Pheromone detection mediated by a V1r vomeronasal receptor.

Abstract

In most mammals, intraspecies communication relies heavily on the vomeronasal system and its ability to detect pheromones1. Vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) express G protein–coupled, seven-transmembrane receptors from either the V1r or V2r superfamilies2,3,4,5, which represent the only candidate pheromone receptors in mammals. Here, we show at the single-cell level that V1r receptors are involved in chemodetection and identify a specific receptor–agonist pair in the vomeronasal system.