SUMMARY The vomeronasal organ (VNO) has evolved to link an animal's behavior to its environment in a highly species-specific fashion. In mice, it is thought to be the primary sensory system responsible for the detection of pheromones. Pheromones regulate a variety of responses including mate recognition in the context of selective pregnancy failure. MHC (major histocompatibility complex)class I peptides have been identified as compounds that elicit the pregnancy block effect via the VNO. However, the transduction cascade of these molecules is unknown and it is not known if the production of these compounds are androgen dependent. By using male urine and MHC peptides, we show that female mice treated with MHC peptides (in urine or PBS) and urine from castrated males or juvenile mice of different haplotypes respond to the Bruce Effect paradigm in a manner equivalent to female mice exposed to whole urine. In addition to providing new evidence that urine from castrated or juvenile males and MHC peptides can induce pregnancy block, we show correlation of the effect with an increase in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.

Antibody-functionalized carbon nanotube devices have been suggested for use as bacterial detectors for monitoring of food purity in transit from the farm to the kitchen. Here we report progress towards that goal by demonstrating specific detection of Salmonella in complex nutrient broth solutions using nanotube transistors functionalized with covalently-bound anti-Salmonella antibodies. The small size of the active device region makes them compatible with integration in large-scale arrays. We find that the on-state current of the transistor is sensitive specifically to the Salmonella concentration and saturates at low concentration (<1000 cfu/ml). In contrast, the carrier mobility is affected comparably by Salmonella and other bacteria types, with no sign of saturation even at much larger concentrations (108 cfu/ml).

Mammals use chemical cues to coordinate social and reproductive behaviors. Chemical cues are detected by the VNO organ (VNO), which is a cartilage-encased elongated organ associated with the vomer bone in the rostral nasal cavity. The resident intruder paradigm was utilized to examine the ability of saliva and its feeder exocrine glands, the submaxillary, parotid, and sublingual glands to mediate aggression in mice. Saliva and extracts from submaxillary and parotid glands, but not extracts from sublingual glands of male CD-1 mice, induced a greater number of attacks and lower latencies to sniff and attack (p < 0.05) and significantly increased IP3 production (p < 0.05) versus vehicle (PBS) in CD-1 male mice VNO. We further show that CD-1 male mouse saliva and submaxillary gland extract induced significantly more attacks and a lower latency to attack in lactating female CD-1 mice and produced significantly more inositol triphosphate (IP3), indicative of phospholipase Cβ signaling which mediates pheromonal activity, in CD-1 female VNO compared to PBS. Castrated CD-1 male mouse saliva, and exocrine gland extracts induced significantly less IP3 production in male VNO and less aggression by CD-1 males and lactating females compared to responses to normal CD-1 male mouse saliva and gland extracts. Thus, chemical cues present in saliva, submaxillary and parotid glands of CD-1 male mice are capable of stimulating aggression in male and female congenic mice which are correlated with significant production of IP3 in the VNO. Additionally, these stimulations of aggression and IP3 production are shown to be androgen-dependent.