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The MPN mag
Author(s) -
SWANN JENNIFER M.,
WANG JING,
GOVEK ELIZABETH K.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1286.020
Subject(s) - stria terminalis , amygdala , nucleus , neuroscience , septal nuclei , sensory system , preoptic area , mating , biology , hypothalamus , anatomy , zoology
A bstract : Mating behavior in male hamsters is regulated by a chemosensory pathway that converges on the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and the medial nucleus of the amygdala (Me). Both the BST and the Me project to the lateral part of the medial preoptic area. Lesion studies have identified a small group of large cells referred to as the magnocellular medial preoptic nucleus (MPN mag) whose integrity is required for normal mating behavior. Our data, summarized within, indicate that the MPN mag is a sexually differentiated nucleus in a large steroid‐responsive network that relays pheromonal signals from the sensory systems to the motor areas to affect behavior.