Neural and Chemosensory Control of Behavior

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9521208 Edwards Reproductive behaviors are essential for the survival of all species. Testicular hormones are required for reproduction, and hormones activate mating in males by actions that increase the sexual responsiveness of males to females. For many species, sexual status is communicated by odors, and olfaction makes an important contribution to sexual arousal in males. Dr. Edwards proposes to examine the neural pathways through which the olfactory system and populations of hormone-sensitive neurons in the brain regulate male reproductive behavior. Neuroanatomical techniques will be used to identify androgen-sensitive neurons and neurons active during mating. Special attention will be given to a brain region that includes the zona incerta and central tegmental field. Restoration of mating in castrate males by incerta/tegmental testosterone implants can show the importance of the region for the hormonal regulation of copulation. Large lesions of the incerta/tegmental continuum eliminate mating. Studying the effect of small lesions to this region can help identify neuronal cell fields essential for copulation, and provide a foundation for studies designed to reveal the projection systems through which androgens exert their effects on reproductive behavior. Because the studies include measures of sexual behaviors (erection, sexual approach towards a female), they have relevance for understanding how male reproductive behavior is represented in the organization of the brain in many species, including man.