A nose by any other name (should smell as sweetly).
The standard view that the control of mating behavior by pheromones is mediated by the vomeronasal organ, and not by the main olfactory epithelium, has recently been called into question. In this issue of Cell, two independent studies (Boehm et al., 2005; Yoon et al., 2005) examine the inputs from each of these olfactory pathways to a population of neurons that plays a central role in mating behavior.
Choi
Gloria B
GB
Division of Biology 216-76, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
Anderson
David J
DJ
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000502:physiology; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000502:physiology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000502:physiology
D012724:Sex Attractants; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone