Cell Reports (Aug 2021)
Skin exposure to UVB light induces a skin-brain-gonad axis and sexual behavior
- Roma Parikh,
- Eschar Sorek,
- Shivang Parikh,
- Keren Michael,
- Lior Bikovski,
- Sagi Tshori,
- Galit Shefer,
- Shira Mingelgreen,
- Taiba Zornitzki,
- Hilla Knobler,
- Gabriel Chodick,
- Mariya Mardamshina,
- Arjan Boonman,
- Noga Kronfeld-Schor,
- Hadas Bar-Joseph,
- Dalit Ben-Yosef,
- Hadar Amir,
- Mor Pavlovsky,
- Hagit Matz,
- Tom Ben-Dov,
- Tamar Golan,
- Eran Nizri,
- Daphna Liber,
- Yair Liel,
- Ronen Brenner,
- Yftach Gepner,
- Orit Karnieli-Miller,
- Rina Hemi,
- Ruth Shalgi,
- Tali Kimchi,
- Ruth Percik,
- Aron Weller,
- Carmit Levy
Affiliations
- Roma Parikh
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Eschar Sorek
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Shivang Parikh
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Keren Michael
- Department of Human Services, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley Academic College, Jezreel Valley 1930600, Israel
- Lior Bikovski
- The Myers Neuro-Behavioral Core Facility, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; School of Behavioral Sciences, Netanya Academic College, Netanya 4223587, Israel
- Sagi Tshori
- Research Authority, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
- Galit Shefer
- Research Authority, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel
- Shira Mingelgreen
- Research Authority, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel
- Taiba Zornitzki
- Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Disease Institute, Kaplan Medical Center, Hadassah School of Medicine, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
- Hilla Knobler
- Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Disease Institute, Kaplan Medical Center, Hadassah School of Medicine, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
- Gabriel Chodick
- Maccabitech, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel; Institute of Endocrinology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Mariya Mardamshina
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Arjan Boonman
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Noga Kronfeld-Schor
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- Hadas Bar-Joseph
- The TMCR Unit, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Dalit Ben-Yosef
- IVF Lab & Wolfe PGD-Stem Cell Lab, Fertility Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Cell Biology and Development, Sackler Faculty of Medicine & Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Hadar Amir
- Fertility Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Mor Pavlovsky
- Department of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel
- Hagit Matz
- Department of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Tom Ben-Dov
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck surgery, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba 4428164, Israel
- Tamar Golan
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Eran Nizri
- Department of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Daphna Liber
- Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, Israel
- Yair Liel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- Ronen Brenner
- Institute of Pathology, E. Wolfson Medical Center, Holon 58100, Israel
- Yftach Gepner
- School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sylvan Adams Sports Institute, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Orit Karnieli-Miller
- Department of Medical Education, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Rina Hemi
- Institute of Endocrinology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Ruth Shalgi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Tali Kimchi
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Ruth Percik
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Institute of Endocrinology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Aron Weller
- Department of Psychology and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
- Carmit Levy
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Corresponding author
- Journal volume & issue
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Vol. 36,
no. 8
p. 109579
Abstract
Summary: Ultraviolet (UV) light affects endocrinological and behavioral aspects of sexuality via an unknown mechanism. Here we discover that ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure enhances the levels of sex-steroid hormones and sexual behavior, which are mediated by the skin. In female mice, UVB exposure increases hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis hormone levels, resulting in larger ovaries; extends estrus days; and increases anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) expression. UVB exposure also enhances the sexual responsiveness and attractiveness of females and male-female interactions. Conditional knockout of p53 specifically in skin keratinocytes abolishes the effects of UVB. Thus, UVB triggers a skin-brain-gonadal axis through skin p53 activation. In humans, solar exposure enhances romantic passion in both genders and aggressiveness in men, as seen in analysis of individual questionaries, and positively correlates with testosterone level. Our findings suggest opportunities for treatment of sex-steroid-related dysfunctions.
