Title: | Vomeronasal Receptors Associated with Circulating Estrogen Processing Chemosensory Cues in Semi-Aquatic Mammals |
Author(s): | Xie W; Chen M; Shen Y; Liu Y; Zhang H; Weng Q; |
Address: | "Laboratory of Animal Physiology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1422-0067 (Electronic) 1422-0067 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "In numerous animals, one essential chemosensory organ that detects chemical signals is the vomeronasal organ (VNO), which is involved in species-specific behaviors, including social and sexual behaviors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism underlying the processing of chemosensory cues in semi-aquatic mammals using muskrats as the animal model. Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) has a sensitive VNO system that activates seasonal breeding behaviors through receiving specific substances, including pheromones and hormones. Vomeronasal organ receptor type 1 (V1R) and type 2 (V2R) and estrogen receptor alpha and beta (ERalpha and ERbeta) were found in sensory epithelial cells, non-sensory epithelial cells and lamina propria cells of the female muskrats' VNO. V2R and ERalpha mRNA levels in the VNO during the breeding period declined sharply, in comparison to those during the non-breeding period, while V1R and ERbeta mRNA levels were detected reversely. Additionally, transcriptomic study in the VNO identified that differently expressed genes might be related to estrogen signal and metabolic pathways. These findings suggested that the seasonal structural and functional changes in the VNO of female muskrats with different reproductive status and estrogen was regulated through binding to ERalpha and ERbeta in the female muskrats' VNO" |
Keywords: | Animals;Animals Female *Estrogen Receptor alpha/genetics/metabolism Estrogen Receptor beta/genetics/metabolism Cues Mammals/metabolism Estrogens/metabolism *Vomeronasal Organ/metabolism Arvicolinae chemosensory processing estrogen semi-aquatic mammals vomeronasal; |
Notes: | "MedlineXie, Wenqian Chen, Meiqi Shen, Yuyao Liu, Yuning Zhang, Haolin Weng, Qiang eng 6222042/Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality/ 7232240/Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality/ 32270519/National Natural Science Foundation of China/ Switzerland 2023/07/14 Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jun 27; 24(13):10724. doi: 10.3390/ijms241310724" |