title: Cyclic Regulation of Sensory Perception by a Female Hormone Alters Behavior.
abstract: Females may display dramatically different behavior depending on their state of ovulation. This is thought to occur through sex-specific hormones acting on behavioral centers in the brain. Whether incoming sensory activity also differs across the ovulation cycle to alter behavior has not been investigated. Here, we show that female mouse vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) are temporarily and specifically rendered "blind" to a subset of male-emitted pheromone ligands during diestrus yet fully detect and respond to the same ligands during estrus. VSN silencing occurs through the action of the female sex-steroid progesterone. Not all VSNs are targeted for silencing; those detecting cat ligands remain continuously active irrespective of the estrous state. We identify the signaling components that account for the capacity of progesterone to target specific subsets of male-pheromone responsive neurons for inactivation. These findings indicate that internal physiology can selectively and directly modulate sensory input to produce state-specific behavior. PAPERCLIP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Sandeepa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Saarland School of Medicine, 66424 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chamero
authors.affiliation: The Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Animal Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
authors.forename: James K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Pru
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Ming-Shan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK.
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ibarra-Soria
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK.
authors.forename: Darren W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsunami
authors.affiliation: Departments of Cell Biology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Peluso
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. Electronic address: stowers@scripps.edu.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stowers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030762:Estrous Cycle; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000502:physiology*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012903:Smell; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones; D011506:Proteins; C035737:major urinary proteins; D011374:Progesterone