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Related Experiment Videos

Lesions of the vomeronasal organ disrupt mating-induced pair bonding in female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster).

J T Curtis1, Y Liu, Z Wang

  • 1Neuroscience Program and Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA. tcurtis@psy.fsu.edu

Brain Research
|May 23, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is crucial for prairie voles to become receptive to males and form pair bonds after mating. Without a functioning VNO, female voles cannot establish these essential reproductive connections.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Biology
  • Reproductive Science

Background:

  • Prairie voles exhibit monogamous pair bonding, a behavior influenced by mating and social cues.
  • Estrus induction in female prairie voles is typically triggered by male presence or sensory cues.
  • The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is implicated in social and reproductive behaviors in rodents.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) in estrus induction and mating-induced pair bonding in female prairie voles.
  • To determine if VNO function is essential for the development of selective affiliation with a familiar partner after mating.

Main Methods:

  • Surgical lesions of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) were performed on female prairie voles.
  • Estrus induction was assessed in VNO-lesioned and control females, with some females receiving estrogen priming to bypass VNO necessity.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Pair bonding was evaluated by measuring partner preference after mating in VNO-lesioned and control groups.

    • Main Results:

    • VNO lesions impaired male-induced estrus induction but did not affect general olfaction.
    • Estrogen priming allowed mating in VNO-lesioned females, but they failed to exhibit mating-induced pair bonding.
    • Intact and sham-lesioned females showed robust partner preference, indicating successful pair bond formation.

    Conclusions:

    • The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is critical for both estrus induction and the formation of mating-induced pair bonds in female prairie voles.
    • These findings highlight the VNO's significant role in reproductive success and social behavior in this monogamous species.
    • The VNO mediates crucial sensory information necessary for establishing long-term social and reproductive relationships.