The vomeronasal system is one of several nasal chemoreceptive systems present in terrestrial vertebrates. It is a major source of direct exteroceptive information to the limbic system and has been implicated, over the past 10 to 15 years in several species-typical behaviors. Over the past 12 years our laboratory has gathered evidence for the importance of the garter snake vomeronasal system in a variety of behaviors including prey extract trailing, prey extract attack, aggregation, shelter selection and male response to female sex pheromones. Most recently we have established that a vomeronasally mediated stimulus can be intrinsically reinforcing and have identified a substance in earthworm wash, earthworm cuticle collagen, which is a snake chemoattractant whose detection is mediated via the vomeronasal system. The current proposal extends these studies and expands the domain of interest to a marsupial, Monodelphis domestica, the grey short tailed opossum. The new studies will include further purification of the chemoattractant in earthworm wash, and identification of that portion recognized by the vomeronasal system of the garter snakes; characterization of a second garter snake chemoattractant, earthworm alarm pheromone; continued behavioral and electrophysiological analysis of olfactory vs. vomeronasally mediated chemosignals in snakes and development of behavioral tasks for electrophysiological analysis of opossum response to marking pheromones.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS011713-15
Application #
3564453
Study Section
Biopsychology Study Section (BPO)
Project Start
1977-09-01
Project End
1989-08-31
Budget Start
1988-09-01
Budget End
1989-08-31
Support Year
15
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Suny Downstate Medical Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
068552207
City
Brooklyn
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
11203
Holtzman, D A; Gordon, E; Halpern, M (1993) Developmental changes in cytochrome oxidase histochemistry in the main and accessory olfactory bulbs of embryonic and neonatal garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis spp.). J Morphol 218:323-32
Holtzman, D A (1993) The ontogeny of nasal chemical senses in garter snakes. Brain Behav Evol 41:163-70
Holtzman, D A; Halpern, M (1991) Incorporation of 3H-thymidine in the embryonic vomeronasal and olfactory epithelial of garter snakes. J Comp Neurol 304:435-49
Graves, B M; Halpern, M; Friesen, J L (1991) Snake aggregation pheromones: source and chemosensory mediation in western ribbon snakes (Thamnophis proximus). J Comp Psychol 105:140-4
Holtzman, D A; Halpern, M (1991) Incorporation of 3H-thymidine in telencephalic structures of the vomeronasal and olfactory systems of embryonic garter snakes. J Comp Neurol 304:450-66
Holtzman, D A; Halpern, M (1990) Embryonic and neonatal development of the vomeronasal and olfactory systems in garter snakes (Thamnophis spp.). J Morphol 203:123-40
Jiang, X C; Inouchi, J; Wang, D et al. (1990) Purification and characterization of a chemoattractant from electric shock-induced earthworm secretion, its receptor binding, and signal transduction through the vomeronasal system of garter snakes. J Biol Chem 265:8736-44
Jiang, X C; Wang, D; Halpern, M (1989) Isolation and characterization of alarm pheromone from electric shock-induced earthworm secretion. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 34:213-21
Graves, B M; Halpern, M (1989) Chemical access to the vomeronasal organs of the lizard Chalcides ocellatus. J Exp Zool 249:150-7
Holtzman, D A; Halpern, M (1989) In vitro technique for studying garter snake (Thamnophis sp.) development. J Exp Zool 250:283-8

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