Molecular detection of pheromone signals in mammals: from genes to behaviour | Nature Reviews Neuroscience

The instinctive and species-specific behavioural response of animals to pheromones has intrigued biologists for a long time. Recent molecular and electrophysiological approaches have provided new insights into the mechanisms of pheromone detection in rodents and into the sensory coding of pheromone signals that lead to gender discrimination and aggressive behaviour.

Key Points Pheromones are species- and gender-specific chemical cues that provide information about the social and sexual status of an animal. Pheromones are used by most species, from single-cell organisms to mammals, although their use in humans and other higher primates is disputed. In mammals, pheromones are detected by the vomeronasal organ (VNO) — a bilaterally symmetrical, cylindrical organ encased in a bony capsule on the anterior nasal septum. VNO neurons send a single unbranched axon to the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), which in turn sends projections to the vomeronasal amygdala. C

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• Bel Chen

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