Neural substrates for processing chemosensory information in snakes

Brain Research Bulletin
Alino Martínez-MarcosMimi Halpern

Abstract

Snakes interact with their chemical environment through their olfactory and vomeronasal systems. The present report summarizes advances on neural substrates for processing chemosensory information. First, the efferent and centrifugal afferent connections of the main and accessory olfactory bulbs were reinvestigated. Second, the afferent and efferent connections of the nucleus sphericus, the main target of the accessory olfactory bulb, were characterized. The nucleus sphericus gives rise to a very small projection to the hypothalamus, but it does project to other telencephalic structures where olfactory and vomeronasal information could converge. Third, the intra-amygdaloid circuitry and the amygdalo-hypothalamic projections were described. The medial amygdala, for instance, receives both vomeronasal and olfactory inputs and projects to the hypothalamus, namely, to the lateral posterior hypothalamic nucleus. Fourth, because the lateral posterior hypothalamic nucleus projects to the hypoglossal nucleus, the motor center controlling the tongue musculature, this projection could constitute a pathway for chemosensory information to influence tongue-flicking behavior. In summary, vomeronasal information is mostly relayed to the hypot...Continue Reading

Citations

Oct 14, 2008·Annual Review of Physiology·Lynne D Houck
Feb 6, 2008·The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science·Kazumi TaniguchiKazuyuki Taniguchi
Aug 2, 2013·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Antonio AbellánLoreta Medina
May 26, 2017·The Journal of Comparative Neurology·Bernardita Cádiz-MorettiEnrique Lanuza
Apr 10, 2010·The European Journal of Neuroscience·Burton SlotnickWeihong Lin
Dec 6, 2019·Brain Structure & Function·Paula R VillamayorPablo Sanchez-Quinteiro

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