Abstract

JUNGBLUT, Lucas David; POZZI, Andrea Gabriela  and  PAZ, Dante Agustín. El sistema vomeronasal y su posible funcionalidad en larvas de anuros. Cuad. herpetol. [online]. 2013, vol.27, n.1, pp.47-56. ISSN 1852-5768.

The vomeronasal system (VNS) is an accessory olfactory system present in most tetrapods. Classically, the VNS has been associated with terrestriality in vertebrates; however, evidence emerged in recent years suggest that this sensory system appears earlier in tetrapods evolution and may play a role in chemosensory detection in aquatic environments. This sensory system has been described in anuran larvae. But, is the VNS functional in tadpoles? There are no experiments that evaluate the involvement of the VNS in chemodetection in tadpoles. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that the VNS could be a functional sensory system in anuran larvae: 1) The vomeronasal organ (VNO) appears during embryonic development and it is present throughout the larval phase. 2) The VNO contains bipolar neurons whose axons project to the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) where they establish synaptic contact with telencephalic neurons. 3) The vomeronasal neurons express specific membrane receptors described in the VNO of tetrapods, and the G protein involved in intracellular signaling. 4) Electron microscopy analysis demonstrates that the vomeronasal neurons have apical microvilli as described in other groups and their ultrastructural features do not change during metamorphosis. Moreover, there are no differences in the ultrastructure of the synaptic connections in the AOB between tadpoles and adults. Tadpoles exhibit a large number of chemodetection mediated behaviors. Knowing whether the VNS is functional in tadpoles will contribute to elucidating aspects of chemical communication and tadpole behavior, and would allow us to better understand evolutionary aspects of chemosensory systems in vertebrates.

Keywords : Chemodetection; Vomeronasal organ; Tadpole; Pheromone.

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