Advances in research of mammalian vomeronasal pheromone perception and genetic components unique to vomeronasal signal transduction pathway

The recognition and perception of chemical signals from environments are very important for the survival of organisms. In mammals, general chemical signals are mainly detected by the main olfactory system (MOS), while pheromones are primarily perceived by the vomeronasal system (VNS). Pheromones are chemicals released and recognized by individuals within the same species, which then induce physiological and behavioral changes in social and sexual activities. In this review, we focus on the recent advances on research in mammalian vomeronasal pheromone perception and those genetic components unique to vomeronasal signal transduction pathway, including vomeronasal receptor V1R and V2R gene families as well as transient receptor potential channel 2 gene (TRPC2), trying to shed light on further study of the molecular mechanisms of mammalian pheromone perception.