Olfactory imprinting resulting from brief exposure in Acomys cahirinus

Porter, Richard H.; Etscorn, Frank

doi:10.1038/250732a0

Cited by 70 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Unfortunately, in pups incapable of locomotion, motor activity could signify approach or withdrawal just as kicking can indicate interest or impatience (Thelen, 1981). Although behavioral activation does not reveal the pup’s affective response to the odor, numerous past studies with various species have reported that mere exposure increases preference for that odor (Balogh & Porter, 1986; Hepper, 1988; Porter & Etscorn, 1974; Zajonc, 1968). Unfortunately, our attempts to obtain satisfactorily reliable measures of preference in the first hours after birth have so far been unsuccessful.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In addition to traditional imprinting usually restricted to fowl, researchers have studied mammalian imprinting in several different species (rats, Hudson, 1993; deer, Muller-Schwarze & Muller-Schwarze, 1971; spiny mice, Porter & Etscorn, 1974; guinea pigs, Sluckin, 1968). Instead of a moving object, mammals typically imprint onto an olfactory stimulus, usually maternally derived odors.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Olfactory learning in the rat immediately after birth: Unique salience of first odors

Miller

Spear

2009

Developmental Psychobiology

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An infant rat’s chance of survival is increased when it remains close to the nest. Early olfactory learning supports such adaptive behavior. Previous experiments indicated that non-associative odor exposure immediately after birth promoted later attachment to a similarly scented artificial nipple. The goal of the current experiments was to extend these findings on olfactory learning in the hours after birth by: exposing pups to more than one odor exposure (Exp. 1), dissecting the role of timing versus order of odor exposure (Exp. 2), testing the odor specificity of these effects (Exp. 3 and 4), and evaluating associative odor conditioning soon after birth (Exp. 5). Without explicit prior odor experience, pups only hours old do not respond much to a novel odor. Prior non-associative odor experience increases later motor activity to that same odor and to novel odors. Furthermore, these findings may be specific to certain amodal dimensions of the (in our case) lemon odor exposure. Single odor non-associative and associative conditioning was equally effective immediately after birth and during the third postnatal hour. Nevertheless, pups given two mere odor exposures responded to the first one more than the second at test, regardless of whether the exposures began immediately or two hours after birth. Possible mechanisms for these findings concerning early olfactory learning are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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confidence: 99%

Olfactory learning in the rat immediately after birth: Unique salience of first odors

Miller

Spear

2009

Developmental Psychobiology

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“…We discover social experience-dependent changes in dopamine (DA) and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) expression in granule and periglomerular interneurons of the AOB affecting kinship recognition and preference. These findings may shed light on the olfactory imprinting of fish (Gerlach et al, 2008; Harden et al, 2006; Hino et al, 2009; Johnstone et al, 2011) and neonatal attachment in mammals (Janus, 1993; Kendrick et al, 1997a; Porter and Etscorn, 1974), potentially including humans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Neurotransmitter Switching Regulated by miRNAs Controls Changes in Social Preference

Dulcis

Lippi

Stark

et al. 2017

Neuron

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SUMMARY Changes in social preference of amphibian larvae result from sustained exposure to kinship odorants. To understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of this neuroplasticity, we investigated the effects of olfactory system activation on neurotransmitter (NT) expression in accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) interneurons during development. We show that protracted exposure to kin or non-kin odorants changes the number of dopamine (DA)- or gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)-expressing neurons, with corresponding changes in attraction/aversion behavior. Changing the relative number of dopaminergic and GABAergic AOB interneurons or locally introducing DA or GABA receptor antagonists alters kinship preference. We then isolate AOB microRNAs (miRs) differentially regulated across these conditions. Inhibition of miR-375 and miR-200b reveals that they target Pax6 and Bcl11b to regulate the dopaminergic and GABAergic phenotypes. The results illuminate the role of NT switching governing experience-dependent social preference.

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“…Newborn young 2-12 hr old show a rapid olfactory imprinting, since a brief, 1-hr exposure to a chemical cue induced a preference for that artificial odor 24 hr later (Porter and Etscorn, 1974). One-day-old pups show a preference for bedding soiled by their mother over bedding soiled by a nonpregnant female, but they show no preference for bedding soiled by their mother over that of another lactating female (Porter and Doane, 1976;Porter and Ruttle, 1975), This suggests the presence of a maternal pheromone as in rats and house mice (see above).…”

Section: Rodentsmentioning

confidence: 99%