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Ruiz-Rubio S, Ortiz-Leal I, Torres MV, Somoano A, Sanchez-Quinteiro P. Do fossorial water voles have a functional vomeronasal organ? A histological and immunohistochemical study. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2912-2932. [PMID: 38112130 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25374] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
The fossorial water vole, Arvicola scherman, is an herbivorous rodent that causes significant agricultural damages. The application of cairomones and alarm pheromones emerges as a promising sustainable method to improve its integrated management. These chemical signals would induce stress responses that could interfere with the species regular reproductive cycles and induce aversive reactions, steering them away from farmlands and meadows. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the water vole vomeronasal system, both in its morphological foundations and its functionality, making it imperative to understand the same for the application of chemical communication in pest control. This study fills the existing gaps in knowledge through a morphological and immunohistochemical analysis of the fossorial water vole vomeronasal organ. The study is primarily microscopic, employing two approaches: histological, using serial sections stained with various dyes (hematoxylin-eosin, Periodic acid-Schiff, Alcian blue, Nissl), and immunohistochemical, applying various markers that provide morphofunctional and structural information. These procedures have confirmed the presence of a functional vomeronasal system in fossorial water voles, characterized by a high degree of differentiation and a significant expression of cellular markers indicative of active chemical communication in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ruiz-Rubio
- 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
| | - Mateo V Torres
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Aitor Somoano
- Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), Villaviciosa, Asturias, 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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2
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Zhou Z, Yang X, Mao A, Xu H, Lin C, Yang M, Hu W, Shao J, Xu P, Li Y, Li W, Lin R, Zhang R, Xie Q, Xu Z, Meng W. Deficiency of CAMSAP2 impairs olfaction and the morphogenesis of mitral cells. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:2861-2877. [PMID: 38839944 PMCID: PMC11239855 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00166-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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In developing olfactory bulb (OB), mitral cells (MCs) remodel their dendrites to establish the precise olfactory circuit, and these circuits are critical for individuals to sense odors and elicit behaviors for survival. However, how microtubules (MTs) participate in the process of dendritic remodeling remains elusive. Here, we reveal that calmodulin-regulated spectrin-associated proteins (CAMSAPs), a family of proteins that bind to the minus-end of the noncentrosomal MTs, play a crucial part in the development of MC dendrites. We observed that Camsap2 knockout (KO) males are infertile while the reproductive tract is normal. Further study showed that the infertility was due to the severe defects of mating behavior in male mice. Besides, mice with loss-of-function displayed defects in the sense of smell. Furthermore, we found that the deficiency of CAMSAP2 impairs the classical morphology of MCs, and the CAMSAP2-dependent dendritic remodeling process is responsible for this defect. Thus, our findings demonstrate that CAMSAP2 plays a vital role in regulating the development of MCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengrong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- Neuroscience Center, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Shantou University Medical College, 515041, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Xiaojuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Aihua Mao
- Biology Department, College of Sciences, Shantou University, 515063, Shantou, China
| | - Honglin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Chunnuan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Mengge Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Weichang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Jinhui Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Peipei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yuejia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Wenguang Li
- Animal Laboratory Center, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Ruifan Lin
- Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, 100700, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Xie
- Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, 100700, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Wenxiang Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
- Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
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3
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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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4
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Rocha A, Nguyen QAT, Haga-Yamanaka S. Type 2 vomeronasal receptor-A4 subfamily: Potential predator sensors in mice. Genesis 2024; 62:e23597. [PMID: 38590121 PMCID: PMC11018355 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23597] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Sensory signals detected by olfactory sensory organs are critical regulators of animal behavior. An accessory olfactory organ, the vomeronasal organ, detects cues from other animals and plays a pivotal role in intra- and inter-species interactions in mice. However, how ethologically relevant cues control mouse behavior through approximately 350 vomeronasal sensory receptor proteins largely remains elusive. The type 2 vomeronasal receptor-A4 (V2R-A4) subfamily members have been repeatedly detected from vomeronasal sensory neurons responsive to predator cues, suggesting a potential role of this receptor subfamily as a sensor for predators. This review focuses on this intriguing subfamily, delving into its receptor functions and genetic characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Rocha
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside
| | | | - Sachiko Haga-Yamanaka
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside
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5
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LeFever NM, Katreddi RR, Dolphin NM, Mathias NA, Forni PE. Following the p63/Keratin5 basal cells in the sensory and non-sensory epithelia of the vomeronasal organ. Genesis 2024; 62:e23596. [PMID: 38665067 PMCID: PMC11141727 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23596] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a part of the accessory olfactory system, which detects pheromones and chemical factors that trigger a spectrum of sexual and social behaviors. The vomeronasal epithelium (VNE) shares several features with the epithelium of the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). However, it is a distinct neuroepithelium populated by chemosensory neurons that differ from the olfactory sensory neurons in cellular structure, receptor expression, and connectivity. The vomeronasal organ of rodents comprises a sensory epithelium (SE) and a thin non-sensory epithelium (NSE) that morphologically resembles the respiratory epithelium. Sox2-positive cells have been previously identified as the stem cell population that gives rise to neuronal progenitors in MOE and VNE. In addition, the MOE also comprises p63 positive horizontal basal cells, a second pool of quiescent stem cells that become active in response to injury. Immunolabeling against the transcription factor p63, Keratin-5 (Krt5), Krt14, NrCAM, and Krt5Cre tracing experiments highlighted the existence of horizontal basal cells distributed along the basal lamina of SE of the VNO. Single cell sequencing and genetic lineage tracing suggest that the vomeronasal horizontal basal cells arise from basal progenitors at the boundary between the SE and NSE proximal to the marginal zones. Moreover, our experiments revealed that the NSE of rodents is, like the respiratory epithelium, a stratified epithelium where the p63/Krt5+ basal progenitor cells self-replicate and give rise to the apical columnar cells facing the lumen of the VNO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah M LeFever
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Raghu Ram Katreddi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Nikki M Dolphin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Nick A Mathias
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Paolo E Forni
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
- The Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
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6
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Quave CB, Vasquez AM, Aquino-Miranda G, Bora EP, Chidomere CL, Zhang XO, Engelke DS, Do-Monte FH. Neural signatures of opioid-induced risk-taking behavior in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.05.578828. [PMID: 38370807 PMCID: PMC10871263 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.05.578828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder occurs alongside impaired risk-related decision-making, but the underlying neural correlates are unclear. We developed a novel approach-avoidance conflict model using a modified conditioned place preference paradigm to study neural signals of risky opioid seeking in the prefrontal cortex, a region implicated in executive decision making. Upon establishment of morphine conditioned place preference, rats underwent a subsequent conflict test in which fear-inducing cat odor was introduced in the previously drug-paired side of the apparatus. While the saline control group avoided the cat odor side, the morphine group maintained preference for the paired side despite the presence of cat odor. K-means clustering identified two subsets of morphine-treated rats that exhibited either persistent drug seeking (Risk-Takers) or increased avoidance (Risk-Avoiders) during conflict. Single-unit recordings from the prelimbic cortex (PL) revealed decreased neuronal firing rates upon acute morphine exposure in both Risk-Takers and Risk-Avoiders, but this firing rate suppression was absent after repeated administration. Risk-Avoiders also displayed distinct post-morphine excitation in PL which persisted across conditioning. During the preference test, subpopulations of PL neurons in all groups were either excited or inhibited when rats entered the paired side. Interestingly, while this inhibitory signal was lost during the subsequent conflict test in both saline and Risk-Avoider groups, these inhibitory responses persisted in Risk-Takers. Our results suggest that loss of PL inhibition after opioid conditioning is associated with the formation of contextual reward memory. Furthermore, persistent PL inhibitory signaling in the drug-associated context during conflict may underlie increased risk taking following opioid exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cana B. Quave
- Dept. of Neurobiology & Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Andres M. Vasquez
- Dept. of Neurobiology & Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Guillermo Aquino-Miranda
- Dept. of Neurobiology & Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Esha P. Bora
- Dept. of Neurobiology & Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Chinenye L. Chidomere
- Dept. of Neurobiology & Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Xu O. Zhang
- Dept. of Neurobiology & Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Douglas S. Engelke
- Dept. of Neurobiology & Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Fabricio H. Do-Monte
- Dept. of Neurobiology & Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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7
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Prakash N, Matos HY, Sebaoui S, Tsai L, Tran T, Aromolaran A, Atrachji I, Campbell N, Goodrich M, Hernandez-Pineda D, Jesus Herrero M, Hirata T, Lischinsky J, Martinez W, Torii S, Yamashita S, Hosseini H, Sokolowski K, Esumi S, Kawasawa YI, Hashimoto-Torii K, Jones KS, Corbin JG. Connectivity and molecular profiles of Foxp2- and Dbx1-lineage neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb and medial amygdala. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25545. [PMID: 37849047 PMCID: PMC10922300 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
In terrestrial vertebrates, the olfactory system is divided into main (MOS) and accessory (AOS) components that process both volatile and nonvolatile cues to generate appropriate behavioral responses. While much is known regarding the molecular diversity of neurons that comprise the MOS, less is known about the AOS. Here, focusing on the vomeronasal organ (VNO), the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), and the medial amygdala (MeA), we reveal that populations of neurons in the AOS can be molecularly subdivided based on their ongoing or prior expression of the transcription factors Foxp2 or Dbx1, which delineate separate populations of GABAergic output neurons in the MeA. We show that a majority of AOB neurons that project directly to the MeA are of the Foxp2 lineage. Using single-neuron patch-clamp electrophysiology, we further reveal that in addition to sex-specific differences across lineage, the frequency of excitatory input to MeA Dbx1- and Foxp2-lineage neurons differs between sexes. Together, this work uncovers a novel molecular diversity of AOS neurons, and lineage and sex differences in patterns of connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandkishore Prakash
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Heidi Y Matos
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Sonia Sebaoui
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Luke Tsai
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Tuyen Tran
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Adejimi Aromolaran
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Isabella Atrachji
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Nya Campbell
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Meredith Goodrich
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - David Hernandez-Pineda
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Maria Jesus Herrero
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Tsutomu Hirata
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Julieta Lischinsky
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Wendolin Martinez
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Shisui Torii
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Satoshi Yamashita
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Hassan Hosseini
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical
School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan
Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Katie Sokolowski
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Shigeyuki Esumi
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Yuka Imamura Kawasawa
- Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University
College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Kazue Hashimoto-Torii
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
| | - Kevin S Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical
School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan
Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Joshua G Corbin
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s
Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC, USA
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8
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Nguyen QAT, Rocha A, Yamashita Y, Chhor R, Stadler C, Pontrello C, Haga-Yamanaka S. Hypothalamic representation of the imminence of predator threat detected by the vomeronasal organ in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.27.559655. [PMID: 37808690 PMCID: PMC10557655 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.27.559655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Animals have the innate ability to select optimal defensive behavioral outputs with an appropriate intensity in response to predator threat in specific contexts. Such innate behavioral decisions are thought to be computed in the medial hypothalamic nuclei that contain neural populations directly controlling defensive behavioral outputs. The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is one of the major sensory input channels through which predator cues are detected with ascending inputs to the medial hypothalamic nuclei, especially to the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), through the medial amygdala (MeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Here, we show that cat saliva contains predator cues that signal imminence of predator threat and regulate the robustness of freezing behavior through the VNO in mice. Cat saliva activates neurons expressing the V2R-A4 subfamily of sensory receptors, suggesting the existence of specific receptor groups responsible for freezing behavior induced by the predator cues. The number of VNO neurons activated in response to saliva correlates with the freshness of saliva and the intensity of freezing behavior, while the downstream neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) and defensive behavioral circuit are quantitatively equally activated by fresh and old saliva. Strikingly, however, only the number of VMH neurons activated by fresh saliva positively correlates with the intensity of freezing behavior. Detailed analysis of the spatial distribution of fresh and old saliva-responding neurons revealed a neuronal population within the VMH that is more sensitive to fresh saliva than old saliva. Taken together, this study demonstrates that predator cues in cat saliva change over time and differentially activate the sensory-to-hypothalamus defensive behavioral pathway to modulate behavioral outputs.
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9
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Natsi A, Valkanou M, Anousi E, Labrakakis C. Differential behavioral response to predator odor in neuropathic pain in mice. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2024; 4:1283550. [PMID: 38259981 PMCID: PMC10800923 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1283550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain, a type of chronic pain caused by injury or disease of the somatosensory system, affects ∼10% of the general population and is difficult to treat. It is strongly associated with mood disorder comorbidities and impairs quality of life. It was recently suggested that hypervigilance caused by chronic pain might be of advantage in some species, helping them avoid predators during injury when they are most vulnerable. Here, we sought to confirm the hypervigilance hypothesis by using two predator odor (PO) paradigms, one with transient and one with continuous odor presentation. We observed behavioral responses to PO in neuropathic and control mice in an open field setting. We find that neuropathic mice show hypervigilance to PO, confirming previous results. However, we also find increased anxiety responses to neutral odor in neuropathic mice, which manifests as maladaptive pain. This demonstrates that this maladaptive nature of pain could be an evolutionary adaptation aimed at reducing injury-induced vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Natsi
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Mary Valkanou
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
- Athens International Master's Programme in Neurosciences, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Elissavet Anousi
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Charalampos Labrakakis
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
- Institute of Biosciences, University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), Ioannina, Greece
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10
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Weiss J, Zufall F. Presynaptic GABA B receptors inhibit vomeronasal nerve transmission to accessory olfactory bulb mitral cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1302955. [PMID: 38130867 PMCID: PMC10733964 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1302955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) recognize pheromonal and kairomonal semiochemicals in the lumen of the vomeronasal organ. VSNs send their axons along the vomeronasal nerve (VN) into multiple glomeruli of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) and form glutamatergic synapses with apical dendrites of mitral cells, the projection neurons of the AOB. Juxtaglomerular interneurons release the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Besides ionotropic GABA receptors, the metabotropic GABAB receptor has been shown to modulate synaptic transmission in the main olfactory system. Here we show that GABAB receptors are expressed in the AOB and are primarily located at VN terminals. Electrical stimulation of the VN provokes calcium elevations in VSN nerve terminals, and activation of GABAB receptors by the agonist baclofen abolishes calcium influx in AOB slice preparations. Patch clamp recordings reveal that synaptic transmission from the VN to mitral cells can be completely suppressed by activation of GABAB receptors. A potent GABAB receptor antagonist, CGP 52432, reversed the baclofen-induced effects. These results indicate that modulation of VSNs via activation of GABAB receptors affects calcium influx and glutamate release at presynaptic terminals and likely balances synaptic transmission at the first synapse of the accessory olfactory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Weiss
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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11
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Glinin TS, Petrova MV, Shcherbinina V, Shubina AN, Dukelskaya AV, Starshova PV, Mamontova V, Burnusuz A, Godunova AO, Romashchenko AV, Moshkin MP, Khaitovich P, Daev EV. Pheromone of grouped female mice impairs genome stability in male mice through stress-mediated pathways. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17622. [PMID: 37848549 PMCID: PMC10582102 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44647-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Population density is known to affect the health and survival of many species, and is especially important for social animals. In mice, living in crowded conditions results in the disruption of social interactions, chronic stress, and immune and reproductive suppression; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated the role of chemosignals in the regulation of mouse physiology and behavior in response to social crowding. The pheromone 2,5-dimethylpyrazine (2,5-DMP), which is released by female mice in crowded conditions, induced aversion, glucocorticoid elevation and, when chronic, resulted in reproductive and immune suppression. 2,5-DMP olfaction induced genome destabilization in bone marrow cells in a stress-dependent manner, providing a plausible mechanism for crowding-induced immune dysfunction. Interestingly, the genome-destabilizing effect of 2,5-DMP was comparable to a potent mouse stressor (immobilization), and both stressors led to correlated expression changes in genes regulating cellular stress response. Thus, our findings demonstrate that, in mice, the health effects of crowding may be explained at least in part by chemosignals and also propose a significant role of stress and genome destabilization in the emergence of crowding effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timofey S Glinin
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034.
- Open Longevity, 15260 Ventura Blvd, STE 2230, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91403, USA.
- Endocrine Neoplasia Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Marina V Petrova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Center of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Bolshoy Blv. 30, Moscow, Russia, 121205
| | - Veronika Shcherbinina
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Laboratory of Higher Nervous Activity Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makarova Emb. 6, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Anastasia N Shubina
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Open Longevity, 15260 Ventura Blvd, STE 2230, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91403, USA
| | - Anna V Dukelskaya
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Polina V Starshova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Victoria Mamontova
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center for Cancer Research (Mildred-Scheel-Nachwuchszentrum, MSNZ), University Hospital Würzburg, Josef-Schneider Str. 2, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter of the University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra Burnusuz
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
| | - Alena O Godunova
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Academician Lavrentiev Avenue, 10, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Alexander V Romashchenko
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Academician Lavrentiev Avenue, 10, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
- International Tomography Center, Institutskaya St., 3A, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
- Federal Research Centre of Biological Systems and Agrotechnologies, RAS, St. January 9, 29, Orenburg, Russia, 460000
| | - Mikhail P Moshkin
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Academician Lavrentiev Avenue, 10, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090
| | - Philipp Khaitovich
- Center for Neurobiology and Brain Restoration, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobelya St., Moscow, Russia, 121205
| | - Eugene V Daev
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb., 7-9, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
- Laboratory of Higher Nervous Activity Genetics, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makarova Emb. 6, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 199034
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12
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Li Y, Zhi W, Qi B, Wang L, Hu X. Update on neurobiological mechanisms of fear: illuminating the direction of mechanism exploration and treatment development of trauma and fear-related disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1216524. [PMID: 37600761 PMCID: PMC10433239 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1216524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear refers to an adaptive response in the face of danger, and the formed fear memory acts as a warning when the individual faces a dangerous situation again, which is of great significance to the survival of humans and animals. Excessive fear response caused by abnormal fear memory can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Fear memory has been studied for a long time, which is of a certain guiding effect on the treatment of fear-related disorders. With continuous technological innovations, the study of fear has gradually shifted from the level of brain regions to deeper neural (micro) circuits between brain regions and even within single brain regions, as well as molecular mechanisms. This article briefly outlines the basic knowledge of fear memory and reviews the neurobiological mechanisms of fear extinction and relapse, which aims to provide new insights for future basic research on fear emotions and new ideas for treating trauma and fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Weijia Zhi
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Qi
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Lifeng Wang
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangjun Hu
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
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13
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Weiss J, Vacher H, Trouillet AC, Leinders-Zufall T, Zufall F, Chamero P. Sensing and avoiding sick conspecifics requires Gαi2 + vomeronasal neurons. BMC Biol 2023; 21:152. [PMID: 37424020 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01653-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodents utilize chemical cues to recognize and avoid other conspecifics infected with pathogens. Infection with pathogens and acute inflammation alter the repertoire and signature of olfactory stimuli emitted by a sick individual. These cues are recognized by healthy conspecifics via the vomeronasal or accessory olfactory system, triggering an innate form of avoidance behavior. However, the molecular identity of the sensory neurons and the higher neural circuits involved in the detection of sick conspecifics remain poorly understood. RESULTS We employed mice that are in an acute state of inflammation induced by systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Through conditional knockout of the G-protein Gαi2 and deletion of other key sensory transduction molecules (Trpc2 and a cluster of 16 vomeronasal type 1 receptors), in combination with behavioral testing, subcellular Ca2+ imaging, and pS6 and c-Fos neuronal activity mapping in freely behaving mice, we show that the Gαi2+ vomeronasal subsystem is required for the detection and avoidance of LPS-treated mice. The active components underlying this avoidance are contained in urine whereas feces extract and two selected bile acids, although detected in a Gαi2-dependent manner, failed to evoke avoidance behavior. Our analyses of dendritic Ca2+ responses in vomeronasal sensory neurons provide insight into the discrimination capabilities of these neurons for urine fractions from LPS-treated mice, and how this discrimination depends on Gαi2. We observed Gαi2-dependent stimulation of multiple brain areas including medial amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus, and periaqueductal grey. We also identified the lateral habenula, a brain region implicated in negative reward prediction in aversive learning, as a previously unknown target involved in these tasks. CONCLUSIONS Our physiological and behavioral analyses indicate that the sensing and avoidance of LPS-treated sick conspecifics depend on the Gαi2 vomeronasal subsystem. Our observations point to a central role of brain circuits downstream of the olfactory periphery and in the lateral habenula in the detection and avoidance of sick conspecifics, providing new insights into the neural substrates and circuit logic of the sensing of inflammation in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Weiss
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Germany.
| | - Hélène Vacher
- Laboratoire de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, UMR 0085 INRAE-CNRS-IFCE-University of Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Anne-Charlotte Trouillet
- Laboratoire de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, UMR 0085 INRAE-CNRS-IFCE-University of Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Trese Leinders-Zufall
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Frank Zufall
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Germany.
| | - Pablo Chamero
- Laboratoire de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, UMR 0085 INRAE-CNRS-IFCE-University of Tours, Nouzilly, France.
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14
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Stopková R, Matějková T, Dodoková A, Talacko P, Zacek P, Sedlacek R, Piálek J, Stopka P. Variation in mouse chemical signals is genetically controlled and environmentally modulated. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8573. [PMID: 37237091 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35450-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In most mammals and particularly in mice, chemical communication relies on the detection of ethologically relevant fitness-related cues from other individuals. In mice, urine is the primary source of these signals, so we employed proteomics and metabolomics to identify key components of chemical signalling. We show that there is a correspondence between urinary volatiles and proteins in the representation of genetic background, sex and environment in two house mouse subspecies Mus musculus musculus and M. m. domesticus. We found that environment has a strong influence upon proteomic and metabolomic variation and that volatile mixtures better represent males while females have surprisingly more sex-biased proteins. Using machine learning and combined-omics techniques, we identified mixtures of metabolites and proteins that are associated with biological features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romana Stopková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, BIOCEV, Charles University, Vestec, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Matějková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, BIOCEV, Charles University, Vestec, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alica Dodoková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, BIOCEV, Charles University, Vestec, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Talacko
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, BIOCEV, Charles University, Vestec, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Zacek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, BIOCEV, Charles University, Vestec, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Radislav Sedlacek
- Czech Centre for Phenogenomics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Piálek
- Research Facility Studenec, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Stopka
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, BIOCEV, Charles University, Vestec, Prague, Czech Republic.
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15
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Cheng W, Xue H, Yang X, Huang D, Cai M, Huang F, Zheng L, Peng D, Thomashow LS, Weller DM, Yu Z, Zhang J. Multiple Receptors Contribute to the Attractive Response of Caenorhabditis elegans to Pathogenic Bacteria. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0231922. [PMID: 36511721 PMCID: PMC9927473 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02319-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Nematodes feed mainly on bacteria and sense volatile signals through their chemosensory system to distinguish food from pathogens. Although nematodes recognizing bacteria by volatile metabolites are ubiquitous, little is known of the associated molecular mechanism. Here, we show that the antinematode bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 exhibits an attractive effect on Caenorhabditis elegans via volatile metabolites, of which furfural acetone (FAc) acts as a broad-spectrum nematode attractant. We show that the attractive response toward FAc requires both the G-protein-coupled receptors STR-2 in AWC neurons and SRA-13 in AWA and AWC neurons. In the downstream olfactory signaling cascades, both the transient receptor potential vanilloid channel and the cyclic nucleotide-gated channel are necessary for FAc sensation. These results indicate that multiple receptors and subsequent signaling cascades contribute to the attractive response of C. elegans to FAc, and FAc is the first reported ligand of SRA-13. Our current work discovers that P. polymyxa KM2501-1 exhibits an attractive effect on nematodes by secreting volatile metabolites, especially FAc and 2-heptanone, broadening our understanding of the interactions between bacterial pathogens and nematodes. IMPORTANCE Nematodes feed on nontoxic bacteria as a food resource and avoid toxic bacteria; they distinguish them through their volatile metabolites. However, the mechanism of how nematodes recognize bacteria by volatile metabolites is not fully understood. Here, the antinematode bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 is found to exhibit an attractive effect on Caenorhabditis elegans via volatile metabolites, including FAc. We further reveal that the attractive response of C. elegans toward FAc requires multiple G-protein-coupled receptors and downstream olfactory signaling cascades in AWA and AWC neurons. This study highlights the important role of volatile metabolites in the interaction between nematodes and bacteria and confirms that multiple G-protein-coupled receptors on different olfactory neurons of C. elegans can jointly sense bacterial volatile signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanli Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hua Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xue Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Dian Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Minmin Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Feng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Longyu Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Donghai Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Linda S. Thomashow
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wheat Health, Genetics and Quality Research Unit, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - David M. Weller
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wheat Health, Genetics and Quality Research Unit, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Ziniu Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, National Engineering Research Center of Microbial Pesticides, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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16
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Guimarães ATB, Freitas ÍN, Mubarak NM, Rahman MM, Rodrigues FP, Rodrigues ASDL, Barceló D, Islam ARMT, Malafaia G. Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces an anxiolytic-like effect, changes in antipredator defensive response, and DNA damage in Swiss mice. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 442:130004. [PMID: 36152541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Although the in vivo toxicity of nanoplastics (NPs) has already been reported in different model systems, their effects on mammalian behavior are poorly understood. Thus, we aimed to evaluate whether exposure to polystyrene (PS) NPs (diameter: 23.03 ± 0.266 nm) alters the behavior (locomotor, anxiety-like and antipredator) of male Swiss mice, induces brain antioxidant activity, and erythrocyte DNA damage. For this, the animals were exposed to NPs for 20 days at different doses (6.5 ng/kg and 6500 ng/kg). Initially, we did not observe any effect of pollutants on the locomotor activity of the animals (inferred via open field test and Basso mouse scale for locomotion). However, we noticed an anxiolytic-like behavior (in the open field test) and alterations in the antipredatory defensive response of mice exposed to PS NPs, when confronted with their predator potential (snake, Pantherophis guttatus). Furthermore, such changes were associated with suppressing brain antioxidant activity, inferred by lower DPPH radical scavenging activity, reduced total glutathione content, as well as the translocation and accumulation of NPs in the brain of the animals. In addition, we noted that the treatments induced DNA damage, evaluated via a single-cell gel electrophoresis assay (comet assay) applied to circulating erythrocytes of the animals. However, we did not observe a dose-response effect for all biomarkers evaluated and the estimated accumulation of PS NPs in the brain. The values of the integrated biomarker response index and the results of the principal component analysis (PCA) and the hierarchical clustering analysis confirmed the similarity between the responses of animals exposed to different doses of PS NPs. Therefore, our study sheds light on how PS NPs can impact mammals and reinforce the ecotoxicological risk associated with the dispersion of these pollutants in natural environments and their uptake by mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ítalo Nascimento Freitas
- Laboratory of Toxicology Applied to the Environment, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Nabisab Mujawar Mubarak
- Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Md Mostafizur Rahman
- Laboratory of Environmental Health and Ecotoxicology, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh
| | | | | | - Damià Barceló
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003, Girona, Spain; Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), JordiGirona 1826, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Guilherme Malafaia
- Laboratory of Toxicology Applied to the Environment, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Biotechnology and Biodiversity, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
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17
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A circuit from the ventral subiculum to anterior hypothalamic nucleus GABAergic neurons essential for anxiety-like behavioral avoidance. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7464. [PMID: 36463200 PMCID: PMC9719513 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35211-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral observations suggest a connection between anxiety and predator defense, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here we examine the role of the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN), a node in the predator defense network, in anxiety-like behaviors. By in vivo recordings in male mice, we find that activity of AHN GABAergic (AHNVgat+) neurons shows individually stable increases when animals approach unfamiliar objects in an open field (OF) or when they explore the open-arm of an elevated plus-maze (EPM). Moreover, object-evoked AHN activity overlap with predator cue responses and correlate with the object and open-arm avoidance. Crucially, exploration-triggered optogenetic inhibition of AHNVgat+ neurons reduces object and open-arm avoidance. Furthermore, retrograde viral tracing identifies the ventral subiculum (vSub) of the hippocampal formation as a significant input to AHNVgat+ neurons in driving avoidance behaviors in anxiogenic situations. Thus, convergent activation of AHNVgat+ neurons serves as a shared mechanism between anxiety and predator defense to promote behavioral avoidance.
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18
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Catale C, Martini A, Piscitelli RM, Senzasono B, Iacono LL, Mercuri NB, Guatteo E, Carola V. Early-life social stress induces permanent alterations in plasticity and perineuronal nets in the mouse anterior cingulate cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:5763-5783. [PMID: 36117291 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15825] [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: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Child maltreatment disrupts trajectories of brain development, but the underlying pathways are unclear. Stressful stimuli in early life interfere with maturation of local inhibitory circuitry and deposition of perineuronal nets (PNNs), specialized extracellular matrix structures involved in the closure of critical periods of development. Alterations in cortical PNN and parvalbumin (PV) following early-life stress (ELS) have been detected in human and animal studies. Aberrations in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are the most consistent neuroimaging findings in maltreated people, but the molecular mechanisms linking ELS with ACC dysfunctions are unknown. Here, we employed a mouse model of early social threat to test whether ELS experienced in a sensitive period for ACC maturation could induce long-term aberrations of PNN and PV development in the ACC, with consequences on plasticity and ACC-dependent behavior. We found that ELS increased PNN but not PV expression in the ACC of young adult mice. This was associated with reduced frequency of inhibitory postsynaptic currents and long-term potentiation impairments and expression of intense object phobia. Our findings provide information on the long-term effects of ELS on ACC functionality and PNN formation and present evidence for a novel neurobiological pathway underlying the impact of early adversity on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Catale
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Martini
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Maria Piscitelli
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Motor Science and Wellness, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Luisa Lo Iacono
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola B Mercuri
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Ezia Guatteo
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Motor Science and Wellness, Parthenope University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Carola
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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19
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Liu D, Li S, Ren L, Liu X, Li X, Wang Z. Different coding characteristics between flight and freezing in dorsal periaqueductal gray of mice during exposure to innate threats. Animal Model Exp Med 2022; 5:491-501. [PMID: 36225094 PMCID: PMC9773308 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flight and freezing are two vital defensive behaviors that mice display to avoid natural enemies. When they are exposed to innate threats, visual cues are processed and transmitted by the visual system into the emotional nuclei and finally transmitted to the periaqueductal gray (PAG) to induce defensive behaviors. However, how the dorsal PAG (dPAG) encodes the two defensive behaviors is unclear. METHODS Multi-array electrodes were implanted in the dPAG nuclei of C57BL/6 mice. Two kinds of visual stimuli (looming and sweeping) were used to induce defensive behaviors in mice. Neural signals under different defense behaviors were recorded, and the encoding characteristics of the two behaviors were extracted and analyzed from spike firing and frequency oscillations. Finally, synchronization of neural activity during the defense process was analyzed. RESULTS The neural activity between flight and freezing behaviors showed different firing patterns, and the differences in the inter-spike interval distribution were mainly reflected in the 2-10 ms period. The frequency band activities under both defensive behaviors were concentrated in the theta band; the active frequency of flight was ~8 to 10 Hz, whereas that of freezing behavior was ~6 to 8 Hz. The network connection density under both defense behaviors was significantly higher than the period before and after defensive behavior occurred, indicating that there was a high synchronization of neural activity during the defense process. CONCLUSIONS The dPAG nuclei of mice have different coding features between flight and freezing behaviors; during strong looming stimulation, fast neuro-instinctive decision making is required while encountering weak sweeping stimulation, and computable planning late behavior is predicted in the early stage. The frequency band activities under both defensive behaviors were concentrated in the theta band. There was a high synchronization of neural activity during the defense process, which may be a key factor triggering different defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denghui Liu
- School of Electrical and Information EngineeringZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Shouhao Li
- School of Electrical and Information EngineeringZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Liqing Ren
- School of Electrical and Information EngineeringZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Xinyu Liu
- School of Intelligent ManufacturingHuanghuai UniversityZhumadianChina
| | - Xiaoyuan Li
- School of Electrical and Information EngineeringZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Zhenlong Wang
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
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20
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Zambetti PR, Schuessler BP, Lecamp BE, Shin A, Kim EJ, Kim JJ. Ecological analysis of Pavlovian fear conditioning in rats. Commun Biol 2022; 5:830. [PMID: 35982246 PMCID: PMC9388582 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03802-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Pavlovian fear conditioning, which offers the advantage of simplicity in both the control of conditional and unconditional stimuli (CS, US) presentation and the analysis of specific conditional and unconditional responses (CR, UR) in a controlled laboratory setting, has been the standard model in basic and translational fear research. Despite 100 years of experiments, the utility of fear conditioning has not been trans-situationally validated in real-life contexts. We thus investigated whether fear conditioning readily occurs and guides the animal's future behavior in an ecologically-relevant environment. To do so, Long-Evans rats foraging for food in an open arena were presented with a tone CS paired with electric shock US to their dorsal neck/body that instinctively elicited escape UR to the safe nest. On subsequent test days, the tone-shock paired animals failed to exhibit fear CR to the CS. In contrast, animals that encountered a realistic agent of danger (a looming artificial owl) paired with a shock, simulating a plausible predatory strike, instantly fled to the nest when presented with a tone for the first time. These results highlight the possibility of a nonassociative, rather than standard associative, fear process providing survival function in life-threatening situations that animals are likely to encounter in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R Zambetti
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Bryan P Schuessler
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Bryce E Lecamp
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Andrew Shin
- Undergraduate Program in Human Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Eun Joo Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Jeansok J Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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21
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Hoglen NEG, Manoli DS. Cupid's quiver: Integrating sensory cues in rodent mating systems. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:944895. [PMID: 35958042 PMCID: PMC9358210 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.944895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In many animal species, males and females exploit different mating strategies, display sex-typical behaviors, and use distinct systems to recognize ethologically relevant cues. Mate selection thus requires mutual recognition across diverse social interactions based on distinct sensory signals. These sex differences in courtship and mating behaviors correspond to differences in sensory systems and downstream neural substrates engaged to recognize and respond to courtship signals. In many rodents, males tend to rely heavily on volatile olfactory and pheromone cues, while females appear to be guided more by a combination of these chemosensory signals with acoustic cues in the form of ultrasonic vocalizations. The mechanisms by which chemical and acoustic cues are integrated to control behavior are understudied in mating but are known to be important in the control of maternal behaviors. Socially monogamous species constitute a behaviorally distinct group of rodents. In these species, anatomic differences between males and females outside the nervous system are less prominent than in species with non-monogamous mating systems, and both sexes engage in more symmetric social behaviors and form attachments. Nevertheless, despite the apparent similarities in behaviors displayed by monogamous males and females, the circuitry supporting social, mating, and attachment behaviors in these species is increasingly thought to differ between the sexes. Sex differences in sensory modalities most important for mate recognition in across species are of particular interest and present a wealth of questions yet to be answered. Here, we discuss how distinct sensory cues may be integrated to drive social and attachment behaviors in rodents, and the differing roles of specific sensory systems in eliciting displays of behavior by females or males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerissa E G Hoglen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Devanand S Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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22
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Katreddi RR, Taroc EZM, Hicks SM, Lin JM, Liu S, Xiang M, Forni PE. Notch signaling determines cell-fate specification of the two main types of vomeronasal neurons of rodents. Development 2022; 149:dev200448. [PMID: 35781337 PMCID: PMC9340558 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The ability of terrestrial vertebrates to find food and mating partners, and to avoid predators, relies on the detection of chemosensory information. Semiochemicals responsible for social and sexual behaviors are detected by chemosensory neurons of the vomeronasal organ (VNO), which transmits information to the accessory olfactory bulb. The vomeronasal sensory epithelium of most mammalian species contains a uniform vomeronasal system; however, rodents and marsupials have developed a more complex binary vomeronasal system, containing vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) expressing receptors of either the V1R or V2R family. In rodents, V1R/apical and V2R/basal VSNs originate from a common pool of progenitors. Using single cell RNA-sequencing, we identified differential expression of Notch1 receptor and Dll4 ligand between the neuronal precursors at the VSN differentiation dichotomy. Our experiments show that Notch signaling is required for effective differentiation of V2R/basal VSNs. In fact, Notch1 loss of function in neuronal progenitors diverts them to the V1R/apical fate, whereas Notch1 gain of function redirects precursors to V2R/basal. Our results indicate that Notch signaling plays a pivotal role in triggering the binary differentiation dichotomy in the VNO of rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghu Ram Katreddi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
- The Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Ed Zandro M. Taroc
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
- The Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Sawyer M. Hicks
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
- The Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Shuting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Paolo E. Forni
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
- The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
- The Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
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Task D, Lin CC, Vulpe A, Afify A, Ballou S, Brbic M, Schlegel P, Raji J, Jefferis GSXE, Li H, Menuz K, Potter CJ. Chemoreceptor co-expression in Drosophila melanogaster olfactory neurons. eLife 2022; 11:e72599. [PMID: 35442190 PMCID: PMC9020824 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster olfactory neurons have long been thought to express only one chemosensory receptor gene family. There are two main olfactory receptor gene families in Drosophila, the odorant receptors (ORs) and the ionotropic receptors (IRs). The dozens of odorant-binding receptors in each family require at least one co-receptor gene in order to function: Orco for ORs, and Ir25a, Ir8a, and Ir76b for IRs. Using a new genetic knock-in strategy, we targeted the four co-receptors representing the main chemosensory families in D. melanogaster (Orco, Ir8a, Ir76b, Ir25a). Co-receptor knock-in expression patterns were verified as accurate representations of endogenous expression. We find extensive overlap in expression among the different co-receptors. As defined by innervation into antennal lobe glomeruli, Ir25a is broadly expressed in 88% of all olfactory sensory neuron classes and is co-expressed in 82% of Orco+ neuron classes, including all neuron classes in the maxillary palp. Orco, Ir8a, and Ir76b expression patterns are also more expansive than previously assumed. Single sensillum recordings from Orco-expressing Ir25a mutant antennal and palpal neurons identify changes in olfactory responses. We also find co-expression of Orco and Ir25a in Drosophila sechellia and Anopheles coluzzii olfactory neurons. These results suggest that co-expression of chemosensory receptors is common in insect olfactory neurons. Together, our data present the first comprehensive map of chemosensory co-receptor expression and reveal their unexpected widespread co-expression in the fly olfactory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Task
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Chun-Chieh Lin
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Mortimer B. Zuckermann Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Alina Vulpe
- Physiology & Neurobiology Department, University of ConnecticutMansfieldUnited States
| | - Ali Afify
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Sydney Ballou
- Physiology & Neurobiology Department, University of ConnecticutMansfieldUnited States
| | - Maria Brbic
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Philipp Schlegel
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Joshua Raji
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Gregory SXE Jefferis
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Hongjie Li
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Karen Menuz
- Physiology & Neurobiology Department, University of ConnecticutMansfieldUnited States
| | - Christopher J Potter
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
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Coria-Avila GA, Pfaus JG, Orihuela A, Domínguez-Oliva A, José-Pérez N, Hernández LA, Mota-Rojas D. The Neurobiology of Behavior and Its Applicability for Animal Welfare: A Review. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12070928. [PMID: 35405916 PMCID: PMC8997080 DOI: 10.3390/ani12070928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Animal welfare is the result of physical and psychological well-being and is expected to occur if animals are free: (1) from hunger, thirst and malnutrition, (2) from discomfort, (3) from pain, (4) to express normal behavior, and (5) from fear and distress. Nevertheless, well-being is not a constant state but rather the result of certain brain dynamics underlying innate motivated behaviors and learned responses. Thus, by understanding the foundations of the neurobiology of behavior we fathom how emotions and well-being occur in the brain. Herein, we discuss the potential applicability of this approach for animal welfare. First, we provide a general view of the basic responses coordinated by the central nervous system from the processing of internal and external stimuli. Then, we discuss how those stimuli mediate activity in seven neurobiological systems that evoke innate emotional and behavioral responses that directly influence well-being and biological fitness. Finally, we discuss the basic mechanisms of learning and how it affects motivated responses and welfare. Abstract Understanding the foundations of the neurobiology of behavior and well-being can help us better achieve animal welfare. Behavior is the expression of several physiological, endocrine, motor and emotional responses that are coordinated by the central nervous system from the processing of internal and external stimuli. In mammals, seven basic emotional systems have been described that when activated by the right stimuli evoke positive or negative innate responses that evolved to facilitate biological fitness. This review describes the process of how those neurobiological systems can directly influence animal welfare. We also describe examples of the interaction between primary (innate) and secondary (learned) processes that influence behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genaro A. Coria-Avila
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Avenida Luis Castelazo S/N, Col. Industrial Ánimas, Xalapa 91190, Mexico;
- Correspondence: (G.A.C.-A.); (D.M.-R.)
| | - James G. Pfaus
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Avenida Luis Castelazo S/N, Col. Industrial Ánimas, Xalapa 91190, Mexico;
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Charles University, 182 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- Czech National Institute of Mental Health, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Agustín Orihuela
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca 62209, Mexico;
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (A.D.-O.); (N.J.-P.); (L.A.H.)
| | - Nancy José-Pérez
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (A.D.-O.); (N.J.-P.); (L.A.H.)
| | - Laura Astrid Hernández
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (A.D.-O.); (N.J.-P.); (L.A.H.)
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (A.D.-O.); (N.J.-P.); (L.A.H.)
- Correspondence: (G.A.C.-A.); (D.M.-R.)
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25
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Jovanovic P, Riera CE. Olfactory system and energy metabolism: a two-way street. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2022; 33:281-291. [PMID: 35177346 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2022.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory perception guides daily decisions regarding food consumption, social interactions, and predator avoidance in all mammalian species. Volatile inputs, comprising odorants and pheromones, are relayed to the olfactory bulb (OB) from nasal sensory neurons cells and transferred to secondary processing regions within the brain. Olfaction has recently been shown to shape homeostatic and maladaptive processes of energy intake and expenditure through neuronal circuits involving the medial basal hypothalamus. Reciprocally, gastrointestinal hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin, the secretion of which depends on satiety and adiposity levels, might also influence olfactory sensitivity to alter food-seeking behaviors. Here, in addition to reviewing recent updates on identifying these neuronal networks, we also discuss how bidirectional neurocircuits existing between olfactory and energy processing centers can become dysregulated during obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Predrag Jovanovic
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Department and Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Celine E Riera
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Department and Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Movement Disorder Program, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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26
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Virtanen T. Inhalant Mammal-Derived Lipocalin Allergens and the Innate Immunity. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2022; 2:824736. [PMID: 35387007 PMCID: PMC8974866 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2021.824736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A major part of important mammalian respiratory allergens belongs to the lipocalin family of proteins. By this time, 19 respiratory mammalian lipocalin allergens have been registered in the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Database. Originally, lipocalins, small extracellular proteins (molecular mass ca. 20 kDa), were characterized as transport proteins but they are currently known to exert a variety of biological functions. The three-dimensional structure of lipocalins is well-preserved, and lipocalin allergens can exhibit high amino acid identities, in several cases more than 50%. Lipocalins contain an internal ligand-binding site where they can harbor small principally hydrophobic molecules. Another characteristic feature is their capacity to bind to specific cell-surface receptors. In all, the physicochemical properties of lipocalin allergens do not offer any straightforward explanations for their allergenicity. Allergic sensitization begins at epithelial barriers where diverse insults through pattern recognition receptors awaken innate immunity. This front-line response is manifested by epithelial barrier-associated cytokines which together with other components of immunity can initiate the sensitization process. In the following, the crucial factor in allergic sensitization is interleukin (IL)-4 which is needed for stabilizing and promoting the type 2 immune response. The source for IL-4 has been searched widely. Candidates for it may be non-professional antigen-presenting cells, such as basophils or mast cells, as well as CD4+ T cells. The synthesis of IL-4 by CD4+ T cells requires T cell receptor engagement, i.e., the recognition of allergen peptides, which also provides the specificity for sensitization. Lipocalin and innate immunity-associated cell-surface receptors are implicated in facilitating the access of lipocalin allergens into the immune system. However, the significance of this for allergic sensitization is unclear, as the recognition by these receptors has been found to produce conflicting results. As to potential adjuvants associated with mammalian lipocalin allergens, the hydrophobic ligands transported by lipocalins have not been reported to enhance sensitization while it is justified to suppose that lipopolysaccharide plays a role in it. Taken together, type 2 immunity to lipocalin allergens appears to be a harmful immune response resulting from a combination of signals involving both the innate and adaptive immunities.
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27
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Mechanically evoked defensive attack is controlled by GABAergic neurons in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:72-85. [PMID: 34980925 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00985-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Innate defensive behaviors triggered by environmental threats are important for animal survival. Among these behaviors, defensive attack toward threatening stimuli (for example, predators) is often the last line of defense. How the brain regulates defensive attack remains poorly understood. Here we show that noxious mechanical force in an inescapable context is a key stimulus for triggering defensive attack in laboratory mice. Mechanically evoked defensive attacks were abrogated by photoinhibition of vGAT+ neurons in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN). The vGAT+ AHN neurons encoded the intensity of mechanical force and were innervated by brain areas relevant to pain and attack. Activation of these neurons triggered biting attacks toward a predator while suppressing ongoing behaviors. The projection from vGAT+ AHN neurons to the periaqueductal gray might be one AHN pathway participating in mechanically evoked defensive attack. Together, these data reveal that vGAT+ AHN neurons encode noxious mechanical stimuli and regulate defensive attack in mice.
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28
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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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Beckmann S, Avila P, Farrell T. Effect of native and non-native snake scents on foraging activity of native rodents in Florida. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Rodents use direct and/or indirect cues of predators to assess predation risk. The responses to these cues are well studied with regard to mammalian predators, but less understood with regard to reptilian predators. These responses are of particular importance in tropical and subtropical regions where reptile diversity is high and the likelihood of establishment of invasive reptilian predators also is high. We hypothesized that rodents would respond to direct scent cues of snake predators and that rodents would show greater aversion to scents of native snake predators than non-native snake predators. To assess this, scents of three snake species, two native and one non-native, and a non-snake control odor were distributed in Sherman live traps using a randomized block design. A total of 69 rodents representing four species were captured. Responses varied by species reinforcing that some species utilize indirect cues to assess predation risk, whereas others use direct cues. Moreover, one species (Neotoma floridana) showed a preference for non-native Python scent, indicating a lack of the appropriate anti-predator behavior, suggesting that some native rodents are more at risk of attack from invasive snakes than other native rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Beckmann
- Department of Biology, Stetson University, DeLand, FL, USA
| | - Paloma Avila
- Department of Biology, Stetson University, DeLand, FL, USA
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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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Lucarelli V, Colbert D, Li S, Cumming M, Linklater W, Mitchell J, Travas-Sejdic J, Kralicek A. Selection and characterization of DNA aptamers for the rat major urinary protein 13 (MUP13) as selective biorecognition elements for sensitive detection of rat pests. Talanta 2021; 240:123073. [PMID: 35026634 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.123073] [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: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Among invasive mammalian predators, rats represent a major threat, endangering ecosystem functioning worldwide. After rat-control operations, detecting their continued presence or reinvasion requires more sensitive and lower cost detection technologies. Here, we develop a new sensing paradigm by using a specific rat urine biomarker (MUP13) to unambiguously signal the presence of rats. As the first step towards a new remote surveillance technology, aptamers were selected to MUP13 using the Flu-Mag SELEX method. Six aptamer candidates were initially screened by dot blot and two of them (Apt-2.5 and Apt-1.4) exhibited high affinity and specificity. Both aptamers were further characterized by bead-based assay to confirm affinity and selectivity. The lead aptamer candidates were then applied to fluorescence anisotropy (FA) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensor platforms, showing dissociation constants in the nanomolar range and high specificity towards their target. The SPR biosensor had limits of detection of 13.8 and 7.5 nM for Apt-2.5 and Apt-1.4, respectively, which are more than three orders of magnitude lower than the physiological concentrations found in rat urine. Selectivity of the aptamers, when comparing with other major urinary proteins, was excellent, indicating strong efficacy in specific detection of rats. In order to validate the aptamer Apt-2.5 for use with real world samples a FA-based assay was performed on a rat urine sample. The assay showed that the aptamer could detect recombinant MUP13 spiked in filtered urine and the natural MUP13 in unfiltered urine, as a first step into translation to real world application. These are the first known assays to detect and quantify a MUP biomarker of rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lucarelli
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand; Polymer Biointerface Centre, School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand; MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - Damon Colbert
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Shiwei Li
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Mathew Cumming
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Wayne Linklater
- Department of Environmental Studies, California State University, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - John Mitchell
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Jadranka Travas-Sejdic
- Polymer Biointerface Centre, School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand; MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand.
| | - Andrew Kralicek
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
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Sex Differences in Mouse Exploratory Behaviour to Fel d 1, a Cat ABP-Like Protein. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113149. [PMID: 34827881 PMCID: PMC8614430 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Fel d 1 is a cat secreted protein, known as the main cat allergen, that is abundantly released and found in their habitat. Cats are one of the main predators of rodents and have been historically used to control rodent populations in human habitats. We assumed that laboratory mice, as a model of wild mice, would be able to detect and avoid this abundant cat molecule as a mechanism to increase chances of survival. In our study, we compared mice exploratory behaviours facing Fel d 1, a fox faeces molecule (TMT) as a positive control, and a negative control (purified water). We found that mice did not avoid Fel d 1 as we expected; however, male mice remained in the area with Fel d 1 longer than females. These results give interesting insights about how sexes can react differently to a predator stimulus and give support to the use of both sexes in behavioural studies, and more precisely in predator-prey interactions research Abstract Fel d 1 is a cat protein abundantly released and found in their habitat and is closely related to mouse androgen-binding proteins (ABPs). We hypothesized that mice have developed chemical communication mechanisms to detect and avoid this protein. We tested purified natural Fel d 1, a fox faeces molecule (TMT) as a positive control, and a negative control (purified water) in three different mouse groups (n = 14 each) to evaluate exploratory behaviour and stress responses. The mice did not show clear avoidance or stress responses to Fel d 1. Our results demonstrated a sex-treatment interaction for Fel d 1, with males spending more time in the areas treated with Fel d 1 than in the untreated areas (p = 0.018). This sex-treated area interaction was also not observed for either the blank or TMT. These results suggest that Fel d 1 from domestic cats could be recognized differently by male and female mice. These sex differences could be linked to the sexual role of ABP proteins and the ABP-like characteristics of Fel d 1.
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Stopková R, Otčenášková T, Matějková T, Kuntová B, Stopka P. Biological Roles of Lipocalins in Chemical Communication, Reproduction, and Regulation of Microbiota. Front Physiol 2021; 12:740006. [PMID: 34594242 PMCID: PMC8476925 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.740006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Major evolutionary transitions were always accompanied by genetic remodelling of phenotypic traits. For example, the vertebrate transition from water to land was accompanied by rapid evolution of olfactory receptors and by the expansion of genes encoding lipocalins, which - due to their transporting functions - represent an important interface between the external and internal organic world of an individual and also within an individual. Similarly, some lipocalin genes were lost along other genes when this transition went in the opposite direction leading, for example, to cetaceans. In terrestrial vertebrates, lipocalins are involved in the transport of lipophilic substances, chemical signalling, odour reception, antimicrobial defence and background odour clearance during ventilation. Many ancestral lipocalins have clear physiological functions across the vertebrate taxa while many other have - due to pleiotropic effects of their genes - multiple or complementary functions within the body homeostasis and development. The aim of this review is to deconstruct the physiological functions of lipocalins in light of current OMICs techniques. We concentrated on major findings in the house mouse in comparison to other model taxa (e.g., voles, humans, and birds) in which all or most coding genes within their genomes were repeatedly sequenced and their annotations are sufficiently informative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romana Stopková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, Czechia
| | - Tereza Otčenášková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, Czechia
| | - Tereza Matějková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, Czechia
| | - Barbora Kuntová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, Czechia
| | - Pavel Stopka
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, Czechia
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A test of the use of gray wolf (Canis lupus) urine to reduce coyote (Canis latrans) depredation rates on loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nests. J Nat Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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The diversity of lipocalin receptors. Biochimie 2021; 192:22-29. [PMID: 34534611 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2021.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Lipocalins are important carriers of preferentially hydrophobic molecules, but they can also bind other ligands, like highly polar siderophores or intact proteins. Consequently, they are involved in a variety of physiological processes in many species. Since lipocalins are mainly extracellular proteins, they have to interact with cell receptors to exert their biological effects. In contrast to the large number of lipocalins identified in the last years, the number of receptors known is still limited. Nevertheless, some novel findings concerning the molecules involved in cellular uptake or signaling effects of lipocalins have been made recently. This review presents a detailed overview of the receptors identified so far. The methods used for isolation or identification are described and structural as well as functional information on these proteins is presented essentially in chronological order of their initial discovery.
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Mareckova K, Marecek R, Andryskova L, Brazdil M, Nikolova YS. Impact of prenatal stress on amygdala anatomy in young adulthood: Timing and location matter. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 7:231-238. [PMID: 34358683 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to maternal stress in utero has long-term implications for the developing brain and has been linked with a higher risk of depression. The amygdala, which develops during the early embryonic stage and is critical for emotion processing, might be particularly sensitive. METHODS Using data from a neuroimaging follow-up of the ELSPAC prenatal birth cohort (n=129, 47% men, 23-24 years old), we studied the impact of prenatal stress during the first and second half of pregnancy on the volume of the amygdala and its nuclei in young adult offspring. We further evaluated the relationship between amygdala anatomy and offspring depressive symptomatology. Amygdala nuclei were parcellated using FreeSurfer's automated segmentation pipeline. Depressive symptoms were measured via self-report using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS Exposure to stress during the first half of pregnancy was associated with smaller accessory basal (Cohen's f2=0.27, p(FDR)=0.03) and cortical (Cohen's f2=0.29, p(FDR)=0.03) nuclei volumes. This effect remained significant after correcting for sex, stress during the second half of pregnancy, as well as maternal age at birth, birth weight, maternal education, and offspring's age at MRI. These two nuclei showed a quadratic relationship with BDI scores in young adulthood, where both smaller and larger volume was associated with more depressive symptoms (Accessory basal nucleus: Adj R2=0.05. p(FDR)=0.015; Cortical nucleus: Adj R2=0.04, p(FDR)=0.015). CONCLUSIONS We conclude that exposure to stress during the first half of pregnancy might have long-term implications for amygdala anatomy, which may in turn predict the experience of depressive symptoms in young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Mareckova
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Radek Marecek
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Andryskova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Brazdil
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Yuliya S Nikolova
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Bansal R, Nagel M, Stopkova R, Sofer Y, Kimchi T, Stopka P, Spehr M, Ben-Shaul Y. Do all mice smell the same? Chemosensory cues from inbred and wild mouse strains elicit stereotypic sensory representations in the accessory olfactory bulb. BMC Biol 2021; 19:133. [PMID: 34182994 PMCID: PMC8240315 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01064-7] [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: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background For many animals, chemosensory cues are vital for social and defensive interactions and are primarily detected and processed by the vomeronasal system (VNS). These cues are often inherently associated with ethological meaning, leading to stereotyped behaviors. Thus, one would expect consistent representation of these stimuli across different individuals. However, individuals may express different arrays of vomeronasal sensory receptors and may vary in the pattern of connections between those receptors and projection neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). In the first part of this study, we address the ability of individuals to form consistent representations despite these potential sources of variability. The second part of our study is motivated by the fact that the majority of research on VNS physiology involves the use of stimuli derived from inbred animals. Yet, it is unclear whether neuronal representations of inbred-derived stimuli are similar to those of more ethologically relevant wild-derived stimuli. Results First, we compared sensory representations to inbred, wild-derived, and wild urine stimuli in the AOBs of males from two distinct inbred strains, using them as proxies for individuals. We found a remarkable similarity in stimulus representations across the two strains. Next, we compared AOB neuronal responses to inbred, wild-derived, and wild stimuli, again using male inbred mice as subjects. Employing various measures of neuronal activity, we show that wild-derived and wild stimuli elicit responses that are broadly similar to those from inbred stimuli: they are not considerably stronger or weaker, they show similar levels of sexual dimorphism, and when examining population-level activity, cluster with inbred mouse stimuli. Conclusions Despite strain-specific differences and apparently random connectivity, the AOB can maintain stereotypic sensory representations for broad stimulus categories, providing a substrate for common stereotypical behaviors. In addition, despite many generations of inbreeding, AOB representations capture the key ethological features (i.e., species and sex) of wild-derived and wild counterparts. Beyond these broad similarities, representations of stimuli from wild mice are nevertheless distinct from those elicited by inbred mouse stimuli, suggesting that laboratory inbreeding has indeed resulted in marked modifications of urinary secretions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01064-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohini Bansal
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Maximilian Nagel
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Romana Stopkova
- BIOCEV group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Yizhak Sofer
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Pavel Stopka
- BIOCEV group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marc Spehr
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Yoram Ben-Shaul
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Niimura Y, Tsunoda M, Kato S, Murata K, Yanagawa T, Suzuki S, Touhara K. Origin and Evolution of the Gene Family of Proteinaceous Pheromones, the Exocrine Gland-Secreting Peptides, in Rodents. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:634-649. [PMID: 32961551 PMCID: PMC7826187 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The exocrine-gland secreting peptide (ESP)gene family encodes proteinaceous pheromones that are recognized by the vomeronasal organ in mice. For example, ESP1 is a male pheromone secreted in tear fluid that regulates socio-sexual behavior, and ESP22 is a juvenile pheromone that suppresses adult sexual behavior. The family consists of multiple genes and has been identified only in mouse and rat genomes. The coding region of a mouse ESP gene is separated into two exons, each encoding signal and mature sequences. Here, we report the origin and evolution of the ESP gene family. ESP genes were found only in the Muridea and Cricetidae families of rodents, suggesting a recent origin of ESP genes in the common ancestor of murids and cricetids. ESP genes show a great diversity in number, length, and sequence among different species as well as mouse strains. Some ESPs in rats and golden hamsters are expressed in the lacrimal gland and the salivary gland. We also found that a mature sequence of an ESP gene showed overall sequence similarity to the α-globin gene. The ancestral ESP gene seems to be generated by recombination of a retrotransposed α-globin gene with the signal-encoding exon of the CRISP2 gene located adjacent to the ESP gene cluster. This study provides an intriguing example of molecular tinkering in rapidly evolving species-specific proteinaceous pheromone genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihito Niimura
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mai Tsunoda
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sari Kato
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken Murata
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taichi Yanagawa
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shunta Suzuki
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazushige Touhara
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Institutes for Advanced Study, International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Villamayor PR, Robledo D, Fernández C, Gullón J, Quintela L, Sánchez-Quinteiro P, Martínez P. Analysis of the vomeronasal organ transcriptome reveals variable gene expression depending on age and function in rabbits. Genomics 2021; 113:2240-2252. [PMID: 34015461 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a chemosensory organ specialized in pheromone detection that shows a broad morphofunctional and genomic diversity among mammals. However, its expression patterns have only been well-characterized in mice. Here, we provide the first comprehensive RNA sequencing study of the rabbit VNO across gender and sexual maturation stages. We characterized the VNO transcriptome, updating the number and expression of the two main vomeronasal receptor families, including 128 V1Rs and 67 V2Rs. Further, we defined the expression of formyl-peptide receptor and transient receptor potential channel families, both known to have specific roles in the VNO. Several sex hormone-related pathways were consistently enriched in the VNO, highlighting the relevance of this organ in reproduction. Moreover, whereas juvenile and adult VNOs showed significant transcriptome differences, male and female did not. Overall, these results contribute to understand the genomic basis of behavioural responses mediated by the VNO in a non-rodent model.
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Affiliation(s)
- P R Villamayor
- Department of Zoology Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain; Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - D Robledo
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - C Fernández
- Department of Zoology Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - J Gullón
- Conejos Gallegos, COGAL SL, Rodeiro, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - L Quintela
- Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - P Sánchez-Quinteiro
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain.
| | - P Martínez
- Department of Zoology Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
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Deconstructing the mouse olfactory percept through an ethological atlas. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2809-2818.e3. [PMID: 33957076 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Odor perception in non-humans is poorly understood. Here, we generated the most comprehensive mouse olfactory ethological atlas to date, consisting of behavioral responses to a diverse panel of 73 odorants, including 12 at multiple concentrations. These data revealed that mouse behavior is incredibly diverse and changes in response to odorant identity and concentration. Using only behavioral responses observed in other mice, we could predict which of two odorants was presented to a held-out mouse 82% of the time. Considering all 73 possible odorants, we could uniquely identify the target odorant from behavior on the first try 20% of the time and 46% within five attempts. Although mouse behavior is difficult to predict from human perception, they share three fundamental properties: first, odor valence parameters explained the highest variance of olfactory perception. Second, physicochemical properties of odorants can be used to predict the olfactory percept. Third, odorant concentration quantitatively and qualitatively impacts olfactory perception. These results increase our understanding of mouse olfactory behavior and how it compares to human odor perception and provide a template for future comparative studies of olfactory percepts among species.
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Engelke DS, Zhang XO, O'Malley JJ, Fernandez-Leon JA, Li S, Kirouac GJ, Beierlein M, Do-Monte FH. A hypothalamic-thalamostriatal circuit that controls approach-avoidance conflict in rats. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2517. [PMID: 33947849 PMCID: PMC8097010 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22730-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Survival depends on a balance between seeking rewards and avoiding potential threats, but the neural circuits that regulate this motivational conflict remain largely unknown. Using an approach-food vs. avoid-predator threat conflict test in rats, we identified a subpopulation of neurons in the anterior portion of the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (aPVT) which express corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and are preferentially recruited during conflict. Inactivation of aPVTCRF neurons during conflict biases animal's response toward food, whereas activation of these cells recapitulates the food-seeking suppression observed during conflict. aPVTCRF neurons project densely to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and activity in this pathway reduces food seeking and increases avoidance. In addition, we identified the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) as a critical input to aPVTCRF neurons, and demonstrated that VMH-aPVT neurons mediate defensive behaviors exclusively during conflict. Together, our findings describe a hypothalamic-thalamostriatal circuit that suppresses reward-seeking behavior under the competing demands of avoiding threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Engelke
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - X O Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J J O'Malley
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J A Fernandez-Leon
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S Li
- Department of Oral Biol., University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - G J Kirouac
- Department of Oral Biol., University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - M Beierlein
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - F H Do-Monte
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Katreddi RR, Forni PE. Mechanisms underlying pre- and postnatal development of the vomeronasal organ. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:5069-5082. [PMID: 33871676 PMCID: PMC8254721 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03829-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is sensory organ located in the ventral region of the nasal cavity in rodents. The VNO develops from the olfactory placode during the secondary invagination of olfactory pit. The embryonic vomeronasal structure appears as a neurogenic area where migratory neuronal populations like endocrine gonadotropin-releasing hormone-1 (GnRH-1) neurons form. Even though embryonic vomeronasal structures are conserved across most vertebrate species, many species including humans do not have a functional VNO after birth. The vomeronasal epithelium (VNE) of rodents is composed of two major types of vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs): (1) VSNs distributed in the apical VNE regions that express vomeronasal type-1 receptors (V1Rs) and the G protein subunit Gαi2, and (2) VSNs in the basal territories of the VNE that express vomeronasal type-2 receptors (V2Rs) and the G subunit Gαo. Recent studies identified a third subclass of Gαi2 and Gαo VSNs that express the formyl peptide receptor family. VSNs expressing V1Rs or V2Rs send their axons to distinct regions of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Together, VNO and AOB form the accessory olfactory system (AOS), an olfactory subsystem that coordinates the social and sexual behaviors of many vertebrate species. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie VNO development. We also discuss open questions for study, which we suggest will further enhance our understanding of VNO morphogenesis at embryonic and postnatal stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghu Ram Katreddi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Neuroscience Research, The RNA Institute, University At Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Paolo E Forni
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Neuroscience Research, The RNA Institute, University At Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA.
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Coyote urine, but not 2-phenylethylamine, induces a complete profile of unconditioned anti-predator defensive behaviors. Physiol Behav 2021; 229:113210. [PMID: 33068564 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Predator odors from various sources (e.g. fur/skin, urine, feces) provide prey animals valuable information that allows them to gage potential environmental threat via the detection of semiochemicals called kairomones. However, studies in rodents have revealed inconsistent and often conflicting results, which may occur from any combination of factors, including source and freshness of the odorant, sex, and genetic strain of the prey animal and/or predator. Regardless of cause, few odorants tested, if any, have lived up to the potent unconditioned predator odor stimuli - cat fur/skin odor - that induces a complete profile of innate unconditioned defensive behaviors (e.g., avoidance, risk assessment and freezing) and produces rapid aversive conditioned responses, both of which are sensitive to standard anxiolytic/anxiogenic drugs. Therefore, the present study investigated the effectiveness of coyote urine and 2-phenylethylamine (PEA), two commercially available predator odor cues, in satisfying the first of these criteria in predator odor naïve, adult male Long-Evans hooded rats. The data revealed that coyote urine, but not PEA, was effective in inducing a complete profile of anti-predator defensive behaviors characterized by avoidance, risk assessment, freezing and a reduction in exploratory behavior. We conclude that commercially available coyote urine satisfies the first criterion of a defense inducing unconditioned predator odor stimulus. In order to fully validate the use of coyote urine as an anxiety- and/or fear-like threat stimulus, future research needs to examine whether it produces aversive conditioning and whether the defensive profile induced by the odorant responds to standard anxiolytic drugs.
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From immune to olfactory expression: neofunctionalization of formyl peptide receptors. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:387-393. [PMID: 33452930 PMCID: PMC7873101 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03393-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Variations in gene expression patterns represent a powerful source of evolutionary innovation. In a rodent living about 70 million years ago, a genomic accident led an immune formyl peptide receptor (FPR) gene to hijack a vomeronasal receptor regulatory sequence. This gene shuffling event forced an immune pathogen sensor to transition into an olfactory chemoreceptor, which thus moved from sensing the internal world to probing the outside world. We here discuss the evolution of the FPR gene family, the events that led to their neofunctionalization in the vomeronasal organ and the functions of immune and vomeronasal FPRs.
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Tirindelli R. Coding of pheromones by vomeronasal receptors. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:367-386. [PMID: 33433690 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03376-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Communication between individuals is critical for species survival, reproduction, and expansion. Most terrestrial species, with the exception of humans who predominantly use vision and phonation to create their social network, rely on the detection and decoding of olfactory signals, which are widely known as pheromones. These chemosensory cues originate from bodily fluids, causing attractive or avoidance behaviors in subjects of the same species. Intraspecific pheromone signaling is then crucial to identify sex, social ranking, individuality, and health status, thus establishing hierarchies and finalizing the most efficient reproductive strategies. Indeed, all these features require fine tuning of the olfactory systems to detect molecules containing this information. To cope with this complexity of signals, tetrapods have developed dedicated olfactory subsystems that refer to distinct peripheral sensory detectors, called the main olfactory and the vomeronasal organ, and two minor structures, namely the septal organ of Masera and the Grueneberg ganglion. Among these, the vomeronasal organ plays the most remarkable role in pheromone coding by mediating several behavioral outcomes that are critical for species conservation and amplification. In rodents, this organ is organized into two segregated neuronal subsets that express different receptor families. To some extent, this dichotomic organization is preserved in higher projection areas of the central nervous system, suggesting, at first glance, distinct functions for these two neuronal pathways. Here, I will specifically focus on this issue and discuss the role of vomeronasal receptors in mediating important innate behavioral effects through the recognition of pheromones and other biological chemosignals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Tirindelli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno, 39, 43125, Parma, Italy.
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Nakahara TS, Carvalho VMDA, Souza MADA, Trintinalia GZ, Papes F. Detection of Activated Mouse Neurons with Temporal Resolution via Dual c-Fos Staining. STAR Protoc 2020; 1:100153. [PMID: 33377047 PMCID: PMC7757322 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2020.100153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This protocol combines fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunostaining to simultaneously detect, in histological sections from the same animal, subpopulations of neurons activated after two episodes of sensory stimulation. It allows the identification of groups of cells singly activated by either stimulus or co-activated by both stimuli. Our method results in nuclear staining for c-Fos mRNA and c-Fos protein, allowing better spatial and temporal resolution than previously published protocols, although it requires quick brain fixation. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Carvalho et al. (2015, 2020).
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Seike Nakahara
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Vinicius Miessler de Andrade Carvalho
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Mateus Augusto de Andrade Souza
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Ziegler Trintinalia
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Fabio Papes
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil
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Ligabue-Braun R. Hello, kitty: could cat allergy be a form of intoxication? J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2020; 26:e20200051. [PMID: 33456448 PMCID: PMC7781471 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The relationship between slow loris (Nycticebus spp.) venom (BGE protein) and the major cat allergen (Fel d 1) from domestic cat (Felis catus) is known for about two decades. Along this time, evidence was accumulated regarding convergences between them, including their almost identical mode of action. Methods Large-scale database mining for Fel d 1 and BGE proteins in Felidae and Nycticebus spp., alignment, phylogeny proposition and molecular modelling, associated with directed literature review were assessed. Results Fel d 1 sequences for 28 non-domestic felids were identified, along with two additional loris BGE protein sequences. Dimer interfaces are less conserved among sequences, and the chain 1 shows more sequence similarity than chain 2. Post-translational modification similarities are highly probable. Conclusions Fel d 1 functions beyond allergy are discussed, considering the great conservation of felid orthologs of this protein. Reasons for toxicity being found only in domestic cats are proposed in the context of domestication. The combination of the literature review, genome-derived sequence data, and comparisons with the venomous primate slow loris may point to domestic cats as potentially poisonous mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Ligabue-Braun
- Department of Pharmacosciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomone. BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2020.104161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Levy DR, Sofer Y, Brumfeld V, Zilkha N, Kimchi T. The Nasopalatine Ducts Are Required for Proper Pheromone Signaling in Mice. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:585323. [PMID: 33328853 PMCID: PMC7710809 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.585323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The vomeronasal organ (VNO) specializes in detection of chemosignals, mainly pheromones, which control social communication and reproduction in many mammals. These pheromones must solubilize with nasal fluids before entering the VNO, and it was suggested that they are delivered to and cleared from the VNO by active pumping. Yet, the details of this pheromone delivery process are unclear. In this study, we first constructed a high-resolution 3D morphological image of the whole adult mouse snout, by using ultra-high-resolution micro-CT. We identified a net of micro tunnels starting from the nostrils and extending around and through the VNO. These micro tunnels connect the nasal cavity with the VNO and the oral cavity via the nasopalatine ducts (NPD). Other micro tunnels connect the nasal cavity to the main olfactory epithelium. We next demonstrated that physical obstruction of the NPD severely impairs the clearance of dissolved compounds from the VNO lumen. Moreover, we found that mice with blocked NPD display alterations in chemosignaling-evoked neuronal activation in brain regions associated with the vomeronasal system. Finally, NPD-blocked male mice exhibit reduced preference for female chemosignals, and impaired social interaction behavior. Taken together, our findings indicate that the NPD in mice are connected to both the nasal and oral cavity, serving an essential role in regulating the flow of soluble chemosignals through the VNO, and are required for proper pheromone-mediated social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Rubi Levy
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yizhak Sofer
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Vlad Brumfeld
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Noga Zilkha
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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Nakahara TS, Camargo AP, Magalhães PHM, Souza MAA, Ribeiro PG, Martins-Netto PH, Carvalho VMA, José J, Papes F. Peripheral oxytocin injection modulates vomeronasal sensory activity and reduces pup-directed aggression in male mice. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19943. [PMID: 33203885 PMCID: PMC7673031 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77061-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Behaviors are shaped by hormones, which may act either by changing brain circuits or by modifying sensory detection of relevant cues. Pup-directed behaviors have been previously shown to change via action of hormones at the brain level. Here, we investigated hormonal control of pup-induced activity in the vomeronasal organ, an olfactory sensory structure involved in the detection of non-volatile chemosignals. Vomeronasal activity decreases as males switch from a pup-aggressive state to a non-aggressive parenting state, after they socially contact a female. RNA sequencing, qPCR, and in situ hybridization were used to identify expression, in the vomeronasal sensory epithelium, of candidate GPCR hormone receptors chosen by in silico analyses and educated guesses. After identifying that oxytocin and vasopressin receptors are expressed in the vomeronasal organ, we injected the corresponding hormones in mice and showed that oxytocin administration reduced both pup-induced vomeronasal activity and aggressive behavior. Conversely, injection of an oxytocin receptor antagonist in female-primed male animals, which normally exhibit reduced vomeronasal activity, significantly increased the number of active vomeronasal neurons. These data link oxytocin to the modulation of olfactory sensory activity, providing a possible mechanism for changes in male behavior after social experience with females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago S Nakahara
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Antonio P Camargo
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Pedro H M Magalhães
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Mateus A A Souza
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Pedro G Ribeiro
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Paulo H Martins-Netto
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Vinicius M A Carvalho
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Juliana José
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Fabio Papes
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Rua Monteiro Lobato, Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil.
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