Response to Pheromones and Odors in Mouse Sensory Neurons Increased by Chlorides

Research has revealed that the vomeronasal organ (VNO) is an odor detection system that mediates many pheromone-sensitive behaviors.

Vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs), located in the VNO, are the initial site of interaction with odors and pheromones. How an individual VSN transduces chemical signals into electrical signals, however, has been a mystery. In the January 2010 issue of the Journal of General Physiology, researchers from the University of Vermont show that a Ca 2+ -activated chloride current contributes approximately 80% of the response to urine in mouse VSNs.

Safe Sex
Sex is fun but involves health risks such as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs or unplanned pregnancy specially in those who have multiple partners or in those having unprotected sex.

Using patch clamp recordings and whole cell recordings, the team found that that urine-induced inward current was decreased in the presence of chloride channel blockers. Furthermore, the urine-induced currents were eliminated when both extracellular Ca 2+ and Na + were removed. The team's overall findings show that chloride acts as a major amplifier for signal transduction in mouse VSNs, increasing the responsiveness to pheromones or odorants.

Source-Eurekalert
RAS

Study Unveils the Link Between Sex Compounds and Lifespan
In a study on sex pheromones in a tiny worm, scientists have discovered a link between reproduction and lifespan through so-called small molecules.

Study Identifies Pheromones That Trigger Aggression Between Male Mice
Researchers have identified pheromones, which are responsible for the aggression response in mice.

Male Pheromones Build Brain Cells in Female Mice
Researchers at the University of Calgary in Alberta have shown that female mice tend to create new brain cells when they detect a dominant male's urine, a discovery that outlines