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Anat Rec (Hoboken)

Title:		Histological and ultrastructural characteristics of the primordial vomeronasal organ in lungfish
Author(s):		Nakamuta S; Nakamuta N; Taniguchi K; Taniguchi K;
Address:		"Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka, Iwate 020-8550, Japan"
Journal Title:		Anat Rec (Hoboken)
Year:		2012
Volume:		20120123
Issue:		3
Page Number:		481 - 491
DOI:		10.1002/ar.22415
ISSN/ISBN:		1932-8494 (Electronic) 1932-8486 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Many vertebrates have two anatomically distinct olfactory organs--the olfactory epithelium and the vomeronasal organ--to detect chemicals such as general odorants and pheromones in their environment. The vomeronasal organ is not present in fish but is present in vertebrates of a higher order than amphibians. Among all extant fishes, the lungfish is considered to be genetically and phylogenetically closest to tetrapods. In this study, we examined the olfactory organs of African lungfish, Protopterus annectens, by lectin histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy. Two types of sensory epithelia were identified in the olfactory organ--the olfactory epithelium covering the surface of lamellae and the sensory epithelium lining the recesses both at the base of lamellae and in the wall of the nasal sac--and designated here as the lamellar olfactory epithelium and the recess epithelium, respectively. Based on analysis of G-protein expression and ultrastructure, the lamellar olfactory epithelium resembled the olfactory epithelium of ordinary teleosts and the recess epithelium resembled the vomeronasal organ of tetrapods. Furthermore, lectin histochemistry demonstrated that the axons from the recess epithelium converge and project to the ventrolateral part of the olfactory bulb, suggesting that lungfish possess a region homologous to the accessory olfactory bulb of tetrapods. Based on these results, it seems appropriate to refer to the recess epithelium as 'a primordium of the vomeronasal organ.' This study may provide important clues to elucidate how the vomeronasal organ emerged during the evolution of vertebrates"
Keywords:		"Animals Female Fishes/*anatomy & histology/physiology Immunohistochemistry Male *Microscopy, Electron, Transmission/methods Olfactory Bulb/physiology/ultrastructure Olfactory Mucosa/physiology/ultrastructure Olfactory Nerve/physiology/ultrastructure Olfac;"
Notes:		"MedlineNakamuta, Shoko Nakamuta, Nobuaki Taniguchi, Kazumi Taniguchi, Kazuyuki eng Comparative Study 2012/01/25 Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2012 Mar; 295(3):481-91. doi: 10.1002/ar.22415. Epub 2012 Jan 23"