The critical role of familiar urine odor in diminishing territorial aggression toward a castrated intruder in mice. 2007

Kayo Nakamura, and Takefumi Kikusui, and Yukari Takeuchi, and Yuji Mori
Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan.

Sensory chemo-signals conveying information on sex and familiarity are important to the manifestation of aggressive behaviors in male mice. In this study, we examined the role of familiarity conveyed by urine odor in the induction of aggressive behavior using a resident-intruder paradigm. First, an intact ICR male mouse (resident) was grouped with a castrated DBA mouse (cage-mate) and a female ICR mouse to allow the resident mouse to establish its territory. The resident male showed vigorous aggression, not only toward intact male DBA intruders, but also toward unfamiliar castrated DBA mice (UFC). In contrast, the aggression was markedly reduced toward its castrated DBA cage-mate. Next, to reveal how residents discriminate their cage-mates from unfamiliar intruders, we examined whether urine odor affected this familiarity-related aggression. When part of the body surface of a UFC was swabbed with the urine of a resident's cage-mate, the resident attacked the UFC much less often. These results suggest that the information about familiarity conveyed by urine odor plays an important role in controlling the territorial aggression of a resident male mouse toward castrated intruders.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008813 Mice, Inbred ICR An inbred strain of mouse that is used as a general purpose research strain, for therapeutic drug testing, and for the genetic analysis of CARCINOGEN-induced COLON CANCER. Mice, Inbred ICRC,Mice, ICR,Mouse, ICR,Mouse, Inbred ICR,Mouse, Inbred ICRC,ICR Mice,ICR Mice, Inbred,ICR Mouse,ICR Mouse, Inbred,ICRC Mice, Inbred,ICRC Mouse, Inbred,Inbred ICR Mice,Inbred ICR Mouse,Inbred ICRC Mice,Inbred ICRC Mouse
D009812 Odorants The volatile portions of chemical substances perceptible by the sense of smell. Odors,Aroma,Fragrance,Scents,Aromas,Fragrances,Odor,Odorant,Scent
D002369 Castration Surgical removal or artificial destruction of gonads. Gonadectomy,Castrations,Gonadectomies
D005260 Female Females
D000374 Aggression Behavior which may be manifested by destructive and attacking action which is verbal or physical, by covert attitudes of hostility or by obstructionism. Aggressions
D000704 Analysis of Variance A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable. ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012903 Smell The ability to detect scents or odors, such as the function of OLFACTORY RECEPTOR NEURONS. Olfaction,Sense of Smell,Smell Sense
D013731 Territoriality Behavior in defense of an area against another individual or individuals primarily of the same species. Territorialities

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