1st Edition

Neurobiology of Chemical Communication

Edited By Carla Mucignat-Caretta Copyright 2014
    612 Pages 89 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Intraspecific communication involves the activation of chemoreceptors and subsequent activation of different central areas that coordinate the responses of the entire organism—ranging from behavioral modification to modulation of hormones release. Animals emit intraspecific chemical signals, often referred to as pheromones, to advertise their presence to members of the same species and to regulate interactions aimed at establishing and regulating social and reproductive bonds.

    In the last two decades, scientists have developed a greater understanding of the neural processing of these chemical signals. Neurobiology of Chemical Communication explores the role of the chemical senses in mediating intraspecific communication. Providing an up-to-date outline of the most recent advances in the field, it presents data from laboratory and wild species, ranging from invertebrates to vertebrates, from insects to humans.

    The book examines the structure, anatomy, electrophysiology, and molecular biology of pheromones. It discusses how chemical signals work on different mammalian and non-mammalian species and includes chapters on insects, Drosophila, honey bees, amphibians, mice, tigers, and cattle. It also explores the controversial topic of human pheromones.

    An essential reference for students and researchers in the field of pheromones, this is also an ideal resource for those working on behavioral phenotyping of animal models and persons interested in the biology/ecology of wild and domestic species.

    Introduction to Chemical Signaling in Vertebrates and Invertebrates; Tristram D. Wyatt
    Pheromones and General Odor Perception in Insects; Michel Renou
    First Investigation of the Semiochemistry of South African Dung Beetle Species; Barend (Ben) Victor Burger
    Pheromone Reception in Insects: The Example of Silk Moths; Karl-Ernst Kaissling
    Chemical Communication in the Honey Bee Society; Laura Bortolotti and Cecilia Costa
    Drosophila
    Pheromones: From Reception to Perception; Wynand van der Goes van Naters
    How Drosophila Detect Volatile Pheromones: Signaling, Circuits, and Behavior; Samarpita Sengupta and Dean P. Smith
    Chemical Signaling in Amphibians; Sarah K. Woodley
    Vomeronasal Organ: A Short History of Discovery and an Account of Development and Morphology in the Mouse; Carlo Zancanaro
    Vomeronasal Receptors and Signal Transduction in the Vomeronasal Organ of Mammals; Simona Francia, Simone Pifferi, Anna Menini, and Roberto Tirindelli
    Central Processing of Intraspecific Chemical Signals in Mice; Carla Mucignat-Caretta
    Molecular and Neural Mechanisms of Pheromone Reception in the Rat Vomeronasal System and Changes in the Pheromonal
    Reception by the Maturation and Sexual Experiences; Makoto Kashiwayanagi
    Social Cues, Adult Neurogenesis, and Reproductive Behavior; Paolo Peretto and Raúl G. Paredes
    Influence of Cat Odor on Reproductive Behavior and Physiology in the House Mouse (Mus Musculus); Vera V. Voznessenskaya
    Pheromone of Tiger and Other Big Cats; Mousumi Poddar-Sarkar and Ratan Lal Brahmachary
    Cattle Pheromones; Govindaraju Archunan, Swamynathan Rajanarayanan, and Kandasamy Karthikeyan
    Pheromones for Newborns; Benoist Schaal
    Pheromone Processing in Relation to Sex and Sexual Orientation; Ivanka Savic
    Human Pheromones: Do They Exist? Richard L. Doty
    Index

    Biography

    Carla Mucignat-Caretta, PhD, is associate professor of physiology at the Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, University of Padova in Italy. She earned a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Parma, Italy, working on the role of major urinary proteins as pheromones in mice. She next moved to the University of Padova as a researcher and eventually associate professor. Her research focus is on the intraspecific chemical communication in mice, from chemical identification of the stimuli to the behavioral and neurohormonal effects induced in the recipient mice, and to the modifications in the brain circuits implied in deciphering chemical signals throughout the lifespan.