Fig. 8: Urine of conspecific males induced a territorial preference and an increased activity of dlEnt and PMCo cells.

a Exploration time (min) in the stimulus area in the first 10 min of the preference test. Urine induced significantly higher exploration time than citralva; p = 0.007; n = 5 animals per group. Box plots are defined in terms of minima and maxima by whiskers, and the center and bounds of box by quartiles (Q₁–Q₃). Right: representative heatmaps of the animals in the citralva (green) and urine (orange) groups, showing preference for male urine. b The number of c-Fos-IR cells/0.04 mm² and c % reelin c-Fos cells in dlEnt layer II was significantly higher in urine group (c-Fos, p = 0.002; reelin c-Fos, p = 0.0001; n = 5 animals per group). b, c Right panels: double immunofluorescence for reelin and c-Fos cells indicated with arrows; n = 5 animals per group. In c, a detailed view of the squared area in b can be observed. d In PMCo a significantly increased number of active cells was observed; p = 0.04, n = 5 animals per group. d Right: c-Fos-IR cells in the PMCo, indicated by arrows. e c-Fos-IR cells were not significantly more active in dCA1; p = 0.80, n = 5 animals per group. Right: c-Fos-IR cells in dCA1, indicated by arrows. Scale bar in b, d, and e, 100 µm; in c 20 µm. For c-Fos-IR cells, two-sided t test; for % reelin c-Fos cells, beta regression analysis; *p < 0.05. Source data are provided as a Source data file.