Morgan Caurnel, Thomas Ruth E, Cone Roger D
Vollum Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
Horm Behav. 2004 Jan;45(1):58-63. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2003.08.004.
The endogenous melanocortin, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), is a neurohormone secreted by the neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary. Alpha-MSH promotes intermale aggression in mice by influencing pheromone secretion, but the role of specific melanocortin receptors has not been determined. We assessed mice made deficient in the gene for the melanocortin-5 receptor (MC5R) to determine its role in pheromone-regulated behavior. In heterotypic pairs assessed in the social interaction test (SIT), MC5R-deficient mice exhibited less aggressive behavior and more defensive behavior than their wild-type opponents. By contrast, when assessed in homotypic pairs and against stimulus animals in the SIT, MC5R-deficient and wild-type mice behaved similarly. Moreover, urine from MC5R deficient mice stimulated more aggression than did urine from wild-type mice. The results suggest that MC5R deficiency disinhibits an aggression-suppressing pheromonal signal.
内源性黑皮质素，即α-促黑素细胞激素（α-MSH），是一种由垂体神经中间叶分泌的神经激素。α-MSH通过影响信息素分泌来促进小鼠的雄性间攻击行为，但特定黑皮质素受体的作用尚未确定。我们评估了黑素皮质素5受体（MC5R）基因缺失的小鼠，以确定其在信息素调节行为中的作用。在社交互动测试（SIT）中评估的异型配对中，MC5R基因缺失的小鼠比其野生型对手表现出更少的攻击行为和更多的防御行为。相比之下，在SIT中以同型配对和针对刺激动物进行评估时，MC5R基因缺失的小鼠和野生型小鼠表现相似。此外，MC5R基因缺失小鼠的尿液比野生型小鼠的尿液刺激出更多的攻击行为。结果表明，MC5R缺乏会解除对攻击抑制性信息素信号的抑制。
