| Title: | The pheromone darcin drives a circuit for innate and reinforced behaviours |
| Author(s): | Demir E; Li K; Bobrowski-Khoury N; Sanders JI; Beynon RJ; Hurst JL; Kepecs A; Axel R; |
| Address: | "Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA. Department of Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA. Sanworks LLC, Stony Brook, NY, USA. Centre for Proteome Research, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, UK. Department of Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA. akepecs@wustl.edu. Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. akepecs@wustl.edu. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. akepecs@wustl.edu. Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA. ra27@columbia.edu. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. ra27@columbia.edu" |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41586-020-1967-8 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1476-4687 (Electronic) 0028-0836 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Organisms have evolved diverse behavioural strategies that enhance the likelihood of encountering and assessing mates(1). Many species use pheromones to communicate information about the location, sexual and social status of potential partners(2). In mice, the major urinary protein darcin-which is present in the urine of males-provides a component of a scent mark that elicits approach by females and drives learning(3,4). Here we show that darcin elicits a complex and variable behavioural repertoire that consists of attraction, ultrasonic vocalization and urinary scent marking, and also serves as a reinforcer in learning paradigms. We identify a genetically determined circuit-extending from the accessory olfactory bulb to the posterior medial amygdala-that is necessary for all behavioural responses to darcin. Moreover, optical activation of darcin-responsive neurons in the medial amygdala induces both the innate and the conditioned behaviours elicited by the pheromone. These neurons define a topographically segregated population that expresses neuronal nitric oxide synthase. We suggest that this darcin-activated neural circuit integrates pheromonal information with internal state to elicit both variable innate behaviours and reinforced behaviours that may promote mate encounters and mate selection" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Female Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins Male Mice Olfactory Bulb/physiology Pheromones/*physiology Proteins/*physiology Reinforcement, Psychology Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineDemir, Ebru Li, Kenneth Bobrowski-Khoury, Natasha Sanders, Joshua I Beynon, Robert J Hurst, Jane L Kepecs, Adam Axel, Richard eng HHMI/Howard Hughes Medical Institute/ Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2020/01/31 Nature. 2020 Feb; 578(7793):137-141. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-1967-8. Epub 2020 Jan 29" |
