Analysis of male aggressive and sexual behavior in mice.

Pheromone and odor signals play a pivotal role in male mouse reproductive behaviors, such as sexual and aggressive behavior. There are several methods used to assess male behaviors, each of which examines a unique aspect of the biological function of mice. There are two major ways of assessing male aggressive behavior in mice, one is using isolation-induced aggression, and the other is territorial aggression in pair-housed males. To analyze male sexual behavior, a female mouse that is hormone-primed with estradiol and progesterone is usually introduced into a male home range, and mounting, intromission, and ejaculation behaviors are observed for 1 h. Here, we summarize the detailed protocols for assessing male behaviors.