Female sexual behavior in mice is controlled by kisspeptin neurons.

Animals; Female; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone/secretion; Kisspeptins/genetics/metabolism; Male; Mating Preference, Animal; Mice, Knockout; Neurons/physiology; Nitric Oxide/metabolism; Nitric Oxide Synthase/metabolism; Odorants; Posture; Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology; Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus/physiology

Abstract :

[en] Sexual behavior is essential for the survival of many species. In female rodents, mate preference and copulatory behavior depend on pheromones and are synchronized with ovulation to ensure reproductive success. The neural circuits driving this orchestration in the brain have, however, remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that neurons controlling ovulation in the mammalian brain are at the core of a branching neural circuit governing both mate preference and copulatory behavior. We show that male odors detected in the vomeronasal organ activate kisspeptin neurons in female mice. Classical kisspeptin/Kiss1R signaling subsequently triggers olfactory-driven mate preference. In contrast, copulatory behavior is elicited by kisspeptin neurons in a parallel circuit independent of Kiss1R involving nitric oxide signaling. Consistent with this, we find that kisspeptin neurons impinge onto nitric oxide-synthesizing neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus. Our data establish kisspeptin neurons as a central regulatory hub orchestrating sexual behavior in the female mouse brain.

Disciplines :

Neurosciences & behavior

Author, co-author :

Hellier, Vincent ; Université de Liège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau

Brock, Olivier ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Doct. sc. (biol. orga. & écol. - Bologne)

Candlish, Michael

Desroziers, Elodie

Aoki, Mari

Mayer, Christian

Piet, Richard

Herbison, Allan

Colledge, William Henry

Prevot, Vincent

Boehm, Ulrich

Bakker, Julie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau

Language :

English

Title :

Female sexual behavior in mice is controlled by kisspeptin neurons.

Publication date :

2018

Journal title :

Nature Communications

eISSN :

2041-1723

Publisher :

Nature Publishing Group, United Kingdom

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

400

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 02 July 2018

Statistics

Number of views

165 (14 by ULiège)

Number of downloads

163 (6 by ULiège)

More statistics

Scopus citations^®

121

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

100

OpenCitations

OpenAlex citations

135

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