Single_cell_sequencing_of_pheromone_receptor_neurones

The vomeronasal organ (VNO), present in the nose of most mammals, is responsible for detecting social cues, like pheromones. Activation of the VNO by these olfactory cues elicits innate behaviours. Sensory neurones lining the VNO epithelia are very sensitive and narrowly tuned to specific ligands. Each vomeronasal sensory neurone (VSN) in the VNO expresses a unique set of vomeronasal receptor (VR) genes. In this experiment we have isolated VSN by FACS and captured individual cells. We will identify the transcriptional pattern of each of these cells by RNA sequencing using the Illumina platform. The analysis will be primarily focused on the VR and transduction machinery implicated in pheromone detection.