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Chem. Senses 29: 111-115, 2004
© Oxford University Press 2004

Melanocortin-5 Receptor Deficiency Reduces a Pheromonal Signal for Aggression in Male Mice

Caurnel Morgan1, Ruth E. Thomas1, Weidong Ma2, Milos V. Novotny2 and Roger D. Cone1

1 Vollum Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA 2 Department of Chemistry and Institute for Pheromone Research, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA

Correspondence to be sent to: Caurnel Morgan, Bourne Behavioral Research Laboratory, Weill Medical College of Cornell University (Westchester Division), 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA. e-mail: cam2025{at}med.cornell.edu

Mice lacking the melanocortin-5 receptor (MC5R) exhibit decreased sensitivity to the stimulatory effects of systemic melanocortin injections on aggressive behavior. Because the pheromone-producing preputial gland expresses the MC5R, we tested the hypothesis that decreases in preputial pheromones underlie the behavioral deficit. Here we show that MC5R deficiency decreases preputial and urine levels of the sex pheromones, alpha- and beta-farnesene, relative to wild-type mice. We also demonstrate that farnesenes potently stimulate aggression in mice. Moreover, farnesene-stimulated aggression is reduced in MC5R-deficient mice, relative to wild-type mice. Our results suggest that activation of the MC5R promotes aggression by increasing farnesene signaling.

Key words: aggression, farnesene, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, gene knockout, melanocortin-5 receptor, pheromones


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