Consequences of removing the vomeronasal organ

Abstract

In the last decade, research in our laboratories has focused on the effects of deafferentiation of the mammalian chemosensory vomeronasal organ (VNX). Many different assays have been conducted and the results of some are briefly reviewed in this contribution, including the effects of VNX on neuroanatomical assessments using histochemistry (lectin binding) and immunohistochemistry (LHRH), male mouse and prairie vole ultrasonic vocalizations and hormone surges in response to cues from females, male mouse courtship and sexual behavior, territorial marking and inter-male aggression, the production of a puberty-altering substance found in mice, activation of reproduction in female voles (who generally do not exhibit estrous cycles) and maternal behaviors by female mice, including aggression directed toward intruder males. In some instances, the otherwise detrimental effects of VNX can be overcome by experience prior to deafferentation, especially in assays that are dependent upon expressions of behavior. In other situations, experience may have little impact on amelioration of the effects of VNX. The essential conclusions of this work focus our attention on reproductive physiology and behavior and a role for the vomeronasal organ in the perception of pheromones that modulate these functions.