Sexually dimorphic behavioral and neural responses to a predator scent.

ABSTRACT: Male and female C57BL/6 J mice were tested on the predator odor response task, where they needed to cross through a chamber of scented bedding to reach a sucrose reward. Following the behavioral testing, mouse brains were immunohistochemically labeled for expression of the immediate early gene c-fos. In the presence of the novel odorant methyl valerate (MV), both males and females exhibited increased exploration behaviors and delayed rewards compared to control bedding. However, in the presence of the predator odor phenylethylamine (PEA), males exhibited increased exploration that strongly resembled their behavior in MV (a non-predator odor) while females behaved very similarly to the clean bedding controls, quickly traversing the chamber to achieve the reward. Expression of c-fos exhibite

SUBMITTER: Francesconi JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7082781 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature