The complexity of pheromone-mediated behaviour in mammals

Logan, Darren W.

doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2014.10.011

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…The rationale for the latter is that distinct strains may differ in their sensory machinery. Indeed, across commonly used laboratory strains, the Vmn1r / Vmn2r gene repertoire displays unusually high levels of genetic variation, including several putative loss-of-function mutations ( Logan 2015 ) as well as variation at the level of gene expression ( Duyck et al 2017 ). Moreover, at the individual level, RNA seq studies revealed that distinct receptors are present in the VNO at widely ranging abundances ( Ibarra-Soria et al 2014b ).…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, as we attempt to cover a broad range of AOS-specific topics, the description of some aspects of AOS signaling inevitably lacks in detail. The interested reader is referred to a number of excellent recent reviews that either delve into the AOS from a less mouse-centric perspective ( Salazar and Sánchez-Quinteiro 2009 ; Tirindelli et al 2009 ; Touhara and Vosshall 2009 ; Ubeda-Bañon et al 2011 ) and/or address more specific issues in AOS biology in more depth ( Wu and Shah 2011 ; Chamero et al 2012 ; Beynon et al 2014 ; Duvarci and Pare 2014 ; Liberles 2014 ; Griffiths and Brennan 2015 ; Logan 2015 ; Stowers and Kuo 2015 ; Stowers and Liberles 2016 ; Wyatt 2017 ; Holy 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Signal Detection and Coding in the Accessory Olfactory System

et al. 2018

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In many mammalian species, the accessory olfactory system plays a central role in guiding behavioral and physiological responses to social and reproductive interactions. Because of its relatively compact structure and its direct access to amygdalar and hypothalamic nuclei, the accessory olfactory pathway provides an ideal system to study sensory control of complex mammalian behavior. During the last several years, many studies employing molecular, behavioral, and physiological approaches have significantly expanded and enhanced our understanding of this system. The purpose of the current review is to integrate older and newer studies to present an updated and comprehensive picture of vomeronasal signaling and coding with an emphasis on early accessory olfactory system processing stages. These include vomeronasal sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ, and the circuitry of the accessory olfactory bulb. Because the overwhelming majority of studies on accessory olfactory system function employ rodents, this review is largely focused on this phylogenetic order, and on mice in particular. Taken together, the emerging view from both older literature and more recent studies is that the molecular, cellular, and circuit properties of chemosensory signaling along the accessory olfactory pathway are in many ways unique. Yet, it has also become evident that, like the main olfactory system, the accessory olfactory system also has the capacity for adaptive learning, experience, and state-dependent plasticity. In addition to describing what is currently known about accessory olfactory system function and physiology, we highlight what we believe are important gaps in our knowledge, which thus define exciting directions for future investigation.

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Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Signal Detection and Coding in the Accessory Olfactory System

et al. 2018

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“…In fact, most animals, including various cockroach species and moths, communicate via multi-odorant pheromones (Wyatt, 2014). Even though we know that humans, like other mammals (e.g., Doty, 2010; Logan, 2015; Wyatt, 2015), produce hundreds of odorant molecules (e.g., Curran, Rabin, Prada, & Furton, 2005; Gallagher et al, 2008; Zeng, Leyden, Spielman, & Preti, 1996), what has remained unknown is whether a person responds to all, or many, odorant molecules or just to a small subset of odorant molecules. On the basis of pheromones that have been identified for other animals, we presume that if a human pheromone is identified, this pheromone is most likely a combination of multiple molecules.…”

Section: The Pheromone Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Communicative Function of Body Odors

Groot

Semin

Smeets

2017

Perspect Psychol Sci

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Humans use multiple senses to navigate the social world, and the sense of smell is arguably the most underestimated one. An intriguing aspect of the sense of smell is its social communicative function. Research has shown that human odors convey information about a range of states (e.g., emotions, sickness) and traits (e.g., individuality, gender). Yet, what underlies the communicability of these states and traits via smell? We fill this explanatory gap with a framework that highlights the dynamic and flexible aspects of human olfactory communication. In particular, we explain how chemical profiles, associative learning (i.e., the systematic co-occurrence of chemical profiles with state- or trait-related information), and top-down contextual influences could interact to shape human odor perception. Our model not only helps to integrate past research on human olfactory communication but it also opens new avenues for future research on this fascinating, yet to date poorly understood, field.

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“…Most pheromones, including the female sex pheromones of most moths and some mammalian pheromones, are not single compounds. Instead they tend to be a species-specific multi-component combination of molecules [5,10]. For example, in the house mouse, sulfated oestrogens and a particular fraction of female urine form a multi-component mouse pheromone, produced by oestrous females, which promotes male mounting [10,11].…”

Section: Pheromones Are Chemical Signals That Meet Well-established Cmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Instead they tend to be a species-specific multi-component combination of molecules [5,10]. For example, in the house mouse, sulfated oestrogens and a particular fraction of female urine form a multi-component mouse pheromone, produced by oestrous females, which promotes male mounting [10,11]. Most pheromones are detected by the sense of smell.…”

Section: Pheromones Are Chemical Signals That Meet Well-established Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

The search for human pheromones: the lost decades and the necessity of returning to first principles

2015

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As humans are mammals, it is possible, perhaps even probable, that we have pheromones. However, there is no robust bioassay-led evidence for the widely published claims that four steroid molecules are human pheromones: androstenone, androstenol, androstadienone and estratetraenol. In the absence of sound reasons to test the molecules, positive results in studies need to be treated with scepticism as these are highly likely to be false positives. Common problems include small sample sizes, an overestimate of effect size (as no effect can be expected), positive publication bias and lack of replication. Instead, if we are to find human pheromones, we need to treat ourselves as if we were a newly discovered mammal, and use the rigorous methods already proven successful in pheromone research on other species. Establishing a pheromone relies on demonstration of an odour-mediated behavioural or physiological response, identification and synthesis of the bioactive molecule(s), followed by bioassay confirmation of activity. Likely sources include our sebaceous glands. Comparison of secretions from adult and pre-pubertal humans may highlight potential molecules involved in sexual behaviour. One of the most promising human pheromone leads is a nipple secretion from the areola glands produced by all lactating mothers, which stimulates suckling by any baby not just their own.

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The complexity of pheromone-mediated behaviour in mammals

Cited by 7 publications

References 42 publications

Signal Detection and Coding in the Accessory Olfactory System

Signal Detection and Coding in the Accessory Olfactory System

On the Communicative Function of Body Odors

The search for human pheromones: the lost decades and the necessity of returning to first principles

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