Neural and Hormonal Basis of Opposite-Sex Preference by Chemosensory Signals

In mammalian reproduction, sexually active males seek female conspecifics, while estrous females try to approach males. This sex-specific response tendency is called sexual preference. In small rodents, sexual preference cues are mainly chemosensory signals, including pheromones. In this article, we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of molecular sciences 2021-08, Vol.22 (15), p.8311
Main Authors: Kondo, Yasuhiko, Hayashi, Himeka
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attractants
Bisexuality
Chemicals
Chemoreception
Conspecifics
Estrogens
Estrus
Females
Gender differences
Hamsters
Kiss1 protein
Laboratories
Laboratory animals
Ligands
Males
Neuroendocrine system
Neuropeptides
Nose
Odors
olfactory epithelium
olfactory nervous system
Olfactory preferences
Oxytocin
Pheromones
Preferences
Reinforcement
Reproduction (biology)
Review
Reviews
Rodents
sex steroids
Sexual orientation
sexual preference
Urine
Vasopressin
vomeronasal organ
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Summary:In mammalian reproduction, sexually active males seek female conspecifics, while estrous females try to approach males. This sex-specific response tendency is called sexual preference. In small rodents, sexual preference cues are mainly chemosensory signals, including pheromones. In this article, we review the physiological mechanisms involved in sexual preference for opposite-sex chemosensory signals in well-studied laboratory rodents, mice, rats, and hamsters of both sexes, especially an overview of peripheral sensory receptors, and hormonal and central regulation. In the hormonal regulation section, we discuss potential rodent brain bisexuality, as it includes neural substrates controlling both masculine and feminine sexual preferences, i.e., masculine preference for female odors and the opposite. In the central regulation section, we show the substantial circuit regulating sexual preference and also the influence of sexual experience that innate attractants activate in the brain reward system to establish the learned attractant. Finally, we review the regulation of sexual preference by neuropeptides, oxytocin, vasopressin, and kisspeptin. Through this review, we clarified the contradictions and deficiencies in our current knowledge on the neuroendocrine regulation of sexual preference and sought to present problems requiring further study.
ISSN:1422-0067
1661-6596
1422-0067
DOI:10.3390/ijms22158311