Orexin neuron activity in mating mice - a pilot study
Open Access
- 2 June 2021
- journal article
- Published by Portico in Neuroanatomy and Behaviour
- Vol. 3 (1), e17
- https://doi.org/10.35430/nab.2021.e17
Abstract
Mating behaviours affect hypothalamic orexin/hypocretin neurons and vice versa. However, activity of orexin neurons has not been recorded during mating before. We report an anecdotal dataset of freely-moving miniature microscope recordings of orexin neuron activity during mating behaviours, as well as an oral sexual encounter previously undocumented in mice. Across the orexin neuron population in the male, firing rates were maximally diverse during ejaculation, similarly diverse though weaker during intromission, and inverse to this during anterior thrusting. In the female mouse, orexin neurons tended to decrease firing during intromission after a transient increase. We provide this brief dataset for re-use, to enable further studies of these rare behaviours with challenging surgical preparations.Keywords
Funding Information
- Cancer Research UK (FC001055)
- Medical Research Council (FC001055)
- Wellcome Trust (FC001055)
- Horizon 2020 (701986)
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