title: Vomeronasal organ detects odorants in absence of signaling through main olfactory epithelium.
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.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cellular Biology Program and Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Box 357750, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Kien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trinh
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Storm
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009812:Odorants; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; C421784:adenylate cyclase 3