Chemostimuli for guanylyl cyclase-D-expressing olfactory sensory neurons promote the acquisition of preferences for foods adulterated with the rodenticide warfarin

Abstract

Many animals have the ability to acquire food preferences from conspecifics via social signals. For example, the coincident detection of a food odor by canonical olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and agonists of the specialized OSNs expressing the receptor guanylyl cyclase GC-D (GC-D+ OSNs) will promote a preference in recipient rodents for similarly odored foods. It has been hypothesized that these preferences are acquired and maintained regardless of the palatability or quality of the food. We assessed whether mice could acquire and maintain preferences for food that had been adulterated with the anticoagulant rodenticide warfarin. After olfactory investigation of a saline droplet containing either cocoa (2%, w/w) or cinnamon (1%, w/w) along with a GC-D+ OSN-specific chemostimulus (either of the guanylin-family peptides uroguanylin and guanylin; 1–50 nM), C57BL/6J mice exhibited robust preferences for unadulterated food containing the demonstrated odor. The peptide-dependent preference was observed even when the food contained warfarin (0.025% w/w). Repeated ingestion of warfarin-containing food over four days did not disrupt the preference, even though mice were not re-exposed to the peptide stimulus. Surprisingly, mice continued to prefer warfarin-adulterated food containing the demonstrated odor when presented with a choice of warfarin-free food containing a novel odor. Our results indicate that olfactory-mediated food preferences can be acquired and maintained for warfarin-containing foods and suggest that guanylin peptides may be effective stimuli for promoting the ingestion of foods or other edibles with low palatability or potential toxicity.

The Grueneberg ganglion controls odor-driven food choices in mice under threat

“…Two choices assay and quantification of the food preference ratio. To verify if the mice display a preference between two sources of odorized food (food odor #1 or food odor #2), we adapted previously designed two choices assays [60][61][62] . In brief, grouped-housed mice were food habituated for 72 consecutive hours with access to 2 g/day/mouse of powdered ordinary food followed by 24 h of food deprivation.…”

Challenges and possible solutions for decoding extranasal olfactory receptors

“…Functional and structural studies revealed that vomeronasal receptors (VRs) respond to both pheromone and nonpheromone stimuli, for example, V2Rs respond to amino acids/peptides [4, [25][26][27][28][29], whereas TAARs detect trace amines such as p-tyramine, tryptamine, b-phenylethylamine, and octopamine [30,31]. Moreover, studies on rodent FPRs identified their potential role in detecting disease or inflammation-related ligands, while the GCs are known to be activated by membrane diffusible nitric oxide, uroguanylin, and guanylin and have also been implicated in CO 2 sensing [32][33][34][35]. All these findings collectively suggest that these structurally and functionally distinct chemoreceptor subfamilies facilitate the detection of a multitude of structurally distinct odorant molecules.…”

Expression of P301L-hTau in mouse MEC induces hippocampus-dependent memory deficit

“…Therefore, we test olfactory function and cognition by odor cross-habituation test, STFP and MWM. The odor memory is acquired in a single session and can last for weeks after training in rodents 24 – 26 . Lots of evidences demonstrated that the hippocampus is one of the brain regions that are implicated in the STFP.…”