able to promote intermale aggression, in our second experiment we test if the attractive MUP darcin also promotes attacks on castrated male intruders by lactating dams. Our findings demonstrate that the same chemosignal, darcin, promotes attraction or aggression according to female reproductive state.

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Section: A Volatile Male Sexual Pheromones: Chemical Species and Thementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

From sexual attraction to maternal aggression: When pheromones change their behavioural significance

Martín‐Sánchez

McLean

Beynon

et al. 2015

Hormones and Behavior

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“…Aromatase+ neurons comprise ~40% of neurons within the MeApd, a region important for reproductive behaviors and responsive to pheromone sources such as urine (Baum and Bakker, 2013; Bergan et al, 2014; Choi et al, 2005; DiBenedictis et al, 2012; Sokolowski and Corbin, 2012; Swanson, 2000; Wu et al, 2009). We find that aromatase+ MeApd neurons in males regulate the display of specific features of aggression, but not mating, courtship vocalization, or territory marking.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medial Amygdalar Aromatase Neurons Regulate Aggression in Both Sexes

et al. 2015

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SUMMARY Aromatase-expressing neuroendocrine neurons in the vertebrate male brain synthesize estradiol from circulating testosterone. This locally produced estradiol controls neural circuits underlying courtship vocalization, mating, aggression, and territory marking in male mice. How aromatase-expressing neuronal populations control these diverse estrogen-dependent male behaviors is poorly understood, and the function, if any, of aromatase-expressing neurons in females is unclear. Using targeted genetic approaches, we show that aromatase-expressing neurons within the male posterodorsal medial amygdala (MeApd) regulate components of aggression but not other estrogen-dependent male-typical behaviors. Remarkably, aromatase-expressing MeApd neurons in females are specifically required for components of maternal aggression, which we show is distinct from intermale aggression in pattern and execution. Thus, aromatase-expressing MeApd neurons control distinct forms of aggression in the two sexes. Moreover, our findings indicate that complex social behaviors are separable in a modular manner at the level of genetically identified neuronal populations.

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“…This suggests that olfaction is a primary sensory modality via which interference can be induced in our model of social recognition memory. Indeed, different papers suggest that in the context of social recognition memory, olfaction plays a fundamental role in laboratory rodents [15,19] in which the processing of the non-volatile fraction of the olfactory signature may be directly linked to the intrinsically rewarding aspect of social interaction [20]. Juvenile exposure activates distinct cell populations not only within the accessory, but also in the main olfactory bulb (MOB) [6,8].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%