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Genes Brain Behav

Title:		Conditioned odor aversion induces social anxiety towards females in wild-type and TrpC2 knockout male mice
Author(s):		Beny Y; Kimchi T;
Address:		"Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel"
Journal Title:		Genes Brain Behav
Year:		2016
Volume:		20160922
Issue:		8
Page Number:		722 - 732
DOI:		10.1111/gbb.12320
ISSN/ISBN:		1601-183X (Electronic) 1601-183X (Linking)
Abstract:		"Female-emitted pheromonal inputs possess an intrinsic rewarding value for conspecific males, promoting approach and investigation of the potential mating partner. In mice these inputs are detected mainly by the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). We investigated the role of VNO-mediated inputs in experience-dependent plasticity of reproductive responses. We applied a sex-specific conditioned odor aversion (COA) paradigm on adult, wild-type (WT) male mice and on male mice impaired in VNO-mediated signal transduction (TrpC2(-/-) ). We found that WT males, which underwent COA to female-soiled bedding, lost their innate preference to female odors and presented lower motivation to approach a sexually receptive female. COA also abolished the testosterone surge normally seen following exposure to female odors. Moreover, the conditioned males displayed impairments in copulatory behaviors, which lasted for several weeks. Surprisingly, these males also exhibited phobic behaviors towards receptive females, including freezing and fleeing responses. In contrast, WT males which underwent COA specifically to male pheromones showed no change in olfactory preference and only a marginally significant elevation in intermale aggression. Finally, we show that TrpC2(-/-) males were able to acquire aversion to female-soiled bedding and presented similar behavioral alterations following COA in their responses to female cues. Our results demonstrate that the intrinsic rewarding value of female pheromones can be overridden through associative olfactory learning, which occurs independently of VNO inputs, probably through MOE signaling"
Keywords:		"Aggression/physiology Animals Anxiety/genetics/metabolism Conditioning, Psychological Fear Female Male Mice Mice, Knockout Neurons/physiology Odorants Pheromones/*physiology Phobia, Social/*genetics/metabolism/*psychology Reward Sexual Behavior, Animal/*p;"
Notes:		"MedlineBeny, Y Kimchi, T eng England 2016/08/19 Genes Brain Behav. 2016 Nov; 15(8):722-732. doi: 10.1111/gbb.12320. Epub 2016 Sep 22"