Abstract
Mammalian vomeronasal neurons (VSNs) located in the sensory epithelium of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) detect and transduce molecular cues emitted by other individuals and send this information to the olfactory forebrain. The initial steps in the detection of pheromones and other chemosignals by VSNs involve interaction of a ligand with a G protein-coupled receptor and downstream activation of the primary signal transduction cascade, which includes activation of ion channels located in microvilli and the dendritic tip of a VSN. The electrovomeronasogram (EVG) recording technique provides a sensitive means through which ligand-induced activation of populations of VSNs can be recorded from the epithelial surface using an intact, ex vivo preparation of the mouse VNO. We describe methodological aspects of this preparation and the EVG recording technique which, together with single-cell recordings, contributed significantly to our understanding of mammalian vomeronasal function, the identification of pheromonal ligands, and the analysis of mice with targeted deletions in specific signal transduction molecules such as Trpc2, Gαo, V1R, or V2R receptors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Hosoya Y, Yoshida H (1937) Über die bioelektrischen Erscheinungen an der Riechschleimhaut. Jpn J Med Sci III Biophys 5:22–23
Ottoson D (1955) Analysis of the electrical activity of the olfactory epithelium. Acta Physiol Scand Suppl 35:1–83
Inouchi J, Wang D, Jiang XC, Kubie J, Halpern M (1993) Electrophysiological analysis of the nasal chemical senses in garter snakes. Brain Behav Evol 41:171–182
Taniguchi M, Wang D, Halpern M (1998) The characteristics of the electrovomeronasogram: its loss following vomeronasal axotomy in the garter snake. Chem Senses 23:653–659
Müller W (1971) Vergleichende elektrophysiologische untersuchungen an den sinnesepithelien des Jacobsonschen organs und der nase von amphibien (Rana), reptilien (Lacerta) und säugetieren (Mus). Z vergl Physiol 72:370–385
Getchell TV, Shepherd GM (1978) Responses of olfactory receptor cells to step pulses of odour at different concentrations in the salamander. J Physiol 282:521–540
Davis H (1961) Some principles of sensory receptor action. Physiol Rev 41:391–416
Gesteland RC, Lettvin JY, Pitts WH (1965) Chemical transmission in the nose of the frog. J Physiol 181:525–559
Scott JW, Scott-Johnson PE (2002) The electroolfactogram: a review of its history and uses. Microsc Res Tech 58:152–160
Chen S, Lane AP, Bock R, Leinders-Zufall T, Zufall F (2000) Blocking adenylyl cyclase inhibits olfactory generator currents induced by “IP(3)-odors”. J Neurophysiol 84:575–580
Munger SD, Lane AP, Zhong H, Leinders-Zufall T, Yau KW, Zufall F, Reed RR (2001) Central role of the CNGA4 channel subunit in Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent odor adaptation. Science 294:2172–2175
Spehr M, Spehr J, Ukhanov K, Kelliher KR, Leinders-Zufall T, Zufall F (2006) Parallel processing of social signals by the mammalian main and accessory olfactory systems. Cell Mol Life Sci 63:1476–1484
Spehr M, Kelliher KR, Li XH, Boehm T, Leinders-Zufall T, Zufall F (2006) Essential role of the main olfactory system in social recognition of major histocompatibility complex peptide ligands. J Neurosci 26:1961–1970
Chamero P, Katsoulidou V, Hendrix P, Bufe B, Roberts R, Matsunami H, Abramowitz J, Birnbaumer L, Zufall F, Leinders-Zufall T (2011) G protein Gαo is essential for vomeronasal function and aggressive behavior in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 108:12898–12903
Spehr J, Hagendorf S, Weiss J, Spehr M, Leinders-Zufall T, Zufall F (2009) Ca2+-calmodulin feedback mediates sensory adaptation and inhibits pheromone-sensitive ion channels in the vomeronasal organ. J Neurosci 29:2125–2135
Zufall F, Ukhanov K, Lucas P, Liman ER, Leinders-Zufall T (2005) Neurobiology of TRPC2: from gene to behavior. Pflugers Arch 451:61–71
Leinders-Zufall T, Brennan P, Widmayer P, Chandramani SP, Maul-Pavicic A, Jager M, Li XH, Breer H, Zufall F, Boehm T (2004) MHC class I peptides as chemosensory signals in the vomeronasal organ. Science 306:1033–1037
Del Punta K, Leinders-Zufall T, Rodriguez I, Jukam D, Wysocki CJ, Ogawa S, Zufall F, Mombaerts P (2002) Deficient pheromone responses in mice lacking a cluster of vomeronasal receptor genes. Nature 419:70–74
Zufall F, Kelliher KR, Leinders-Zufall T (2002) Pheromone detection by mammalian vomeronasal neurons. Microsc Res Tech 58:251–260
Leypold BG, Yu CR, Leinders-Zufall T, Kim MM, Zufall F, Axel R (2002) Altered sexual and social behaviors in trp2 mutant mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99:6376–6381
Leinders-Zufall T, Lane AP, Puche AC, Ma W, Novotny MV, Shipley MT, Zufall F (2000) Ultrasensitive pheromone detection by mammalian vomeronasal neurons. Nature 405:792–796
Tucker D, Shibuya T (1965) A physiologic and pharmacologic study of olfactory receptors. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 30:207–215
Silver WL, Caprio J, Blackwell JF, Tucker D (1976) The underwater electro-olfactogram: a tool for the study of the sense of smell of marine fishes. Experientia 32:1216–1217
Haga S, Hattori T, Sato T, Sato K, Matsuda S, Kobayakawa R, Sakano H, Yoshihara Y, Kikusui T, Touhara K (2010) The male mouse pheromone ESP1 enhances female sexual receptive behaviour through a specific vomeronasal receptor. Nature 466:118–122
Kimoto H, Sato K, Nodari F, Haga S, Holy TE, Touhara K (2007) Sex- and strain-specific expression and vomeronasal activity of mouse ESP family peptides. Curr Biol 17:1879–1884
Leinders-Zufall T, Ishii T, Mombaerts P, Zufall F, Boehm T (2009) Structural requirements for the activation of vomeronasal sensory neurons by MHC peptides. Nat Neurosci 12:1551–1558
Riviere S, Challet L, Fluegge D, Spehr M, Rodriguez I (2009) Formyl peptide receptor-like proteins are a novel family of vomeronasal chemosensors. Nature 459:574–577
Leinders-Zufall T (1998) Technique for setting up the perfusion of a recording chamber for physiological studies with cultured and acutely dissociated cells. http://wwwwarneronlinecom/pdf/whitepapers/perfusion_strategiespdf
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (to T.L.-Z. and F.Z.) and the Volkswagen Foundation (to T.L.-Z.). T.L.-Z. is a Lichtenberg professor of the Volkswagen Foundation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Leinders-Zufall, T., Zufall, F. (2013). The Electrovomeronasogram: Field Potential Recordings in the Mouse Vomeronasal Organ. In: Touhara, K. (eds) Pheromone Signaling. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1068. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-619-1_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-619-1_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-618-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-619-1
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols