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Updated: Jun 30, 2025
In-depth Physiological Analysis of Defined Cell Populations in Acute Tissue Slices of the Mouse Vomeronasal Organ
Published on: September 10, 2016
Histological evaluation of the alpaca (Vicugna pacos) vomeronasal organ
Sungmoo Hong1, Meejung Ahn2, Changjong Moon3
1College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Little is known about the neuronal structure of the vomeronasal organ (VNO), a receptor organ responsible for pheromone perception, in the alpaca (Vicugna pacos). This study was performed to determine the localization of neuronal elements, including protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5), a pan-neuronal marker, olfactory marker protein (OMP), a marker of mature olfactory receptor cells, and phospholipase C beta 2 (PLC-β2), a marker of solitary chemoreceptor cells (SCCs), in the VNO. OMP was identified in receptor cells of the vomeronasal sensory epithelium (VSE), while PGP 9.5 and PLC-β2 were localized in both the VSE and vomeronasal non-sensory epithelium. Collectively, these results suggested that the alpaca VNO possesses SCCs and olfactory receptor cells, which recognize both harmful substances and pheromones.
