Cited by 67Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorSexual Differentiation and DisordersAnimal Behavior and Reproduction

Estrogen Receptor-α in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Regulates Social Affiliation in Male Prairie Voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

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Lei, Kelly, Cushing, Bruce S., Musatov, Sergei, Ogawa, Sonoko, Kramer, Kristin M.·2010·PLoS ONE

Abstract

Estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) typically masculinizes male behavior, while low levels of ERalpha in the medial amygdala (MeA) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) are associated with high levels of male prosocial behavior. In the males of the highly social prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), increasing ERalpha in the MeA inhibited the expression of spontaneous alloparental behavior and produced a preference for novel females. To test for the effects of increased ERalpha in the BST, a viral vector was used to enhance ERalpha expression in the BST of adult male prairie voles. Following treatment, adult males were tested for alloparental behavior with 1-3-day-old pups, and for heterosexual social preference and affiliation. Treatment did not affect alloparental behavior as 73% of ERalpha-BST males and 62.5% of control males were alloparental. Increasing ERalpha in the BST affected heterosexual affiliation, with ERalpha-BST males spending significantly less total time in side-by-side contact with females relative to time spent with control males. ERalpha-BST males did not show a preference for either the familiar or novel female. These findings differed significantly from those reported in ERalpha-MeA enhanced males, where ERalpha inhibited alloparental behavior and produced a preference for a novel female. The findings from this study suggest two things: first, that increased ERalpha in the BST decreases social affiliation and second, that altering ERalpha in different regions of the social neural circuit differentially impacts the expression of social behavior.

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  • The density of ERα markedly differs across prosocial and asocial species and is directly related to the degree to which individuals and species are prosocial.

    “This view is consistent with the observation that the density of ERα markedly differs across prosocial and asocial species and is directly related to the degree to which individuals and species are prosocial (3, 137, 138).”

    From Endocrine Disruption of Vasopressin Systems and Related Behaviors (2017) · cites this paper as [138]

    The Introduction (page not provided) says highly social males of several species have low ERα levels in the BST and MeA, and the Discussion reports a strong correlation between low ERα expression and high male prosocial behavior. The paper also finds that increasing ERα in male prairie voles reduces heterosexual affiliation. These passages support an inverse association, but do not establish the claimed marked density difference between prosocial and asocial species or a relationship across degrees of prosociality in both individuals and species. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [3]Rissman EF Wersinger SR Fugger HN Foster TC 1999 Sex with knockout models: behavioral studies of estrogen receptor alpha. Brain Res 835 80 90 10448199

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Authors
Lei, K., Cushing, B. S., Musatov, S., Ogawa, S., & Kramer, K. M.
Affiliations
  • University of Memphis (US)
  • University of Akron (US)
  • Rockefeller University (US)
  • University of Tsukuba (JP)
Corresponding author
Cushing, Bruce S.
Venue
PLoS ONE
Published
2010-01-27
Volume
5
Issue
1
Pages
e8931
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2072947945
Cited by
67
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 3
FWCI
5.25
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • University of Memphis
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH 01992, K01MH001992)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Keywords
estrogen receptor alpha, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, Microtus ochrogaster, social affiliation, medial amygdala, prosocial behavior, masculinization, viral gene expression
MeSH terms
Animals, Behavior, Animal, Male, Septal Nuclei, Social Behavior, Estrogen Receptor alpha

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