Skip to main content

Neural Mechanisms of Communication: From Pheromones to Mosaic Signals

  • Chapter
Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 9

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is, first, to review concepts about the types of chemical signals that are used for communication, ranging from classic, single-compound pheromones to complex mixtures used for social recognition and, second, to summarize what we know about the neural mechanisms underlying responsiveness to these different types of signals in mammals. The specific examples come primarily from my own research and that of others on golden hamsters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Eichenbaum, H., Shedlack, K. J., and Eckmann, K. W., 1980, Thalamocortical mechanisms in odor-guided behavior I. Effects of lesions of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus and frontal cortex on olfactory discrimination in the rat, Brain Behav. Evol. 17:255–275.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eichenbaum, H., Clegg, R. A., and Feeley, A., 1983, Reexamination of functinal subdivisions of the rodent prefrontal cortex, Exp. Neurol. 79:434–451.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jang, T., Singer, A. G., and Macrides, F., 1995, Induction of c-fos-gene product in the male hamster accessory olfactory bulbs by natural and bacterially cloned aphrodisin, Chem. Senses 20:712–713.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R. E., 1986, Effects of female odors on the sexual behavior of male hamsters, Behav. Neural Biol. 46:168–188.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R. E., 1998, Pheromones, the vomeronasal system, and communication, Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 855:333–348.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R. E., 2000, Chemical communication and pheromones:the types of signals and the role of the vomeronasal system, in: The Neurobiology of Taste and Smell, 2nd edition (T. E. Finger, W. L. Silver, and D. Restrepo, eds.), Wiley, New York, pp. 99–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R. E., and Peng, M., 2000, The vomeronasal organ is involved in discrimination of individual odors by males but not by females in golden hamsters, Physiol. Behav., 70: (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R. E., and Rasmussen, K., 1984, Individual recognition of female hamsters by males: Role of chemical cues and of the olfactory and vomeronasal systems, Physiol. Behav. 33:95–104.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R. E., and Zahorick, D. M., 1975, Taste aversions to sexual attractants, Science 189:893–894.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R. E., Zahorick, D. M., Immler, K., and Zakon, H., 1978, Alterations of male sexual behavior by learned aversions to hamster vaginal secretion, J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 92:85–93.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaba, H., Rosser, A., and Keverne, E. B., 1989, Neural basis of olfactory memory in the context of pregnancy block, Neuroscience 32:657–662.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keverne, E. B., 1998, Vomeronasal/accessory system and pheromonal recognition, Chem. Senses 23:491–494.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keverne, E. B., 1999, The vomeronasal organ, Science 286:716–720.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kwan, M., and Johnston, R. E., 1980, The role of vaginal secretion in hamsters sexual behavior: Males’ responses to normal and vaginectomized females and their odors, J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 94:905–913.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Linn, C. E., and Roelofs, W. L., 1989, Response specificity of male moths to multicomponent pheromones, Chem. Senses 14:421–437.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Macrides, F., Bartke, A., Fernandez, F., and D’Angelo, W., 1974, Effects of exposure to vaginal odor and receptive females on plasma testosterone in the male hamster, Neuroendocrinol. 15:355–364.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meredith, M., 1986, Vomeronasal organ removal before sexual experience impairs male hamster mating behavior, Physiol. Behav. 36:737–743.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connell, R. J., and Meredith, M., 1984, Effects of volatile and non-volatile chemical signals on male sex behaviors mediated by the main and accessory olfactory systems, Behav. Neurosci. 98:1083–1093.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Otto, T., and Eichenbaum, H., 1992, Olfactory learning and memory in the rat: A “model system” for studies of the neurobiology of memory, in: Science of Olfaction (M. J. Serby, and K. L. Chobor, eds.), Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 213–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parkes, A. S., and Bruce, H. M., 1961, Olfactory stimuli in mammalian reproduction, Science 134:1049–1054.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petrulis, A., and Johnston, R. E., 1995, A reevaluation of dimethyl disulfide as a sex attractant in golden hamsters, Physiol. Behav. 57:779–784.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petrulis, A., and Johnston, R. E., 1999, Lesions centered on the medial amygdala impair scent-marking and sex-odor recognition but spare discrimination of individual odors in female golden hamsters, Behav. Neurosci. 113:345–357.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petrulis, A., DeSouza, I., Schiller, M., and Johnston, R. E., 1998, Role of the frontal cortex in social odor discrimination and scent-marking in female golden hamsters (Mesocricetus aruatus), Behav. Neurosci. 112:199–212.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petrulis, A., Peng, M., and Johnston, R. E., 1999a, Effects of vomeronasal organ removal on individual odor discrimination, sex-odor preference, and scent marking in female hamsters, Physiol. Behav. 66:73–83.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petrulis, A., Peng, M., and Johnston, R. E., 1999b, Lateral olfactory tract transections impair discrimination of individual odors, sex odor preferences, and scent marking in female golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), in: Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates (R. E. Johnston, D. Müller-Schwarze, and P. W. Sorensen, eds.), Plenum Press, New York, pp. 549–561.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petrulis, A., Peng, M., and Johnston, R. E., 2000, The role of the hippocampal system in social odor discrimination and scent marking in female golden hamsters (Mesocricetus aruatus), Behav. Neurosci. 114:184–195.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pfeiffer, C. A., and Johnston, R. E., 1994, Hormonal and behavioral responses of male hamsters to females and female odors: Roles of olfaction, the vomeronasal system, and sexual experience, Physiol. Behav. 55:129–138.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Powers, J. B., and Winans, S. S., 1975, Vomeronasal organ: critical role in mediating sexual behavior of the male hamster, Science 187:961–963.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singer, A. G., Agosta, W. C., and Clancy, A. N., 1987, The chemistry of vomeronasally detected pheromones: Characterization of an aphrodisiac protein, Ann. N.Y. Acad Sci. 519:287–298.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singer, A. G., Agosta, W. C., O’Connell, R. J., Pfaffmann, C., Bowen, D. V., and Field, F.H., 1976, Dimethyl disulphide: An attractant pheromone in hamster vaginal secretion, Science 191:948–950.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singer, A. G., and Macrides, F., 1990, Aphrodisin: pheromone or transducer, Chem. Senses 15:199–203.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whishaw, I. Q., Tomie, J.-A., and Kolb, B., 1992, Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex lesions in rats impair the acquisition and retention of a tactile-olfactory configural task, Behav. Neurosci. 106:597–603.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Winans, S. S., and Powers, J. B., 1977, Olfactory and vomeronasal deafferentation of male hamsters: histological and behavioral analyses, Brain Res. 126:325–344.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wysocki, C. J., 1989, Vomeronasal chemoreception: its role in reproductive fitness and physiology, in: Neural Control of Reproductive Function (J. M. Lakoski, J. R. Perez-Polo, and D. K. Rassin, eds.), A. R. Liss, New York, pp. 545–566.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wysocki, C. J., and Meredith, M., 1987, The vomeronasal system, in: Neurobiology of Taste and Smell (T. E. Finger, and W. L. Silver, eds.), John Wiley and Sons, New York, pp. 125–150.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Johnston, R.E. (2001). Neural Mechanisms of Communication: From Pheromones to Mosaic Signals. In: Marchlewska-Koj, A., Lepri, J.J., Müller-Schwarze, D. (eds) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 9. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0671-3_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0671-3_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5187-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0671-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics