Chemosensory recognition among miceK. Yamazaki and G.K. BeauchampMonell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USABody odor plays a prominent role in regulating social, sexual and endocrine responses of many species and specialized structures have evolved to produce and detect odorous signals. The major histocompatibility complex of genes (MHC) imparts to each mouse an individual odor, called an odor type, which reflects its MHC genotype. A prime experimental method we have used for identifying MHC odor types is a specially designed Y maze in which mice are trained, by water deprivation and reward, to distinguish odors from MHC dissimilar mice or their urines. An alternative or supplement to the Y maze is an automated olfactometer, a computer-programmed and fully automated apparatus in which a mouse or rat is trained for odor type distinctions, again by water deprivation and reward. In this presentation advantages and cautions associated with these methods will be discussed. Supported by NSF Grant#0112528.. Paper presented at Measuring Behavior 2005 , 5th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, 30 August - 2 September 2005, Wageningen, The Netherlands. © 2005 Noldus Information Technology bv |