Consequences of removing the vomeronasal organ

Wysocki, Charles J.; Lepri, John J.

doi:10.1016/0960-0760(91)90265-7

Cited by 159 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The accessory olfactory system does not have a monopoly on the detection of such cues, because the main olfactory system also plays an important role. Nevertheless, the thesis that the accessory olfactory system is specialized for the detection of social odors has received considerable experimental support (Wysocki and Lepri, 1991;Halpern and Martínez-Marcos, 2003;Leypold et al, 2002;Stowers et al, 2002;Chamero et al, 2007;Kimchi et al, 2007). The accessory olfactory system expresses two large families of receptor types, V1R and V2R, with ϳ250 different types in mouse (Dulac and Torello, 2003;Halpern and Martínez-Marcos, 2003;Shi and Zhang, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sulfated Steroids as Natural Ligands of Mouse Pheromone-Sensing Neurons

Nodari¹,

Hsu²,

Fu³

et al. 2008

Journal of Neuroscience

193

214

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Among mice, pheromones and other social odor cues convey information about sex, social status, and identity; however, the molecular nature of these cues is essentially unknown. To identify these cues, we screened chromatographic fractions of female mouse urine for their ability to cause reproducible firing rate increases in the pheromone-detecting vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) using multielectrode array (MEA) recording. Active compounds were found to be remarkably homogenous in their basic properties, with most being of low molecular weight, moderate hydrophobicity, low volatility, and possessing a negative electric charge. Purification and structural analysis of active compounds revealed multiple sulfated steroids, of which two were identified as sulfated glucocorticoids, including corticosterone 21-sulfate. Sulfatase-treated urine extracts lost Ͼ80% of their activity, indicating that sulfated compounds are the predominant VSN ligands in female mouse urine. As measured by MEA recording, a collection of 31 synthetic sulfated steroids triggered responses 30-fold more frequently than did a similarly sized stimulus set containing the majority of all previously reported VSN ligands. Collectively, VSNs detected all major classes of sulfated steroids, but individual neurons were sensitive to small variations in chemical structure. VSNs from both males and females detected sulfated steroids, but knock-outs for the sensory transduction channel TRPC2 did not detect these compounds. Urine concentrations of the two sulfated glucocorticoids increased many fold in stressed animals, indicating that information about physiological status is encoded by the urine concentration of particular sulfated steroids. These results provide an unprecedented characterization of the signals available for chemical communication among mice.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, the accessory olfactory system appears to be more narrowly specialized for social communication, because compromising the VNO leads specifically to deficits in numerous territorial and reproductive behaviors (Wysocki and Lepri, 1991;Leypold et al, 2002;Stowers et al, 2002;Halpern and Martínez-Marcos, 2003;Kimchi et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sulfated Steroids as Natural Ligands of Mouse Pheromone-Sensing Neurons

Nodari¹,

Hsu²,

Fu³

et al. 2008

Journal of Neuroscience

193

214

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“…Destruction of the VNO eliminates most responses to conspecific odors [76]. However, in some cases, learning can compensate for the dramatic effects of the VNO lesion.…”

Section: Role Of Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of the olfactory systems and importance of learning in the ewes' response to rams or their odors

Gelez

Fabre-Nys

2006

Reprod. Nutr. Dev.

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-In sheep, exposure of seasonally anestrous females to the male or its fleece results in activation of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion and synchronized ovulation. The study of the neural pathways involved in this phenomenon, commonly named "male effect", show that the main olfactory system plays a critical role in the detection and the integration of the male odor. The accessory olfactory system participates in the perception of the ram odor but does not seem necessary for the endocrine response. According to the hypothesis that the neuroanatomical differences between the two olfactory systems could be associated with different functional roles, we investigated the importance of sexual experience and learning processes in the male effect. Our results showed that female responses depend on previous sexual experience. We also demonstrated that the LH response to male odor could result from an associative learning process. The aim of the present report was to summarize our current knowledge concerning the "male effect" and in particular to clarify the role of sexual experience and learning in the processes involved in this effect.ovine / male effect / LH / olfaction / experience

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“…After lesions of the vomeronasal organ, olfactory input stimulates the medial preoptic area in sexually experienced males but not in naïve males [45]. In mice and prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), the detrimental effects of vomeronasal organ removal on odor-induced ultrasonic calling and hormone surges can be overcome in sexually experienced males but not in naïve animals [46]. Because this hypothesis has received relatively little experimental attention, its validity is currently difficult to assess.…”

Section: Vomeronasal Responses To Non-pheromonal Stimulimentioning

confidence: 99%