Brain processing of the mammary pheromone in newborn rabbits

Charra, Rachel; Datiche, Frédérique; Casthano, A.; Gigot, Vincent; Schaal, Benoı̂st; Coureaud, Gérard

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2011.09.008

Cited by 24 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…On postnatal day 4, pseudoconditioned and conditioned pups were individually stimulated with the odorant B alone (groups C B and PC B ), the AB mixture (groups C AB and PC AB ) or the A 0 B 0 mixture (groups C A 0 B 0 and PC A 0 B 0 ) following a procedure previously described (e.g., Charra et al 2012Charra et al , 2013. Each pup was immobilized in one gloved hand of the experimenter with its head left free to move.…”

Section: Stimulation and Behavioral Testing On Daymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In our case, this approach allowed to compare activation patterns induced by mixtures which are differently perceived. Moreover, this technique allowed comparisons with our earlier experiments in rabbit pups (Charra et al 2012(Charra et al , 2013. In the present study, we used two groups of pups either pseudoconditioned or conditioned to B on day 3, which were subsequently exposed to B, AB or A 0 B 0 on day 4 followed by brain Fos immunocytochemistry.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Brain processing of a configural vs elemental odor mixture in the newborn rabbit

et al. 2015

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Organisms are surrounded throughout life by chemically complex odors. How individuals process an odorant within a mixture or a mixture as a whole is a key question in neuroethology and chemical senses. This question is addressed here by using newborn rabbits, which can be rapidly conditioned to a new stimulus by single association with the mammary pheromone. After conditioning to ethyl maltol (odorant B), pups behaviorally respond to B and an A'B' mixture (68/32 ratio) but not to ethyl isobutyrate (odorant A) or an AB mixture (30/70 ratio). This suggests elemental and configural perception of A'B' and AB, respectively. We then explored the neural substrates underlying the processing of these mixtures with the hypothesis that processing varies according to perception. Pups were pseudoconditioned or conditioned to B on postnatal day 3 before exposure to B, A'B' or AB on day 4. Fos expression was not similar between groups (mainly in the olfactory bulb and posterior piriform cortex) suggesting a differential processing of the stimuli that might reflect either stimulus complexity or conditioning effect. Thus, the ratio of components in A'B' vs AB leads to differential activation of the olfactory system which may contribute to elemental and configural percepts of these mixtures. In addition, together with recent behavioral data, this highlights that configural perception occurs even in relatively immature animals, emphasizing the value of the newborn rabbit for exploration of odor mixture processing from molecules to brain and behavior.

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Section: Stimulation and Behavioral Testing On Daymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Brain processing of a configural vs elemental odor mixture in the newborn rabbit

et al. 2015

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“…We hypothesize that the simultaneous expression of a large number of the same VRs in MOE and VNO—which has never been shown in any primate species before—has evolved in mouse lemurs to adequately process a variety of complex olfactory signals, as separate neural pathways of both olfactory systems project to different brain regions performing special functions. Our results indicate a further blurring in the long presumed functional distinction between the VNO and MOE, following on from demonstration of pheromone detection in the MOE of some species, in some cases by olfactory receptors (Hudson and Distel, 1986; Swann et al, 2001; Charra et al, 2012). More emphasis is needed on comparative adaptive function of these VRs in the MOE and VNO of mouse lemurs and other species with large VR repertoires and highly developed olfactory sense.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Functional promiscuity in a mammalian chemosensory system: extensive expression of vomeronasal receptors in the main olfactory epithelium of mouse lemurs

et al. 2014

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The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is functional in most terrestrial mammals, though progressively reduced in the primate lineage, and is used for intraspecific communication and predator recognition. Vomeronasal receptor (VR) genes comprise two families of chemosensory genes (V1R and V2R) that have been considered to be specific for the VNO. However, recently a large number of VRs were reported to be expressed in the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) of mice, but there is little knowledge of the expression of these genes outside of rodents. To explore the function of VR genes in mammalian evolution, we analyzed and compared the expression of 64 V1R and 2 V2R genes in the VNO and the MOE of the gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), the primate with the largest known VR repertoire. We furthermore compared expression patterns in adults of both sexes and seasons, and in an infant. A large proportion (83–97%) of the VR loci was expressed in the VNO of all individuals. The repertoire in the infant was as rich as in adults, indicating reliance on olfactory communication from early postnatal development onwards. In concordance with mice, we also detected extensive expression of VRs in the MOE, with proportions of expressed loci in individuals ranging from 29 to 45%. TRPC2, which encodes a channel protein crucial for signal transduction via VRs, was co-expressed in the MOE in all individuals indicating likely functionality of expressed VR genes in the MOE. In summary, the large VR repertoire in mouse lemurs seems to be highly functional. Given the differences in the neural pathways of MOE and VNO signals, which project to higher cortical brain centers or the limbic system, respectively, this raises the intriguing possibility that the evolution of MOE-expression of VRs enabled mouse lemurs to adaptively diversify the processing of VR-encoded olfactory information.

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“…In rodents, this innate behaviour is critically dependent on uncharacterised, maternallyderived chemosensory glands, but recently a classic suckling pheromone was identified in a non-model system using the European rabbit (Schaal et al 2003;Charra et al 2012). This finding supports the role of specialised olfactory cues, or pheromones, in triggering the first episode of naive suckling behaviour (Logan et al 2012).…”

Section: Complex Olfactory Mosaic and Maternal Selectivitymentioning

confidence: 82%

Sensory factors involved in mother-young bonding in sheep: a review

Mora-Medina¹,

Orihuela²,

Arch-Tirado³

et al. 2016

Vet. Med.

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ABSTRACT:The aim of this review is to discuss sensory recognition (olfaction, vision, vocalisation, hearing and direct contact) in relation to the ewe-lamb bond, and the relevance of this information for animal management, considering that sensory recognition between ewes and their offspring is a key element of lamb welfare. In some parental care strategies, parents promote recognition of their own young in order to ensure their survival by providing them -and only them -with food, while the young simultaneously learn features of the environment. In the specific case of sheep, mother-young bonding is established during the sensitive period of the first 4 h after birth. The ewe prints a distinctive signal on her lambs that marks her as the legitimate mother, while stimulating the offspring's learning processes through olfactory, visual and acoustic cues. However, the sensory basis for proximal recognition of lambs changes over time as they learn to recognise the signals emitted by the mother. After 4 h -or less -the ewe becomes maternally selective; this means that she accepts only her own lambs at the udder, while actively rejecting alien newborns. Likewise, newborn lambs develop a preference for their mothers in less than one day. This preference is regulated by the difference between the acceptance behaviour manifested by the lamb's own mother and the aggressive rejecting behaviour shown by alien ewes. This early discriminative ability allows the lamb to avoid the aggressive actions of alien dams and maintain close contact with its own lactating mother. At around one week of age, lambs learn to develop the sensory cues that allow them to recognize their mother. These include olfactory, visual, acoustic and tactile information. Mutual ewe-lamb recognition at an early age also ensures that newborns will be fed and cared for by their own mother, which satisfies some of the requirements for their survival and welfare. For all these reasons, any disruption of ewe-lamb bonding during parturition is detrimental to lamb welfare and survival.

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Brain processing of the mammary pheromone in newborn rabbits

Cited by 24 publications

References 61 publications

Brain processing of a configural vs elemental odor mixture in the newborn rabbit

Brain processing of a configural vs elemental odor mixture in the newborn rabbit

Functional promiscuity in a mammalian chemosensory system: extensive expression of vomeronasal receptors in the main olfactory epithelium of mouse lemurs

Sensory factors involved in mother-young bonding in sheep: a review

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