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Review

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 4, 551–562 (1 July 2003) | doi:10.1038/nrn1140

Molecular detection of pheromone signals in mammals: from genes to behaviour

Catherine Dulac & A. Thomas Torello

The instinctive and species-specific behavioural response of animals to pheromones has intrigued biologists for a long time. Recent molecular and electrophysiological approaches have provided new insights into the mechanisms of pheromone detection in rodents and into the sensory coding of pheromone signals that lead to gender discrimination and aggressive behaviour.