Ultrasensitive pheromone detection by mammalian vomeronasal neurons

Leinders-Zufall, Trese; Lane, Andrew P.; Puche, Adam C.; Ma, Weidong; Novotny, Milos V.; Shipley, Michael T.; Zufall, Frank

doi:10.1038/35015572

Cited by 576Olfactory and Sensory Function StudiesIon Channels and ReceptorsBiochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques

Ultrasensitive pheromone detection by mammalian vomeronasal neurons

Leinders-Zufall, Trese, Lane, Andrew P., Puche, Adam C., Ma, Weidong, Novotny, Milos V., Shipley, Michael T., Zufall, Frank·2000·Nature

DOI 10.1038/35015572

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Abstract

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a chemoreceptive organ that is thought to transduce pheromones into electrical responses that regulate sexual, hormonal and reproductive function in mammals. The characteristics of pheromone signal detection by vomeronasal neurons remain unclear. Here we use a mouse VNO slice preparation to show that six putative pheromones evoke excitatory responses in single vomeronasal neurons, leading to action potential generation and elevated calcium entry. The detection threshold for some of these chemicals is remarkably low, near 10(-11) M, placing these neurons among the most sensitive chemodetectors in mammals. Using confocal calcium imaging, we map the epithelial representation of the pheromones to show that each of the ligands activates a unique, nonoverlapping subset of vomeronasal neurons located in apical zones of the epithelium. These neurons show highly selective tuning properties and their tuning curves do not broaden with increasing concentrations of ligand, unlike those of receptor neurons in the main olfactory epithelium. These findings provide a basis for understanding chemical signals that regulate mammalian communication and sexual behaviour.

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Leinders-Zufall et al. showed physiological responses in mouse VSNs to substances reported to be pheromones in that species.
“Recently, Leinders-Zufall et al. showed physiological responses in mouse VSNs to substances reported to be pheromones in that species (Leinders-Zufall et al., 2000).”
From Human Vomeronasal Organ Function: A Critical Review of Best and Worst Cases (2001) · cites this paper as Leinders-Zufall et al., 2000

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Authors: Leinders-Zufall, T., Lane, A. P., Puche, A. C., Ma, W., Novotny, M. V., Shipley, M. T., & Zufall, F.
Affiliations: University of Maryland, Baltimore (US)
Indiana University Bloomington (US)
Corresponding author: Zufall, Frank
ORCID: Lane, Andrew P.
Ma, Weidong
Shipley, Michael T.
Zufall, Frank
Venue: Nature
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2000-06-15
Volume: 405
Issue: 6788
Pages: 792-796
ISSN: 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
1476-4687
DOI: 10.1038/35015572
OpenAlex: W1544860128
Cited by: 576
References: 30
Citations by year: 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 36 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 21
FWCI: 15.05
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
www.springer.com/tdm (vor)
Locations: Nature (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders: Simons Foundation
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Ion Channels and Receptors
Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
Keywords: vomeronasal organ, vomeronasal sensory neurons, pheromone detection, calcium imaging, action potential generation, olfactory epithelium, sexual behavior
MeSH terms: Animals, Calcium, Electrophysiology, Female, Ligands, Male, Pheromones, Signal Transduction, Olfactory Receptor Neurons, Microscopy, Confocal, Vomeronasal Organ, Mice

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Ultrasensitive pheromone detection by mammalian vomeronasal neurons

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