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Behav Genet

Title:		The post-natal chemosensory environment induces epigenetic changes in vomeronasal receptor gene expression and a bias in olfactory preference
Author(s):		Broad KD; Keverne EB;
Address:		"Sub-Dept of Animal Behaviour, University of Cambridge, Madingley, Cambridge, UK. kevinbroad@btinternet.com"
Journal Title:		Behav Genet
Year:		2012
Volume:		20111220
Issue:		3
Page Number:		461 - 471
DOI:		10.1007/s10519-011-9523-9
ISSN/ISBN:		1573-3297 (Electronic) 0001-8244 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Vomeronasal stem cells are generated throughout the life of a mouse and differentiate into neurons that express one vomeronasal type 1 (V1r), one or two vomeronasal type 2 (V2r), or one olfactory receptor. Vomeronasal stem cells can be induced to differentiate into neurons by treatment with lipocalins from mouse urine or by epigenetic modification following treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors. An important question is, do chemosensory signals, modify the detection capabilities of the vomeronasal organ and affect behaviour. Rearing mice in the presence of urine (and its pheromonal signals) derived from a different mouse strain, affected the behavioural preference for non-kin which were accompanied by changes in vomeronasal receptor expression. Significant changes in the expression of vomeronasal V1r, V2r and olfactory receptors, major urinary proteins, and a number of genes thought to be involved in transcriptional regulation were also observed following urine treatment. These results suggest that modification of a mouse's urinary environment may exert epigenetic effects on developing vomeronasal neurons, which modify the type of vomeronasal receptors that are expressed. This may provide a mechanism by which environmental changes are able to modify the detection capabilities of the vomeronasal organ to respond optimally to the most likely social environment that a mouse will encounter when mature"
Keywords:		"Aging/physiology Animals Chromatin/genetics Epigenesis, Genetic/*physiology Female Gene Expression Regulation Immunohistochemistry Male Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Microarray Analysis RNA/genetics/isolation & purification Receptors, Odorant/biosynthesis/*gene;"
Notes:		"MedlineBroad, Kevin D Keverne, Eric B eng 2011/12/20 Behav Genet. 2012 May; 42(3):461-71. doi: 10.1007/s10519-011-9523-9. Epub 2011 Dec 20"