Hamacher, Christoph and Degen, Rudolf and Franke, Melissa and Switacz, Victoria K. and Fleck, David and Katreddi, Raghu Ram and Hernandez-Clavijo, Andres and Strauch, Martin and Horio, Nao and Hachgenei, Enno and Spehr, Jennifer and Liberles, Stephen D. and Merhof, Dorit and Forni, Paolo E. and Zimmer-Bensch, Geraldine and Ben-Shaul, Yoram and Spehr, Marc (2024) A revised conceptual framework for mouse vomeronasal pumping and stimulus sampling. CURRENT BIOLOGY, 34 (6). 1206-1221.e6. ISSN 0960-9822, 1879-0445
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
The physiological performance of any sensory organ is determined by its anatomy and physical properties. Consequently, complex sensory structures with elaborate features have evolved to optimize stimulus detection. Understanding these structures and their physical nature forms the basis for mechanistic insights into sensory function. Despite its crucial role as a sensor for pheromones and other behaviorally instructive chemical cues, the vomeronasal organ (VNO) remains a poorly characterized mammalian sensory structure. Fundamental principles of its physico-mechanical function, including basic aspects of stimulus sampling, remain poorly explored. Here, we revisit the classical vasomotor pump hypothesis of vomeronasal stimulus uptake. Using advanced anatomical, histological, and physiological methods, we demonstrate that large parts of the lateral mouse VNO are composed of smooth muscle. Vomeronasal smooth muscle tissue comprises two subsets of fibers with distinct topography, structure, excitation -contraction coupling, and, ultimately, contractile properties. Specifically, contractions of a large population of noradrenaline-sensitive cells mediate both transverse and longitudinal lumen expansion, whereas cholinergic stimulation targets an adluminal group of smooth muscle fibers. The latter run parallel to the VNO's rostro-caudal axis and are ideally situated to mediate antagonistic longitudinal constriction of the lumen. This newly discovered arrangement implies a novel mode of function. Single -cell transcriptomics and pharmacological profiling reveal the receptor subtypes involved. Finally, 2D/3D tomography provides non-invasive insight into the intact VNO's anatomy and mechanics, enables measurement of luminal fluid volume, and allows an assessment of relative volume change upon noradrenergic stimulation. Together, we propose a revised conceptual framework for mouse vomeronasal pumping and, thus, stimulus sampling.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | SMOOTH-MUSCLE; MOLECULAR-BASIS; INNERVATION; PHARMACOLOGY; ACTIVATION; RECEPTORS; VESSELS; COMPLEX; SYSTEM; ORGAN |
| Subjects: | 000 Computer science, information & general works > 004 Computer science 500 Science > 590 Zoological sciences |
| Divisions: | Informatics and Data Science > Department Computational Life Science > Chair of Image Analysis and Computer Vision (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dorit Merhof) |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Dec 2025 07:07 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Dec 2025 07:07 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/65393 |
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