Vomeronasal organ detects odorants in absence of signaling through main olfactory epithelium
- 31 March 2003
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in Nature Neuroscience
- Vol. 6 (5) , 519-525
- https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1039
Abstract
It is commonly assumed that odorants are detected by the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) and pheromones are sensed through the vomeronasal organ (VNO). The complete loss of MOE-mediated olfaction in type-3 adenylyl cyclase knockout mice (AC3−/−) allowed us to examine chemosensory functions of the VNO in the absence of signaling through the MOE. Here we report that AC3−/− mice are able to detect certain volatile odorants via the VNO. These same odorants elicited electro-olfactogram transients in the VNO and MOE of wild-type mice, but only VNO responses in AC3−/− mice. This indicates that some odorants are detected through an AC3-independent pathway in the VNO.Keywords
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