RT Journal Article
T1 The vomeronasal system of the newborn capybara: a morphological and immunohistochemical study
A1 Vázquez Torres, Mateo
A1 Ortiz Leal, Irene
A1 Rodríguez Villamayor, Paula
A1 Ferreiro, Andrea
A1 Rois, José Luís
A1 Sánchez Quinteiro, Pablo
K1 Development of the nervous system
K1 Immunohistochemical
K1 Capybara
K1 Vomeronasal
AB The vomeronasal system (VNS) is responsible for the perception mainly of pheromones and kairomones. Primarily studied in laboratory rodents, it plays a crucial role in their socio-sexual behaviour. As a wild rodent, the capybara offers a more objective and representative perspective to understand the significance of the system in the Rodentia, avoiding the risk of extrapolating from laboratory rodent strains, exposed to high levels of artificial selection pressure. We have studied the main morphological and immunohistochemical features of the capybara vomeronasal organ (VNO) and accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). The study was done in newborn individuals to investigate the maturity of the system at this early stage. We used techniques such as histological stains, lectins-labelling and immunohistochemical characterization of a range of proteins, including G proteins (Gαi2, Gαo) and olfactory marking protein. As a result, we conclude that the VNS of the capybara at birth is capable of establishing the same function as that of the adult, and that it presents unique features as the high degree of differentiation of the AOB and the active cellular migration in the vomeronasal epithelium. All together makes the capybara a promising model for the study of chemical communication in the first days of life
PB Nature Research
SN 2045-2322
YR 2020
FD 2020-08
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/37862
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/37862
LA eng
NO Torres, M.V., Ortiz-Leal, I., Villamayor, P.R. et al. The vomeronasal system of the newborn capybara: a morphological and immunohistochemical study. Sci Rep 10, 13304 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69994-w
NO The authors thank MARCELLE NATURE PARK (Outeiro de Rei, Spain) for providing the animals employed in this study
DS Minerva
RD 30 abr 2026