Nares Occlusion Eliminates Heterosexual Partner Selection without Disrupting Coitus in Ferrets of Both Sexes

Kelliher, Kevin R.; Baum, Michael J.

doi:10.1523/jneurosci.21-15-05832.2001

Cited by 73 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Providing visual and auditory cues or the opportunity for a physical interaction with stimulus ferrets in Y-maze tests failed to reverse the reduced preference of females with VMH damage for male-derived olfactory stimuli. This outcome corroborates our previous suggestion (Kelliher and Baum, 2001) that olfactory inputs take precedence over other sensory modalities in determining ferrets' sex partner preference. The present results are also consistent with the suggestion (Choi et al, 2005) that there is a neural circuit that includes the medial amygdala and the VMH which is selectively responsive to reproductively salient olfactory inputs.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Ferrets were tested in a Y-maze (Kelliher and Baum, 2001) that allowed for the presentation of different combinations of odor, auditory, visual and behavioral stimuli from stimulus male and female ferrets that received daily injections of TP and EB, respectively. The maze consisted of a "start" box, two "goal" boxes (all 18 × 12 × 12 in.)…”

Section: Y-maze Tests Of Odor and Partner Preferencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, in the ferret, the induction of anosmia by occlusion of the main olfactory epithelium eliminated the preference of both male and female subjects to approach tethered opposite-sex conspecifics in Y-maze tests (Kelliher and Baum, 2001). Anosmic ferrets of both sexes showed normal mating behavior when they were placed in close proximity with a conspecific, suggesting that olfactory cues are only required to identify mating partners at a distance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus lesions disrupt olfactory mate recognition and receptivity in female ferrets

Robarts

Baum

2007

Hormones and Behavior

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Previous research showed that ferrets of both sexes rely on the perception of conspecifics' body odors to identify and motivate approach towards opposite-sex mating partners, and exposure to male body odors stimulated Fos expression in an olfactory projection circuit of female, but not male, ferrets that terminates in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH). We asked whether the female-typical preference of ferrets to approach male as opposed to female body odors in Y-maze tests would be disrupted by VMH lesions. Sexually experienced female ferrets were ovo-hysterectomized prior to receiving bilateral electrolytic lesions of the VMH, the preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus (POA/ AH) or a sham operation. Subsequently, while receiving estradiol benzoate, females that received either complete or partial bilateral lesions of the VMH approached volatile odors from an anesthetized male on significantly fewer trials than females given POA/AH lesions or a sham operation. Both groups of ferrets with VMH lesion damage reliably discriminated between volatile anal scents as well as urinary odors from the 2 sexes in home cage habituation/dishabituation tests, suggesting that their odor-based sex discrimination remained intact. Females with complete bilateral VMH lesions showed significantly lower acceptance of neck gripping from a stimulus male (receptivity) and more aggression towards the male than all other groups of female subjects. Estrogen-sensitive neurons in the VMH appear to play a central role in female-typical neural processing of odor inputs leading to a preference to seek out a male sex partner, in addition to facilitating females' sexual receptivity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Y-maze Tests Of Odor and Partner Preferencementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus lesions disrupt olfactory mate recognition and receptivity in female ferrets

Robarts

Baum

2007

Hormones and Behavior

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“…The lack of involvement of the vomeronasal pathway to support mate recognition has also been demonstrated in female ferrets, where lesioning the VNO did not affect the preference for volatile body odorants emitted from males [116]. By contrast, blocking the nares of the animals disrupted mate recognition in both male and female ferrets [49]. In addition, VNO duct occlusion failed to disrupt female attraction toward the boar pheromone, androstenone, [26].…”

Section: Olfactory Control Of Mate Recognitionmentioning

confidence: 81%

The main and the accessory olfactory systems interact in the control of mate recognition and sexual behavior

Keller

Baum

Brock

et al. 2009

Behavioural Brain Research

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150

101

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“…Although the MOS is thought to detect volatile odorants and the VNS is thought to be important for the detection of nonvolatile pheromones, evidence shows that the MOS is also involved in pheromone detection (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Surgical blocking of odorant access to the MOE, but not surgical ablation of the vomeronasal epithelium (VNE), eliminates preference to odors from the opposite sex in ferrets (9,10). In mice, chemical ablation of the MOE impairs male and female sexual behaviors (11,12).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic dissection of pheromone processing reveals main olfactory system-mediated social behaviors in mice

Matsuo¹,

Hattori

Asaba

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Most mammals have two major olfactory subsystems: the main olfactory system (MOS) and vomeronasal system (VNS). It is now widely accepted that the range of pheromones that control social behaviors are processed by both the VNS and the MOS. However, the functional contributions of each subsystem in social behavior remain unclear. To genetically dissociate the MOS and VNS functions, we established two conditional knockout mouse lines that led to either loss-of-function in the entire MOS or in the dorsal MOS. Mice with whole-MOS loss-of-function displayed severe defects in active sniffing and poor survival through the neonatal period. In contrast, when loss-of-function was confined to the dorsal MOB, sniffing behavior, pheromone recognition, and VNS activity were maintained. However, defects in a wide spectrum of social behaviors were observed: attraction to female urine and the accompanying ultrasonic vocalizations, chemoinvestigatory preference, aggression, maternal behaviors, and risk-assessment behaviors in response to an alarm pheromone. Functional dissociation of pheromone detection and pheromonal induction of behaviors showed the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON)-regulated social behaviors downstream from the MOS. Lesion analysis and neural activation mapping showed pheromonal activation in multiple amygdaloid and hypothalamic nuclei, important regions for the expression of social behavior, was dependent on MOS and AON functions. Identification of the MOS-AON-mediated pheromone pathway may provide insights into pheromone signaling in animals that do not possess a functional VNS, including humans.social behavior | pheromone processing | main olfactory system | vomeronasal system M ost mammals have two major olfactory subsystems-the main olfactory system (MOS) and vomeronasal system (VNS). The MOS comprises the main olfactory epithelium (MOE), in which olfactory sensory neurons detect odorants, and their projection target, the main olfactory bulb (MOB) (Fig. S1A). Although the MOS is thought to detect volatile odorants and the VNS is thought to be important for the detection of nonvolatile pheromones, evidence shows that the MOS is also involved in pheromone detection (1-8). Surgical blocking of odorant access to the MOE, but not surgical ablation of the vomeronasal epithelium (VNE), eliminates preference to odors from the opposite sex in ferrets (9, 10). In mice, chemical ablation of the MOE impairs male and female sexual behaviors (11,12). In these experiments in which the MOE was ablated, the function of the VNS is not directly disrupted, because the VNS is activated by direct application of urine to the nostril. Thus, these results indicate that the MOS also contributes to pheromone processing and related behaviors.Nonconditional disruption of genes encoding signal transduction proteins that are required for activation of olfactory neurons, such as cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (Cnga2) or adenylyl cyclase 3, impairs several social behaviors (11,(13)(14)(15). However, complete loss of MOS function causes a...

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Nares Occlusion Eliminates Heterosexual Partner Selection without Disrupting Coitus in Ferrets of Both Sexes

Cited by 73 publications

References 38 publications

Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus lesions disrupt olfactory mate recognition and receptivity in female ferrets

Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus lesions disrupt olfactory mate recognition and receptivity in female ferrets

The main and the accessory olfactory systems interact in the control of mate recognition and sexual behavior

Genetic dissection of pheromone processing reveals main olfactory system-mediated social behaviors in mice

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