鱼类嗅觉系统和性信息素受体的研究进展

鱼类嗅觉系统包括外部嗅觉器官、嗅神经和嗅球三个部分.嗅觉器官也称为嗅囊,由嗅上皮和髓质组成.气味物质的化学信息主要由嗅上皮上随机分布的嗅觉感受神经元感知,通过嗅神经将嗅觉信息传递到嗅球,嗅球在空间上有不同的功能分区,嗅觉信息经过嗅球各分区整合后分别传入端脑,发挥其生理功能.性信息素在鱼类生殖过程中的作用是通过嗅觉系统来完成的,其中嗅觉感受神经元上的性信息素受体起着重要作用.鱼类性信息素受体的研究主要从两个方面入手,一是从低浓度特异的性信息素引起嗅觉器官电生理反应或行为反应入手,寻找特异的性信息素受体；二是参照哺乳动物嗅觉受体的研究结果,从嗅觉受体基因遗传保守性入手,研究鱼类性信息素受体的结构与功能.

Research Progresses in Fish Olfactory System and Sex Pheromonal Receptors

Fish olfactory system is composed of olfactory sac, olfactory nerve and olfactory bulb. Olfactory sac, also called olfactory organ, is composed of olfactory epithelium and central core. Chemical signals are first detected by the olfactory receptor neurons that randomly distribute in the entire olfactory epithelium, and then transferred to the olfactory bulb through the olfactory nerve. There exist different functional regions in the olfactory bulb, where the chemical signals are integrated and transferred to the telencephalon to play physiological functions. The sex pheromones play their functions through the olfactory system in fish reproduction, and the sex pheromonal receptors of the olfactory neurons play an important role. Usually, two approaches are used to investigate the sex pheromonal receptors in fishes: the first is based on species-specific electrophysiological or behavioral responses to sex pheromones at very low concentrations, and the second is based on the conservative structures of receptors genes taking reference of the mammalian counterparts.