Mating behavior induces differential Arc expression in the main and accessory olfactory bulbs of adult rats.
The expression of activity-related cytoskeleton-associated protein, Arc, could be useful as a marker for neuronal activity. We investigated Arc-immunoreactivity in both the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) and the main olfactory bulb (MOB) of adult male rats in response to mating or exposure to female pheromones. Mating behavior strongly enhanced the Arc-immunoreactivity in the granule cell layer of the AOB. However, the enhancement of Arc-immunoreactivity by mating behavior was not observed in the MOB. These results showed that Arc-immunoreactivity was enhanced when the AOB received both afferent and efferent information during mating behavior. Hence, the expression of Arc in the AOB directly associates the pheromonal information with mating behavior. The AOB will provide a useful model to investigate the function of Arc protein.
Matsuoka
Masato
M
Division of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, 951-8510, Niigata, Japan.
Yoshida-Matsuoka
Junko
J
Sugiura
Hiroko
H
Yamagata
Kanato
K
Ichikawa
Masumi
M
Norita
Masao
M
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D005260:Female; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000494:pharmacology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C491788:Nol3 protein, rat; D012724:Sex Attractants