Sexual Differentiation of Mouse Vomeronasal Function

小鼠犁鼻功能的性别分化

• 批准号: 6622021
• 负责人: JAMES A. CHERRY
• 金额: $ 24.23万
• 依托单位: BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1998
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1998-12-01 至 2005-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6622021
• 关键词: animal communication behavior; behavioral /social science research tag; biological signal transduction; estradiol; estrogens; fluorescent in situ hybridization; fos protein; gender difference; immunocytochemistry; laboratory mouse; olfactions; olfactory lobe; olfactory stimulus; pheromone; receptor expression; sex hormones; testosterone; vomeronasal systems

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The vomeronasal organ (VNO) projection pathway mediates many of the effects of pheromones on essential psychosexual and neuroendocrine functions in a variety of vertebrate species. We have shown that different populations of neurons in the VNO of male and female mice respond to pheromones derived from male and female conspecifics and that estradiol and testosterone amplify these effects. Experiments are proposed to extend these findings by determining whether sex differences exist in the expression within the basal zone of the VNO of any three different V2R receptors previously cloned in mice, and whether any such differences in mRNA levels for these receptors are modulated by estradiol or testosterone. We will see whether the ability of male pheromones to augment Fos-IR in mitral cells that project to medial amygdaloid nuclei from the rostral as opposed to the caudal AOB differs in gonadectomized, estrogen-treated male and female mice and will use cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity by fluorescent in situ hybridization (catFISH) for the immediate-early-gene (IEG), c-fos, to determine whether mitral cells in the rostral versus caudal zones of the AOB are differentially activated by pheromones from male versus estrous female mice. Finally, we will determine whether the inhibition of male pheromone-induced IEG activation previously seen in the VNO of females two days after mating also occurs in male mice and in response to pheromones from both sexes, and we will assess the possible role of noradrenergic afferents from the superior cervical ganglia on the mating-induced 'silencing' of subsequent odor-induced IEG activation in the VNO. The results obtained in these studies should improve our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the effects of gender, steroid hormones, and previous coital experience on the processing of olfactory signals by the accessory olfactory system.

描述（由申请人提供）：犁鼻器（VNO）投影 途径介导信息素对基本性心理的许多影响 和神经内分泌功能。我们已经表明 雄性和雌性小鼠VNO中的不同神经元群体 对来自雄性和雌性同种的信息素作出反应， 雌二醇和睾酮会放大这些效应。实验被提议为 通过确定是否存在性别差异， VNO基底区内任何三种不同V2 R的表达 以前在小鼠中克隆的受体，以及mRNA中是否存在任何此类差异， 这些受体的水平由雌二醇或睾酮调节。我们将 看看雄性信息素是否能够增加二尖瓣细胞中的Fos-IR， 从吻侧投射到内侧杏仁核， 尾部AOB在性腺切除、雌激素处理的雄性和雌性小鼠中不同， 将使用荧光时间活动的细胞室分析， 立即早期基因（IEG）c-fos的原位杂交（catFISH）， 确定AOB的喙部与尾部区域中的二尖瓣细胞是否 被雄性和发情期雌性的信息素激活 小鼠最后，我们将确定是否抑制男性 信息素诱导的IEG激活以前看到的VNO的女性两天 交配后也发生在雄性小鼠和响应费洛蒙从双方 我们将评估去甲肾上腺素能传入的可能作用， 上级颈神经节对交配诱导的“沉默”的影响 气味诱导的IEG激活的VNO。在这些研究中获得的结果 应该可以提高我们对神经生物学机制的理解， 性别、类固醇激素和先前性交的影响 嗅觉辅助器处理嗅觉信号的经验 系统