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Kondoh D, Tonomori W, Iwasaki R, Tomiyasu J, Kaneoya Y, Kawai YK, Ikuta S, Kobayashi H, Kobayashi M. The vomeronasal organ and incisive duct of harbor seals are modified to secrete acidic mucus into the nasal cavity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11779. [PMID: 38783070 PMCID: PMC11116377 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62711-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Most terrestrial mammals have a vomeronasal system to detect specific chemicals. The peripheral organ of this system is a vomeronasal organ (VNO) opening to the incisive duct, and its primary integrative center is an accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). The VNO in seals is thought to be degenerated like whales and manatees, unlike otariids, because of the absence of the AOB. However, olfaction plays pivotal roles in seals, and thus we conducted a detailed morphological evaluation of the vomeronasal system of three harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). The VNO lumen was not found, and the incisive duct did not open into the oral cavity but was recognized as a fossa on the anteroventral side of the nasal cavity. This fossa is rich in mucous glands that secrete acidic mucopolysaccharides, which might originate from the vomeronasal glands. The olfactory bulb consisted only of a main olfactory bulb that received projections from the olfactory mucosa, but an AOB region was not evident. These findings clarified that harbor seals do not have a VNO to detect some chemicals, but the corresponding region is a specialized secretory organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Kondoh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
| | - Wataru Tonomori
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
- Department of Geology and Paleontology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Ashoro Museum of Paleontology, Ashoro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Ryota Iwasaki
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Jumpei Tomiyasu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Yuka Kaneoya
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Yusuke K Kawai
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Shun Ikuta
- Incorporated Non-Profit Organization, Marine Wildlife Center of Japan, Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Hayao Kobayashi
- Faculty of Bioindustry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Mari Kobayashi
- Incorporated Non-Profit Organization, Marine Wildlife Center of Japan, Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan
- Faculty of Bioindustry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan
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Finn DA, Clark CD, Ryabinin AE. Traumatic stress-enhanced alcohol drinking: Sex differences and animal model perspectives. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2024; 11:327-341. [PMID: 38915732 PMCID: PMC11196023 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-023-00540-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Purpose of review Stress is associated with alcohol drinking, and epidemiological studies document the comorbidity of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with higher comorbid prevalence in females than in males. The aim of this paper is to highlight information related to sex differences in stress-enhanced alcohol drinking from clinical studies and from preclinical studies utilizing an animal model of traumatic stress. Recent findings Stress is associated with alcohol drinking and relapse in males and females, but there are sex differences in the alcohol-related adaptation of stress pathways and in the association of different prefrontal regions with stress-induced anxiety. The predator stress model of traumatic stress produced enhanced alcohol drinking in a subgroup of stress-sensitive male and female animals, which could be associated with sex and subgroup differences in stress axis responsivity, behavioral responses to predator odors, and epigenetic mechanisms engaged by traumatic experiences. Summary While additional studies in females are necessary, existing clinical and preclinical evidence suggests that biological mechanisms underlying stress-enhanced drinking likely differ between males and females. Thus, effective treatment strategies may differ between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A. Finn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Department of Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Crystal D. Clark
- Department of Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Andrey E. Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
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3
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Agron S, de March CA, Weissgross R, Mishor E, Gorodisky L, Weiss T, Furman-Haran E, Matsunami H, Sobel N. A chemical signal in human female tears lowers aggression in males. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002442. [PMID: 38127837 PMCID: PMC10734982 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodent tears contain social chemosignals with diverse effects, including blocking male aggression. Human tears also contain a chemosignal that lowers male testosterone, but its behavioral significance was unclear. Because reduced testosterone is associated with reduced aggression, we tested the hypothesis that human tears act like rodent tears to block male aggression. Using a standard behavioral paradigm, we found that sniffing emotional tears with no odor percept reduced human male aggression by 43.7%. To probe the peripheral brain substrates of this effect, we applied tears to 62 human olfactory receptors in vitro. We identified 4 receptors that responded in a dose-dependent manner to this stimulus. Finally, to probe the central brain substrates of this effect, we repeated the experiment concurrent with functional brain imaging. We found that sniffing tears increased functional connectivity between the neural substrates of olfaction and aggression, reducing overall levels of neural activity in the latter. Taken together, our results imply that like in rodents, a human tear-bound chemosignal lowers male aggression, a mechanism that likely relies on the structural and functional overlap in the brain substrates of olfaction and aggression. We suggest that tears are a mammalian-wide mechanism that provides a chemical blanket protecting against aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Agron
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Claire A. de March
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Reut Weissgross
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eva Mishor
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lior Gorodisky
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Weiss
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Edna Furman-Haran
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hiroaki Matsunami
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Noam Sobel
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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Smith TD, Santana SE, Eiting TP. Ecomorphology and sensory biology of bats. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2660-2669. [PMID: 37656052 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
This special issue of The Anatomical Record is inspired by and dedicated to Professor Kunwar P. Bhatnagar, whose lifelong interests in biology, and long career studying bats, inspired many and advanced our knowledge of the world's only flying mammals. The 15 articles included here represent a broad range of investigators, treading topics familiar to Prof. Bhatnagar, who was interested in seemingly every aspect of bat biology. Key topics include broad themes of bat development, sensory systems, and specializations related to flight and diet. These articles paint a complex picture of the fascinating adaptations of bats, such as rapid fore limb development, ear morphologies relating to echolocation, and other enhanced senses that allow bats to exploit niches in virtually every part of the world. In this introduction, we integrate and contextualize these articles within the broader story of bat ecomorphology, providing an overview of each of the key themes noted above. This special issue will serve as a springboard for future studies both in bat biology and in the broader world of mammalian comparative anatomy and ecomorphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Smith
- School of Physical Therapy, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sharlene E Santana
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Thomas P Eiting
- Department of Physiology and Pathology, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
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Smith TD. Vespers and vampires: A lifelong microscopic search for the smallest of things. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2670-2680. [PMID: 35202504 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Smith
- School of Physical Therapy, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, USA
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Torres MV, Ortiz-Leal I, Ferreiro A, Rois JL, Sanchez-Quinteiro P. Immunohistological study of the unexplored vomeronasal organ of an endangered mammal, the dama gazelle (Nanger dama). Microsc Res Tech 2023; 86:1206-1233. [PMID: 37494657 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Dama gazelle is a threatened and rarely studied species found primarily in northern Africa. Human pressure has depleted the dama gazelle population from tens of thousands to a few hundred individuals. Since 1970, a founder population consisting of the last 17 surviving individuals in Western Sahara has been maintained in captivity, reproducing naturally. In preparation for the future implementation of assisted reproductive technology, certain aspects of dama gazelle reproductive biology have been established. However, the role played by semiochemical-mediated communications in the sexual behavior of dama gazelle remains unknown due partially to a lack of a neuroanatomical or morphofunctional characterization of the dama gazelle vomeronasal organ (VNO), which is the sensory organ responsible for pheromone processing. The present study characterized the dama gazelle VNO, which appears fully equipped to perform neurosensory functions, contributing to current understanding of interspecies VNO variability among ruminants. By employing histological, lectin-histochemical, and immunohistochemical techniques, we conducted a detailed morphofunctional evaluation of the dama gazelle VNO along its entire longitudinal axis. Our findings of significant structural and neurochemical transformation along the entire VNO suggest that future studies of the VNO should take a similar approach. The present study contributes to current understanding of dama gazelle VNO, providing a basis for future studies of semiochemical-mediated communications and reproductive management in this species. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: This exhaustive immunohistological study of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) of the dama gazelle provides the first evidence of notable differences in the expression of neuronal markers along the rostrocaudal axis of the VNO. This provides a morphological basis for the implementation of pheromones in captive populations of dama gazelle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateo V Torres
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Irene Ortiz-Leal
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | | | | | - Pablo Sanchez-Quinteiro
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
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Kharlamova AS, Godovalova OS, Otlyga EG, Proshchina AE. Primary and secondary olfactory centres in human ontogeny. Neurosci Res 2023; 190:1-16. [PMID: 36521642 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The olfactory centres are the evolutionary oldest and most conservative area of the telencephalon. Olfactory deficiencies are involved in a large spectrum of neurologic disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. The growing interest in human olfaction has been also been driven by COVID-19-induced transitional anosmia. Nevertheless, recent data on the human olfactory centres concerning normal histology and morphogenesis are rare. Published data in the field are mainly restricted to classic studies with non-uniform nomenclature and varied definitions of certain olfactory areas. While the olfactory system in model animals (rats, mice, and more rarely non-human primates) has been extensively investigated, the developmental timetable of olfactory centres in both human prenatal and postnatal ontogeny are poorly understood and unsystemised, which complicates the process of analysing human material, including medical researches. The main purpose of this review is to provide and discuss relevant morphological data on the normal ontogeny of the human olfactory centres, with a focus on the timetable of maturation and developmental cytoarchitecture, and with special reference to the definitions and terminology of certain olfactory areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Kharlamova
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of FSBSI "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", Tsyurupy st., 3, 117418 Moscow, Russia.
| | - O S Godovalova
- Moscow Regional Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pokrovka St., 22A, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| | - E G Otlyga
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of FSBSI "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", Tsyurupy st., 3, 117418 Moscow, Russia
| | - A E Proshchina
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of FSBSI "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", Tsyurupy st., 3, 117418 Moscow, Russia
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8
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Jacobs LF. The PROUST hypothesis: the embodiment of olfactory cognition. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:59-72. [PMID: 36542172 PMCID: PMC9877075 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01734-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The extension of cognition beyond the brain to the body and beyond the body to the environment is an area of debate in philosophy and the cognitive sciences. Yet, these debates largely overlook olfaction, a sensory modality used by most animals. Here, I use the philosopher's framework to explore the implications of embodiment for olfactory cognition. The philosopher's 4E framework comprises embodied cognition, emerging from a nervous system characterized by its interactions with its body. The necessity of action for perception adds enacted cognition. Cognition is further embedded in the sensory inputs of the individual and is extended beyond the individual to information stored in its physical and social environments. Further, embodiment must fulfill the criterion of mutual manipulability, where an agent's cognitive state is involved in continual, reciprocal influences with its environment. Cognition cannot be understood divorced from evolutionary history, however, and I propose adding evolved, as a fifth term to the 4E framework. We must, therefore, begin at the beginning, with chemosensation, a sensory modality that underlies purposive behavior, from bacteria to humans. The PROUST hypothesis (perceiving and reconstructing odor utility in space and time) describers how olfaction, this ancient scaffold and common denominator of animal cognition, fulfills the criteria of embodied cognition. Olfactory cognition, with its near universal taxonomic distribution as well as the near absence of conscious representation in humans, may offer us the best sensorimotor system for the study of embodiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia F. Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-1650 USA
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9
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Down a Rabbit Hole: Burrowing Behaviour and Larger Home Ranges are Related to Larger Brains in Leporids. J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09624-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractStudies on the evolution of brain size variation usually focus on large clades encompassing broad phylogenetic groups. This risks introducing ‘noise’ in the results, often obscuring effects that might be detected in less inclusive clades. Here, we focus on a sample of endocranial volumes (endocasts) of 18 species of rabbits and hares (Lagomorpha: Leporidae), which are a discrete radiation of mammals with a suitably large range of body sizes. Using 60 individuals, we test five popular hypotheses on brain size and olfactory bulb evolution in mammals. We also address the pervasive issue of missing data, using multiple phylogenetic imputations as to conserve the full sample size for all analyses. Our analyses show that home range and burrowing behaviour are the only predictors of leporid brain size variation. Litter size, which is one of the most widely reported constraints on brain size, was unexpectedly not associated with brain size. However, a constraining effect may be masked by a strong association of litter size with temperature seasonality, warranting further study. Lastly, we show that unreasonable estimations of phylogenetic signal (Pagel’s lamba) warrant additional caution when using small sample sizes, such as ours, in comparative studies.
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Kondoh D, Kawai YK, Watanabe K, Muranishi Y. Artiodactyl livestock species have a uniform vomeronasal system with a vomeronasal type 1 receptor (V1R) pathway. Tissue Cell 2022; 77:101863. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2022.101863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Comparative Neuroanatomical Study of the Main Olfactory Bulb in Domestic and Wild Canids: Dog, Wolf and Red Fox. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091079. [PMID: 35565506 PMCID: PMC9106054 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The study of the morphological, physiological and molecular changes associated with the domestication process has been one of the most interesting unresolved neuroanatomical issues. The olfactory system deserves special attention since both wild and domestic canids are macrosmatic mammals with very high olfactory capacities. Nevertheless, the question remains open as to whether domestication involuted the sense of smell in domestic dogs. Further, there is a lack of comparative morphological information on the olfactory bulb, the first structure integrating olfactory sensory information in the brain. To provide comparative information on the domestication process, we studied the olfactory bulb of dogs and their two most important wild ancestors: the wolf and the fox. The study was carried out by macroscopic dissection and histological and immunohistochemical techniques and has allowed us to verify, first of all, that the three species present olfactory bulbs corresponding to a macrosmatic animal, but that there are noticeable differences not only in size, which was already known, but also in the cellularity and intensity of the immunohistochemical pattern characteristic of each species. These variations point to a reduction of the olfactory system as a consequence of the selection pressure associated with the domestication of animals. Abstract The sense of smell plays a fundamental role in mammalian survival. There is a considerable amount of information available on the vomeronasal system of both domestic and wild canids. However, much less information is available on the canid main olfactory system, particularly at the level of the main olfactory bulb. Comparative study of the neuroanatomy of wild and domestic canids provides an excellent model for understanding the effects of selection pressure associated with domestication. A comprehensive histological (hematoxylin–eosin, Nissl, Tolivia and Gallego’s Trichrome stains), lectin (UEA, LEA) and immunohistochemical (Gαo, Gαi2, calretinin, calbindin, olfactory marker protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, microtubule-associated protein 2) study of the olfactory bulbs of the dog, fox and wolf was performed. Our study found greater macroscopic development of the olfactory bulb in both the wolf and fox compared to the dog. At the microscopic level, all three species show a well-developed pattern of lamination and cellularity typical of a macrosmatic animal. However, greater development of cellularity in the periglomerular and mitral layers of wild canids is characteristic. Likewise, the immunohistochemical study shows comparable results between the three species, but with a noticeably higher expression of markers in wild canids. These results suggest that the reduction in encephalization experienced in dogs due to domestication also corresponds to a lower degree of morphological and neurochemical differentiation of the olfactory bulb.
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12
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Tomiyasu J, Korzekwa A, Kawai YK, Robstad CA, Rosell F, Kondoh D. The vomeronasal system in semiaquatic beavers. J Anat 2022; 241:809-819. [PMID: 35437747 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In contrast to the main olfactory system that detects volatile chemicals in the nasal air, the vomeronasal system can detect nonvolatile chemicals as well as volatiles. In the vomeronasal system, chemicals are perceived by the vomeronasal organ (VNO) projecting axons to the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Beavers (Castor spp.) are semiaquatic mammals that have developed chemical communication. It is possible that the beaver's anal gland secretions, nonvolatile and insoluble substances, may work as a messenger in the water and that beavers may detect the nonvolatile chemicals floating on the water surface via the VNO. The present study aimed to clarify the specificities of the beaver vomeronasal system by histologically and immunohistochemically analyzing the VNO and AOB of 12 Eurasian beavers (C. fiber). The VNO directly opened to the nasal cavity and was independent of a narrow nasopalatine duct connecting the oral and nasal cavities. The VNO comprised soft tissues including sensory and nonsensory epithelium, glands, a venous sinus, an artery, as well as cartilage inner, and bone outer enclosures. The AOB had distinct six layers, and anti-G protein α-i2 and α-o subunits were, respectively, immunoreactive in rostral and caudal glomeruli layers indicating expressions of V1Rs and V2Rs. According to gene repertories analysis, the beavers had 23 and six intact V1R and V2R genes respectively. These findings suggested that beavers recognize volatile odorants and nonvolatile substances using the vomeronasal system. The beaver VNO was developed as well as in other rodents, and it had two specific morphological features, namely, disadvantaged contact with the oral cavity because of a tiny nasopalatine duct, and a double bone and cartilage envelope. Our results highlight the importance of the vomeronasal system in beaver chemical communication and support the possibility that beavers can detect chemicals floating on the water surface via the VNO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jumpei Tomiyasu
- Department of Biodiversity Protection, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Anna Korzekwa
- Department of Biodiversity Protection, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Yusuke K Kawai
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Christian A Robstad
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Telemark, Norway
| | - Frank Rosell
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Telemark, Norway
| | - Daisuke Kondoh
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
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13
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Dwortz MF, Curley JP, Tye KM, Padilla-Coreano N. Neural systems that facilitate the representation of social rank. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200444. [PMID: 35000438 PMCID: PMC8743891 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Across species, animals organize into social dominance hierarchies that serve to decrease aggression and facilitate survival of the group. Neuroscientists have adopted several model organisms to study dominance hierarchies in the laboratory setting, including fish, reptiles, rodents and primates. We review recent literature across species that sheds light onto how the brain represents social rank to guide socially appropriate behaviour within a dominance hierarchy. First, we discuss how the brain responds to social status signals. Then, we discuss social approach and avoidance learning mechanisms that we propose could drive rank-appropriate behaviour. Lastly, we discuss how the brain represents memories of individuals (social memory) and how this may support the maintenance of unique individual relationships within a social group. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine F. Dwortz
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - James P. Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kay M. Tye
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Nancy Padilla-Coreano
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FN 32611, USA
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14
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Jacobs LF. How the evolution of air breathing shaped hippocampal function. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200532. [PMID: 34957846 PMCID: PMC8710879 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To make maps from airborne odours requires dynamic respiratory patterns. I propose that this constraint explains the modulation of memory by nasal respiration in mammals, including murine rodents (e.g. laboratory mouse, laboratory rat) and humans. My prior theories of limbic system evolution offer a framework to understand why this occurs. The answer begins with the evolution of nasal respiration in Devonian lobe-finned fishes. This evolutionary innovation led to adaptive radiations in chemosensory systems, including the emergence of the vomeronasal system and a specialization of the main olfactory system for spatial orientation. As mammals continued to radiate into environments hostile to spatial olfaction (air, water), there was a loss of hippocampal structure and function in lineages that evolved sensory modalities adapted to these new environments. Hence the independent evolution of echolocation in bats and toothed whales was accompanied by a loss of hippocampal structure (whales) and an absence of hippocampal theta oscillations during navigation (bats). In conclusion, models of hippocampal function that are divorced from considerations of ecology and evolution fall short of explaining hippocampal diversity across mammals and even hippocampal function in humans. This article is part of the theme issue 'Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia F. Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-1650, USA
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Zaremska V, Fischer IM, Renzone G, Arena S, Scaloni A, Knoll W, Pelosi P. Reverse Chemical Ecology Suggests Putative Primate Pheromones. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msab338. [PMID: 34897488 PMCID: PMC8789041 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pheromonal communication is widespread among living organisms, but in apes and particularly in humans there is currently no strong evidence for such phenomenon. Among primates, lemurs use pheromones to communicate within members of the same species, whereas in some monkeys such capabilities seem to be lost. Chemical communication in humans appears to be impaired by the lack or malfunctioning of biochemical tools and anatomical structures mediating detection of pheromones. Here, we report on a pheromone-carrier protein (SAL) adopting a "reverse chemical ecology" approach to get insights on the structures of potential pheromones in a representative species of lemurs (Microcebus murinus) known to use pheromones, Old-World monkeys (Cercocebus atys) for which chemical communication has been observed, and humans (Homo sapiens), where pheromones and chemical communication are still questioned. We have expressed the SAL orthologous proteins of these primate species, after reconstructing the gene encoding the human SAL, which is disrupted due to a single base mutation preventing its translation into RNA. Ligand-binding experiments with the recombinant SALs revealed macrocyclic ketones and lactones as the best ligands for all three proteins, suggesting cyclopentadecanone, pentadecanolide, and closely related compounds as the best candidates for potential pheromones. Such hypothesis agrees with the presence of a chemical very similar to hexadecanolide in the gland secretions of Mandrillus sphinx, a species closely related to C. atys. Our results indicate that the function of this carrier protein has not changed much during evolution from lemurs to humans, although its physiological role has been certainly impaired in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeriia Zaremska
- Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Biosensor Technologies, Tulln, Austria
| | | | - Giovanni Renzone
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Simona Arena
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Scaloni
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, ISPAAM, National Research Council, Napoli, Italy
| | - Wolfgang Knoll
- Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Biosensor Technologies, Tulln, Austria
- Department of Physics and Chemistry of Materials, Faculty of Medicine/Dental Medicine, Danube Private University, Krems, Austria
| | - Paolo Pelosi
- Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Biosensor Technologies, Tulln, Austria
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Neuroanatomical and Immunohistological Study of the Main and Accessory Olfactory Bulbs of the Meerkat ( Suricata suricatta). Animals (Basel) 2021; 12:ani12010091. [PMID: 35011198 PMCID: PMC8749820 DOI: 10.3390/ani12010091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In wild mammals, chemical senses are crucial to survival, but sensory system information is lacking for many species, including the meerkat (Suricata suricatta), an iconic mammal with a marked social hierarchy that has been ambiguously classified in both canid and felid families. We studied the neuroanatomical basis of the meerkat olfactory and accessory olfactory bulbs, aiming to provide information on the relevance of both systems to the behaviors of this species and contributing to improving its taxonomic classification. The accessory olfactory bulb serves as the integration center of vomeronasal information. When examined microscopically, the accessory olfactory bulb of the meerkat presents a lamination pattern more defined than observed in dogs and approaching the pattern described in cats. The degree of lamination and development in the meerkat main olfactory bulb is comparable to the general pattern observed in mammals but with numerous specific features. Our study supports the functionality of the olfactory and vomeronasal integrative centers in meerkats and places this species within the suborder Feliformia. Our study also confirms the importance of chemical signals in mediating the social behaviors of this species and provides essential neuroanatomical information for understanding the functioning of their chemical senses. Abstract We approached the study of the main (MOB) and accessory olfactory bulbs (AOB) of the meerkat (Suricata suricatta) aiming to fill important gaps in knowledge regarding the neuroanatomical basis of olfactory and pheromonal signal processing in this iconic species. Microdissection techniques were used to extract the olfactory bulbs. The samples were subjected to hematoxylin-eosin and Nissl stains, histochemical (Ulex europaeus agglutinin, Lycopersicon esculentum agglutinin) and immunohistochemical labelling (Gαo, Gαi2, calretinin, calbindin, olfactory marker protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, microtubule-associated protein 2, SMI-32, growth-associated protein 43). Microscopically, the meerkat AOB lamination pattern is more defined than the dog’s, approaching that described in cats, with well-defined glomeruli and a wide mitral-plexiform layer, with scattered main cells and granular cells organized in clusters. The degree of lamination and development of the meerkat MOB suggests a macrosmatic mammalian species. Calcium-binding proteins allow for the discrimination of atypical glomerular subpopulations in the olfactory limbus between the MOB and AOB. Our observations support AOB functionality in the meerkat, indicating chemosensory specialization for the detection of pheromones, as identified by the characterization of the V1R vomeronasal receptor family and the apparent deterioration of the V2R receptor family.
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Histology and lectin histochemistry in the vomeronasal organ of Korean native cattle, Bos taurus coreanae. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL REPRODUCTION AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.12750/jarb.36.4.270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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Ortiz-Leal I, Torres MV, Villamayor PR, Fidalgo LE, López-Beceiro A, Sanchez-Quinteiro P. Can domestication shape Canidae brain morphology? The accessory olfactory bulb of the red fox as a case in point. Ann Anat 2021; 240:151881. [PMID: 34896556 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2021.151881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) is the first integrative center of the vomeronasal system (VNS), and the general macroscopic, microscopic, and neurochemical organizational patterns of the AOB differ fundamentally among species. Therefore, the low degree of differentiation observed for the dog AOB is surprising. As the artificial selection pressure exerted on domestic dogs has been suggested to play a key role in the involution of the dog VNS, a wild canid, such as the fox, represents a useful model for studying the hypothetical effects of domestication on the AOB morphology. METHODS A comprehensive histological, lectin-histochemical, and immunohistochemical study of the fox AOB was performed. Anti-Gαo and anti-Gαi2 antibodies were particularly useful, as they label the transduction cascade of the vomeronasal receptor types 1 (V1R) and 2 (V2R), respectively. Other employed antibodies included those against proteins such as microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2), tubulin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), olfactory marker protein (OMP), calbindin, and calretinin. RESULTS The cytoarchitecture of the fox AOB showed a clear lamination, with neatly differentiated layers; a highly developed glomerular layer, rich in periglomerular cells; and large inner cell and granular layers. The immunolabeling of Gαi2, OMP, and GAP-43 delineated the outer layers, whereas Gαo and MAP-2 immunolabeling defined the inner layers. MAP-2 characterized the somas of AOB principal cells and their dendritic trees. Anti-calbindin and anti-calretinin antibodies discriminated neural subpopulations in both the mitral-plexiform layer and the granular cell layer, and the lectin Ulex europeus agglutinin I (UEA-I) showed selectivity for the AOB and the vomeronasal nerves. CONCLUSION The fox AOB presents unique characteristics and a higher degree of morphological development compared with the dog AOB. The comparatively complex neural basis for semiochemical information processing in the fox compared with that observed in dogs suggests loss of AOB anatomical complexity during the evolutionary history of dogs and opens a new avenue of research for studying the effects of domestication on brain structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Ortiz-Leal
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Mateo V Torres
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Paula R Villamayor
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Luis Eusebio Fidalgo
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Ana López-Beceiro
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Pablo Sanchez-Quinteiro
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain.
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Does a third intermediate model for the vomeronasal processing of information exist? Insights from the macropodid neuroanatomy. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:881-899. [PMID: 34800143 PMCID: PMC8930919 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02425-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The study of the α-subunit of Gi2 and Go proteins in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) was crucial for the identification of the two main families of vomeronasal receptors, V1R and V2R. Both families are expressed in the rodent and lagomorph AOBs, according to a segregated model characterized by topographical anteroposterior zonation. Many mammal species have suffered from the deterioration of the Gαo pathway and are categorized as belonging to the uniform model. This scenario has been complicated by characterization of the AOB in the tammar wallaby, Notamacropus eugenii, which appears to follow a third model of vomeronasal organization featuring exclusive Gαo protein expression, referred to as the intermediate model, which has not yet been replicated in any other species. Our morphofunctional study of the vomeronasal system (VNS) in Bennett’s wallaby, Notamacropus rufogriseus, provides further information regarding this third model of vomeronasal transduction. A comprehensive histological, lectin, and immunohistochemical study of the Bennett’s wallaby VNS was performed. Anti-Gαo and anti-Gαi2 antibodies were particularly useful because they labeled the transduction cascade of V2R and V1R receptors, respectively. Both G proteins showed canonical immunohistochemical labeling in the vomeronasal organ and the AOB, consistent with the anterior–posterior zonation of the segregated model. The lectin Ulex europaeus agglutinin selectively labeled the anterior AOB, providing additional evidence for the segregation of vomeronasal information in the wallaby. Overall, the VNS of the Bennett’s wallaby shows a degree of differentiation and histochemical and neurochemical diversity comparable to species with greater VNS development. The existence of the third intermediate type in vomeronasal information processing reported in Notamacropus eugenii is not supported by our lectin-histochemical and immunohistochemical findings in Notamacropus rufogriseus.
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Pfau D, Jordan CL, Breedlove SM. The De-Scent of Sexuality: Did Loss of a Pheromone Signaling Protein Permit the Evolution of Same-Sex Sexual Behavior in Primates? ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2021; 50:2267-2276. [PMID: 31016493 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1377-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Primate same-sex sexual behavior (SSSB) is rarely observed in strepsirrhine species, and only somewhat more common in platyrrhines, but is observed in nearly all catarrhine species, including humans, suggesting the common catarrhine ancestor as the origin of routine SSSB. In mice, disruption of the transient receptor potential cation channel 2 (TRPC2) gene, which is crucial for transducing chemosensory signals from pheromones in the vomeronasal organ, greatly increased the likelihood of SSSB. We note that catarrhine primates share a common deleterious mutation in this gene, indicating that the protein was dysfunctional in the common catarrhine ancestral primate approximately 25 mya (million years ago). We hypothesize that the loss of this protein for processing pheromonal signals in males and females made SSSB more likely in a primate ancestral species by effectively lifting a pheromonally mediated barrier to SSSB and that this was an important precursor to the evolution of such behavior in humans. Additional comparisons between SSSB and the functional status of the TRPC2 gene or related proteins across primate species could lend support to or falsify this hypothesis. Our current research indicates that loss of TRPC2 function in developing mice leads to the loss or attenuation of sexually dimorphisms in the adult brain, which may help us to understand the biological underpinnings of SSSB. Our hypothesis offers an ultimate evolutionary explanation for SSSB in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Pfau
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, Giltner Hall, 293 Farm Lane, Room 108, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1101, USA.
| | - Cynthia L Jordan
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, Giltner Hall, 293 Farm Lane, Room 108, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1101, USA
| | - S Marc Breedlove
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, Giltner Hall, 293 Farm Lane, Room 108, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1101, USA
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Manzini I, Schild D, Di Natale C. Principles of odor coding in vertebrates and artificial chemosensory systems. Physiol Rev 2021; 102:61-154. [PMID: 34254835 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00036.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The biological olfactory system is the sensory system responsible for the detection of the chemical composition of the environment. Several attempts to mimic biological olfactory systems have led to various artificial olfactory systems using different technical approaches. Here we provide a parallel description of biological olfactory systems and their technical counterparts. We start with a presentation of the input to the systems, the stimuli, and treat the interface between the external world and the environment where receptor neurons or artificial chemosensors reside. We then delineate the functions of receptor neurons and chemosensors as well as their overall I-O relationships. Up to this point, our account of the systems goes along similar lines. The next processing steps differ considerably: while in biology the processing step following the receptor neurons is the "integration" and "processing" of receptor neuron outputs in the olfactory bulb, this step has various realizations in electronic noses. For a long period of time, the signal processing stages beyond the olfactory bulb, i.e., the higher olfactory centers were little studied. Only recently there has been a marked growth of studies tackling the information processing in these centers. In electronic noses, a third stage of processing has virtually never been considered. In this review, we provide an up-to-date overview of the current knowledge of both fields and, for the first time, attempt to tie them together. We hope it will be a breeding ground for better information, communication, and data exchange between very related but so far little connected fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Manzini
- Animal Physiology and Molecular Biomedicine, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Detlev Schild
- Institute of Neurophysiology and Cellular Biophysics, University Medical Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Corrado Di Natale
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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22
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Zhang Z, Nikaido M. Inactivation of ancV1R as a Predictive Signature for the Loss of Vomeronasal System in Mammals. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:766-778. [PMID: 32315408 PMCID: PMC7290294 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The vomeronasal organ (VNO) plays a key role in sensing pheromonal cues, which elicits social and reproductive behaviors. Although the VNO is highly conserved across mammals, it has been lost in some species that have evolved alternate sensing systems during diversification. In this study, we investigate a newly identified VNO-specific gene, ancV1R, in the extant 261 species of mammals to examine the correlation between genotype (ancV1R) and phenotype (VNO). As a result, we found signatures for the relaxation of purifying selection (inactivating mutations and the elevation of dN/dS) on ancV1Rs in VNO-lacking mammals, such as catarrhine primates, cetaceans, the manatees, and several bat lineages, showing the distinct correlation between genotype and phenotype. Interestingly, we further revealed signatures for the relaxation of purifying selection on ancV1R in true seals, otters, the fossa, the owl monkey, and alcelaphine antelopes in which the existence of a functional VNO is still under debate. Our additional analyses on TRPC2, another predictive marker gene for the functional VNO, showed a relaxation of purifying selection, supporting the possibility of VNO loss in these species. The results of our present study invite more in-depth neuroanatomical investigation in mammals for which VNO function remains equivocal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zicong Zhang
- Department of Computational Intelligence and Systems Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masato Nikaido
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Riddell P, Paris MCJ, Joonè CJ, Pageat P, Paris DBBP. Appeasing Pheromones for the Management of Stress and Aggression during Conservation of Wild Canids: Could the Solution Be Right under Our Nose? Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061574. [PMID: 34072227 PMCID: PMC8230031 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Many canid species are declining globally. It is important to conserve these species that often serve as important predators within ecosystems. Continued human expansion and the resulting habitat fragmentation necessitate conservation interventions, such as translocation, artificial pack formation, and captive breeding programs. However, chronic stress often occurs during these actions, and can result in aggression, and the physiological suppression of immunity and reproduction. Limited options are currently available for stress and aggression management in wild canids. Pheromones provide a promising natural alternative for stress management; an appeasing pheromone has been identified for multiple domestic species and may reduce stress and aggression behaviours. Many pheromones are species-specific, and the appeasing pheromone has been found to have slight compositional changes across species. In this review, the benefits of a dog appeasing pheromone and the need to investigate species-specific derivatives to produce more pronounced and beneficial behavioural and physiological modulation in target species as a conservation tool are examined. Abstract Thirty-six species of canid exist globally, two are classified as critically endangered, three as endangered, and five as near threatened. Human expansion and the coinciding habitat fragmentation necessitate conservation interventions to mitigate concurrent population deterioration. The current conservation management of wild canids includes animal translocation and artificial pack formation. These actions often cause chronic stress, leading to increased aggression and the suppression of the immune and reproductive systems. Castration and pharmaceutical treatments are currently used to reduce stress and aggression in domestic and captive canids. The undesirable side effects make such treatments inadvisable during conservation management of wild canids. Pheromones are naturally occurring chemical messages that modulate behaviour between conspecifics; as such, they offer a natural alternative for behaviour modification. Animals are able to distinguish between pheromones of closely related species through small compositional differences but are more likely to have greater responses to pheromones from individuals of the same species. Appeasing pheromones have been found to reduce stress- and aggression-related behaviours in domestic species, including dogs. Preliminary evidence suggests that dog appeasing pheromones (DAP) may be effective in wild canids. However, the identification and testing of species-specific derivatives could produce more pronounced and beneficial behavioural and physiological changes in target species. In turn, this could provide a valuable tool to improve the conservation management of many endangered wild canids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Riddell
- Gamete and Embryology (GAME) Laboratory, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, James Cook Drive, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
- Institute for Breeding Rare and Endangered African Mammals (IBREAM), 9 Ainslie Place, Edinburgh EH3 6AT SCT, UK;
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, James Cook University, James Cook Drive, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Monique C. J. Paris
- Institute for Breeding Rare and Endangered African Mammals (IBREAM), 9 Ainslie Place, Edinburgh EH3 6AT SCT, UK;
- Mammal Research Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Carolynne J. Joonè
- Discipline of Veterinary Science, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Solander Drive, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
| | - Patrick Pageat
- Institut de Recherche en Sémiochemie et Ethologie Appliquée, 84400 Apt, France;
| | - Damien B. B. P. Paris
- Gamete and Embryology (GAME) Laboratory, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, James Cook Drive, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
- Institute for Breeding Rare and Endangered African Mammals (IBREAM), 9 Ainslie Place, Edinburgh EH3 6AT SCT, UK;
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, James Cook University, James Cook Drive, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-7-4781-6006
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Morphological and Histological Features of the Vomeronasal Organ in African Pygmy Hedgehog ( Atelerix albiventris). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11051462. [PMID: 34069678 PMCID: PMC8160653 DOI: 10.3390/ani11051462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hedgehogs have a sensitive olfaction, but little is known about their vomeronasal organ, which detects specific chemicals such as pheromones. This is the first study to reveal the morphological and histological features of the vomeronasal organ in the African pygmy hedgehog. Notably, unlike other mammals, the hedgehog has a large, well-developed serous gland in the vomeronasal organ. This gland seems to allow flushing out odorous substances from the vomeronasal organ and might be favorable for subsequent stimulus reception. Abstract The vomeronasal organ (VNO) detects specific chemicals such as pheromones and kairomones. Hedgehogs (Eulipotyphla: Erinaceidae) have a well-developed accessory olfactory bulb that receives projections from the VNO, but little is known about the hedgehog VNO. Here, we studied the histological features of the VNO in five individual African pygmy hedgehogs by hematoxylin-eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, and Alcian blue stains. The hedgehog VNO comprises a hyaline cartilage capsule, soft tissue and epithelial lumen, and it branches from the site just before the incisive duct opening into the nasal cavity. The soft tissues contain several small mucous (or mucoserous) glands and a large serous gland, and many venous sinuses all around the lumen. The VNO lumen is round to oval throughout the hedgehog VNO, and the sensory epithelium lines almost the entire rostral part and medial wall of the middle part. These findings indicate that the VNO is functional and plays an important role in the hedgehog. Notably, the VNO apparently has a characteristic flushing mechanism with serous secretions like those of gustatory glands, which the hedgehog might frequently use to recognize the external environment.
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Bahreini Jangjoo S, Lin JM, Etaati F, Fearnley S, Cloutier JF, Khmaladze A, Forni PE. Automated quantification of vomeronasal glomeruli number, size, and color composition after immunofluorescent staining. Chem Senses 2021; 46:6366009. [PMID: 34492099 PMCID: PMC8502234 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glomeruli are neuropil-rich regions of the main or accessory olfactory bulbs (AOB) where the axons of olfactory or vomeronasal neurons and dendrites of mitral/tufted cells form synaptic connections. In the main olfactory system, olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) expressing the same receptor innervate 1 or 2 glomeruli. However, in the accessory olfactory system, vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) expressing the same receptor can innervate up to 30 different glomeruli in the AOB. Genetic mutation disrupting genes with a role in defining the identity/diversity of olfactory and vomeronasal neurons can alter the number and size of glomeruli. Interestingly, 2 cell surface molecules, Kirrel2 and Kirrel3, have been indicated as playing a critical role in the organization of axons into glomeruli in the AOB. Being able to quantify differences in glomeruli features, such as number, size, or immunoreactivity for specific markers, is an important experimental approach to validate the role of specific genes in controlling neuronal connectivity and circuit formation in either control or mutant animals. Since the manual recognition and quantification of glomeruli on digital images is a challenging and time-consuming task, we generated a program in Python able to identify glomeruli in digital images and quantify their properties, such as size, number, and pixel intensity. Validation of our program indicates that our script is a fast and suitable tool for high-throughput quantification of glomerular features of mouse lines with different genetic makeup.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer M Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.,The RNA Institute, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Farhood Etaati
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sydney Fearnley
- The Neuro, 3801 University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-François Cloutier
- The Neuro, 3801 University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Paolo E Forni
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.,The RNA Institute, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
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Miller CH, Campbell P, Sheehan MJ. Distinct evolutionary trajectories of V1R clades across mouse species. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:99. [PMID: 32770934 PMCID: PMC7414754 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01662-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many animals rely heavily on olfaction to navigate their environment. Among rodents, olfaction is crucial for a wide range of social behaviors. The vomeronasal olfactory system in particular plays an important role in mediating social communication, including the detection of pheromones and recognition signals. In this study we examine patterns of vomeronasal type-1 receptor (V1R) evolution in the house mouse and related species within the genus Mus. We report the extent of gene repertoire turnover and conservation among species and clades, as well as the prevalence of positive selection on gene sequences across the V1R tree. By exploring the evolution of these receptors, we provide insight into the functional roles of receptor subtypes as well as the dynamics of gene family evolution. RESULTS We generated transcriptomes from the vomeronasal organs of 5 Mus species, and produced high quality V1R repertoires for each species. We find that V1R clades in the house mouse and relatives exhibit distinct evolutionary trajectories. We identify putative species-specific gene expansions, including a large clade D expansion in the house mouse. While gene gains are abundant, we detect very few gene losses. We describe a novel V1R clade and highlight candidate receptors for future study. We find evidence for distinct evolutionary processes across different clades, from largescale turnover to highly conserved repertoires. Patterns of positive selection are similarly variable, as some clades exhibit abundant positive selection while others display high gene sequence conservation. Based on clade-level evolutionary patterns, we identify receptor families that are strong candidates for detecting social signals and predator cues. Our results reveal clades with receptors detecting female reproductive status are among the most conserved across species, suggesting an important role in V1R chemosensation. CONCLUSION Analysis of clade-level evolution is critical for understanding species' chemosensory adaptations. This study provides clear evidence that V1R clades are characterized by distinct evolutionary trajectories. As receptor evolution is shaped by ligand identity, these results provide a framework for examining the functional roles of receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Polly Campbell
- Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, USA
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The vomeronasal system of the newborn capybara: a morphological and immunohistochemical study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13304. [PMID: 32764621 PMCID: PMC7411026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69994-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The vomeronasal system (VNS) is responsible for the perception mainly of pheromones and kairomones. Primarily studied in laboratory rodents, it plays a crucial role in their socio-sexual behaviour. As a wild rodent, the capybara offers a more objective and representative perspective to understand the significance of the system in the Rodentia, avoiding the risk of extrapolating from laboratory rodent strains, exposed to high levels of artificial selection pressure. We have studied the main morphological and immunohistochemical features of the capybara vomeronasal organ (VNO) and accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). The study was done in newborn individuals to investigate the maturity of the system at this early stage. We used techniques such as histological stains, lectins-labelling and immunohistochemical characterization of a range of proteins, including G proteins (Gαi2, Gαo) and olfactory marking protein. As a result, we conclude that the VNS of the capybara at birth is capable of establishing the same function as that of the adult, and that it presents unique features as the high degree of differentiation of the AOB and the active cellular migration in the vomeronasal epithelium. All together makes the capybara a promising model for the study of chemical communication in the first days of life.
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Ortiz-Leal I, Torres MV, Villamayor PR, López-Beceiro A, Sanchez-Quinteiro P. The vomeronasal organ of wild canids: the fox (Vulpes vulpes) as a model. J Anat 2020; 237:890-906. [PMID: 32584430 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The vomeronasal system (VNS) has been extensively studied within specific animal families, such as Rodentia. However, the study of the VNS in other families, such as Canidae, has long been neglected. Among canids, the vomeronasal organ (VNO) has only been studied in detail in the dog, and no studies have examined the morphofunctional or immunohistochemical characteristics of the VNS in wild canids, which is surprising, given the well-known importance of chemical senses for the dog and fox and the likelihood that the VNS plays roles in the socio-reproductive physiology and behaviours of these species. In addition, characterising the fox VNS could contribute to a better understanding of the domestication process that occurred in the dog, as the fox would represent the first wild canid to be studied in depth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the fox VNO. Tissue dissection and microdissection techniques were employed, followed by general and specific histological staining techniques, including with immunohistochemical and lectin-histochemical labelling strategies, using antibodies against olfactory marker protein (OMP), growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), calbindin (CB), calretinin (CR), α-tubulin, Gαo, and Gαi2 proteins, to highlight the specific features of the VNO in the fox. This study found significant differences in the VNS between the fox and the dog, particularly concerning the expression of Gαi2 and Gαo proteins, which were associated with the expression of the type 1 vomeronasal receptors (V1R) and type 2 vomeronasal receptors (V2R), respectively, in the vomeronasal epithelium. Both are immunopositive in foxes, as opposed to the dog, which only expresses Gαi2. This finding suggests that the fox possesses a well-developed VNO and supports the hypothesis that a profound transformation in the VNS is associated with domestication in the canid family. Furthermore, the unique features identified in the fox VNO confirm the necessity of studying the VNS system in different species to better comprehend specific phylogenetic aspects of the VNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Ortiz-Leal
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Mateo V Torres
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Paula R Villamayor
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Ana López-Beceiro
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Pablo Sanchez-Quinteiro
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
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Gebhart VM, Rodewald A, Wollbaum E, Hertel K, Bitter T, Jirikowski GF. Evidence for accessory chemosensory cells in the adult human nasal cavity. J Chem Neuroanat 2019; 104:101732. [PMID: 31874203 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2019.101732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The existence of functionally relevant accessory olfactory organs in humans is still a matter of controversy. A vomeronasal organ (VNO) with sensory and non-sensory epithelia exists only in macrosmatic mammals. A similar structure is regularly observed in humans during fetal development. The postnatal persistence of a VNO like epithelial duct has been described in about 10 %. Here we studied tissue samples of nasal mucosa from adults. In all individuals we found epithelial cells in the lower part of the nasal septum which exhibited morphological features of sensory neurons and which showed immunostaining for olfactory marker protein OMP. These cells were interposed by ciliated cells, goblet cells and small intraepithelial capillaries. Only occasionally we found such cells within a morphologically defined epithelial duct. A clear separation of sensory and non-sensory epithelia could not be observed. In most cases we found OMP positive groups of cells either in epithelial cavities or just embedded in respiratory epithelium. With RT-PCR we could confirm the presence of OMP encoding mRNA thus supporting the idea of intrinsic expression of this protein in the nasal mucosa. We conclude that accessory chemosensory structures are regularly conserved in adult humans in the approximate anatomical location of the VNO of microsmatic animals. Their functional importance is yet to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Rodewald
- Institute of Anatomy II, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Enrico Wollbaum
- Institute of Anatomy I, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Kay Hertel
- Institute of Pathology, HELIOS Klinikum, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Thomas Bitter
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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30
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Fernández-Aburto P, Delgado SE, Sobrero R, Mpodozis J. Can social behaviour drive accessory olfactory bulb asymmetries? Sister species of caviomorph rodents as a case in point. J Anat 2019; 236:612-621. [PMID: 31797375 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, the accessory olfactory or vomeronasal system exhibits a wide variety of anatomical arrangements. In caviomorph rodents, the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) exhibits a dichotomic conformation, in which two subdomains, the anterior (aAOB) and the posterior (pAOB), can be readily distinguished. Interestingly, different species of this group exhibit bias of different sign between the AOB subdomains (aAOB larger than pAOB or vice versa). Such species-specific biases have been related with contrasting differences in the habitat of the different species (e.g. arid vs. humid environments). Aiming to deepen these observations, we performed a morphometric comparison of the AOB subdomains between two sister species of octodontid rodents, Octodon lunatus and Octodon degus. These species are interesting for comparative purposes, as they inhabit similar landscapes but exhibit contrasting social habits. Previous reports have shown that O. degus, a highly social species, exhibits a greatly asymmetric AOB, in which the aAOB has twice the size of the pAOB and features more and larger glomeruli in its glomerular layer (GL). We found that the same as in O. degus, the far less social O. lunatus also exhibits a bias, albeit less pronounced, to a larger aAOB. In both species, this bias was also evident for the mitral/tufted cells number. But unlike in O. degus, in O. lunatus this bias was not present at the GL. In comparison with O. degus, in O. lunatus the aAOB GL was significantly reduced in volume, while the pAOB GL displayed a similar volume. We conclude that these sister species exhibit a very sharp difference in the anatomical conformation of the AOB, namely, the relative size of the GL of the aAOB subdomain, which is larger in O. degus than in O. lunatus. We discuss these results in the context of the differences in the lifestyle of these species, highlighting the differences in social behaviour as a possible factor driving to distinct AOB morphometries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Fernández-Aburto
- Departamento de Biología, Laboratorio de Neurobiología y Biología del Conocer, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Scarlett E Delgado
- Departamento de Biología, Laboratorio de Neurobiología y Biología del Conocer, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Raúl Sobrero
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICiVet-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Jorge Mpodozis
- Departamento de Biología, Laboratorio de Neurobiología y Biología del Conocer, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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31
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Structural, morphometric and immunohistochemical study of the rabbit accessory olfactory bulb. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 225:203-226. [PMID: 31802255 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01997-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) is the first neural integrative centre of the vomeronasal system (VNS), which is associated primarily with the detection of semiochemicals. Although the rabbit is used as a model for the study of chemocommunication, these studies are hampered by the lack of knowledge regarding the topography, lamination, and neurochemical properties of the rabbit AOB. To fill this gap, we have employed histological stainings: lectin labelling with Ulex europaeus (UEA-I), Bandeiraea simplicifolia (BSI-B4), and Lycopersicon esculentum (LEA) agglutinins, and a range of immunohistochemical markers. Anti-G proteins Gαi2/Gαo, not previously studied in the rabbit AOB, are expressed following an antero-posterior zonal pattern. This places Lagomorpha among the small groups of mammals that conserve a double-path vomeronasal reception. Antibodies against olfactory marker protein (OMP), growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), glutaminase (GLS), microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2), glial fibrillary-acidic protein (GFAP), calbindin (CB), and calretinin (CR) characterise the strata and the principal components of the BOA, demonstrating several singular features of the rabbit AOB. This diversity is accentuated by the presence of a unique organisation: four neuronal clusters in the accessory bulbar white matter, two of them not previously characterised in any species (the γ and δ groups). Our morphometric study of the AOB has found significant differences between sexes in the numerical density of principal cells, with larger values in females, a pattern completely opposite to that found in rats. In summary, the rabbit possesses a highly developed AOB, with many specific features that highlight the significant role played by chemocommunication among this species.
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32
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Mahdy EAA, El Behery EI, Mohamed SKA. Comparative morpho-histological analysis on the vomeronasal organ and the accessory olfactory bulb in Balady dogs ( Canis familiaris) and New Zealand rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus). J Adv Vet Anim Res 2019; 6:506-515. [PMID: 31819879 PMCID: PMC6882720 DOI: 10.5455/javar.2019.f375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: This study investigated the comparative morphological analysis of the vomeronasal organ and the accessory olfactory bulb in dogs and rabbits. Materials and Methods: A total of 15 heads obtained from each adult healthy Balady dog (Canis familiaris) and New Zealand rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) of both sexes. The animals were sedated and anesthetized. Then, the heads were removed for computing topography, gross, and cross-sectional anatomy and histological techniques. Results: The vomeronasal organ was blind bilateral tubes enclosed by J-shaped cartilage on each side of the nasal septum. In dogs, it extended from the level of the upper third premolar teeth to the third incisive teeth. While in rabbits, it had no relation with the upper teeth. In cross section, the vomeronasal organ was pear-shaped in dogs and oval in rabbits. The accessory olfactory bulb was a small oval-shaped in dogs, but larger and ovoid in rabbits with clear lamination in its structure. The vomeronasal epithelium in rabbits was higher in its thickness than that of the dog. The vomeronasal duct had medial sensory and lateral respiratory epithelium. The vomeronasal glands were voluminous and of serous type in rabbits other than were seromucous in dogs. Conclusion: The most characteristic structural variations achieved in the vomeronasal organ and the accessory olfactory bulb of the dog and rabbit gave an indication that the organ was more functional in rabbits than in dogs. The detection and response to the pheromonal stimuli were referred to as the occurrence of olfactory epithelium in the vomeronasal organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman A A Mahdy
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
| | - Eman Ismail El Behery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
| | - Sherif Kh A Mohamed
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
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33
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Yohe LR, Davies KTJ, Rossiter SJ, Dávalos LM. Expressed Vomeronasal Type-1 Receptors (V1rs) in Bats Uncover Conserved Sequences Underlying Social Chemical Signaling. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:2741-2749. [PMID: 31424505 PMCID: PMC6777432 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammals, social and reproductive behaviors are mediated by chemical cues encoded by hyperdiverse families of receptors expressed in the vomeronasal organ. Between species, the number of intact receptors can vary by orders of magnitude. However, the evolutionary processes behind variation in receptor number, and its link to fitness-related behaviors are not well understood. From vomeronasal transcriptomes, we discovered the first evidence of intact vomeronasal type-1 receptor (V1r) genes in bats, and we tested whether putatively functional bat receptors were orthologous to those of related taxa, or whether bats have evolved novel receptors. Instead of lineage-specific duplications, we found that bat V1rs show high levels of orthology to those of their relatives, and receptors are under comparative levels of purifying selection as non-bats. Despite widespread vomeronasal organ loss in bats, V1r copies have been retained for >65 million years. The highly conserved nature of bat V1rs challenges our current understanding of mammalian V1r function and suggests roles other than conspecific recognition or mating initiation in social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel R Yohe
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, NY
- Department of Geology & Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Kalina T J Davies
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen J Rossiter
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Liliana M Dávalos
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, NY
- Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
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34
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Kishida T, Go Y, Tatsumoto S, Tatsumi K, Kuraku S, Toda M. Loss of olfaction in sea snakes provides new perspectives on the aquatic adaptation of amniotes. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191828. [PMID: 31506057 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine amniotes, a polyphyletic group, provide an excellent opportunity for studying convergent evolution. Their sense of smell tends to degenerate, but this process has not been explored by comparing fully aquatic species with their amphibious relatives in an evolutionary context. Here, we sequenced the genomes of fully aquatic and amphibious sea snakes and identified repertoires of chemosensory receptor genes involved in olfaction. Snakes possess large numbers of the olfactory receptor (OR) genes and the type-2 vomeronasal receptor (V2R) genes, and expression profiling in the olfactory tissues suggests that snakes use the ORs in the main olfactory system (MOS) and the V2Rs in the vomeronasal system (VNS). The number of OR genes has decreased in sea snakes, and fully aquatic species lost MOS which is responsible for detecting airborne odours. By contrast, sea snakes including fully aquatic species retain a number of V2R genes and a well-developed VNS for smelling underwater. This study suggests that the sense of smell also degenerated in sea snakes, particularly in fully aquatic species, but their residual olfactory capability is distinct from that of other fully aquatic amniotes. Amphibious species show an intermediate status between terrestrial and fully aquatic snakes, implying their importance in understanding the process of aquatic adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takushi Kishida
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka Sekiden-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8203, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Go
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.,National Institute for Physiological Science, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shoji Tatsumoto
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.,National Institute for Physiological Science, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Kaori Tatsumi
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shigehiro Kuraku
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Mamoru Toda
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
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35
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Hecker N, Lächele U, Stuckas H, Giere P, Hiller M. Convergent vomeronasal system reduction in mammals coincides with convergent losses of calcium signalling and odorant-degrading genes. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3656-3668. [PMID: 31332871 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The vomeronasal system (VNS) serves crucial functions for detecting olfactory clues often related to social and sexual behaviour. Intriguingly, two of the main components of the VNS, the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the accessory olfactory bulb, are regressed in aquatic mammals, several bats and primates, likely due to adaptations to different ecological niches. To detect genomic changes that are associated with the convergent reduction of the VNS, we performed the first systematic screen for convergently inactivated protein-coding genes associated with convergent VNS reduction, considering 106 mammalian genomes. Extending previous studies, our results support that Trpc2, a cation channel that is important for calcium signalling in the VNO, is a predictive molecular marker for the presence of a VNS. Our screen also detected the convergent inactivation of the calcium-binding protein S100z, the aldehyde oxidase Aox2 that is involved in odorant degradation, and the uncharacterized Mslnl gene that is expressed in the VNO and olfactory epithelium. Furthermore, we found that Trpc2 and S100z or Aox2 are also inactivated in otters and Phocid seals for which no morphological data about the VNS are available yet. This predicts a VNS reduction in these semi-aquatic mammals. By examining the genomes of 115 species in total, our study provides a detailed picture of how the convergent reduction of the VNS coincides with gene inactivation in placental mammals. These inactivated genes provide experimental targets for studying the evolution and biological significance of the olfactory system under different environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai Hecker
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulla Lächele
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Stuckas
- Population Genetics, Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research, Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter Giere
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Hiller
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
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36
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Abstract
Reproduction is fundamental for the survival of all species and requires meticulous synchronisation of a diverse complement of neural, endocrine and related behaviours. The reproductive hormone kisspeptin (encoded by the KISS1/Kiss1 gene) is now a well-established orchestrator of reproductive hormones, acting upstream of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) at the apex of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) reproductive axis. Beyond the hypothalamus, kisspeptin is also expressed in limbic and paralimbic brain regions, which are areas of the neurobiological network implicated in sexual and emotional behaviours. We are now forming a more comprehensive appreciation of extra-hypothalamic kisspeptin signalling and the complex role of kisspeptin as an upstream mediator of reproductive behaviours, including olfactory-driven partner preference, copulatory behaviour, audition, mood and emotion. An increasing body of research from zebrafish to humans has implicated kisspeptin in the integration of reproductive hormones with an overall positive influence on these reproductive behaviours. In this review, we critically appraise the current literature regarding kisspeptin and its control of reproductive behaviour. Collectively, these data significantly enhance our understanding of the integration of reproductive hormones and behaviour and provide the foundation for kisspeptin-based therapies to treat related disorders of body and mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edouard G A Mills
- Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Waljit S Dhillo
- Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Alexander N Comninos
- Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Department of Endocrinology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
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37
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Amygdala Corticofugal Input Shapes Mitral Cell Responses in the Accessory Olfactory Bulb. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-NWR-0175-18. [PMID: 29911171 PMCID: PMC6001136 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0175-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Interconnections between the olfactory bulb and the amygdala are a major pathway for triggering strong behavioral responses to a variety of odorants. However, while this broad mapping has been established, the patterns of amygdala feedback connectivity and the influence on olfactory circuitry remain unknown. Here, using a combination of neuronal tracing approaches, we dissect the connectivity of a cortical amygdala [posteromedial cortical nucleus (PmCo)] feedback circuit innervating the mouse accessory olfactory bulb. Optogenetic activation of PmCo feedback mainly results in feedforward mitral cell (MC) inhibition through direct excitation of GABAergic granule cells. In addition, LED-driven activity of corticofugal afferents increases the gain of MC responses to olfactory nerve stimulation. Thus, through corticofugal pathways, the PmCo likely regulates primary olfactory and social odor processing.
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38
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Yohe LR, Hoffmann S, Curtis A. Vomeronasal and Olfactory Structures in Bats Revealed by DiceCT Clarify Genetic Evidence of Function. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:32. [PMID: 29867373 PMCID: PMC5953337 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The degree to which molecular and morphological loss of function occurs synchronously during the vestigialization of traits is not well understood. The mammalian vomeronasal system, a sense critical for mediating many social and reproductive behaviors, is highly conserved across mammals. New World Leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) are under strong selection to maintain a functional vomeronasal system such that most phyllostomids possess a distinct vomeronasal organ and an intact TRPC2, a gene encoding a protein primarily involved in vomeronasal sensory neuron signal transduction. Recent genetic evidence, however, shows that TRPC2 is a pseudogene in some Caribbean nectarivorous phyllostomids. The loss-of-function mutations suggest the sensory neural tissue of the vomeronasal organ is absent in these species despite strong selection on this gene in its mainland relatives, but the anatomy was unknown in most Caribbean nectarivorous phyllostomids until this study. We used diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) to test whether the vomeronasal and main olfactory anatomy of several phyllostomid species matched genetic evidence of function, providing insight into whether loss of a structure is linked to pseudogenization of a molecular component of the system. The vomeronasal organ is indeed rudimentary or absent in species with a disrupted TRPC2 gene. Caribbean nectar-feeders also exhibit derived olfactory turbinal morphology and a large olfactory recess that differs from closely related bats that have an intact vomeronasal organ, which may hint that the main olfactory system may compensate for loss. We emphasize non-invasive diceCT is capable of detecting the vomeronasal organ, providing a feasible approach for quantifying mammalian chemosensory anatomy across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel R Yohe
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Simone Hoffmann
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY, United States
| | - Abigail Curtis
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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39
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Yohe LR, Dávalos LM. Strength of selection on the Trpc2 gene predicts accessory olfactory bulb form in bat vomeronasal evolution. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laurel R Yohe
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Liliana M Dávalos
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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40
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Kavoi BM. Light and scanning electron microscopy of the olfactory mucosa in the rufous sengi (Elephantulus rufescens). Anat Histol Embryol 2018; 47:167-173. [PMID: 29460316 DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sengis are eutherian insectivores belonging to superorder Afrotheria, a recently defined clade of mammals that diverged from other placentals over 100 million years ago. In this study, a histological and ultrastructural analysis was carried out on the olfactory mucosa (OM) of the rufous sengi (Elephantulus rufescens) and the data were compared with those reported earlier in the dog (Canis familiaris) and the sheep (Ovis aries), whose dietary lifestyles are carnivorous and herbivorous, respectively. Qualitatively, the microstructure of the sengi's OM was basically similar to that of the other eutherian mammals except for differences in the pattern of cilia projection from the dendritic knobs of the olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and distribution of Bowman's glands within the lamina propria of the OM. On morphometry, significant differences (p < .05) were recorded with respect to olfactory epithelial (OE) thickness between the sengi (65.4 ± 2.6 μm) and the other species. ORN packing density and cilia number/ORN knob varied markedly only between the sengi (73.8 ± 5.4 mm-2 × 103 and 15 ± 4, respectively) and the sheep. No remarkable differences were noted in regard to ORN bundle diameters between sengis (62.7 ± 12.5 μm) and the other species. The observed differences in OM structural refinement may be attributed to olfactory function demand levels related to feeding lifestyles and ecology. Myrmecophagous insectivory, social monogamy, absentee maternal care and exposed sheltering habits are behavioural features that may warrant substantial OM modification in sengis.
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Affiliation(s)
- B M Kavoi
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
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Abstract
Evolution sculpts the olfactory nervous system in response to the unique sensory challenges facing each species. In vertebrates, dramatic and diverse adaptations to the chemical environment are possible because of the hierarchical structure of the olfactory receptor (OR) gene superfamily: expansion or contraction of OR subfamilies accompanies major changes in habitat and lifestyle; independent selection on OR subfamilies can permit local adaptation or conserved chemical communication; and genetic variation in single OR genes can alter odor percepts and behaviors driven by precise chemical cues. However, this genetic flexibility contrasts with the relatively fixed neural architecture of the vertebrate olfactory system, which requires that new olfactory receptors integrate into segregated and functionally distinct neural pathways. This organization allows evolution to couple critical chemical signals with selectively advantageous responses, but also constrains relationships between olfactory receptors and behavior. The coevolution of the OR repertoire and the olfactory system therefore reveals general principles of how the brain solves specific sensory problems and how it adapts to new ones.
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Tsuji C, Tsuji T, Allchorne A, Leng G, Ludwig M. Effects of lateral olfactory tract stimulation on Fos immunoreactivity in vasopressin neurones of the rat piriform cortex. J Neuroendocrinol 2017; 29:e12531. [PMID: 28862781 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In the main olfactory system, odours are registered at the main olfactory epithelium and are then processed at the main olfactory bulb (MOB) and, subsequently, by the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), the piriform cortex (PC) and the cortical amygdala. Previously, we reported populations of vasopressin neurones in different areas of the rat olfactory system, including the MOB, accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) and the AON and showed that these are involved in the coding of social odour information. Utilising immunohistochemistry and a transgenic rat in which an enhanced green fluorescent protein reporter gene is expressed in vasopressin neurones (eGFP-vasopressin), we now show a population of vasopressin neurones in the PC. The vasopressin neurones are predominantly located in the layer II of the PC and the majority co-express the excitatory transmitter glutamate. Furthermore, there is no sex difference in the number of neurones expressing vasopressin. Electrical stimulation of the lateral olfactory tract leads to a significant increase in the number of Fos-positive nuclei in the PC, MOB, AOB, dorsal AON and supraoptic nucleus (SON). However, there was only a significant increase in Fos expression in vasopressin cells of the PC and SON. Thus, functionally distinct populations of vasopressin cells are implicated in olfactory processing at multiple stages of the olfactory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Tsuji
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - T Tsuji
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A Allchorne
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - G Leng
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - M Ludwig
- Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Nakahashi-Ouchida R, Yuki Y, Kiyono H. Development of a nanogel-based nasal vaccine as a novel antigen delivery system. Expert Rev Vaccines 2017; 16:1231-1240. [PMID: 29053938 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2017.1395702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Nasal vaccination is one of the most effective immunization methods because it can induce effective antigen-specific immune responses not only at the mucosal site of administration but also at distant mucosal surfaces, as well as in the systemic compartment. Based on this advantage, many nasal vaccines are being developed and some have been licensed and marketed for clinical use. However, some have been withdrawn because of unacceptable adverse events such as inactivated influenza vaccine administrated with a heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli as an adjuvant. Thus, it is important to consider both the efficacy and safety of nasal vaccines. Areas covered: This review describes the benefits of cholesteryl group-bearing pullulan (CHP) nanogels for nasal vaccine delivery and vaccine development identified on Pubmed database with the term 'Nanogel-based nasal vaccine'. Expert commentary: CHP nanogels have been developed as novel drug delivery system, and a cationic CHP nanogels have been demonstrated to induce effective immunity as a nasal vaccine antigen carrier. Since vaccine antigens incorporated into CHP nanogels have exhibited no brain deposition after nasal administration in mice and nonhuman primates, the vaccine seems safe, and could be a promising new delivery system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rika Nakahashi-Ouchida
- a Division of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science , University of Tokyo , Tokyo , Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Yuki
- a Division of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science , University of Tokyo , Tokyo , Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kiyono
- a Division of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science , University of Tokyo , Tokyo , Japan.,b International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccine, The Institute of Medical Science , The University of Tokyo , Tokyo , Japan.,c Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine , Chiba University , Chiba , Japan
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Nuclear organisation of cholinergic, catecholaminergic, serotonergic and orexinergic neurons in two relatively large-brained rodent species-The springhare (Pedetes capensis) and Beecroft's scaly-tailed squirrel (Anomalurus beecrofti). J Chem Neuroanat 2017; 86:78-91. [PMID: 28916505 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The present study describes the nuclear organization of the cholinergic, catecholaminergic, serotonergic and orexinergic systems in the brains of the springhare and Beecroft's scaly-tailed squirrel following immunohistochemical labelling. We aimed to investigate any differences in the nuclear organization of these neural systems when compared to previous data on other species of rodents, as these two rodent species have relatively large brains - 1.2 to 1.4 times larger than would be expected for mammals of their body mass and 1.7-1.9 times larger than would be expected for rodents of their body mass. A series of coronal sections were taken through two brains of each species and immunohistochemically labelled with antibodies against choline acetyltransferase, tyrosine hydroxylase, serotonin and orexin-A. Generally, the nuclear complement of these systems revealed extensive similarities between both species and to previously studied rodents. While no differences were observed in the nuclear complement of the serotonergic and orexinergic systems, some differences were observed in the nuclear complement of the cholinergic and catecholaminergic systems. These include the presence of cholinergic neurons in the cerebral cortex and nucleus of the trapezoid body in the springhare; while the Beecroft's scaly-tailed squirrel exhibited cholinergic neurons in the pretectal area of the midbrain. For the catecholaminergic system it was observed that Beecroft's scaly-tailed squirrel possessed immunoreactive neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb. Despite these four differences, most not previously observed in rodents, the remaining complement of cholinergic and catecholaminergic nuclei were identical to that observed in other rodents, including the presence of the rodent specific catecholaminergic rostral dorsal midline medullary (C3) nucleus in the medulla oblongata. Thus, even with a significant increase in relative brain size, the overall complement of nuclei forming these systems shows minimal changes in complexity within a specific mammalian order.
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Suárez R, Paolino A, Kozulin P, Fenlon LR, Morcom LR, Englebright R, O’Hara PJ, Murray PJ, Richards LJ. Development of body, head and brain features in the Australian fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Marsupialia: Dasyuridae); A postnatal model of forebrain formation. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184450. [PMID: 28880940 PMCID: PMC5589244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Most of our understanding of forebrain development comes from research of eutherian mammals, such as rodents, primates, and carnivores. However, as the cerebral cortex forms largely prenatally, observation and manipulation of its development has required invasive and/or ex vivo procedures. Marsupials, on the other hand, are born at comparatively earlier stages of development and most events of forebrain formation occur once attached to the teat, thereby permitting continuous and non-invasive experimental access. Here, we take advantage of this aspect of marsupial biology to establish and characterise a resourceful laboratory model of forebrain development: the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata), a mouse-sized carnivorous Australian marsupial. We present an anatomical description of the postnatal development of the body, head and brain in dunnarts, and provide a staging system compatible with human and mouse developmental stages. As compared to eutherians, the orofacial region develops earlier in dunnarts, while forebrain development is largely protracted, extending for more than 40 days versus ca. 15 days in mice. We discuss the benefits of fat-tailed dunnarts as laboratory animals in studies of developmental biology, with an emphasis on how their accessibility in the pouch can help address new experimental questions, especially regarding mechanisms of brain development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Suárez
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail: (RS); (LJR)
| | - Annalisa Paolino
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter Kozulin
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Laura R. Fenlon
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Laura R. Morcom
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert Englebright
- The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture & Food Science, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Patricia J. O’Hara
- The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture & Food Science, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter J. Murray
- The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture & Food Science, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Linda J. Richards
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail: (RS); (LJR)
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Inokuchi K, Imamura F, Takeuchi H, Kim R, Okuno H, Nishizumi H, Bito H, Kikusui T, Sakano H. Nrp2 is sufficient to instruct circuit formation of mitral-cells to mediate odour-induced attractive social responses. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15977. [PMID: 28731029 PMCID: PMC5525001 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Odour information induces various innate responses that are critical to the survival of the individual and for the species. An axon guidance molecule, Neuropilin 2 (Nrp2), is known to mediate targeting of olfactory sensory neurons (primary neurons), to the posteroventral main olfactory bulb (PV MOB) in mice. Here we report that Nrp2-positive (Nrp2+) mitral cells (MCs, second-order neurons) play crucial roles in transmitting attractive social signals from the PV MOB to the anterior part of medial amygdala (MeA). Semaphorin 3F, a repulsive ligand to Nrp2, regulates both migration of Nrp2+ MCs to the PV MOB and their axonal projection to the anterior MeA. In the MC-specific Nrp2 knockout mice, circuit formation of Nrp2+ MCs and odour-induced attractive social responses are impaired. In utero, electroporation demonstrates that activation of the Nrp2 gene in MCs is sufficient to instruct their circuit formation from the PV MOB to the anterior MeA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasumi Inokuchi
- Department of Brain Function, School of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan.,Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Imamura
- Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA
| | - Haruki Takeuchi
- Department of Brain Function, School of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan
| | - Ryang Kim
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Okuno
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Nishizumi
- Department of Brain Function, School of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan.,Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Bito
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Sakano
- Department of Brain Function, School of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan
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Silva L, Antunes A. Vomeronasal Receptors in Vertebrates and the Evolution of Pheromone Detection. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2017; 5:353-370. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-022516-022801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Silva
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, 4050-208 Porto, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, 4050-208 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
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48
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Odor-induced recall of emotional memories in PTSD–Review and new paradigm for research. Exp Neurol 2016; 284:168-180. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Aland RC, Gosden E, Bradley AJ. Seasonal morphometry of the vomeronasal organ in the marsupial mouse, Antechinus subtropicus. J Morphol 2016; 277:1517-1530. [PMID: 27641160 PMCID: PMC5095805 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The vomeronasal system consists of a peripheral organ and the connected central neuronal networks. The central connections are sexually dimorphic in rodents, and in some species, parameters of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) vary with sex, hormonal exposure, body size and seasonality. The VNO of the dasyurid marsupial mouse, Antechinus subtropicus is presumed to be functional. The unusual life history (male semelparity) is marked by distinct seasonality with differences in hormonal environments both between males and females, and in males at different time points. Body size parameters (e.g., length, weight) display sexual dimorphism and, in males, a pronounced weight gain before breeding is followed by a rapid decline during the single, short reproductive season. VNO morphometry was investigated in male and female A. subtropicus to identify possible life cycle associated activity. The overall length of the VNO is positively correlated with the size of the animal. The amount of sensory epithelium exhibits a negative correlation, decreasing with increasing size of the animal. The effects of sex and breeding condition are not obvious, although they do suggest that sensory vomeronasal epithelium mass declines in the breeding period. The VNO may be more important in A. subtropicus before breeding when it may participate in synchronising reproduction and in the development of the male stress response. J. Morphol. 277:1517–1530, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Claire Aland
- School of Rural Medicine, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia. .,School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Edward Gosden
- Research Methods Group, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Adrian J Bradley
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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50
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Huilgol D, Tole S. Cell migration in the developing rodent olfactory system. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:2467-90. [PMID: 26994098 PMCID: PMC4894936 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2172-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The components of the nervous system are assembled in development by the process of cell migration. Although the principles of cell migration are conserved throughout the brain, different subsystems may predominantly utilize specific migratory mechanisms, or may display unusual features during migration. Examining these subsystems offers not only the potential for insights into the development of the system, but may also help in understanding disorders arising from aberrant cell migration. The olfactory system is an ancient sensory circuit that is essential for the survival and reproduction of a species. The organization of this circuit displays many evolutionarily conserved features in vertebrates, including molecular mechanisms and complex migratory pathways. In this review, we describe the elaborate migrations that populate each component of the olfactory system in rodents and compare them with those described in the well-studied neocortex. Understanding how the components of the olfactory system are assembled will not only shed light on the etiology of olfactory and sexual disorders, but will also offer insights into how conserved migratory mechanisms may have shaped the evolution of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhananjay Huilgol
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, USA
| | - Shubha Tole
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India.
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