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J Neurosci

Title:		Distinctive responses in the medial amygdala to same-species and different-species pheromones
Author(s):		Meredith M; Westberry JM;
Address:		"Program in Neuroscience and Department Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4340, USA. mmered@neuro.fsu.edu"
Journal Title:		J Neurosci
Year:		2004
Volume:		24
Issue:		25
Page Number:		5719 - 5725
DOI:		10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1139-04.2004
ISSN/ISBN:		1529-2401 (Electronic) 0270-6474 (Print) 0270-6474 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Chemosignals related to reproductive and social status (pheromones) carry messages between opposite-sex and same-sex individuals in many species. Each individual must distinguish signals relevant to its own social behavior with conspecifics from signals used by other (heterospecific) species relevant to their social behavior. In male hamsters, the medial amygdala responded in a categorically different way to conspecific stimuli (socially relevant) and heterospecific stimuli (not socially relevant but serving similar purposes for other species), and may play an important role in this decision. Immediate-early gene responses to conspecific chemosignals and heterospecific chemosignals were characteristically different. The categorical responses, generated by chemosensory input from the vomeronasal organ and (probably) GABA inhibition within the amygdala, were not apparent at more peripheral sensory levels. This is the first evidence for an important role of the amygdala, a limbic structure known to be involved in social and emotional behavior, in discrimination of species specificity in chemosignals"
Keywords:		"Administration, Intranasal Amino Acids, Dicarboxylic/pharmacology Amygdala/*drug effects/physiology Animals Cats Cricetinae Electric Stimulation Female Male Mesocricetus Mice Neurons/drug effects/metabolism/physiology Olfactory Pathways/drug effects/physi;neuroscience;"
Notes:		"MedlineMeredith, Michael Westberry, Jenne M eng F31 DC05725/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ T32 DC00044/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ R01 DC005813/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ DC 005813/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ F31 DC005725/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ T32 DC000044/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ Comparative Study Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 2004/06/25 J Neurosci. 2004 Jun 23; 24(25):5719-25. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1139-04.2004"