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Androgen increases olfactory receptor response to a vertebrate sex pheromone

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Abstract

Although it is well known that responses to ethologically-relevant odors are influenced by endocrine factors, it has not been clear whether these hormonal effects might be mediated at the level of the peripheral sensory neurons. During an investigation of hormonal pheromones in South-East Asian Cyprinids, we observed that in adult male Puntius schwanenfeldi, an androgen-dependent sex character was correlated with electro-olfactogram response to a putative sex pheromone (15-keto-prostaglandin-F2α ). As secondary sex characteristics are androgen-dependent in male teleosts, this observation suggested a functional relationship between androgen and peripheral olfactory receptor response. We therefore investigated this possibility using androgen implants.

In laboratory-raised juveniles, androgen treatment increased the magnitude and sensitivity of electro-olfactogram response to prostaglandin without affecting responses to other odors. Furthermore, androgen-treated juveniles performed pheromone-dependent sex behavior in the presence of a prostaglandin-injected stimulus fish. For the first time in vertebrates, the present data demonstrate hormone-induced plasticity of primary chemosensory neuronal responsiveness to an ethologically relevant compound.

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Abbreviations

EOG :

electro-olfactogram

PGF :

Prostaglandin-F2α

15KPGF :

15-keto-prostaglandin-F2α

17,2 1P :

17,21 -dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one

MT :

17α-methyltestosterone

11KA :

11-ketoandrostenedione

11KT :

11-ketotestosterone

DHT :

5α-dihydrotestosterone

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Alberta, T6G 2E9, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    J. R. Cardwell, N. E. Stacey & S. L. C. Lang

  2. School of Biological Science, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

    E. S. P. Tan

  3. Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    D. S. O. McAdam

Authors
  1. J. R. Cardwell
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  2. N. E. Stacey
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  3. S. L. C. Lang
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  4. E. S. P. Tan
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  5. D. S. O. McAdam
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Cardwell, J.R., Stacey, N.E., Lang, S.L.C. et al. Androgen increases olfactory receptor response to a vertebrate sex pheromone. J Comp Physiol A 176, 55–61 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197752

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