Different Components of the Chemical Communication Mechanisms in Domestic Animals

Dear Colleagues,

From the appearance of the simplest living beings (bacteria, yeasts, protozoa, etc.) to those of the most organized beings (insects, fish, mammals, etc.), chemical communication, in the form of exchanges of molecular signals, has been the most universally used communication system in the living world. Chemical communication is highly connected with several behavioral and physiological mechanisms in every living being, and plays a crucial and inevitable role in different aspects of animals’ lives (social behavior, sexual behavior, territory marking, inter- and intra-species ecological interactions). Fundamentally, chemical communication systems are based on the same main key components: a transmitter of the message, a chemical substance serving as a code/signal, and a receiver producing a biological response. The substances used by different organisms to communicate with each other are called semiochemicals in general, and are called pheromones in the case of intra-species chemical communication. They are volatile chemical cues released by body exudates such as skin, urine, feces, and other important secretions. Chemosignal cues are sensed within the main and accessory olfactory organs where the sensory epithelia are laid by olfactory and vomeronasal sensory neurons. The volatile chemical cues are bound by soluble carrier proteins called OBPs (odorant-binding-proteins), and are able to carry hydrophobic ligands in aqueous biological fluids, such as the mucus of the nasal or vomeronasal cavity. The binding of chemical cues by the carrier proteins also increases volatile longevity and long-lasting, slow or prolonged release to the environment. The perception capability is modulated by the chemosensory receptors on sensory neurons, which discriminate the semiochemicals by their compositions and are involved in the chemosignal transduction to upper brain regions (i.e., main and accessory olfactory bulbs), in which the signal is processed for further central brain integration, then triggering the behavioral and/or physiological modifications. These entire fundamental mechanisms are of the utmost importance for all living beings, including domestic animals.

For the last few decades, the research approach has been fully focused on the identification of crucial elements behind the chemical communication in the domestic animal's life. Several studies shed light on the key components of semiochemical transport and the significant involvement of chemosensory receptors by interdisciplinary scientific approaches (e.g., in vivo, in vitro, and in silico methods). The multidisciplinary evolution of science, as well as the simplification and development of analytical chemistry techniques, have made it possible to open research paths towards deciphering the chemical code. More recently, advances in functional genomics and proteomics have also brought a better understanding of semiochemical receptor systems (i.e., olfactory and vomeronasal receptors), as well as the actors of peri-receptor events such as the soluble semiochemical carrier proteins (e.g., OBPs). Reverse chemical ecology approaches are also developing to suggest putative structures of still-unknown semiochemicals through the study of the structural and functional characteristics of their binding proteins.

This Special Issue aims to focus on all the chemical communication components underlying domestic animal interactions, from the secretion to the perception and integration of the chemical signal, including their identification and the description of their functioning and mechanisms of action from peripheral to central nervous regions. In this Special Issue, we especially intend to focus on trending and innovative research approaches and interdisciplinary studies on these topics.

We are pleased to invite you to submit articles, reviews, case reports, and other types of contributions supported by Veterinary Sciences. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Fundamental mechanisms and importance of chemical communication in domestic animals, including the causes and consequences of chemical communication dysfunction;
• Scent marking strategies and behaviors in domestic animals;
• Chemoreception components in domestic animals;
• Mechanisms of perception and discrimination of chemosignals, including the brain areas involved in chemosignal processing;
• Identification of new semiochemicals in domestic animals;
• Metagenomic and transcriptomic research in chemical communication and the identification of new components of chemical communication in domestic species (e.g., receptors, semiochemical carrier proteins);
• Evolutionary features of domestic animals for predicting the fundamental chemosensory action mechanisms;
• Proteomics analysis and protein semiochemistry in domestic animals;
• Microbial partners involved in domestic species’ chemical communication (e.g., production and secretion of semiochemicals) and metabolomic research;
• Recent trends in chemical communication and the management of domestic animals;
• Domestic animal breeding and reproduction strategies through chemical cues;
• Welfare state and stress-management strategies through chemical cues (pheromonotherapy).

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Cécile Bienboire-Frosini
Dr. Rajesh Durairaj
Guest Editors

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• pheromones/semiochemicals/chemical cues/chemosignals
• scent-marking
• chemosensory receptors
• odorant-binding proteins
• chemoreception
• olfactory system
• vomeronasal system
• genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic/metabolomic
• microbiota