Neuronal mechanisms of pheromone sensing

众所周知，化学感觉线索会影响性行为和生殖生理。然而，嗅觉系统如何影响到大脑中负责调节这些影响的不同输出神经元，在很大程度上仍是未知的。我们希望通过整合遗传、分子、细胞和系统的方法，剖析潜在的神经回路，并研究支配小鼠生殖的基本生理机制。在下一个资助阶段，我们建议重点分析新发现的GnRHR神经元群体在杏仁核和PAG中的功能作用。我们以前的结果表明，这些区域的GnRHR神经元对细胞外应用GnRH具有重复的反应。基于这些结果，我们假设杏仁核GnRHR神经元的神经内分泌状态依赖的激活将有助于嗅觉记忆，而信息素触发的PAG GnRHR神经元的激活将调节女性的性行为(前凸)。我们将在监测动物行为的同时，使用光纤和光脉冲在活体动物身上直接测试这些假说。

Chemosensory cues are known to influence sexual behavior and reproductive physiology. Yet, how the olfactory system impinges onto different output neurons in the brain that are mediating these effects remains largely unknown. We would like to dissect the underlying neural circuitry and study the fundamental physiological mechanisms that govern reproduction in mice by integrating genetic, molecular, cellular, and system approaches. In this next funding period we propose to focus our analysis on the functional role of the newly-identified GnRHR neuron populations in the amygdala and PAG, respectively. Our previous results demonstrate that GnRHR neurons in these areas respond reproducibly to extracellular application of GnRH. Based on these results, we hypothesize that neuroendocrine state-dependent activation of amygdala GnRHR neurons will contribute to olfactory memory whereas pheromone-triggered activation of PAG GnRHR neurons will modulate female sexual (lordosis) behavior. We will directly test these hypotheses in living animals using fiber optics and light pulses while monitoring the animal's behavior.