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Expression of a vomeronasal receptor gene (V1r) and G protein α subunits in goat, Capra hircus , olfactory receptor neurons
Author(s) -
Wakabayashi Yoshihiro,
Ohkura Satoshi,
Okamura Hiroaki,
Mori Yuji,
Ichikawa Masumi
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.21394
Subject(s) - vomeronasal organ , olfactory receptor , biology , olfactory epithelium , olfactory marker protein , olfactory system , receptor , medicine , endocrinology , microbiology and biotechnology , neuroscience , genetics
Abstract Most mammals have two distinct olfactory epithelia, the olfactory epithelium (OE) and vomeronasal epithelium (VNE), containing, respectively, olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and vomeronasal receptor neurons (VRNs). Olfactory receptors (ORs), which couple to Gαolf, are generally expressed by ORNs, whereas two vomeronasal receptor families (V1rs and V2rs) coupled respectively to Gαi2 and Gαo, are expressed by VRNs. Previously, we reported that one goat V1rs (gV1ra1) is expressed by ORNs and VRNs. To investigate the characteristics of vomeronasal‐receptor‐expressing ORNs in mammals we performed double‐label in situ hybridization for gV1ra1, Gαi2, Gαolf , olfactory marker protein ( OMP ), and growth association protein 43 ( GAP43 ). Goat V1r ‐expressing ORNs are categorized into two types situated in different areas of the epithelium. The first type of V1r ‐expressing ORN coexpressed Gαi2 , but not OMP or GAP43 . The second type of V1r ‐expressing ORN expresses Gαolf and OMP , but not Gαi2 or GAP43 . These findings suggest that the two types of V1r ‐expressing ORN in goat OE function using different G protein α subunits for chemoreception. J. Comp. Neurol. 503:371–380, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.