| Title: | Loss of sex discrimination and male-male aggression in mice deficient for TRP2 |
| Author(s): | Stowers L; Holy TE; Meister M; Dulac C; Koentges G; |
| Address: | "Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1095-9203 (Electronic) 0036-8075 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The mouse vomeronasal organ (VNO) is thought to mediate social behaviors and neuroendocrine changes elicited by pheromonal cues. The molecular mechanisms underlying the sensory response to pheromones and the behavioral repertoire induced through the VNO are not fully characterized. Using the tools of mouse genetics and multielectrode recording, we demonstrate that the sensory activation of VNO neurons requires TRP2, a putative ion channel of the transient receptor potential family that is expressed exclusively in these neurons. Moreover, we show that male mice deficient in TRP2 expression fail to display male-male aggression, and they initiate sexual and courtship behaviors toward both males and females. Our study suggests that, in the mouse, sensory activation of the VNO is essential for sex discrimination of conspecifics and thus ensures gender-specific behavior" |
| Keywords: | "*Aggression Animals Chemoreceptor Cells/*physiology Crosses, Genetic Cues Electrophysiology Electroporation Female Gene Targeting Male Maternal Behavior Membrane Proteins/*genetics/*physiology Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Mutation Neurons, Afferent/*physiology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineStowers, Lisa Holy, Timothy E Meister, Markus Dulac, Catherine Koentges, Georgy eng DC03903/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 2002/02/02 Science. 2002 Feb 22; 295(5559):1493-500. doi: 10.1126/science.1069259. Epub 2002 Jan 31" |
