信息素和“犁鼻器”对它们的检测已知主管小鼠的社会行为，但很少有化学信号被与特定行为反应联系起来。现在，Haga等人发现，雄性眼泪中分泌的ESP1肽使得雌性愿意接受交配，并且还识别出了它的“犁鼻器”受体(V2Rp5)及在行为反应中被激发的性别特异性神经通道。这样的“标记线”逻辑是否能够延伸到其他哺乳动物生殖行为的调控仍然不清楚。

原文出处：

Nature doi:10.1038/nature09142

The male mouse pheromone ESP1 enhances female sexual receptive behaviour through a specific vomeronasal receptor
Sachiko Haga,Tatsuya Hattori,Toru Sato,Koji Sato,Soichiro Matsuda,Reiko Kobayakawa,Hitoshi Sakano,Yoshihiro Yoshihara,Takefumi Kikusui& Kazushige Touhara

Various social behaviours in mice are regulated by chemical signals called pheromones that act through the vomeronasal system1, 2, 3. Exocrine gland-secreting peptide 1 (ESP1) is a 7-kDa peptide that is released into male tear fluids and stimulates vomeronasal sensory neurons in female mice4. Here, we describe the molecular and neural mechanisms that are involved in the decoding of ESP1 signals in the vomeronasal system, which leads to behavioural output in female mice. ESP1 is recognized by a specific vomeronasal receptor, V2Rp5, and the ligand–receptor interaction results in sex-specific signal transmission to the amygdaloid and hypothalamic nuclei via the accessory olfactory bulb. Consequently, ESP1 enhances female sexual receptive behaviour upon male mounting (lordosis), allowing successful copulation. In V2Rp5-deficient mice, ESP1 induces neither neural activation nor sexual behaviour. These findings show that ESP1 is a crucial male pheromone that regulates female reproductive behaviour through a specific receptor in the mouse vomeronasal system.