| Title: | Exposure to female pheromones stimulates a specific type of neuronal population in the male but not female magnocellular division of the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN mag) of the Syrian hamster |
| Author(s): | Swann JM; Richendrfer HA; Dawson L; Nack E; Whylings J; Garelick T; |
| Address: | "Lehigh University, Dept of Biological Sciences, United States. Electronic address: jms5@lehigh.edu" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.06.004 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1095-6867 (Electronic) 0018-506X (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The magnocellular division of the medial preoptic area (MPN mag) integrates pheromonal and hormonal signals to play a critical role in the expression of male typical sex behavior. The MPN mag contains two morphologically distinct neuronal populations; the percentage of each type within the nucleus is sex specific. Males have more neurons with a single nucleolus whereas females have more with multiple nucleoli. To determine which neuronal subtype mediates pheromonal induction of copulation, tissue from male and female hamsters exposed to female pheromones was immunolabeled for the immediate early protein (EGR-1). Subsequently the tissue was counterstained and the number of ERG-1 neurons with one or two nuclei was determined. The results indicate that pheromones stimulate neurons with single nucleoli in males but fail to stimulate either neuronal subtype in females suggesting that synaptic input to the MPN mag is sexually differentiated" |
| Keywords: | Animals Cricetinae ERG1 Potassium Channel Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels/metabolism Female Male *Mesocricetus Neurons/*drug effects/physiology Organ Specificity/drug effects Preoptic Area/cytology/*drug effects/physiology Sex Attractants/*pharmacology S; |
| Notes: | "MedlineSwann, Jennifer M Richendrfer, Holly A Dawson, Lindsay Nack, Elana Whylings, Jack Garelick, Tim eng Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2013/06/19 Horm Behav. 2013 Aug; 64(3):421-9. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.06.004. Epub 2013 Jun 15" |
