The vomeronasal organ expresses several receptors for pheromone detection.
Lucia Silvotti, Eleonora Cavalca, Rita Gatti, Riccardo Percudani, Roberto Tirindelli 2011, 'A recent class of chemosensory neurons developed in mouse and rat.', PLoS ONEhttp://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3170373?pdf=render. Retrieved from PLOS CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Secondary vomeronasal connections exist through the medial amygdala to the hypothalamus.
Agustín González, Ruth Morona, Jesús M López, Nerea Moreno, Glenn R Northcutt 2010, 'Lungfishes, like tetrapods, possess a vomeronasal system', Frontiers in Neuroanatomyhttp://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnana.2010.00130/full. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
The vomeronasal organ and the main olfactory epithelium comprise the primary peripheral olfactory epithelia.
Jessica H. Brann, Stuart eFirestein, Stuart eFirestein 2014, 'A lifetime of neurogenesis in the olfactory system', Frontiers in Neurosciencehttp://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnins.2014.00182/full. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Receptors expressed by vomeronasal neurons are implicated in selective detection of these cues.
Benjamin Stein, María Teresa Alonso, Frank Zufall, Trese Leinders-Zufall, Pablo Chamero 2016, 'Functional Overexpression of Vomeronasal Receptors Using a Herpes Simplex Virus Type1 (HSV-1)-Derived Amplicon', PLOS ONE10.1371/journal.pone.0156092. Retrieved from PLOS CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Parallel to the olfactory system, most mammals possess an accessory olfactory or vomeronasal system.
Alicia eMohedanoMoriano, Carlos ede la Rosa-Prieto, Daniel eSaiz-Sanchez, Isabel eUbeda-Banon,Palma ePro-Sistiaga, Miguel ede Moya-Pinilla, Alino eMartinez-Marcos 2012, 'Centrifugal telencephalic afferent connections to the main and accessory olfactorybulbs', Frontiers in Neuroanatomyhttp://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnana.2012.00019/full. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Therefore, the basal telencephalon should be reclassified in olfactory, vomeronasal and mixed areas.
Alicia eMohedanoMoriano, Carlos ede la Rosa-Prieto, Daniel eSaiz-Sanchez, Isabel eUbeda-Banon,Palma ePro-Sistiaga, Miguel ede Moya-Pinilla, Alino eMartinez-Marcos 2012, 'Centrifugal telencephalic afferent connections to the main and accessory olfactorybulbs', Frontiers in Neuroanatomyhttp://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnana.2012.00019/full. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
The vomeronasal neurons are thought to be highly selective in their responses.
Sachiko eHaga-Yamanaka, Limei eMa, C. Ron eYu 2015, 'Tuning Properties and Dynamic Range of Type 1 Vomeronasal Receptors', Frontiers in Neurosciencehttp://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnins.2015.00244/full. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Functional expression of vomeronasal receptors and their deorphanization provides an essential requirement for deciphering the neural mechanisms controlling behavior.
Benjamin Stein, María Teresa Alonso, Frank Zufall, Trese Leinders-Zufall, Pablo Chamero 2016, 'Functional Overexpression of Vomeronasal Receptors Using a Herpes Simplex Virus Type1 (HSV-1)-Derived Amplicon', PLOS ONE10.1371/journal.pone.0156092. Retrieved from PLOS CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Both the transposition and heterogeneity of vomeronasal afferences are features, to our knowledge, never reported before.
Rodrigo Suárez, Aldo Villalón, Heinz Künzle, Jorge Mpodozis 2009, 'Transposition and Intermingling of Gαi2 and Gαo Afferences into Single VomeronasalGlomeruli in the Madagascan Lesser Tenrec Echinops telfairi', PLoS ONE10.1371/journal.pone.0008005. Retrieved from PLOS CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)