SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION OF MOUSE VOMERONASAL FUNCTION

小鼠犁鼻功能的性别分化

• 批准号: 6126132
• 负责人: MICHAEL Jay BAUM
• 金额: $ 14.13万
• 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 2001-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6126132
• 关键词: animal communication behavior; animal developmental psychology; behavioral /social science research tag; brain mapping; central neural pathway /tract; fos protein; gender difference; gene targeting; genetically modified animals; immunocytochemistry; laboratory mouse; male castration; neural information processing; neurobiology; neurogenesis; olfactions; olfactory lobe; olfactory stimulus; ovariectomy; pheromone; sex behavior; sex differentiation; testosterone; urine; vomeronasal systems

DESCRIPTION (applicant's abstract): The vomeronasal organ (VNO) projection pathway mediates the effects of pheromones on several essential psychosexual and neuroendocrine functions in a variety of vertebrate species. In preliminary studies with rats and mice we have used the immediate-early gene product, Fos, as a nuclear marker of neuronal activation in different segments of the VNO pathway. In both species the ability of odors from sexually active males to augment neuronal Fos in the VNO pathway was found to be sexually dimorphic. New studies are proposed to exploit the mouse as a model system in which to study pheromonal communication and to manipulate genes governing the development of the nervous system. These experiments will establish whether pheromones derived from male and female urine activate different populations of sensory neurons in the VNO epithelium which, in turn, project to different rostral-caudal subdivisions of the accessory olfactory bulb and whether these actions of urinary pheromones on neuronal Fos in the terminal regions (bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; medial preoptic area) of VNO pathway in male and female subjects and correlate these results with animals' preference to investigate these respective stimuli. The possible contribution of perinatal aromatization of testosterone to the male- typical organization of VNO-projection pathway function will be assessed by comparing urine-induced neuronal Fos responses and olfactory preferences in wild-type and transgenic mice with a null mutation of the CYP19 gene, which are aromatase deficient. A final study will determine whether the robust neuronal Fos responses to male urinary odors, normally present at all levels of the female's VNO pathway, are attenuated in the most central portion of this pathway in cycling females by the receipt of mating stimulation from the male. Such an effect of mating could explain the 'Bruce effect' in which urine from a strange male, but not from a familiar, recent mating partner, blocks the establishment of pregnancy. The results of these experiments should identify sites in a well-characterized anatomical pathway at which sex hormones and social experience affect the detection and/or processing of olfactory signals.

描述（申请人的摘要）： Vomeronasal器官（VNO）投影途径介导 几种基本心理和神经内分泌的信息素 在各种脊椎动物中的功能。在初步研究中 使用大鼠和小鼠，我们使用了立即的基因产品FOS， 作为神经元激活的核标记 VNO途径。在这两种物种中，性活跃的气味能力 发现雄性在VNO途径中增加神经元FOS 性二态。提出了新的研究来利用小鼠 一个模型系统，可以在其中研究信息符号沟通和 操纵控制神经系统发展的基因。这些 实验将确定信息素是否源自男性和 雌性尿液激活不同种群的感觉神经元 vno上皮，反过 附件嗅球的细分以及这些动作是否 末端区域的神经元FOS上的尿等素（床 质子末端的核； VNO途径的内侧前区域） 在男性和女性受试者中，并将这些结果与动物相关联 优先研究这些各自的刺激。可能 睾丸激素围产期芳香化对雄性的贡献 将评估VNO预测途径功能的典型组织 通过比较尿液诱导的神经元FOS反应和嗅觉 野生型和转基因小鼠的偏好，具有无效的突变 CYP19基因，芳香化酶缺乏。最终研究将确定 强大的神经元FOS对男性泌尿异味的反应是否 通常在女性VNO途径的各个层面上都存在 在骑自行车中衰减在该途径的最中心部分 通过从男性接收刺激的女性。这样的 交配的效果可以解释尿液中的尿液的“布鲁斯效应” 一个陌生的男性，但不是来自一个熟悉的，最近的交配伙伴， 建立怀孕。这些实验的结果应 识别性别特征的解剖途径中的地点 激素和社交经验会影响检测和/或处理 嗅觉信号。