Sexually dimorphic cell groups in the medial preoptic area that are essential for male sex behavior and the neural pathways needed for their effects

Yahr, Pauline; Finn, Patricia D.; Hoffman, Neil W.; Sayag, N.

doi:10.1016/0306-4530(94)90033-7

Cited by 33 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…After mating and ejaculation, a robust increase in c‐Fos expression was seen in the MPNm and the BSTpr (MPNm, P < 0.001; and BSTpr, P < 0.001, compared to the control; Fig h and i), both of which are sexually dimorphic (larger in males) and have been implicated in male sexual behavior (Simerly et al , ; Yahr et al , ; Balthazart & Ball, ). Interestingly, the areas activated during paternal behaviors were also activated during mating, most prominently cpMPOA ( P < 0.001, compared to the control, Fig g).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Distinct preoptic‐ BST nuclei dissociate paternal and infanticidal behavior in mice

et al. 2015

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Paternal behavior is not innate but arises through social experience. After mating and becoming fathers, male mice change their behavior toward pups from infanticide to paternal care. However, the precise brain areas and circuit mechanisms connecting these social behaviors are largely unknown. Here we demonstrated that the c-Fos expression pattern in the four nuclei of the preoptic-bed nuclei of stria terminalis (BST) region could robustly discriminate five kinds of previous social behavior of male mice (parenting, infanticide, mating, inter-male aggression, solitary control). Specifically, neuronal activation in the central part of the medial preoptic area (cMPOA) and rhomboid nucleus of the BST (BSTrh) retroactively detected paternal and infanticidal motivation with more than 95% accuracy. Moreover, cMPOA lesions switched behavior in fathers from paternal to infanticidal, while BSTrh lesions inhibited infanticide in virgin males. The projections from cMPOA to BSTrh were largely GABAergic. Optogenetic or pharmacogenetic activation of cMPOA attenuated infanticide in virgin males. Taken together, this study identifies the preoptic-BST nuclei underlying social motivations in male mice and reveals unexpected complexity in the circuit connecting these nuclei.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Distinct preoptic‐ BST nuclei dissociate paternal and infanticidal behavior in mice

et al. 2015

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“…In the case of the zebra finch, lesioning the afferent projections to the vocal control nucleus of the robustus archistriatum during the brief period when this songbird learns adult vocalisations, increases the rate of cell degeneration (Johnson and Bottjer, 1994). The basal nucleus of the stria terminalis sends axons into the SDA in the adult gerbil Yahr et al, 1994) but the age at which this is complete is as yet undetermined. Cell degeneration is found throughout the SDA-POA area as well as within the SDApc and we speculate that neurons without afferent or efferent connections have little chance of survival.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Postnatal development of a sexually dimorphic, hypothalamic nucleus in gerbils: A stereological study of neuronal number and apoptosis

Holman

Collado²,

Skepper

et al. 1996

J. Comp. Neurol.

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Steroid-sensitive, vocal courtship behavior is a function of a specific, hypothalamic nucleus, the sexually dimorphic area pars compacta (SDApc) in the male adult gerbil. Gender-related differences in the number of neurons in this nucleus are evident immediately after birth. By using unbiased stereological estimates of cell numbers in Nissl-stained, paraffin-wax sections of brain, we investigated the mechanisms differentiating cell number between the sexes in the SDApc on postnatal days 0, 3, 6, and 15. Cell death, identified by pyknosis, was greatest in the SDApc between days 0-3 in males, whereas in females, maximum values were reached between days 3-6. Similarly, the ratio of pyknotic to normal neurons peaked between days 0-3 in males and 3-6 in females but then declined in both sexes. Pyknotic cells were seldom seen in either sex by day 15. Morphological characteristics of apoptosis including chromatin condensation, cell fragmentation, and ingestion of apoptic bodies by macrophages were all demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy. Macrophages showed specific morphological characteristics of microglia. Cell division (mitosis) was identified in the SDApc during postnatal days 0, 3, and 6 but the numbers of mitotic figures were low, negligible on day 15, and similar between the sexes. These results demonstrate that cell death and proliferation occur simultaneously in the neonatal gerbil brain. The stereological estimates of cell death in the developing SDApc indicated a lower incidence of neuronal death occurring earlier in males than in females.

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“…Not surprisingly, the BST and MeA are two of the first regions that show neuronal activation during social contact (Curtis and Wang, 2003;Cushing et al, 2003b;Swann et al, 2001;Pfaus and Heeb, 1997;Kirkpatrick et al, 1994). The BST and MeA play a role in regulating mating behavior (Meisel and Sachs, 1994;Yahr et al, 1994) and a number of social behaviors. The BST and MeA play a significant role in the expression of social preferences, affiliation, and aggression in rats, mice, and hamsters (Ferguson et al, 2001;Newman, 1999;Rasia-Filho et al, 2000) and prairie voles (De Vries and Villalba, 1997;Wang and De Vries, 1993), suggesting these regions of the brain have a similar function in both highly social and less social species.…”

Section: Social Behavior and The Bst And Meamentioning

confidence: 98%

“…There are, however, some notable exceptions with males expressing significantly less ERa in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) than females. The MPOA and VMH play a major role in regulating male and female reproductive behavior, including male patterned behavior such as mounting and female lordosis (Meisel and Sachs, 1994;Yahr et al, 1994;Wood et al, 1992;Pfaff et al, 1994). The differences in these two areas suggest that E may modify sexual behavior based upon the dimorphic expression of ERa in these areas of the brain.…”

Section: Era and Neuropeptides: Sexually Dimorphic Social Behaviormentioning

confidence: 98%

Mechanisms underlying epigenetic effects of early social experience: The role of neuropeptides and steroids

Cushing

Kramer

2005

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

176

132

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Sexually dimorphic cell groups in the medial preoptic area that are essential for male sex behavior and the neural pathways needed for their effects

Cited by 33 publications

References 22 publications

Distinct preoptic‐ BST nuclei dissociate paternal and infanticidal behavior in mice

Distinct preoptic‐ BST nuclei dissociate paternal and infanticidal behavior in mice

Postnatal development of a sexually dimorphic, hypothalamic nucleus in gerbils: A stereological study of neuronal number and apoptosis

Mechanisms underlying epigenetic effects of early social experience: The role of neuropeptides and steroids

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