Molecular mechanisms for recognition and signal transduction of sex-specific peptides in the mouse vomeronasal organ

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We discovered a mouse male-specific peptide, named exocrine gland-secreting peptide 1(ESP1), that was released into tear fluids from the extraorbital lacrimal gland. ESP1 turned out to be a sex pheromone that enhanced female sexual receptive behavior upon male mounting, leading to the successful copulation in mice. Moreover, we revealed the molecular mechanisms and the neural pathway involved in decoding the ESP1 signal in the vomeronasal system. The ESP1-signal processing in the vomeronasal system appears to be mediated by the selective neural pathway via the specific vomeronasal receptor. This study provided the first functional link between a sex peptide pheromone and a behavioral output via a selective neural pathway activated by a specific receptor in the vomeronasal system.