Vomeronasal Organ
Vomeronasal Organ - Related Videos
04:48
Preparation of Mouse Vomeronasal Organ for Vibratome Sectioning
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2025
This video outlines the isolation of a mouse vomeronasal organ (VNO) and tissue preparation for vibratome sectioning. Sections are used to characterize the biophysical and physiological attributes of a specific group of sensory neurons.
10:11
In-depth Physiological Analysis of Defined Cell Populations in Acute Tissue Slices of the Mouse Vomeronasal Organ
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Cited by 1 •
2016
Here, we describe a physiological approach that allows identification and in-depth analysis of a defined population of sensory neurons in acute coronal tissue slices of the mouse vomeronasal organ using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings.
08:59
Ex Vivo Preparations of the Intact Vomeronasal Organ and Accessory Olfactory Bulb
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Cited by 5 •
2014
The mouse accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) has been difficult to study in the context of sensory coding. Here, we demonstrate a dissection that produces an ex vivo preparation in which AOB neurons remain functionally connected to their peripheral inputs, facilitating research into information processing of mouse pheromones and kairomones.
03:34
Establishing a Whole-Cell Patch Clamp for Electrophysiological Recording from Vomeronasal Sensory Neurons
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2025
The protocol video describes establishing a whole-cell patch clamp for electrophysiological recording from the sensory neurons of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) in mice. A coronal VNO slice with fluorescently labeled sensory neurons is placed in a recording setup. A labeled neuron is patched with a recording pipette in a whole-cell configuration for electrophysiological recording in response to chemical stimuli.
11:26
Imaging Neuronal Responses in Slice Preparations of Vomeronasal Organ Expressing a Genetically Encoded Calcium Sensor
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Cited by 12 •
2011
The vomeronasal organ (VNO) detects intraspecies chemical signals that convey social and reproductive information. We have performed Ca2+ imaging experiments using transgenic mice expressing G-CaMP2 in VNO tissue. This approach allows us to analyze the complicated response patterns of the vomeronasal neurons to large numbers of pheromone stimuli.
FAQs
Sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ bind nonvolatile chemical molecules and send their signals through vomeronasal nerves to the accessory olfactory bulb. From there, processing engages brain regions such as the hypothalamus, linking environmental chemical information with neural systems involved in social and reproductive behavior. This pathway provides a framework for studying how sensory input influences instinctive responses.
The VNO’s response to nonvolatile molecules distinguishes the chemical information it samples from cues that readily disperse through the air. This property focuses attention on a particular class of environmental signals relevant to chemical communication. Neuroscience research can therefore examine how sensory neurons represent these molecules and how that coded information is transformed into behaviorally meaningful signals.
In species that use pheromone signaling, vomeronasal sensory neurons provide an entry point for chemical cues associated with social or reproductive behavior. Signals travel to the accessory olfactory bulb and then engage broader brain circuitry, including the hypothalamus. Studying this route helps researchers connect molecular detection with the neural regulation of instinctive behavioral states.
Developmental research can show how the vomeronasal organ and its neural connections are established and how those features differ among species. These comparisons help clarify why chemical communication is prominent in some mammals and organized differently in others. They also provide context for interpreting variation in sensory coding, social behavior, and reproductive signaling across species.
The VNO serves as a model for investigating three linked problems: how sensory neurons encode chemical cues, how signals move through defined neural pathways, and how the brain coordinates instinctive behavior. Researchers can relate activity in the vomeronasal pathway to social and reproductive responses, making the system useful for connecting sensory processing with behavioral control.
Findings from mammals cannot automatically be generalized to humans because species differ in vomeronasal anatomy, development, and chemical communication. Consequently, the relevance of vomeronasal signaling in humans remains debated. Neuroscience uses this question to distinguish broadly conserved principles of chemosensory processing from specialized adaptations associated with social and reproductive behavior in other mammals.