c-fos expression as tool to search for the neurobiological base of the sexual behaviour of males

• Authors: M. Bialy , K. Kaczmarek
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Elevated expression of c-fos mRNA and/or its protein (c-Fos) has been repeatly observed following activation of brain cells with various stimuli.As a consequence it has been proposed that elevated c-fos expression may serve as a merker of neuronal activation reflecting a prediposal to a long-term changes in cell functioning (neuronal plasticity).It studies on copulatory behaviour of male animals, elevated Fos immunoreactivity (related most probably to c-Fos) has been used by many researchers as a tool to reveal functional neuroanatomy of the behaviour.They found that brain regions such as medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), medial amygdala (MeAm) and central tegmental field (CTF) are always activated in a copulation-dependent manner in various species (rats and hamsters were the most often studied in this regard).This paper reviews the data gathered in this field, and discusses them in the context of the role of elevated Fos expression in acquisition vs. performance of the sexual behaviour.

Keywords

EN

COPULATORY BEHAVIOUR; HAMSTER; IMMEDIATE EARLY GENE; LAERNING; MEMORY; MOUSE; NEURONAL MAPPING; NEURONAL PLASTICITY

Discipline

• EXPERIMENTAL_BIOLOGY_&_MEDICINE: EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY & MEDICINE

• Publisher: Marceli Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis
• Year: 1996
• Volume: 56
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 567-577

Contributors

author

M. Bialy

author

K. Kaczmarek

• Document Type: article
• Publication order reference: M.Bialy