Sensing and avoiding sick conspecifics requires Gαi2⁺ vomeronasal neurons.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rodents utilize chemical cues to recognize and avoid other conspecifics infected with pathogens. Infection with pathogens and acute inflammation alter the repertoire and signature of olfactory stimuli emitted by a sick individual. These cues are recognized by healthy conspecifics via the vomeronasal or accessory olfactory system, triggering an innate form of avoidance behavior. However, the molecular identity of the sensory neurons and the higher neural circuits involved in the detection of sick conspecifics remain poorly understood.

Results

We employed mice that are in an acute state of inflammation induced by systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Through conditional knockout of the G-protein Gαi2 and deletion of other key sensory transduction mole

SUBMITTER: Weiss J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10332101 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature