| Title: | "A pheromone to behave, a pheromone to learn: the rabbit mammary pheromone" |
| Author(s): | Coureaud G; Charra R; Datiche F; Sinding C; Thomas-Danguin T; Languille S; Hars B; Schaal B; |
| Address: | "Centre des Sciences du Gout et de l'Alimentation, UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Universite de Bourgogne, Dijon, France. gerard.coureaud@u-bourgogne.fr" |
| Journal Title: | J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s00359-010-0548-y |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1432-1351 (Electronic) 0340-7594 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Birth is part of a continuum and is a major developmental change. Newborns need to adapt rapidly to the environment in terms of physiology and behaviour, and ability to locate the maternal source of milk is vital. Mechanisms have evolved resulting in the emission of olfactory cues by the mother and the processing of these cues by the young. Here, we focus on some sensory, cognitive and behavioural strategies developed by the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) that optimize the early development of offspring. In this species, chemosensory communication between the mother and young plays a critical role in eliciting adaptive neonatal responses. In particular, lactating females release a molecule, the mammary pheromone, which has several functional impacts. It triggers orocephalic responses involved in the quick localization of nipples and sucking. Moreover, this unconditioned signal promotes rapid appetitive learning of novel odorants, acting as a potent organizer of neonatal cognition. The mammary-pheromone-induced odour memory requires consolidation/reconsolidation processes to be maintained in the long term. Finally, as this mode of conditioning also promotes learning of mixtures of odorants, it supports investigations related to the capacity of neonatal olfaction to extract biological value from the complex environment" |
| Keywords: | "*Animal Communication Animals Animals, Newborn/physiology Animals, Suckling/*physiology Female Learning/*physiology Mammary Glands, Animal/*metabolism Maternal Behavior/physiology Pheromones/*metabolism Rabbits Smell/*physiology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineCoureaud, Gerard Charra, Rachel Datiche, Frederique Sinding, Charlotte Thomas-Danguin, Thierry Languille, Solene Hars, Bernard Schaal, Benoist eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review Germany 2010/06/25 J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol. 2010 Oct; 196(10):779-90. doi: 10.1007/s00359-010-0548-y. Epub 2010 Jun 24" |
