title: Methyl-testosterone induces male-typical ventilatory behavior in response to putative steroidal pheromones in female round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus).
abstract: Male round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) transiently increase their rate of ventilation when exposed to nanomolar concentrations of three putative steroidal pheromones (etiocholanolone, ETIO; estrone, E1; estradiol-glucuronide, E2-3g), whereas females exhibit this response only to ETIO. In this study we implanted females with Silastic capsules that were empty (Blank) or filled with methyl-testosterone (MT) to determine whether androgen induces a male-typical pattern of ventilatory response. As with untreated females in our previous studies, Blank females increased ventilation only in response to ETIO. In contrast, MT females tested 2-3 weeks postimplant responded not only to ETIO, but also to E1 and E2-3g. These results provide the first demonstration of an androgen inducing a male-typical behavioral response to a steroidal pheromone in adult female fish. Together with our previous findings of sexually isomorphic sensory responses to steroid odorants, the present results also suggest that a central action of androgen is responsible for sexually dimorphic behavioral responses to putative pheromonal steroids in Neogobius.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004343:Drug Implants; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008777:Methyltestosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010675:Pheromones / Q000502:physiology*; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D045165:Testosterone Congeners / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004343:Drug Implants; D010675:Pheromones; D045165:Testosterone Congeners; D008777:Methyltestosterone