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Playback of broadband vocalizations of female mice suppresses male ultrasonic calls. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0273742. [PMID: 36603000 PMCID: PMC9815654 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although male vocalizations during opposite- sex interaction have been heavily studied as sexually selected signals, the understanding of the roles of female vocal signals produced in this context is more limited. During intersexual interactions between mice, males produce a majority of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), while females produce a majority of human-audible squeaks, also called broadband vocalizations (BBVs). BBVs may be produced in conjunction with defensive aggression, making it difficult to assess whether males respond to BBVs themselves. To assess the direct effect of BBVs on male behavior, we used a split-cage paradigm in which high rates of male USVs were elicited by female presence on the other side of a barrier, but which precluded extensive male-female contact and the spontaneous production of BBVs. In this paradigm, playback of female BBVs decreased USV production, which recovered after the playback period. Trials in which female vocalizations were prevented by the use of female bedding alone or of anesthetized females as stimuli also showed a decrease in response to BBV playback. No non-vocal behaviors declined during playback, although digging behavior increased. Similar to BBVs, WNs also robustly suppressed USV production, albeit to a significantly larger extent. USVs suppression had two distinct temporal components. When grouped in 5-second bins, USVs interleaved with bursts of stimulus BBVs. USV suppression also adapted to BBV playback on the order of minutes. Adaptation occurred more rapidly in males that were housed individually as opposed to socially for a week prior to testing, suggesting that the adaptation trajectory is sensitive to social experience. These findings suggest the possibility that vocal interaction between male and female mice, with males suppressing USVs in response to BBVs, may influence the dynamics of communicative behavior.
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Klaey-Tassone M, Patris B, Durand K, Schaal B. Attractive and appetitive odor factors in murine milk: Their fade-out time and differential cryo-preservation. Behav Processes 2019; 167:103913. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Harmeier A, Meyer CA, Staempfli A, Casagrande F, Petrinovic MM, Zhang YP, Künnecke B, Iglesias A, Höner OP, Hoener MC. How Female Mice Attract Males: A Urinary Volatile Amine Activates a Trace Amine-Associated Receptor That Induces Male Sexual Interest. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:924. [PMID: 30158871 PMCID: PMC6104183 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals of many species rely on odors to communicate, find breeding partners, locate resources and sense dangers. In vertebrates, odorants are detected by chemosensory receptors of the olfactory system. One class of these receptors, the trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs), was recently suggested to mediate male sexual interest and mate choice. Here we tested this hypothesis in mice by generating a cluster deletion mouse (Taar2-9−/−) lacking all TAARs expressed in the olfactory epithelium, and evaluating transduction pathways from odorants to TAARs, neural activity and behaviors reflecting sexual interest. We found that a urinary volatile amine, isobutylamine (IBA), was a potent ligand for TAAR3 (but not TAAR1, 4, 5, and 6). When males were exposed to IBA, brain regions associated with sexual behaviors were less active in Taar2-9−/− than in wild type males. Accordingly, Taar2-9−/− males spent less time sniffing both the urine of females and pure IBA than wild type males. This is the first demonstration of a comprehensive transduction pathway linking odorants to TAARs and male sexual interest. Interestingly, the concentration of IBA in female urine varied across the estrus cycle with a peak during estrus. This variation in IBA concentration may represent a simple olfactory cue for males to recognize receptive females. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that IBA and TAARs play an important role in the recognition of breeding partners and mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Harmeier
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claas A Meyer
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Staempfli
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fabio Casagrande
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marija M Petrinovic
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yan-Ping Zhang
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Basil Künnecke
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Iglesias
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Oliver P Höner
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marius C Hoener
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Neurosymptomatic Domains, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Area, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development pRED, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
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Matsumoto YK, Okanoya K. Phase-Specific Vocalizations of Male Mice at the Initial Encounter during the Courtship Sequence. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147102. [PMID: 26841117 PMCID: PMC4739514 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mice produce ultrasonic vocalizations featuring a variety of syllables. Vocalizations are observed during social interactions. In particular, males produce numerous syllables during courtship. Previous studies have shown that vocalizations change according to sexual behavior, suggesting that males vary their vocalizations depending on the phase of the courtship sequence. To examine this process, we recorded large sets of mouse vocalizations during male-female interactions and acoustically categorized these sounds into 12 vocal types. We found that males emitted predominantly short syllables during the first minute of interaction, more long syllables in the later phases, and mainly harmonic sounds during mounting. These context- and time-dependent changes in vocalization indicate that vocal communication during courtship in mice consists of at least three stages and imply that each vocalization type has a specific role in a phase of the courtship sequence. Our findings suggest that recording for a sufficiently long time and taking the phase of courtship into consideration could provide more insights into the role of vocalization in mouse courtship behavior in future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yui K. Matsumoto
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo,153–8902, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo,153–8902, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Kwak J, Grigsby CC, Preti G, Rizki MM, Yamazaki K, Beauchamp GK. Changes in volatile compounds of mouse urine as it ages: their interactions with water and urinary proteins. Physiol Behav 2013; 120:211-9. [PMID: 23958471 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2012] [Revised: 04/06/2013] [Accepted: 08/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Mice release a variety of chemical signals, particularly through urine, which mediate social interactions and endocrine function. Studies have been conducted to investigate the stability of urinary chemosignals in mice. Neuroendocrine and behavioral responses of mice to urine samples of male and female conspecifics which have aged for different amounts of time have been examined, demonstrating that the quality and intensity of signaling molecules in urine change over time. In this study, we monitored changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from male and female mouse urine following aging the urine samples. Substantial amounts of some VOCs were lost during the aging process of urine, whereas other VOCs increased. Considerable portions of the VOCs which exhibited the increased release were shown to have previously been dissolved in water and subsequently released as the urine dried. We also demonstrated that some VOCs decreased slightly due to their binding with the major urinary proteins (MUPs) and identified MUP ligands whose headspace concentrations increased as the urine aged. Our results underscore the important role of MUPs and the hydration status in the release of VOCs in urine, which may largely account for the changes in the quality and intensity of urinary signals over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Kwak
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Human Signatures Branch, Forecasting Division, Human Effectiveness Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH 45433, USA.
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Behavioural methods used in rodent models of autism spectrum disorders: Current standards and new developments. Behav Brain Res 2013; 251:5-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.05.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2013] [Revised: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 05/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Wöhr M, Roullet FI, Crawley JN. Reduced scent marking and ultrasonic vocalizations in the BTBR T+tf/J mouse model of autism. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2011; 10:35-43. [PMID: 20345893 PMCID: PMC2903641 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2010.00582.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Qualitative impairments in communication, such as delayed language and poor interactive communication skills, are fundamental to the diagnosis of autism. Investigations into social communication in adult BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR) mice are needed to determine whether this inbred strain incorporates phenotypes relevant to the second diagnostic symptom of autism, communication deficits, along with its strong behavioral phenotypes relevant to the first and third diagnostic symptoms, impairments in social interactions and high levels of repetitive behavior. The aim of the present study was to simultaneously measure female urine-elicited scent marking and ultrasonic vocalizations in adult male BTBR mice, in comparison with a standard control strain with high sociability, C57BL/6J (B6), for the assessment of a potential communication deficit in BTBR. Adult male BTBR mice displayed lower scent marking and minimal ultrasonic vocalization responses to female urine obtained from both B6 and BTBR females. Lower scent marking and ultrasonic vocalizations in a social setting by BTBR, as compared with B6, are consistent with the well-replicated social deficits in this inbred mouse strain. Our findings support the interpretation that BTBR incorporate communication deficits, and suggest that scent marking and ultrasonic vocalizations offer promising measures of interest in social cues that may be widely applicable to investigations of mouse models of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Wöhr
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Roullet FI, Wöhr M, Crawley JN. Female urine-induced male mice ultrasonic vocalizations, but not scent-marking, is modulated by social experience. Behav Brain Res 2011; 216:19-28. [PMID: 20540967 PMCID: PMC3094925 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2010] [Revised: 05/25/2010] [Accepted: 06/01/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite the evidence for a communicative function of rodent scent marks and ultrasonic vocalizations, relatively little is known about the impact of social factors on these two forms of communication. Here, we tested the effects of two important social factors, prior exposure to a female and freshness of female urine, on male scent marks and ultrasonic vocalizations elicited by female urine. We also asked whether a recently reported strain difference between the highly social strain C57BL/6J (B6) and the mouse model of autism BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR) herein is specifically seen in response to female urine or also detectable in response to male urine traces. Results show that the emission of female urine-elicited ultrasonic vocalizations was dependent on previous female experience, while scent-marking behavior was not affected. A positive correlation was detected between scent-marking behavior and ultrasonic calling in the most biologically relevant context, male mice exposed to fresh female urine after female experience. Correlations were less prominent or missing in less biologically relevant contexts, e.g. in male mice exposed to fresh female urine without previous female experience, indicating that previous female experience is affecting both the emission of female urine-elicited ultrasonic vocalizations and the correlation between olfactory and acoustic communication. The strain difference in scent-marking behavior and ultrasonic calling between B6 and BTBR appears to be specific to female urine-elicited behavior as it was not seen in response to male urine traces, highlighting the relevance of the social context in which mouse communication is evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence I Roullet
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Ferkin MH, Burda J, O'Connor MP, Lee CJ. Persistence of the Attractiveness of Two Sex-specific Scents in Meadow Voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1995.tb00361.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Musolf K, Hoffmann F, Penn DJ. Ultrasonic courtship vocalizations in wild house mice, Mus musculus musculus. Anim Behav 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Nyby JG. Adult house mouse (Mus musculus) ultrasonic calls: hormonal and pheromonal regulation. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-374593-4.00029-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Sipos ML, Nyby JG, Serran MF. An ephemeral sex pheromone of female house mice (Mus domesticus): pheromone fade-out time. Physiol Behav 1993; 54:171-4. [PMID: 8327598 DOI: 10.1016/0031-9384(93)90061-j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Male mice will emit ultrasounds to at least two chemosignals present in female mouse urine: a) an ephemeral unconditioned stimulus (UCS) present in freshly voided urine and b) a conditioned stimulus (CS) that remains after the UCS has disappeared. In this study, four phases examined the time frame over which the UCS disappeared. Urine that had been aged for either 12, 15, 18, or 24 h was compared for vocalization elicitation with fresh urine (which contains the UCS) and metabolic cage-collected urine ( which does not). Under the conditions utilized, significant pheromone fade-out occurred between 15 and 18 h.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Sipos
- Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015
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Sipos ML, Kerchner M, Nyby JG. An ephemeral sex pheromone in the urine of female house mice (Mus domesticus). BEHAVIORAL AND NEURAL BIOLOGY 1992; 58:138-43. [PMID: 1456933 DOI: 10.1016/0163-1047(92)90375-e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
From previous research, the ultrasonic vocalizations of male mice (Mus domesticus) to female mouse urine were hypothesized to be learned as a result of classical conditioning during adult heterosexual encounters. According to this interpretation, a previously neutral conditioned stimulus in female urine comes to elicit vocalizations as a result of its association with some other unknown unconditioned stimulus associated with adult females. However, the research from which this hypothesis was derived utilized urine collected from females housed in metabolic cages. Three experiments further examined the classical conditioning hypothesis using two types of female urine: (i) metabolic-cage-collected urine and (ii) freshly voided urine. Experiment 1 demonstrated that, in contrast to vocalizations to metabolic-cage-collected urine, adult heterosexual experience was not necessary for males to vocalize to freshly voided female urine. In addition, unlike metabolic-cage-collected urine (Experiment 3), freshly voided urine remained a potent stimulus for eliciting vocalizations during repeated testing (Experiments 2 and 3). Finally, freshly voided urine appeared to cause a previously neutral stimulus (cotton swab) to acquire ultrasound eliciting properties (Experiment 2). We suggest from these findings that two chemosignals that elicit vocalizations from males may exist in female mouse urine: (i) a potent, but volatile or easily degraded, unconditioned stimulus to which males vocalize without sexual experience and (ii) a nonvolatile, chemically stable conditioned stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Sipos
- Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015
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Wellington JL, Beauchamp GK, Wojciechowski-Metzler C. Stability of chemical communicants in urine: Individual identity and age of sample. J Chem Ecol 1983; 9:235-45. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00988041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/1982] [Revised: 06/01/1982] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Wellington JL, Beauchamp GK, Smith AB. Stability of chemical communicants of gender in guinea pig urine. BEHAVIORAL AND NEURAL BIOLOGY 1981; 32:364-75. [PMID: 7283926 DOI: 10.1016/s0163-1047(81)92424-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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