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Abstract
Several developments during the past 15 years have profoundly affected our understanding
of the vomeronasal system (VNS) of vertebrates. In the mid 1990s, the vomeronasal
epithelium of mammals was found to contain two populations of receptor cells, based
on their expression of G-proteins. These two populations of neurons were subsequently
found to project their axons to different parts of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB),
forming the basis of segregated pathways with possibly heterogeneous functions. A
related discovery was the cloning of members of at least two gene families of putative
vomeronasal G-protein-coupled receptors (GPRs) in the vomeronasal epithelium. Ligand
binding to these receptors was found to activate a phospholipase C (PLC)-dependent
signal transduction pathway that primarily involves an increase in intracellular inositol-tris-phosphate
and intracellular calcium. In contrast to what was previously believed, neuron replacement
in the vomeronasal epithelium appears to occur through a process of vertical migration
in most mammals. New anatomical studies of the central pathways of the olfactory and
vomeronasal systems indicated that these two systems converge on neurons in the telencephalon,
providing an anatomical substrate for functional interactions. Combined anatomical,
physiological and behavioral studies in mice provided new information that furthered
our understanding of one of the most striking pheromonal phenomena, the Bruce effect.
Finally, contrary to prior observations, new anatomical studies indicated that a vomeronasal
organ (VNO) was present in human adults and reports were published indicating that
this system might be functional. These latter observations are still controversial
and require confirmation from independent laboratories.