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#P32
POSTER SESSION I:
MULTIMODAL RECEPTION;
CHEMOSENSATION & DISEASE;
TASTE PERIPHERY; OLFACTION PERIPHERY
Morphological study on the glandular epithelium associated
with the primordial vomeronasal organ in the lungfish
Shoko Nakamuta
1,2
, Nobuaki Nakamuta
1,2
, Kazumi Taniguchi
3
,
Kazuyuki Taniguchi
1,2
1
Iwate University/Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy Morioka,
Japan,
2
Gifu University/United Graduate School of Veterinary
Science Gifu, Japan,
3
Kitasato University/Laboratory of Veterinary
Anatomy Towada, Japan
Several lines of evidence suggest that the vomeronasal system has
already begun its development during phylogeny in fishes, although
fishes lack the distinct vomeronasal organ. The African lungfish
possesses a sensory epithelium containing microvillous olfactory
receptor cells as in the vomeronasal organ of tetrapods, and the
olfactory epithelium containing both ciliated and microvillous
olfactory receptor cells. The former, temporarily designated as a
recess epithelium in this study, was found in the recess at the base
of the olfactory lamella, and the latter on the surface of the
olfactory lamella. Both epithelia consisted of supporting cells,
olfactory receptor cells and basal cells. In this study, we examined
the structure of a glandular epithelium in the recess at the base of
the olfactory lamella and its relationship to the recess epithelium.
The glandular epithelium consisted of columnar cells with basally-
located nuclei. These cells contained well-developed rough
endoplasmic reticulum and abundant secretory granules in the
supranuclear cytoplasm. Although supporting cells in both the
olfactory epithelium and the recess epithelium contained secretory
granules in their cytoplasm, they showed different staining patterns
by lectin histochemistry from those of the glandular epithelium to
suggest that they secrete different kinds of substances modified by
respective sugar residues. Furthermore, all recesses were
constituted by both recess epithelium and the glandular epithelium,
as confirmed by the serial sectioning of a whole nasal sac. These
results suggest that the primordial vomeronasal organ in the
lungfish possesses an associated gland and the secretory function
of this gland is different from that of the supporting cells in the
olfactory epithelium and the recess epithelium.
#P33
POSTER SESSION I:
MULTIMODAL RECEPTION;
CHEMOSENSATION & DISEASE;
TASTE PERIPHERY; OLFACTION PERIPHERY
Characterization of the Domesticated Cat Vomeronasal 1
Receptor Family
Michelle M Sandau, Nancy E Rawson
AFB International Saint Charles, MO, USA
Pheromones are involved in chemical communication between
individuals within species and can modify social and sexual
behavior as well as physiology. These signals are primarily detected
in the vomeronasal organ (VNO) located at the bottom of the nasal
cavity. Within the VNO the apical epithelium houses vomeronasal
sensory neurons which express vomeronasal receptors (V1R).
The V1R proteins are seven transmembrane G protein-coupled
receptors, and the genes are a single exon of approximately 1000
nucleotides. Rodents possess over 100 functional V1R proteins and
are the best characterized to date. Due to pseudogenization events,
most mammals have fewer functional receptors than rodents, with
primates expressing few if any. In general, the V1R repertoire
within a species is unique with few orthologs between species
with the exception of ruminants. Although V1R repertoires of
domesticated animals have been investigated, the domesticated cat
(
Felis catus
) has not been included in great detail despite the
completion of the genome in 2007. We sought to determine
whether the 17 predicted cat V1R sequences had any similarities to
other domesticated animals. In our analysis we compared all of the
cat V1R protein sequences to those of dogs, cows, sheep, goats,
pigs, and horses. This diverse group of domesticated animals
allowed us to examine whether V1R diversity and orthologs are
influenced by dietary habits, VNO anatomical structure and
development, or pheromone-related behaviors such as the flehman
response or induced ovulation. Understanding these relationships
may lend insight into the evolution and function of the vomeronasal
system in cats and the environmental influences that shape
chemosensory receptor repertoires.
#P34
POSTER SESSION I:
MULTIMODAL RECEPTION;
CHEMOSENSATION & DISEASE;
TASTE PERIPHERY; OLFACTION PERIPHERY
Evidence of singular response to round goby pheromones
within a sub-population sample of Perciformes species
in the Great Lakes region
Cory L. Ochs, Alyson J. Laframboise, Warren W. Green,
Jennifer L. Smith, Barbara S. Zielinski
Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor
Windsor, ON, Canada
Pheromone trapping is an increasingly viable strategy to reduce
invasive fish populations, largely due to the pheromones’ function
of evoking behavioral responses among conspecifics. Prior to
attempting such population control techniques, the pheromones
must be identified and their possible influence on non-target
species addressed. The round goby (
Neogobius melanostomus
)
is a fish invasive to the Great Lakes region. Steroids released by
reproductive males (3α-hydroxy-5β-androstane-11,17-dione
(11-O-ETIO) and 3α-hydroxy-5β-androstane-11,17-dione 3-sulfate
(11-O-ETIO-3-s) evoke olfactory sensory responses (field
potentials) from conspecifics. The lack of responses by goldfish
also support that these steroids function as pheromones in round
gobies. We further investigated whether alternative Perciformes
species sharing the same ecosystem as round gobies in the Great
Lakes region respond neurophysiologically to the putative
pheromones. Rock bass (
Ambloplites rupestris),
bluegill sunfish
(
Lepomis macrochirus),
pumpkinseed sunfish (
Lepomis gibbosus
),
smallmouth bass (
Micropterus dolomieu
), and yellow perch (
Perca
flavescens
) were the targets of an electro-olfactogram experiment
designed to record the summed generator potential within the
exposed olfactory epithelium in response to odors. The olfactory
epithelium was exposed to water until odors representing amino
acids, bile acids, putative round goby pheromones, and control
solutions were introduced intermittently. We found that although
fishes within this order responded to amino acids and bile acids,
only round gobies showed a response to the putative pheromones.
This study supports that a pheromone trapping trial could be
conducted in the field without adversely affecting non-target fish
populations in the area. Acknowledgements: Supported by the
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Strategic Program.
Abstracts | 39
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