title: Lack of spatial segregation in the representation of pheromones and kairomones in the mouse medial amygdala.
abstract: The nervous system is organized to detect, internally represent and process sensory information to generate appropriate behaviors. Despite the crucial importance of odors that elicit instinctive behaviors, such as pheromones and kairomones, their neural representation remains little characterized in the mammalian brain. Here we used expression of the immediate early gene product c-Fos as a marker of neuronal activity to find that a wide range of pheromones and kairomones produces activation in the medial nucleus of the amygdala, a brain area anatomically connected with the olfactory sensory organs. We see that activity in this nucleus depends on vomeronasal organ input, and that distinct vomeronasal stimuli activate a dispersed ensemble of cells, without any apparent spatial segregation. This activity pattern does not reflect the chemical category of the stimuli, their valence or the induced behaviors. These findings will help build a complete understanding of how odor information is processed in the brain to generate instinctive behaviors.
authors: Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil ; Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil.
authors: Vinicius M A
authors: VM
authors: Carvalho
authors: Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil ; Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil.
authors: Thiago S
authors: TS
authors: Nakahara
authors: Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil ; Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil.
authors: Leonardo M
authors: LM
authors: Cardozo
authors: Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil ; Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil.
authors: Mateus A A
authors: MA
authors: Souza
authors: Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil ; Undergraduate Program in the Biological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil.
authors: Antonio P
authors: AP
authors: Camargo
authors: Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil ; Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil.
authors: Guilherme Z
authors: GZ
authors: Trintinalia
authors: Campinas Municipal Zoo Campinas, Brazil.
authors: Eliana
authors: E
authors: Ferraz
authors: Department of Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas Campinas, Brazil.
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Papes
keywords: amygdala; higher-order representation; kairomone; olfaction; pheromone; vomeronasal organ