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THE NEW OUTLIERS. “Some pheromones bypass the conventional chemosensory systems and instead act on receptors on other neurons or on cells in tissues themselves. These pheromones have been called allohormone pheromones because they act like hormones outside the sender’s body.” https://lnkd.in/drx5_4e View in LinkedIn

PARTIAL STORY. “In mammals, many receptors have not been matched to their ligands.” https://lnkd.in/drx5_4e View in LinkedIn

VARIETY OF RECEPTORS. “In mammals, which type of chemosensory receptors/olfactory sensory neuron has been coopted to detect the pheromone depends on the molecule: volatile pheromones may be detected by chemosensory neurons in either the main olfactory system or accessory olfactory system. Protein pheromones such as ESP1, ESP22, and darcin are likely detected exclusively by VR2 receptors of the vomeronasal system whereas sulphated steroid pheromones are detected by VR1 receptors. Important amines are detected by trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs).” https://lnkd.in/drx5_4e View in LinkedIn

CORRECT MIXTURES REQUIRED. “In male moths, interneurons will only initiate a behavioural response if the right combination of glomeruli are activated, indicating all pheromone components are present in the right ratios, and there are no pheromone molecules characteristic of other species.” View in LinkedIn

DETECTION BY CHEMORECEPTORS. “Across the animal kingdom, as a rule, pheromones are detected by chemoreceptors of the olfactory system(s). In both insects and vertebrates, olfactory sensory neurons which carry the same chemoreceptor converge on the same glomerulus.” https://lnkd.in/drx5_4e View in LinkedIn

REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION. “During speciation, changes in sex pheromones commonly form one basis of pre-mating isolation. This may explain the chemosignal differences in major urinary proteins and androgen binding proteins in Mus musculus subspecies in hybrid zones.” https://lnkd.in/drx5_4e View in LinkedIn

ADAPTED FOR SITUATION. “Hyena anal gland secretions contain relatively involatile high molecular weight molecules for long lasting marks for territory marking. Underwater, pheromones can be small as the unusual amino acid L-kynurenine used by masu salmon as a female sex pheromone or as large as proteins, if charged and soluble. For example, the sex pheromones of the sea slug Aplysia are the proteins attractin, enticin, seductin, and temptin.” https://lnkd.in/drx5_4e View in LinkedIn

FUNCTIONAL MODIFICATIONS. “The molecules used by a given kind of animal can often be understood in terms of function, habitat, likely evolution, and phylogenetic history. For example, ant alarm pheromones are often related to that species’ venoms, and are small volatile molecules such as formic acid (MW 46), quick to reach fellow nestmates and to rapidly disperse when the alert is over.” https://lnkd.in/drx5_4e View in LinkedIn

EVOLUTION IS SOURCE AGNOSTIC. “A very wide range of molecules are used as pheromones, covering every chemical dimension of structure, functional group, size and combination, and limited only by the range of molecules organisms can produce or obtain. This range reflects the ways that molecules evolve into pheromone signals. Any molecule can potentially evolve into a pheromone.” https://lnkd.in/drx5_4e View in LinkedIn

OUTSOURCED EXUDATES. “Pheromones may also be produced by the activity of bacterial symbionts as in the case of, for example, guaiacol (2-methyoxyphenol), which affects phase-change in Locusta migratoria.” https://lnkd.in/drx5_4e View in LinkedIn