Title:
A Sexy Scent of Prostaglandin:
– Olfactory Receptor for Prostaglandin F2α Mediates Courtship Behavior in Male Zebrafish –

 

Yoshihiro Yoshihara
Laboratory for Neurobiology of Synapse, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama, Japan

 

Abstract:
Pheromones play vital roles in various organisms for survival and reproduction. In many fishes, prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) acts not only as a female reproductive hormone facilitating ovulation and spawning, but also as a sex pheromone inducing male reproductive behaviors. Here we unravel the molecular and neural circuit mechanisms underlying the pheromonal action of PGF2α in zebrafish. PGF2α specifically activates two olfactory receptors with different sensitivities, which are expressed in distinct populations of ciliated olfactory sensory neurons. The information is then transmitted to two ventromedial glomeruli in the olfactory bulb and further to four regions in higher olfactory centers. Mutant male zebrafish deficient in the high-affinity receptor exhibit loss of attractive response to PGF2α and impairment of courtship behavior toward female fish. These findings demonstrate functional significance of the sex pheromone PGF2α and its cognate olfactory receptor activating selective neural circuitry in fish reproductive behavior.

 

References:
1) Yoshihara Y. (2014). Zebrafish olfactory system. In “The Olfactory System: from Odor Molecules to Motivational Behaviors” (ed. K. Mori) pp.71-96, Springer.
2) Miyasaka, N. et al. (2014). Olfactory projectome in the zebrafish forebrain revealed by genetic single-neuron labeling. Nat. Commun. 5: 3639 doi: 10.1038/ncomms4639
3) Yabuki, Y. et al. (2016). Olfactory receptor for prostaglandin F2α mediates male fish courtship behavior. Nat. Neurosci. in press.