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

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109579

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-DovTamar 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^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Article number	109579
Journal	Cell Reports
Volume	36
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109579
State	Published - 24 Aug 2021

Funding

Funders	Funder number
EPM Inc.
Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	726225
European Research Council
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Israel Science Foundation	2017/20, 1781/16
Tel Aviv University
Ministry of Science and Technology, Israel	3-13608, 84/19
Horizon 2020

Keywords

HPG axis
UVB
behavioral
hormones
p53
questionnaires
sexuality
skin
solar
testosterone

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10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109579

Cite this

Parikh, R., Sorek, E., Parikh, S., Michael, K., Bikovski, L., Tshori, S., Shefer, G., Mingelgreen, S., Zornitzki, T., Knobler, H., Chodick, G., Mardamshina, M., Boonman, A., Kronfeld-Schor, N., Bar-Joseph, H., Ben-Yosef, D., Amir, H., Pavlovsky, M., Matz, H., ... Levy, C. (2021). Skin exposure to UVB light induces a skin-brain-gonad axis and sexual behavior. Cell Reports, 36(8), Article 109579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109579

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title = "Skin exposure to UVB light induces a skin-brain-gonad axis and sexual behavior",

abstract = "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.",

keywords = "HPG axis, UVB, behavioral, hormones, p53, questionnaires, sexuality, skin, solar, testosterone",

author = "Roma Parikh and Eschar Sorek and Shivang Parikh and Keren Michael and Lior Bikovski and Sagi Tshori and Galit Shefer and Shira Mingelgreen and Taiba Zornitzki and Hilla Knobler and Gabriel Chodick and Mariya Mardamshina and Arjan Boonman and Noga Kronfeld-Schor and Hadas Bar-Joseph and Dalit Ben-Yosef and Hadar Amir and Mor Pavlovsky and Hagit Matz and Tom Ben-Dov and Tamar Golan and Eran Nizri and Daphna Liber and Yair Liel and Ronen Brenner and Yftach Gepner and Orit Karnieli-Miller and Rina Hemi and Ruth Shalgi and Tali Kimchi and Ruth Percik and Aron Weller and Carmit Levy",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors",

year = "2021",

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doi = "10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109579",

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Parikh, R, Sorek, E, Parikh, S, Michael, K, Bikovski, L, Tshori, S, Shefer, G, Mingelgreen, S, Zornitzki, T, Knobler, H, Chodick, G, Mardamshina, M, Boonman, A, Kronfeld-Schor, N, Bar-Joseph, H, Ben-Yosef, D , Amir, H, Pavlovsky, M, Matz, H, Ben-Dov, T, Golan, T , Nizri, E, Liber, D, Liel, Y, Brenner, R , Gepner, Y , Karnieli-Miller, O, Hemi, R, Shalgi, R, Kimchi, T, Percik, R, Weller, A & Levy, C 2021, 'Skin exposure to UVB light induces a skin-brain-gonad axis and sexual behavior', Cell Reports, vol. 36, no. 8, 109579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109579

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AU - Parikh, Roma

AU - Sorek, Eschar

AU - Parikh, Shivang

AU - Michael, Keren

AU - Bikovski, Lior

AU - Tshori, Sagi

AU - Shefer, Galit

AU - Mingelgreen, Shira

AU - Zornitzki, Taiba

AU - Knobler, Hilla

AU - Chodick, Gabriel

AU - Mardamshina, Mariya

AU - Boonman, Arjan

AU - Kronfeld-Schor, Noga

AU - Bar-Joseph, Hadas

AU - Ben-Yosef, Dalit

AU - Amir, Hadar

AU - Pavlovsky, Mor

AU - Matz, Hagit

AU - Ben-Dov, Tom

AU - Golan, Tamar

AU - Nizri, Eran

AU - Liber, Daphna

AU - Liel, Yair

AU - Brenner, Ronen

AU - Gepner, Yftach

AU - Karnieli-Miller, Orit

AU - Hemi, Rina

AU - Shalgi, Ruth

AU - Kimchi, Tali

AU - Percik, Ruth

AU - Weller, Aron

AU - Levy, Carmit

PY - 2021/8/24

Y1 - 2021/8/24

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - HPG axis

KW - UVB

KW - behavioral

KW - hormones

KW - p53

KW - questionnaires

KW - sexuality

KW - skin

KW - solar

KW - testosterone

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Skin exposure to UVB light induces a skin-brain-gonad axis and sexual behavior

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