Chem. Senses 29: 301-310,
2004
© Oxford University Press 2004
Morphological Evidence for Two Types of Mammalian Vomeronasal System
1 Department of Developmental Morphology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, 2-6 Musashidai, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8526, Japan, 2 Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, 3 CREST of Japan Science and Technology Corporation, Kawaguchi 332-0012, Japan, 4 Laboratory of Primates, Central Institute for Experimental Animals, 1430 Nogawa Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-0001, Japan and 5 Department of Basic Technics and Facilities, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, 2-6 Musashidai, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8526, Japan
Correspondence to be sent to: Dr Masumi Ichikawa, Department of Basic Technics and Facilities, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, 2–6 Musashidai, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8526, Japan. e-mail: mich{at}tmin.ac.jp
The vomeronasal (VN) systems of rodents and opossums are of the segregated type, i.e alpha-subtype G protein Gi2- or Go-expressing VN neurons, which are sensory cells, project discretely to the rostral or caudal region of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Although this zone-specific projection is believed to be a common feature for processing pheromones in mammals, we previously found a uniform-type VN system in goat in which only Gi2-expressing VN axons terminate at the AOB. In most mammals, it remains unclear whether their VN systems are of the segregated or uniform type. Therefore, we investigated morphologically the VN systems of different mammalian species (dog, horse, musk shrew and common marmoset). Consequently, all VN axons of the examined animals were positively stained with immunohistochemistry for Gi2 in the same way as that in the goat. On the other hand, we observed immunoreactivities against Go in the olfactory axons, but not in the VN axons. These results suggest that many mammals have uniform-type VN systems, and at least two types of VN systems exist in terrestrial mammals. This morphological evidence will help us determine the processing function of VN systems.
Key words: accessory olfactory bulb, G proteins, olfaction, pheromone, vomeronasal organ
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  W. E. Grus and J. Zhang Origin of the Genetic Components of the Vomeronasal System in the Common Ancestor of all Extant Vertebrates Mol. Biol. Evol., February 1, 2009; 26(2): 407 - 419. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. E. Grus, P. Shi, and J. Zhang Largest Vertebrate Vomeronasal Type 1 Receptor Gene Repertoire in the Semiaquatic Platypus Mol. Biol. Evol., October 1, 2007; 24(10): 2153 - 2157. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Shi and J. Zhang Comparative genomic analysis identifies an evolutionary shift of vomeronasal receptor gene repertoires in the vertebrate transition from water to land Genome Res., February 1, 2007; 17(2): 166 - 174. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W. E. Grus, P. Shi, Y.-p. Zhang, and J. Zhang Dramatic variation of the vomeronasal pheromone receptor gene repertoire among five orders of placental and marsupial mammals PNAS, April 19, 2005; 102(16): 5767 - 5772. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|