| Title: | The Accessory Olfactory System: Innately Specialized or Microcosm of Mammalian Circuitry? |
| Address: | "Department of Neuroscience, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63132, USA; email: holy@wustl.edu" |
| DOI: | 10.1146/annurev-neuro-080317-061916 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1545-4126 (Electronic) 0147-006X (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In mammals, the accessory olfactory system is a distinct circuit that has received attention for its role in detecting and responding to pheromones. While the neuroscientific investigation of this system is comparatively new, recent advances and its compact size have made it an attractive model for developing an end-to-end understanding of such questions as regulation of essential behaviors, plasticity, and individual recognition. Recent discoveries have indicated a need to reevaluate our conception of this system, suggesting that ( a) physical principles-rather than biological necessity-play an underappreciated role in its raison d'etre and that ( b) the anatomy of downstream projections is not dominated by unique specializations but instead consists of an abbreviated cortical/basal ganglia motif reminiscent of other sensorimotor systems. These observations suggest that the accessory olfactory system distinguishes itself primarily by the physicochemical properties of its ligands, but its architecture is otherwise a microcosm of mammalian neurocircuitry" |
| Keywords: | Animals Humans *Instinct Mammals Nerve Net/*physiology Olfactory Pathways/*anatomy & histology/*physiology Pheromones Smell/*physiology hypothalamus innate behavior pallidum sensory processing striatum volatility; |
| Notes: | "MedlineHoly, Timothy E eng R01 DC005964/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ Review 2018/05/05 Annu Rev Neurosci. 2018 Jul 8; 41:501-525. doi: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-080317-061916. Epub 2018 May 4" |
