| Title: | Encoding pheromonal signals in the accessory olfactory bulb of behaving mice |
| Address: | "Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. luo@neuro.duke.edu" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1095-9203 (Electronic) 0036-8075 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Many mammalian species rely on pheromones-semiochemicals produced by other members of the same species-to communicate social status and reproductive readiness. To assess how the central nervous system integrates the complex repertoire of pheromones, we recorded from single neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb, a nucleus that processes pheromonal signals, of male mice engaged in natural behaviors. Neuronal firing was robustly modulated by physical contact with male and female conspecifics, with individual neurons activated selectively by specific combinations of the sex and strain of conspecifics. We infer that mammals encode social and reproductive information by integrating vomeronasal sensory activity specific to sex and genetic makeup" |
| Keywords: | "Action Potentials Anal Canal Animals *Behavior, Animal Cues Electrodes, Implanted Face Female Genitalia Male Mice Mice, Inbred BALB C Mice, Inbred C57BL Mice, Inbred CBA Microelectrodes Mouth Neural Inhibition Neurons/*physiology Neurons, Afferent/*physio;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineLuo, Minmin Fee, Michale S Katz, Lawrence C eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2003/02/22 Science. 2003 Feb 21; 299(5610):1196-201. doi: 10.1126/science.1082133" |
