Meeting Abstract
Sexual communication is frequently studied from the perspective of male senders signaling to female receivers. However, these interactions are often dynamic with both male and female partners actively sending and receiving signals. Both male and female house mice (Mus musculus) signal during sexual interactions. Males primarily produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) that are correlated with investigation and mounting of females, while females primarily produce broadband vocalizations (BBVs) that are correlated with non-vocal rejection behaviors such as kicking and lunging. In order to test the effect of BBVs separately from non-vocal rejection behaviors, male CBA/J mice (n=19) were separated from freely-behaving females with a Plexiglass barrier. In this paradigm, females did not produce any BBVs of their own and males continuously produced high levels of USVs. In response to BBV playback males significantly decreased USV production and increased digging behavior. To identify the role of vocalization structure in the male response males (n=8) were presented with playback of white noise bursts replacing BBVs, which also caused USVs to decrease. Males (n=8) presented with an anesthetized non-behaving female also decreased USV production to BBV playback, although males with anesthetized females produced significantly fewer USVs overall than males with awake females. Overall, these results indicate that males modify their behavior in response to playback of a female signal but this response is strongest in the specific context of an awake female partner. The response may generalize to all broadband noise, including white noise bursts. Response to female BBVs may be used in the future to better understand the mechanisms underlying auditory perception in male mice.
