[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

Disclosures: B.P. Acevedo, None; A. Aron, None; H. Fisher, None; L.L. Brown , None.
Poster
297. Social Recognition and Partner Preference
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 297.11/TT29
Topic: F.03.c. Social behavior
Support: NSERC
NIMH
NIH
Title: "Trust" in mice: Oxytocin mediated mate choice copying by female mice
Authors: *M. KAVALIERS 1 , E. CHOLERIS 2 , S. OGAWA 3 , D. W. PFAFF 4 ;
1 Dept of Psychol, Univ. Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; 2 Dept. Psychology, Univ. of
Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada; 3 Lab. of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Univ. of Tsukuba,
Tsukuba, Japan; 4 Lab. of Neurobio. of Behavior, The Rockefeller Univ., New York, NY
Abstract: Results of a number of studies have suggested that the mate choice decisions of
females can be influenced by the mating choices of others. Such non-independent mate choice
has been termed “mate choice copying”, whereby a female utilizes the mate choices of others.
Odors guide the social behavior and mate responses of rodents. As such, female odors that are
associated with that of a male may be used to guide the social interests and mate choice of other
females. Here we show that female mice preferentially choose and respond to the odors of a male
with which there is associated the odor of another female. This suggests that female mice may
use olfactory based indicators of other females‟ interest in a male and engage in mate choice
copying. The presence of the odors of another female are also able to reverse the aversion that
females naturally show for males who are parasitized with lice. This results in a choice for the
odors of an infected male suggesting that when choosing which male to associate with, sexually
inexperienced females may rely upon social information more than their own innate aversions
and, or preferences. The neuropeptide, oxytocin (OT), has been implicated in the mediation of
odor guided social behavior in rodents as well as “trust” in humans. Here we further show the
female mice with either deletions of the OT gene (OT knockout mice) or administered the
oxytocin antagonist, L3668,899, were impaired in their use of the odors of other females to
modulate their responses to male odors. This suggests that oxytocin is involved in the mediation