Discrimination of olfactory sexual cues in staggerer mutant male mice

Physiol Behav. 1999 Nov;67(5):631-4. doi: 10.1016/s0031-9384(98)00345-x.

Abstract

Generally, staggerer male mice do not express any preference between oestrous and anoestrous female odours in a choice test situation. The staggerer ability to discriminate between these olfactory sexual cues was evaluated in an habituation-dishabituation paradigm. In this situation it was found that the staggerer mice discriminate between these two odours. The lack of sexual odour preference in staggerer male mice is discussed through hormonal and neurological interpretation.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cues
  • Discrimination, Psychological / physiology*
  • Estrus / physiology
  • Exploratory Behavior
  • Female
  • Habituation, Psychophysiologic / physiology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Neurologic Mutants
  • Smell / physiology*