| First Author | Munger SD | Year | 2010 |
| Journal | Curr Biol | Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 16 | Pages | 1438-44 |
| PubMed ID | 20637621 | Mgi Jnum | J:163768 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:4829725 | Doi | 10.1016/j.cub.2010.06.021 |
| Citation | Munger SD, et al. (2010) An olfactory subsystem that detects carbon disulfide and mediates food-related social learning. Curr Biol 20(16):1438-44 |
| abstractText | Olfactory signals influence social interactions in a variety of species. In mammals, pheromones and other social cues can promote mating or aggression behaviors; can communicate information about social hierarchies, genetic identity and health status; and can contribute to associative learning. However, the molecular, cellular, and neural mechanisms underlying many olfactory-mediated social interactions remain poorly understood. Here, we report that a specialized olfactory subsystem that includes olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) expressing the receptor guanylyl cyclase GC-D, the cyclic nucleotide-gated channel subunit CNGA3, and the carbonic anhydrase isoform CAII (GC-D(+) OSNs) is required for the acquisition of socially transmitted food preferences (STFPs) in mice. Using electrophysiological recordings from gene-targeted mice, we show that GC-D(+) OSNs are highly sensitive to the volatile semiochemical carbon disulfide (CS(2)), a component of rodent breath and a known social signal mediating the acquisition of STFPs. Olfactory responses to CS(2) are drastically reduced in mice lacking GC-D, CNGA3, or CAII. Disruption of this sensory transduction cascade also results in a failure to acquire STFPs from either live or surrogate demonstrator mice or to exhibit hippocampal correlates of STFP retrieval. Our findings indicate that GC-D(+) OSNs detect chemosignals that facilitate food-related social interactions. |
