Integrated action of pheromone signals in promoting courtship behavior in male mice

Haga-Yamanaka, Sachiko; Ma, Limei; He, Junfeng; Qiu, Qiang; Lavis, Luke D.; Looger, Loren L.; Yu, Chong

doi:10.7554/elife.03025

Cited by 100 publications

(145 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Female estrous state has an important influence on the reproductive behaviors of male mice, notably via olfactory cues (e.g., Dixon and Mackintosh 1975;Haga-Yamanaka et al 2014;Ingersoll and Weinhold 1987;Jakupovic et al 2008). In terms of vocal behavior, we have found that male mice show subtle shifts in the spectrotemporal structure of their USVs across the estrous phases of their female partners (Hanson and Hurley 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Socially induced serotonergic fluctuations in the male auditory midbrain correlate with female behavior during courtship

Keesom

Hurley

2016

Journal of Neurophysiology

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Keesom SM, Hurley LM. Socially induced serotonergic fluctuations in the male auditory midbrain correlate with female behavior during courtship. J Neurophysiol 115: 1786 -1796, 2016. First published January 20, 2016 doi:10.1152/jn.00742.2015.-Cues from social partners trigger the activation of socially responsive neuromodulatory systems, priming brain regions including sensory systems to process these cues appropriately. The fidelity with which neuromodulators reflect the qualities of ongoing social interactions in sensory regions is unclear. We addressed this issue by using voltammetry to monitor serotonergic fluctuations in an auditory midbrain nucleus, the inferior colliculus (IC), of male mice (Mus musculus) paired with females, and by concurrently measuring behaviors of both social partners. Serotonergic activity strongly increased in male mice as they courted females, relative to serotonergic activity in the same males during trials with no social partners. Across individual males, average changes in serotonergic activity were negatively correlated with behaviors exhibited by female partners, including broadband squeaks, which relate to rejection of males. In contrast, serotonergic activity did not correlate with male behaviors, including ultrasonic vocalizations. These findings suggest that during courtship, the level of serotonergic activity in the IC of males reflects the valence of the social interaction from the perspective of the male (i.e., whether the female rejects the male or not). As a result, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that neuromodulatory effects on neural responses in the IC may reflect the reception, rather than the production, of vocal signals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Socially induced serotonergic fluctuations in the male auditory midbrain correlate with female behavior during courtship

Keesom

Hurley

2016

Journal of Neurophysiology

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“…Instead they tend to be a species-specific multi-component combination of molecules [5,10]. For example, in the house mouse, sulfated oestrogens and a particular fraction of female urine form a multi-component mouse pheromone, produced by oestrous females, which promotes male mounting [10,11]. Most pheromones are detected by the sense of smell.…”

Section: Pheromones Are Chemical Signals That Meet Well-established Cmentioning

confidence: 99%

The search for human pheromones: the lost decades and the necessity of returning to first principles

2015

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As humans are mammals, it is possible, perhaps even probable, that we have pheromones. However, there is no robust bioassay-led evidence for the widely published claims that four steroid molecules are human pheromones: androstenone, androstenol, androstadienone and estratetraenol. In the absence of sound reasons to test the molecules, positive results in studies need to be treated with scepticism as these are highly likely to be false positives. Common problems include small sample sizes, an overestimate of effect size (as no effect can be expected), positive publication bias and lack of replication. Instead, if we are to find human pheromones, we need to treat ourselves as if we were a newly discovered mammal, and use the rigorous methods already proven successful in pheromone research on other species. Establishing a pheromone relies on demonstration of an odour-mediated behavioural or physiological response, identification and synthesis of the bioactive molecule(s), followed by bioassay confirmation of activity. Likely sources include our sebaceous glands. Comparison of secretions from adult and pre-pubertal humans may highlight potential molecules involved in sexual behaviour. One of the most promising human pheromone leads is a nipple secretion from the areola glands produced by all lactating mothers, which stimulates suckling by any baby not just their own.

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“…Mechanisms that underlie such coordination are better understood in females. For example, ovulating female mice release pheromones to attract males (Haga-Yamanaka et al, 2014), and juvenile females lacking mature gametes release a peptide pheromone to inhibit male courtship behavior (Ferrero et al, 2013). In addition, the ability of female mice to detect attractive male pheromones depends on the ovulation status signaled by a sex hormone (Dey et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hormonal Modulation of Pheromone Detection Enhances Male Courtship Success

Lin

Cao

Sethi

et al. 2016

Neuron

117

181

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SUMMARY During the lifespans of most animals, reproductive maturity and mating activity are highly coordinated. In Drosophila melanogaster, for instance, male fertility increases with age and older males are known to have a copulation advantage over young ones. The molecular and neural basis of this age-related disparity in mating behavior is unknown. Here we show that the Or47b odorant receptor is required for the copulation advantage of older males. Notably, the sensitivity of Or47b neurons to a stimulatory pheromone, palmitoleic acid, is low in young males but high in older ones, which accounts for older males’ higher courtship intensity. Mechanistically, this age-related sensitization of Or47b neurons requires a reproductive hormone, juvenile hormone, as well as its binding protein Methoprene-tolerant in Or47b neurons. Together, our study identifies a direct neural substrate for juvenile hormone that permits coordination of courtship activity with reproductive maturity to maximize male reproductive fitness.

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Integrated action of pheromone signals in promoting courtship behavior in male mice

Cited by 100 publications

References 54 publications

Socially induced serotonergic fluctuations in the male auditory midbrain correlate with female behavior during courtship

Socially induced serotonergic fluctuations in the male auditory midbrain correlate with female behavior during courtship

The search for human pheromones: the lost decades and the necessity of returning to first principles

Hormonal Modulation of Pheromone Detection Enhances Male Courtship Success

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