Abstract
Testosterone regulates dimorphic sexual behaviors in all vertebrates. However, the molecular mechanism underlying these behaviors remains unclear. Here, we report that a newly identified rapid testosterone signaling receptor, Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 8 (TRPM8), regulates dimorphic sexual and social behaviors in mice. We found that, along with higher steroid levels in the circulation, TRPM8−/− male mice exhibit increased mounting frequency indiscriminate of sex, delayed sexual satiety, and increased aggression compared to wild-type controls, while TRPM8−/− females display an increased olfaction-exploratory behavior. Furthermore, neuronal responses to acute testosterone application onto the amygdala were attenuated in TRPM8−/− males but remained unchanged in females. Moreover, activation of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area following mating was impaired in TRPM8−/− males. Together, these results demonstrate that TRPM8 regulates dimorphic sexual and social behaviors, and potentially constitutes a signalosome for mediation of sex-reward mechanism in males. Thus, deficiency of TRPM8 might lead to a delayed sexual satiety phenomenon.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 10887-10906 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | FASEB Journal |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Aug 1 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We are grateful to Junling Yang for her immense help with preparation of the brain slices. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation through the grant IOS‐1922428 to EZ; and the National Institutes of Health NIGMS grant award number 1P20GM103432‐01 project 4 to BT.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors. The FASEB Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Biotechnology
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics