Abstract
Functional human brain imaging studies have indicated the essential role of cortical regions, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), in romantic love and sex. However, the neurobiological basis of how the ACC neurons are activated and engaged in sexual attraction remains unknown. Using transgenic mice in which the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is controlled by the promoter of the activity-dependent gene c-fos, we found that ACC pyramidal neurons are activated by sexual attraction. The presynaptic glutamate release to the activated neurons is increased and pharmacological inhibition of neuronal activities in the ACC reduced the interest of male mice to female mice. Our results present direct evidence of the critical role of the ACC in sexual attraction, and long-term increases in glutamate mediated excitatory transmission may contribute to sexual attraction between male and female mice.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 9 |
| Journal | Molecular Brain |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 8 2009 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Biology
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Cite this
Sexual attraction enhances glutamate transmission in mammalian anterior cingulate cortex. / Wu, LongJun; Kim, Susan S.; Li, Xiangyao; Zhang, Fuxing; Zhuo, Min.
In: Molecular Brain, Vol. 2, No. 1, 9, 08.06.2009.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Sexual attraction enhances glutamate transmission in mammalian anterior cingulate cortex
AU - Wu, LongJun
AU - Kim, Susan S.
AU - Li, Xiangyao
AU - Zhang, Fuxing
AU - Zhuo, Min
PY - 2009/6/8
Y1 - 2009/6/8
N2 - Functional human brain imaging studies have indicated the essential role of cortical regions, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), in romantic love and sex. However, the neurobiological basis of how the ACC neurons are activated and engaged in sexual attraction remains unknown. Using transgenic mice in which the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is controlled by the promoter of the activity-dependent gene c-fos, we found that ACC pyramidal neurons are activated by sexual attraction. The presynaptic glutamate release to the activated neurons is increased and pharmacological inhibition of neuronal activities in the ACC reduced the interest of male mice to female mice. Our results present direct evidence of the critical role of the ACC in sexual attraction, and long-term increases in glutamate mediated excitatory transmission may contribute to sexual attraction between male and female mice.
AB - Functional human brain imaging studies have indicated the essential role of cortical regions, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), in romantic love and sex. However, the neurobiological basis of how the ACC neurons are activated and engaged in sexual attraction remains unknown. Using transgenic mice in which the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is controlled by the promoter of the activity-dependent gene c-fos, we found that ACC pyramidal neurons are activated by sexual attraction. The presynaptic glutamate release to the activated neurons is increased and pharmacological inhibition of neuronal activities in the ACC reduced the interest of male mice to female mice. Our results present direct evidence of the critical role of the ACC in sexual attraction, and long-term increases in glutamate mediated excitatory transmission may contribute to sexual attraction between male and female mice.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=66249093177&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=66249093177&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/1756-6606-2-9
DO - 10.1186/1756-6606-2-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 19419552
AN - SCOPUS:66249093177
VL - 2
JO - Molecular Brain
JF - Molecular Brain
SN - 1756-6606
IS - 1
M1 - 9
ER -