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Pheromone 3kPZS evokes context‐dependent serotonin sexual dimorphism in the brain of the sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus )
Author(s) -
CHUNGDAVIDSON Yuwen,
WANG Huiyong,
SCOTT Anne M.,
LI Weiming
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
integrative zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 34
ISSN - 1749-4877
DOI - 10.1111/1749-4877.12099
Subject(s) - petromyzon , lamprey , forebrain , biology , sexual dimorphism , context (archaeology) , pheromone , medicine , endocrinology , serotonin , sex pheromone , zoology , central nervous system , receptor , ecology , biochemistry , fishery , paleontology
Mature male sea lampreys ( Petromyzon marinus ) release a sex pheromone, 3‐keto‐petromyzonol sulfate (3kPZS), that induces sexually dimorphic behavioral responses in conspecifics. However, the neural mechanism of such responses is mostly unknown. We examined the neurotransmitter serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine, 5‐HT) and the expression of 5‐HT 1A receptors in the forebrain and brainstem of sea lamprey exposed to the vehicle (0.91 ppm methanol) or 10 −10 M 3kPZS for 2 h using high performance liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, immunohistochemistry and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Exposure to 3kPZS for 2 h increased 5‐HT concentration in the forebrain of adult females, whereas 5‐HT was not detected in the forebrain of adult males. On the contrary, 3kPZS exposure decreased 5‐HT concentration in the brainstem of adult females and had no effect in adult males. Pheromone exposure evoked context‐dependent sexual dimorphism in brain 5‐HT 1A receptor immunoreactivity, but had no effect on 5‐HT 1A mRNA concentrations in the brain with 2 h exposure time. It appears that in sea lamprey pheromone 3kPZS affects the 5‐HT system in the brain in a context‐dependent, sexually dimorphic manner.