Signal detection and coding in the accessory olfactory system.

Signal detection and coding in the accessory olfactory system.

Chem Senses. 2018 Sep 25;:

Authors: Mohrhardt J, Nagel M, Fleck D, Ben-Shaul Y, Spehr M

Abstract
In many mammalian species, the accessory olfactory system (AOS) plays a central role in guiding behavioral and physiological responses to social and reproductive interactions. Because of its relatively compact structure and its direct access to amygdalar and hypothalamic nuclei, the accessory olfactory pathway provides an ideal system to study sensory control of complex mammalian behavior. During the last several years, many studies employing molecular, behavioral, and physiological approaches have significantly expanded and enhanced our understanding of this system. The purpose of the current review is to integrate older and newer studies to present an updated and comprehensive picture of vomeronasal signaling and coding with an emphasis on early AOS processing stages. These include vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) in the vomeronasal organ (VNO), and the circuitry of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Because the overwhelming majority of studies on AOS function employ rodents, this review is largely focused on this phylogenetic order, and on mice in particular. Taken together, the emerging view from both older literature and more recent studies is that the molecular, cellular and circuit properties of chemosensory signaling along the accessory olfactory pathway are in many ways unique. Yet, it has also become evident that, like the main olfactory system (MOS), the AOS also has the capacity for adaptive learning, experience, and state-dependent plasticity. In addition to describing what is currently known about AOS function and physiology, we highlight what we believe are important gaps in our knowledge, which thus define exciting directions for future investigation.

PMID: 30256909 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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