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In-depth Physiological Analysis of Defined Cell Populations in Acute Tissue Slices of the Mouse Vomeronasal Organ
Published on: September 10, 2016
Expression profiling reveals differential gene induction underlying specific and non-specific memory for pheromones
Sudarshan C Upadhya1, Thuy K Smith, Peter A Brennan
1Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
Neurochemistry International
|September 3, 2011
Summary
Female mice form specific mating pheromone memories via synaptic changes in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). Artificial induction of memory in the AOB leads to different gene expression patterns and non-specific memory.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Memory formation for mating pheromones in female mice involves the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB).
- Pheromone memory induction requires glutamate and norepinephrine (NE) release in the AOB during mating.
- Artificial induction of pheromone memory using bicuculline in the AOB results in non-specific recognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gene expression changes in the AOB during mating-induced pheromone memory (MIPM) and bicuculline-induced pheromone memory (BIPM).
- To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying specific versus non-specific pheromone memory formation.
Main Methods:
- Gene expression analysis using oligonucleotide microarrays in the AOB of female mice.
- Comparison of gene expression profiles between MIPM and BIPM.
- Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to identify distinct signaling pathways.
Main Results:
- The sets of genes induced during MIPM and BIPM are largely non-overlapping.
- Signaling pathways activated during MIPM and BIPM are distinct.
- Genes induced in MIPM are linked to synaptic function, while those in BIPM suggest neuron-wide changes.
Conclusions:
- MIPM involves specific synaptic modifications, whereas BIPM leads to global cellular changes.
- Distinct gene expression patterns explain the specificity of natural pheromone memory versus the non-specificity of artificially induced memory.
- This study provides mechanistic insights into the differential regulation of specific and non-specific olfactory memories.
