Hormonal Responses to Primer Pheromones

Bronson, F. H.; Macmillan, B. T.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-710780-6.50013-3

Cited by 40 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Interestingly, the synthetic analogues of certain mouse volatile chemosignals (namely, 3,4-dehydro-exo-brevicomin (DB), 2-sec-butyl-4, 5-dihydrothiazole (BT), and a-and b-farnesene), all exhibiting this biological activity and a strong a¤nity to MUP, were previously implicated in oestrus synchronization (Jemiolo et al 1986;Ma et al 1999). This communication thus supports Bronson's opinion (Bronson & MacMillan 1983) that puberty acceleration in juvenile females and oestrus synchronization in an adult female colony are likely to be caused by the same maleoriginated chemosignal. As discussed below, there are several possible advantages of a system where the active pheromone is ligated to a larger and less volatile carrier molecule, such as MUP of the house mouse.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 75%

“…For example, while the wind tunnel experiment of Whitten et al (1968) on oestrus induction seems to favour the notion of the pheromone's volatility, Vandenbergh and co-workers (Vandenbergh 1969;Vandenbergh et al 1975Vandenbergh et al , 1976, in their studies using the uterine weight assays (puberty acceleration), strongly advocate the idea that the pheromone is a large and/or non-volatile molecule, such as a protein or peptide. Although a rational argument has been made by Bronson & MacMillan (1983) that both the oestrus synchronization and puberty acceleration have the same endocrinological denominator, it has never been resolved whether the same chemosignal causes both e¡ects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Positive identification of the puberty-accelerating pheromone of the house mouse: the volatile ligands associating with the major urinary protein

Novotný

Wiesler

et al. 1999

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

210

133

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Five structurally diverse small ligands, all binding to the major urinary protein (MUP) of the male house mouse, show individually puberty-accelerating pheromonal activity in the recipient females. A recombinant MUP (identical structurally to the natural protein) has shown no biological activity. While four of these ligands were previously implicated in oestrus synchronization (Whitten e¡ect), the same chemosignals now appear responsible for both sexual maturation and cycling in adult females.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive identification of the puberty-accelerating pheromone of the house mouse: the volatile ligands associating with the major urinary protein

Novotný

Wiesler

et al. 1999

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

210

133

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“…The effects are numerous. Beginning early in life, exposure to chemical signals from adults of the opposite sex typically will advance the onset of puberty, while exposure to analogous signals from the same sex will retard the onset of puberty (Bronson and Macmillan, 1983). Estrous cyclicity in females can be radically affected by primer pheromones.…”

Section: Pheromone Response: Primers Signalers Modulators and Relementioning

confidence: 99%

Facts, fallacies, fears, and frustrations with human pheromones

2004

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Among primates in general, pheromones are of variable importance to social communication. Data on humans have generated the greatest controversy regarding the existence of pheromonal communication. In this review, the likelihood of pheromonal communication in humans is assessed with a discussion of chemical compounds produced by the axilla that may function as pheromones; the likelihood that the vomeronasal organ (VNO), a putative pheromone receptor organ in many other mammals, is functional in humans; and the possible ways pheromones operate in humans. In the human axilla, the interactions between the cutaneous microflora and axillary secretions render this region analogous to scent glands found in other primates. Both the chemistry of axillary secretions and their effects on conspecifics in humans appear to be analogous to other mammalian pheromone systems. Whichever chemical compounds serve a pheromonal function in humans, another unknown is the receptor. Although the VNO has been implicated in the reception of pheromones in many vertebrates, it is not the only pathway through which such information has access to the central nervous system; there is ample evidence to support the view that the olfactory epithelium can respond to pheromones. Furthermore, if a chemical activates receptors within the VNO, this does not necessarily mean that the compound is a pheromone. An important caveat for humans is that critical components typically found within the functioning VNO of other, nonprimate, mammals are lacking, suggesting that the human VNO does not function in the way that has been described for other mammals. In a broader perspective, pheromones can be classified as primers, signalers, modulators, and releasers. There is good evidence to support the presence of the former three in humans. Examples include affects on the menstrual cycle (primer effects); olfactory recognition of newborn by its mother (signaler); individuals may exude different odors based on mood (suggestive of modulator effects). However, there is no good evidence for releaser effects in adult humans. It is emphasized that no bioassay-guided study has led to the isolation of true human pheromones, a step that will elucidate specific functions to human chemical signals.

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“…The active urinary substance(s) can elicit-a variety of endocrine responses in the female mice (12)(13)(14). These male-originated substances appear to act with a high degree of specificity in altering the secretory patterns of luteinizing hormone and prolactin and of the steroids whose secretion is regulated by these two tropic hormones (15). Regulation of the ovulatory function is among the most important reproductive consequences of these hormonal processes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Promotion of the Whitten effect in female mice by synthetic analogs of male urinary constituents.

Jemioło¹,

Harvey²,

Novotný³

1986

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

194

124

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Two volatile constituents of male mouse urine, 2-(sec-butyl)-4,5-dihydrothiazole and dehydro-exobrevicomin, were synthesized and tested for their ability to induce estrous cycle in female mice (the Whitten effect). The suppression of ovarian cycling activity that resulted from grouping the females was abolished by exposure to normal male urine. The synthetic compounds, when added together in appropriate concentrations to the (previously inactive) urine of castrated males, or even to water, were found to be as effective as normal male urine. The action of the synthetic compounds appears attenuated for singly caged females.Stimuli from the social environment (primer pheromones) have been shown to influence both the frequency and composition of the estrous cycle in the mouse Mus musculus (1-4). Induction and synchronization of estrus among unisexually grouped females in the presence of a male [the Whitten effect (1)] and the male-induced failure of implantation and return to the estrous cycle [the Bruce effect (5)] are among the best known examples of male-to-female pheromonal effects in mice. Conversely, an all-female environment tdeds to suppress the estrous cycle: the effects of female grouping vary from an extension ofthe cycle length (6, 7), or prolongation of the quiescent phase of the estrous cycle (8), to induction of spontaneous pseudopregnancies (9,10). The pheromone(s) involved in the Whitten effect are excreted in the urine of intact adult males and their production is androgen-dependent (11). The active urinary substance(s) can elicit-a variety of endocrine responses in the female mice (12-14). These male-originated substances appear to act with a high degree of specificity in altering the secretory patterns of luteinizing hormone and prolactin and of the steroids whose secretion is regulated by these two tropic hormones (15). Regulation of the ovulatory function is among the most important reproductive consequences of these hormonal processes.Although it is becoming increasingly clear that both small and large molecules can act as mammalian pheromones (16-19), the results of Whitten et al. (20) and Gangrade and Dominic (21) support the idea that an airborne (volatile) signal is responsible for the Whitten effect. Analytical methods are now sufficiently advanced to elucidate structural features of the molecules causing various pheromonal effects.During comprehensive studies of the volatile components of urine of Mus musculus (22), two structurally unique substances have been found in association with the intact male: 2-(sec-butyl)-4,5-dihydrothiazole [2-(sec-butyl)thiazoline] and dehydro-exo-brevicomin. Through organic synthetic efforts (23), adequate quantities of these, substances are now available for biological testing. In parallel with possiblb pheromonal activities, the urinary concentration of dehydroexo-brevicomin is drastically reduced following castration, but testosterone supplementation restores it to the normal level (24).As we recently found that both dehydro-exo-brevicomin and...

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Hormonal Responses to Primer Pheromones

Cited by 40 publications

References 34 publications

Positive identification of the puberty-accelerating pheromone of the house mouse: the volatile ligands associating with the major urinary protein

Positive identification of the puberty-accelerating pheromone of the house mouse: the volatile ligands associating with the major urinary protein

Facts, fallacies, fears, and frustrations with human pheromones

Promotion of the Whitten effect in female mice by synthetic analogs of male urinary constituents.

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