| Title: | Encoding gender and individual information in the mouse vomeronasal organ |
| Author(s): | He J; Ma L; Kim S; Nakai J; Yu CR; |
| Address: | "Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 East 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1095-9203 (Electronic) 0036-8075 (Print) 0036-8075 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The mammalian vomeronasal organ detects complex chemical signals that convey information about gender, strain, and the social and reproductive status of an individual. How these signals are encoded is poorly understood. We developed transgenic mice expressing the calcium indicator G-CaMP2 and analyzed population responses of vomeronasal neurons to urine from individual animals. A substantial portion of cells was activated by either male or female urine, but only a small population of cells responded exclusively to gender-specific cues shared across strains and individuals. Female cues activated more cells and were subject to more complex hormonal regulations than male cues. In contrast to gender, strain and individual information was encoded by the combinatorial activation of neurons such that urine from different individuals activated distinctive cell populations" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Behavior, Animal Calcium/metabolism Cluster Analysis Cues Female Male Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Mice, Inbred CBA Neurons, Afferent/*physiology *Pheromones Principal Component Analysis Receptors, Pheromone/physiology Sex Characteristics *Urine/chemis;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineHe, Jie Ma, Limei Kim, Sangseong Nakai, Junichi Yu, C Ron eng R01 DC008003/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ R01 DC008003-03/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ NIDCD 008003/PHS HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2008/04/26 Science. 2008 Apr 25; 320(5875):535-8. doi: 10.1126/science.1154476" |
