A Molecular Code for Identity in the Vomeronasal System

Fu, Xin; Yan, Yuetian; Xu, Pei Sabrina; Geerlof-Vidavsky, Ilan; Chong, Wongi; Gross, Michael L.; Holy, Timothy E.

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.09.012

Cited by 66 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In mice, a handful of monomolecular chemical cues have been identified that play important roles in VNO pheromonal responses (Chamero et al, 2007; Haga et al, 2010; Ferrero et al, 2013; Fu et al, 2015). However, with the exception of major urinary proteins promoting territorial marking by males (Kaur et al, 2014), live animals are in many cases necessary to trigger pheromonal actions, thus leaving intact the contribution of multiple sensory cues in triggering behavior output.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multisensory Logic of Infant-Directed Aggression by Males

Isogai

Zheng

Love

et al. 2018

Cell

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Newborn mice emit signals that promote parenting from mothers and fathers, but trigger aggressive responses from virgin males. Although pup-directed attacks by males require vomeronasal function, the specific infant cues that elicit this behavior are unknown. We developed a behavioral paradigm based on reconstituted pup cues and showed that discrete infant morphological features combined with salivary chemosignals elicit robust male aggression. Seven vomeronasal receptors were identified based on infant-mediated activity, and the involvement of two receptors, Vmn2r65, and Vmn2r88, in infant-directed aggression was demonstrated by genetic deletion. Using the activation of these receptors as readouts for biochemical fractionation, we isolated two pheromonal compounds, the submandibular gland protein C and hemoglobins. Unexpectedly, none of the identified vomeronasal receptors and associated cues were specific to pups. Thus, infant-mediated aggression by virgin males relies on the recognition of pup’s physical traits in addition to parental and infant chemical cues.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multisensory Logic of Infant-Directed Aggression by Males

Isogai

Zheng

Love

et al. 2018

Cell

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although combining simple stimulus-features from sensory organs for higher cognition were often postulated and reported (Buck and Axel, 1991; Yeshurun and Sobel, 2010; Fu et al, 2015), findings of some cells in a given site which responded to multiple stimuli (as the literature intermittently described in bits and pieces) have reinforced the popular but undue impression that somehow convergence and combination occurred but in a stochastic and random fashion. Obviously, such sporadic combinations can easily take place in various ways without conforming to the power-of-two based permutation logic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain Computation Is Organized via Power-of-Two-Based Permutation Logic

Xie

Fox

Liu

et al. 2016

Front. Syst. Neurosci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is considerable scientific interest in understanding how cell assemblies—the long-presumed computational motif—are organized so that the brain can generate intelligent cognition and flexible behavior. The Theory of Connectivity proposes that the origin of intelligence is rooted in a power-of-two-based permutation logic (N = 2i–1), producing specific-to-general cell-assembly architecture capable of generating specific perceptions and memories, as well as generalized knowledge and flexible actions. We show that this power-of-two-based permutation logic is widely used in cortical and subcortical circuits across animal species and is conserved for the processing of a variety of cognitive modalities including appetitive, emotional and social information. However, modulatory neurons, such as dopaminergic (DA) neurons, use a simpler logic despite their distinct subtypes. Interestingly, this specific-to-general permutation logic remained largely intact although NMDA receptors—the synaptic switch for learning and memory—were deleted throughout adulthood, suggesting that the logic is developmentally pre-configured. Moreover, this computational logic is implemented in the cortex via combining a random-connectivity strategy in superficial layers 2/3 with nonrandom organizations in deep layers 5/6. This randomness of layers 2/3 cliques—which preferentially encode specific and low-combinatorial features and project inter-cortically—is ideal for maximizing cross-modality novel pattern-extraction, pattern-discrimination and pattern-categorization using sparse code, consequently explaining why it requires hippocampal offline-consolidation. In contrast, the nonrandomness in layers 5/6—which consists of few specific cliques but a higher portion of more general cliques projecting mostly to subcortical systems—is ideal for feedback-control of motivation, emotion, consciousness and behaviors. These observations suggest that the brain’s basic computational algorithm is indeed organized by the power-of-two-based permutation logic. This simple mathematical logic can account for brain computation across the entire evolutionary spectrum, ranging from the simplest neural networks to the most complex.

show abstract

“…Some pheromones are derived by direct chemical transformation of internal state-regulating hormones into externally broadcast pheromones. Circulating steroid and internal state hormones such as testosterone, estradiol, and pregnanolone can be directly transformed into externally emitted chemosensory ligands [27]. Some steroids are sulfated to promote excretion into the environment.…”

Section: Pheromone Production Varies With Internal Statementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some steroids are sulfated to promote excretion into the environment. Once emitted, sulfated steroids potently activate VNO sensory neurons of receiving individuals and serve as faithful indicators of the emitter’s internal state [27,28,31,32]. For example, one sulfated estrogen is emitted by ovulating females as a byproduct of the reproductive cycle, and then functions secondarily as part of a pheromone blend that promotes male courtship behavior [28].…”

Section: Pheromone Production Varies With Internal Statementioning

confidence: 99%

State-dependent responses to sex pheromones in mouse

Stowers

Liberles

2016

Current Opinion in Neurobiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A single sensory cue can evoke different behaviors that vary by recipient. Responses may be influenced by sex, internal state, experience, genotype, and coincident environmental stimuli. Pheromones are powerful inducers of mouse behavior, yet pheromone responses are not always stereotyped. For example, male and female mice respond differently to sex pheromones while mothers and virgin females respond differently to pup cues. Here, we review the origins of variability in responses to reproductive pheromones. Recent advances have indicated how response variability may arise through modulation at different levels of pheromone-processing circuitry, from sensory neurons in the periphery to central neurons in the vomeronasal amygdala. Understanding mechanisms underlying conditional pheromone responses should reveal how neural circuits can be flexibly sculpted to alter behavior.

show abstract

A Molecular Code for Identity in the Vomeronasal System

Cited by 66 publications

References 37 publications

Multisensory Logic of Infant-Directed Aggression by Males

Multisensory Logic of Infant-Directed Aggression by Males

Brain Computation Is Organized via Power-of-Two-Based Permutation Logic

State-dependent responses to sex pheromones in mouse

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About