.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
Return
Neural substrates of female sexual rejection: hypothalamic pathways to the periaqueductal gray
.png){kind=icon}
OA
AI
I
N
L
A
M
S
DOI：10.1038/s42003-026-10742-7.png)
.png){kind=icon}
Original request for help.png){kind=icon}
Share.png){kind=icon}
Save
Abstract
En 中文
Selecting an appropriate behavioral response according to one’s internal state is essential for well-being. Across the reproductive cycle, fluctuating levels of sex hormones align female behavior with reproductive capacity by modulating neuronal circuits that express hormone receptors. Sex hormone receptor-expressing neurons present along the anterior-posterior axis of the ventrolateral region of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) are key regulators of female sexual behavior. While posterior progesterone receptor-expressing neurons of the VMHvl (pVMHvlPR+) are fundamental for female sexual receptivity during the receptive phase of the reproductive cycle, we have recently shown that anterior VMHvlPR+ (aVMHvlPR+) neurons are involved in rejection behavior when non-receptive. Here, we mapped the connectional architecture of aVMHvlPR+ neurons using viral approaches. Our results show that aVMHvlPR+ neurons emit strong intra-hypothalamic efferents, but also robustly project to several columns of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) along its anterior-posterior axis. Artificial activation of aVMHvlPR+ somas selectively recruits the dorsomedial PAG (dmPAG). Optogenetic activation of aVMHvlPR+ axons in the dmPAG partially recapitulates the rejection phenotype observed upon activation of aVMHvlPR+ somas, increasing rejection behavior in receptive females. These findings reveal a putative pathway regulating female rejection behavior within a more complex circuit, ensuring that mating does not occur during non-fertile periods. Mapping the connectivity of VMHvlPR+ neurons reveals differential efferent architectures of the anterior and posterior regions and identifies a pathway to the periaqueductal gray whose activation increases sexual rejection in receptive female mice.
Journal
IF:
5.1
Papers:
1.0W
Citations:
3.2W
Organization
Cited Papers