Social Olfaction: A Review of the Role of Olfaction in a Variety of Animal Behaviors

Cheal, Mary Lou; Sprott, Richard L.

doi:10.2466/pr0.1971.29.1.195

Cited by 80 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 195 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The presence of such marker proteins could permit the study of influences on a single cell type in the midst of a heterogeneous cell mixture. Studies of hydroxyindole-Omethyl transferase, which occurs exclusively in the pineal gland (17), and of neurophysin in the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal complex of the hypothalamus (18) (9,10). The availability of the purified protein and its specific antiserum open the way to studies of its function and specific cellular origin.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Brain Protein Unique to the Olfactory Bulb

Margolis

1972

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

242

120

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Soluble extracts from several regions of the mouse brain manifested regionally specific protein band patterns on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In particular, one protein band appeared to occur uniquely in the olfactory bulb extracts where it was a quantitatively significant constituent of the soluble protein extract. This protein was purified to homogeneity by ammoniuma-sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified protein has a minimum molecular weight of about 20,000 by gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Precipitating The heterogeneity of cell types in the nervous system has been a major hindrance to studies attempting to correlate biochemistry and function in this tissue. To facilitate biochemical investigations into the functioning of specific cell types and of cell-cell interactions, a search was begun for protein markers characteristic of individual cell types and functional pathways. Although several proteins have been isolated that occur exclusively in nervous tissue (1-4), less attention has been paid to proteins restricted to specific brain regions (5).The olfactory bulb is a region of high cell density (6) manifesting postnatal neurogenesis (6) and is the site of the primary synapse from the olfactory receptor cells (7). The region has been proposed as a neurophysiological model system (8) and is known to be involved in modulating several behavioral parameters (9, 10). Clearly, a protein marker unique to this brain region would be of great value as a probe of the molecular mechanisms of neural function.This report describes the detection and isolation of a protein that occurs exclusively in the olfactory bulb. * MATERIALS AND METHODSRetired-breeder mice of both sexes were obtained from Carworth-Farms. Other animals were obtained from local breeders. All animals were maintained on granular cellulose bedding with access to Purina Lab Chow and water ad libitum. All animals were killed by CO2 asphyxiation and exsanguinated; tissues were then removed, frozen on dry ice, and homogenized in 5-20 volumes of 10-3 M EDTA-Tris (pH 7.5). The supernatant resulting from centrifugation for 1 hr at 100,000 X g was the standard extract.Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed at room temperature with the discontinuous buffer system of Davis (11). The gels were formed in tubes of 6 mm inside diameter.The 10-cm long running gel, consisting of 14% acrylamide-0.37% N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide, was polymerized with ammonium persulfate, and the 1.5-cm long stacking gel was photopolymerized with riboflavin. Electrophoresis was performed at a constant current of 2.5 or 3.3 mA per tube. The sample contained about 150 Ag of protein in 0.1-0.2 ml of 20% sucrose and was loaded by buffer displacement. Gels were fixed and stained overnight in 0.05% Coomassie Blue in methanol-glacial acetic acid-water (20:7:73). Excess stain was removed by repeated washings in the same solvent. The mouse olfactory bulb (MOB) prote...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The region has been proposed as a neurophysiological model system (8) and is known to be involved in modulating several behavioral parameters (9,10). Clearly, a protein marker unique to this brain region would be of great value as a probe of the molecular mechanisms of neural function.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Brain Protein Unique to the Olfactory Bulb

Margolis

1972

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

242

120

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Odors are particularly important in the social behavior of rodents (review by Cheal & Sprott, 1971). With a few recent exceptions (Whittier & McReynolds, 1965; Stevens & Koster, 1972; Davies & Bellamy, 1972), little attempt has been made in open-field studies to control *Supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom to R. 1.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was further suggested (Archer, 1973) that variables other than emotional reactivity could influence these measures, e.g., ambulation could, under different circumstances, reflect causally different types of behavior (e.g., lack of "freezing," presence of escape behavior, lack of lying or sitting, or lack of sniffing at localized stimuli). A fuller discussion of these and related issues is included in Archer (1973).Odors are particularly important in the social behavior of rodents (review by Cheal & Sprott, 1971). With a few recent exceptions (Whittier & McReynolds, 1965; Stevens & Koster, 1972; Davies & Bellamy, 1972), little attempt has been made in open-field studies to control *Supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom to R. 1.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences in the emotional behavior of three strains of laboratory rat

Archer

1974

Animal Learning & Behavior

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sex differences in the emotional behavior of three strains of rats were investigated, using a variety of measures taken during the initial 2 min of open-field exposure -and after a loud bell had sounded. Animals were tested either in a clean open field or in one containing the odor of a same-sex conspecific. No general overall sex differences for a variety of measures associated with emotional reactivity were found, so the results did not support the theory that male rats are more "emotional" than females. Sex differences for particular measures associated with emotional responsiveness were found, but these varied with the strain, measure, and odor condition: The latter was found to be particularly important.Sex differences in the behavior of rodents in novel environments and to other test situations for "emotional" behavior have been frequently reported in the literature. Typically, females show more ambulation and less defecation in an open field (e.g., Broadhurst, 1957Broadhurst, , 1958Henderson, 1963; Gray, Levine, & Broadhurst, 1965), they emerge sooner from their home cage into a novel environment (e.g., Meyers, 1962;Woods, 1962; Pfaff & Zigmond, 1971), and they show faster acquisition of a shuttlebox avoidance learning task (studies reviewed by Gray, 1971;Beatty & Beatty, 1970) than do males. Gray (1971) interpreted these and other results as supporting the hypothesis that male rodents were more fearful than females.Gray's theory was criticized by the present author (Archer, 1971) on several grounds. One of these was that sex differences in open-field measures were more variable than Gray suggested, strain differences being a particularly important determinant of this variation. Another criticism was that the commonly used open-field measures (ambulation and defecation) were equivocal, since their hypothetical inverse relationship is found in only some, but not all, studies involving the appropriate correlation data. It was further suggested (Archer, 1973) that variables other than emotional reactivity could influence these measures, e.g., ambulation could, under different circumstances, reflect causally different types of behavior (e.g., lack of "freezing," presence of escape behavior, lack of lying or sitting, or lack of sniffing at localized stimuli). A fuller discussion of these and related issues is included in Archer (1973).Odors are particularly important in the social behavior of rodents (review by Cheal & Sprott, 1971). With a few recent exceptions (Whittier & McReynolds, 1965; Stevens & Koster, 1972; Davies & Bellamy, 1972), little attempt has been made in open-field studies to control *Supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom to R. 1. Andrew. I thank Professor Andrew for his helpful comments on this paper. 43for the possibility that a previously tested animal might influence the behavior of a currently tested one.The present paper describes an investigation of sex differences in the emotional behavior of rats in an open-field test, modified to overcome some...

show abstract

“…Behavior is the final common pathway. In nonhuman species it is well known that olfactory stimulation can very strongly influence sexual behavior (58,59) as well as social behaviors between and within species, such as aggression, territorial defense and identification (60,61). It is usually assumed, however, that olfactory stimuli play only minor roles in influencing the behavior of humans.…”

Section: Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Olfaction: anatomy, physiology and behavior

Benignus¹,

Prah²

1982

Environ Health Perspect

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The anatomy, physiology and function of the olfactory system are reviewed, as are the normal effects of olfactory stimulation. It is speculated that olfaction may have important but unobtrusive effects on human behavior.The sense of smell has been neglected in comparison to other senses. Among the reasons for this are (a) inaccessibility of anatomical structures, (b) limited theoretical knowledge about the nature of the physical stimulus, (c) difficulty with generating and presenting stimuli and (d) the belief that the olfactory sense is not important to man. Some of these reasons remain problems, but techniques for dealing with them are being devised (1). No recent major advance in olfactory stimulus theory has occurred. The belief about the unimportance of olfaction has been questioned recently and is discussed in this paper.The major reason for reviewing olfaction in a toxicological/environmental context is that this neural tissue is directly exposed to air pollutants. Since these olfactory receptors appear to function by retaining molecules on their surface, airborne pollutants and toxic substances have a high potential for producing olfactory damage. The olfactory system is perhaps the most vulnerable neural tissue in terms of airborne pollutants, since the receptors are: directly exposed and are also exposed via the circulatory system to bloodborne toxicants.This review describes the anatomy and physiology of the olfactory system and also discusses the behavioral implications of this sense. In the limited

show abstract

Social Olfaction: A Review of the Role of Olfaction in a Variety of Animal Behaviors

Cited by 80 publications

References 195 publications

A Brain Protein Unique to the Olfactory Bulb

A Brain Protein Unique to the Olfactory Bulb

Sex differences in the emotional behavior of three strains of laboratory rat

Olfaction: anatomy, physiology and behavior

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About