Changes in volatile compounds of mouse urine as it ages: Their interactions with water and urinary proteins

Kwak, Jae; Grigsby, Claude C.; Preti, George; Rizki, Mateen M.; Yamazaki, Kunio; Beauchamp, Gary K.

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.08.011

Cited by 27 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…GdmCl, a protein denaturant, was added to intact urine to determine whether DTBP is a MUP ligand. Previous studies revealed that VOCs whose headspace concentration increased upon denaturation were ligands released from urinary proteins [ 6 , 16 , 17 ]. The denaturation was accomplished by adding 20 mg GdmCl into a vial containing 15 μL of intact urine.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are MUPs a Toxic Waste Disposal System?

et al. 2016

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Male house mice produce large quantities of major urinary proteins (MUPs), which function to bind and transport volatile pheromones, though they may also function as scavengers that bind and excrete toxic compounds (‘toxic waste hypothesis’). In this study, we demonstrate the presence of an industrial chemical, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (DTBP), in the urine of wild-derived house mice (Mus musculus musculus). Addition of guanidine hydrochloride to male and female urine resulted in an increased release of DTBP. This increase was only observed in the high molecular weight fractions (HMWF; > 3 kDa) separated from male or female urine, suggesting that the increased release of DTBP was likely due to the denaturation of MUPs and the subsequent release of MUP-bound DTBP. Furthermore, when DTBP was added to a HMWF isolated from male urine, an increase in 2-sec-butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole (SBT), the major ligand of MUPs and a male-specific pheromone, was observed, indicating that DTBP was bound to MUPs and displaced SBT. These results suggest that DTBP is a MUP ligand. Moreover, we found evidence for competitive ligand binding between DTBP and SBT, suggesting that males potentially face a tradeoff between eliminating toxic wastes versus transporting pheromones. Our findings support the hypothesis that MUPs bind and eliminate toxic wastes, which may provide the most important fitness benefits of excreting large quantities of these proteins.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are MUPs a Toxic Waste Disposal System?

et al. 2016

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“…Although MUPs are expressed in different tissues, the predominant route of expression for most MUPs is synthesis in the liver, followed by passage through the glomerular filter and excretion in urine. The MUPs are eight stranded beta barrel structures enclosing a well-defined cavity that can bind and effect a slow release of volatile pheromones2846474849. There is also a growing body of evidence that MUPs act as signalling molecules in their own right.…”

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confidence: 99%

Molecular heterogeneity in major urinary proteins of Mus musculus subspecies: potential candidates involved in speciation

Hurst

Beynon

Armstrong

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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When hybridisation carries a cost, natural selection is predicted to favour evolution of traits that allow assortative mating (reinforcement). Incipient speciation between the two European house mouse subspecies, Mus musculus domesticus and M.m.musculus, sharing a hybrid zone, provides an opportunity to understand evolution of assortative mating at a molecular level. Mouse urine odours allow subspecific mate discrimination, with assortative preferences evident in the hybrid zone but not in allopatry. Here we assess the potential of MUPs (major urinary proteins) as candidates for signal divergence by comparing MUP expression in urine samples from the Danish hybrid zone border (contact) and from allopatric populations. Mass spectrometric characterisation identified novel MUPs in both subspecies involving mostly new combinations of amino acid changes previously observed in M.m.domesticus. The subspecies expressed distinct MUP signatures, with most MUPs expressed by only one subspecies. Expression of at least eight MUPs showed significant subspecies divergence both in allopatry and contact zone. Another seven MUPs showed divergence in expression between the subspecies only in the contact zone, consistent with divergence by reinforcement. These proteins are candidates for the semiochemical barrier to hybridisation, providing an opportunity to characterise the nature and evolution of a putative species recognition signal.

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“…Lasiopodomys mandarinus had the ability to form memories of unfamiliar individuals by perceiving the volatile chemicals produced in the urine of individuals, and then to identify them through their urine (Ren and Tai, 2006;Raymer et al, 1984). Previously study showed that "Cyclopropane" and "Decanoic acid" in the urine of meerkats with the functions of driving same individuals (Kwak et al, 2013). "Formic acid" and "octyl ester" were absent and existed regularly in urine of non-kin T. belangeri, which may be used to regulate the urine odor, thus affecting the kin recognition of T. belangeri.…”

Section: Vol Issue ()mentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of volatile chemical substances in urine of the kinship and non-kinship Tupaia belangeri (Mammalia: Scandentia: Tupaiidae)

Zhu

Ren

Hou

et al. 2018

IJAR

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Chemical communication plays an important role in reproductive and social behaviour of small mammals. The chemical constituents of urine were the main signal resources that can encode sex and social status. The purpose of the present study was to test volatile chemical substances in urine of the kinship and non-kinship Tupaia belangeri, volatile chemicals in urine were performed by the gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which is speculated that volatile chemicals in urine may had key role in its kin recognition of T. belangeri. The results showed that the components of volatile chemicals in urine were similar between the kinship and non-kinship T. belangeri, which the main components were Alcohols, Alkanes, Esters and Ketones, but the types of each materials were discrepant. "Formic acid, octyl ester" were absence or existence regularly, and "-Farnesene" and "2,4-Dithiapentane" were found in kinship and non-kinship T. belangeri, which may be signaling substances in the urine. All of the results suggested that volatile chemical substances in urine were different in kinship and non-kinship T. belangeri, indicating that chemical communication based on signals in urine plays an important role in its kin recognition of T. belangeri.

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Changes in volatile compounds of mouse urine as it ages: Their interactions with water and urinary proteins

Cited by 27 publications

References 46 publications

Are MUPs a Toxic Waste Disposal System?

Are MUPs a Toxic Waste Disposal System?

Molecular heterogeneity in major urinary proteins of Mus musculus subspecies: potential candidates involved in speciation

Analysis of volatile chemical substances in urine of the kinship and non-kinship Tupaia belangeri (Mammalia: Scandentia: Tupaiidae)

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