| Title: | An olfactory subsystem that detects carbon disulfide and mediates food-related social learning |
| Author(s): | Munger SD; Leinders-Zufall T; McDougall LM; Cockerham RE; Schmid A; Wandernoth P; Wennemuth G; Biel M; Zufall F; Kelliher KR; |
| Address: | "Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. smung001@umaryland.edu" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.cub.2010.06.021 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-0445 (Electronic) 0960-9822 (Print) 0960-9822 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Olfactory signals influence social interactions in a variety of species. In mammals, pheromones and other social cues can promote mating or aggression behaviors; can communicate information about social hierarchies, genetic identity and health status; and can contribute to associative learning. However, the molecular, cellular, and neural mechanisms underlying many olfactory-mediated social interactions remain poorly understood. Here, we report that a specialized olfactory subsystem that includes olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) expressing the receptor guanylyl cyclase GC-D, the cyclic nucleotide-gated channel subunit CNGA3, and the carbonic anhydrase isoform CAII (GC-D(+) OSNs) is required for the acquisition of socially transmitted food preferences (STFPs) in mice. Using electrophysiological recordings from gene-targeted mice, we show that GC-D(+) OSNs are highly sensitive to the volatile semiochemical carbon disulfide (CS(2)), a component of rodent breath and a known social signal mediating the acquisition of STFPs. Olfactory responses to CS(2) are drastically reduced in mice lacking GC-D, CNGA3, or CAII. Disruption of this sensory transduction cascade also results in a failure to acquire STFPs from either live or surrogate demonstrator mice or to exhibit hippocampal correlates of STFP retrieval. Our findings indicate that GC-D(+) OSNs detect chemosignals that facilitate food-related social interactions" |
| Keywords: | "Animal Communication Animals Behavior, Animal Carbon Disulfide/*chemistry/pharmacology Carbonic Anhydrase II/genetics/metabolism/physiology Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels/genetics/metabolism/physiology *Food Preferences Guanylate Cyclase/genetics;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineMunger, Steven D Leinders-Zufall, Trese McDougall, Lisa M Cockerham, Renee E Schmid, Andreas Wandernoth, Petra Wennemuth, Gunther Biel, Martin Zufall, Frank Kelliher, Kevin R eng R03 DC006603/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ R01 DC005633/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ DC005633/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ R01 DC005633-06A1/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ DC006603/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2010/07/20 Curr Biol. 2010 Aug 24; 20(16):1438-44. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2010.06.021. Epub 2010 Jul 15" |
