Chemical signals and vomeronasal system function in axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Eisthen, Heather L.; Park, Daesik

doi:10.1007/0-387-25160-x_26

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…In previous experiments, we found that axolotls that are deprived of food for 10 d spend more time searching for food, particularly in the presence of food odorants, than do well fed animals (Eisthen and Park, 2005). Although in the present experiment the animals in the hungry condition appeared to be hungry, snapping at experimenters' fingers and disturbances in the water, these animals did not lose significant body mass relative to animals in the well fed condition (Student's t ϭ Ϫ1.39; p ϭ 0.18).…”

Section: Npy Modulates Responses Evoked By L-glutamic Acid In Hungry mentioning

confidence: 87%

Terminal Nerve-Derived Neuropeptide Y Modulates Physiological Responses in the Olfactory Epithelium of Hungry Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum)

et al. 2006

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The vertebrate brain actively regulates incoming sensory information, effectively filtering input and focusing attention toward environmental stimuli that are most relevant to the animal's behavioral context or physiological state. Such centrifugal modulation has been shown to play an important role in processing in the retina and cochlea, but has received relatively little attention in olfaction. The terminal nerve, a cranial nerve that extends underneath the lamina propria surrounding the olfactory epithelium, displays anatomical and neurochemical characteristics that suggest that it modulates activity in the olfactory epithelium. Using immunocytochemical techniques, we demonstrate that neuropeptide Y (NPY) is abundantly present in the terminal nerve in the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), an aquatic salamander. Because NPY plays an important role in regulating appetite and hunger in many vertebrates, we investigated the possibility that NPY modulates activity in the olfactory epithelium in relation to the animal's hunger level. We therefore characterized the full-length NPY gene from axolotls to enable synthesis of authentic axolotl NPY for use in electrophysiological experiments. We find that axolotl NPY modulates olfactory epithelial responses evoked by L-glutamic acid, a food-related odorant, but only in hungry animals. Similarly, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings demonstrate that bath application of axolotl NPY enhances the magnitude of a tetrodotoxin-sensitive inward current, but only in hungry animals. These results suggest that expression or activity of NPY receptors in the olfactory epithelium may change with hunger level, and that terminal nerve-derived peptides modulate activity in the olfactory epithelium in response to an animal's changing behavioral and physiological circumstances.

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Section: Npy Modulates Responses Evoked By L-glutamic Acid In Hungry mentioning

confidence: 87%

Terminal Nerve-Derived Neuropeptide Y Modulates Physiological Responses in the Olfactory Epithelium of Hungry Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum)

et al. 2006

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“…The VNS has been linked to reception of a particular class of chemosignals, those of higher molecular weight [Clancy et al, ; Evans, ; Eisthen & Park, ]. Lighter molecular weight (volatile) signals are preferentially detected by the main olfactory system [Schilling et al, ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The vomeronasal organ of Lemur catta

Smith

Muchlinski

Bhatnagar

et al. 2014

American J Primatol

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The vomeronasal organ (VNO), also known as the Jacobson's organ, is a bilateral chemosensory organ found at the base of the nasal cavity specialized for the detection of higher-molecular weight (non-volatile) chemostimuli. It has been linked to pheromone detection. The VNO has been well studied in nocturnal lemurs and lorises, but poorly studied in diurnal/cathemeral species despite the large repertoire of olfactory behaviors noted in species such as Lemur catta. Here, the VNO and associated structures were studied microanatomically in one adult female and one adult male L. catta. Traditional and immunohistochemical procedures demonstrate the VNO epithelium consists of multiple rows of sensory neurons. Immunoreactivity to Growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43) indicates the VNO is postnatally neurogenic. In volume, the VNO neuroepithelium scales similarly to palatal length compared to nocturnal strepsirrhines. Numerous taste buds present at the oral opening to the nasopalatine duct, with which the VNO communicates, provide an additional (or alternative) explanation for the flehmen behavior that has been observed in this species. The VNO of L. catta is shown to be microanatomically comparable to that of nocturnal strepsirrhines. Like nocturnal strepsirrhines, the VNO of L. catta may be functional in the reception of high-molecular weight secretions.

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“…Since axolotls were proposed as useful model organisms to study olfaction and the neurobiology of chemosensory systems, our findings will facilitate further research on pheromone perception. Electro-olfactogram recording techniques for investigating pheromone responses in the olfactory and vomeronasal epithelia of adult axolotls are readily available 4 8 . Electrophysiological experiments with female axolotls would enable us to study electro-olfactogram responses on each individual SPF, giving us insight on their relative contribution in the multicomponent putative pheromone blend.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Mexican axolotl ( Ambystoma mexicanum ) is an aquatic, neotenic mole salamander with a long and fruitful history in scientific research. Axolotls have been serving as valuable, non-traditional model organisms for developmental biology since the middle of the 19 th century 1 2 and are still extensively used in laboratory experiments, covering research topics such as regeneration, development, neuroscience and olfaction 3 4 . Since axolotls have been bred in laboratories for over 150 years 2 , observational records on their reproductive behaviour are readily available 4 5 6 7 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The female responds to the courting male by nudging the male’s cloacal region. When the male moves forward and deposits a spermatophore, the female follows him and picks up the sperm cap with her cloaca 4 5 6 7 . Courting males are believed to secrete chemical cues in the water when they widely open their cloaca and expose the cloacal papillae to the female.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Courtship Pheromone Use in a Model Urodele, the Mexican Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Maex

Bocxlaer

Mortier

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Sex pheromones have been shown to constitute a crucial aspect of salamander reproduction. Until now, courtship pheromones of Salamandridae and Plethodontidae have been intensively studied, but information on chemical communication in other urodelan families is essentially lacking. The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum, Ambystomatidae) has a courtship display that suggests a key role for chemical communication in the orchestration of its sexual behavior, but no sex pheromones have yet been characterized from this species. Here we combined whole transcriptome analyses of the male cloaca with proteomic analyses of water in which axolotls were allowed to court to show that male axolotls secrete multiple ca. 20 kDa glycosylated sodefrin precursor-like factor (SPF) proteins during courtship. In combination with phylogenetic analyses, our data show that the male cloaca essentially secretes a courtship-specific clade of SPF proteins that is orthologous to salamandrid courtship pheromones. In addition, we identified an SPF protein for which no orthologs have been described from other salamanders so far. Overall, our study advocates a central role for SPF proteins during the courtship display of axolotls and adds knowledge on pheromone use in a previously unexplored deep evolutionary branch of salamander evolution.

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Chemical signals and vomeronasal system function in axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Cited by 8 publications

References 61 publications

Terminal Nerve-Derived Neuropeptide Y Modulates Physiological Responses in the Olfactory Epithelium of Hungry Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Terminal Nerve-Derived Neuropeptide Y Modulates Physiological Responses in the Olfactory Epithelium of Hungry Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum)

The vomeronasal organ of Lemur catta

Courtship Pheromone Use in a Model Urodele, the Mexican Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

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