Hypothalamic representation of the imminence of predator threat detected by the vomeronasal organ in mice.

ABSTRACT: Animals have the innate ability to select optimal defensive behaviors with appropriate intensity within specific contexts. The vomeronasal organ (VNO) serves as a primary sensory channel for detecting predator cues by relaying signals to the medial hypothalamic nuclei, particularly the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), which directly controls defensive behavioral outputs. Here, we demonstrate that cat saliva contains predator cues that signal the imminence of predator threat and modulate the intensity of freezing behavior through the VNO in mice. Cat saliva activates VNO neurons expressing the V2R-A4 subfamily of sensory receptors, and the number of VNO neurons activated in response to saliva correlates with both the freshness of saliva and the intensity of freezing behavior. Moreover, the

SUBMITTER: Nguyen QAT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11483128 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature