| Title: | Male pheromone-stimulated neurogenesis in the adult female brain: possible role in mating behavior |
| Author(s): | Mak GK; Enwere EK; Gregg C; Pakarainen T; Poutanen M; Huhtaniemi I; Weiss S; |
| Address: | "Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1097-6256 (Print) 1097-6256 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The regulation of female reproductive behaviors may involve memories of male pheromone signatures, formed in part by neural circuitry involving the olfactory bulb and hippocampus. These neural structures are the principal sites of adult neurogenesis; however, previous studies point to their independent regulation by sensory and physiological stimuli. Here we report that the pheromones of dominant (but not subordinate) males stimulate neuronal production in both the olfactory bulb and hippocampus of female mice, which are independently mediated by prolactin and luteinizing hormone, respectively. Neurogenesis induced by dominant-male pheromones correlates with a female preference for dominant males over subordinate males, whereas blocking neurogenesis with the mitotic inhibitor cytosine arabinoside eliminated this preference. These results suggest that male pheromones are involved in regulating neurogenesis in both the olfactory bulb and hippocampus, which may be important for female reproductive success" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Astringents/toxicity Behavior, Animal Brain/*cytology/drug effects Bromodeoxyuridine/metabolism Cell Proliferation/*drug effects Cytarabine/pharmacology Female Immunosuppressive Agents/pharmacology In Situ Nick-End Labeling/methods Male Mice Mice, ;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineMak, Gloria K Enwere, Emeka K Gregg, Christopher Pakarainen, Tomi Poutanen, Matti Huhtaniemi, Ilpo Weiss, Samuel eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2007/07/03 Nat Neurosci. 2007 Aug; 10(8):1003-11. doi: 10.1038/nn1928. Epub 2007 Jul 1" |
