RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Androgen-Induced Changes in the Response Dynamics of Ampullary Electrosensory Primary Afferent Neurons
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 8586
OP 8595
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.20-22-08586.2000
VO 20
IS 22
A1 Joseph A. Sisneros
A1 Timothy C. Tricas
YR 2000
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/20/22/8586.abstract
AB Male stingrays use their ampullary electroreceptors to locate mates, but the effect of gonadal androgens on electrosensory encoding during the reproductive season is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that gonadal androgens induce neurophysiological changes in the electrosense of male Atlantic stingrays. During the primary androgen increase in wild males, the electrosensory primary afferent neurons show an increase in discharge regularity, a downshift in best frequency (BF) and bandpass, and a greater sensitivity to low-frequency stimuli from 0.01 to 4 Hz. Experimental implants of dihydrotestosterone in male stingrays induced a similar lowered BF and bandpass and increased average neural sensitivity to low-frequency stimuli (0.5–2 Hz) by a factor of 1.5. Primary afferents from long ampullary canals (>3 cm) were more sensitive and had a lower bandpass and BF than did afferents from short canals (<2 cm). We propose that these androgen-induced changes in the frequency response properties of electrosensory afferents enhance mate detection by male stingrays and may ultimately increase the number of male reproductive encounters with females. Furthermore, differences in primary afferent sensitivity among short and long canals may facilitate detection, orientation, and localization of conspecifics during social interactions.