| Title: | Melanocortin-5 receptor deficiency in mice blocks a novel pathway influencing pheromone-induced aggression |
| Address: | "Vollum Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, 97239, USA. cam2025@med.cornell.edu" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10519-005-9024-9 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0001-8244 (Print) 0001-8244 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The rodent preputial gland secretes aggression-promoting pheromones and expresses melanocortin-5 receptor (MC5R), but the functional relationship is poorly understood. We investigated whether MC5R deficiency in male mice alters stimulatory melanocortin influences on preputial growth and pheromone-induced aggression. In wild-type (MC5R(+/+)) pairs, repeated NDP-MSH injection decreased attack latency and increased aggression in initial attackers. Similar NDP-MSH treatment in MC5R-deficient (MC5R(-/-)) pairs failed to alter attack latency or aggression frequency, but aggression increased in vehicle-injected opponents. NDP-MSH treatment promoted preputial hypertrophy, and in MC5R(+/+) mice paired against non-aggressive stimulus opponents it decreased attack latency and increased aggression. MC5R(-/-) mice were insensitive to behavioral and physiological effects of NDP-MSH, and preputialectomized mice were insensitive to behavioral effects of NDP-MSH. The results suggest that MC5R inactivation reduced a pheromonal signal for aggression that acts on donors, rather than their opponents" |
| Keywords: | "Aggression/*physiology Agonistic Behavior/physiology Animals Male Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Mice, Knockout Pheromones/*physiology Receptors, Corticotropin/*deficiency/genetics Receptors, Melanocortin alpha-MSH/physiology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineMorgan, Caurnel Cone, Roger D eng DK51730/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/ T32 DK07680/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural 2006/01/13 Behav Genet. 2006 Mar; 36(2):291-300. doi: 10.1007/s10519-005-9024-9. Epub 2006 Jan 12" |
