Identification of pheromones in mouse urine by head-space solid phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Monitoring potential semiochemicals in individual mouse urine samples

“…However, our aim was not to reproduce the chemosensory spectrum of urine samples from mice, but to focus our attention on some specific volatiles (the six considered in the present work), most of which have been well studied and have a specific influence on mouse behaviour in natural conditions (Novotny 2003). For this particular case, as was previously indicated, no degradation for these compounds was observed at 260°C, which is the injection temperature in GC, and simultaneously we have verified that 130°C provided greater sensitivity to the same compounds (Kayali-Sayadi et al 2003). Therefore, a temperature of 130°C is a compromise between the very small amount of urine sample available and the level of chemosignal necessary for it to be extracted and detected.…”

“…The presence of TTH, BT, geraniol, indole, trans-β-farnesene and farnesol in urine samples and controls (water) was determined by the method described in Kayali-Sayadi et al (2003). Briefly, a carboxene/polydimethylsiloxane fibre (film thickness 85 µm) was cleaned under helium for 1 h at 280 °C using a NURKA 390 fibre cleaner; introduced in the head space of the urine sample vial, where it remained for 1 h at 130 °C (the temperature maximizing the sensitivity of the method); and then left for 10 min in the injection port of a Hewlett-Packard 5890 Series II gas chromatograph linked to a Hewlett-Packard 5989A MS Engine quadrupole mass spectrometer (injection temperature 260°C; transfer line temperature 280°C).…”

“…BT and trans-β-farnesene are known to accelerate puberty in young female mice (Novotny 2003); farnesol is a possible biosynthetic precursor of farnesene (Dewick 1999); and it has been suggested that indole conveys information on mouse age (Osada et al 2003). Geraniol is an insect semiochemical (Tumlinson 1988;Daloze & Pasteels 1994), which although not known to bear chemosignalling functions among mice is nevertheless bound by MUPs, and found in the urine of male mice (Novotny et al 1999b;Kayali-Sayadi et al 2003). TTH is produced by hops and other plants, and was found in male mouse urine in our earlier study (KayaliSayadi et al 2003).…”

Olfactory sensitivity for alkylpyrazines—a comparative study in CD‐1 mice and spider monkeys

“…It is interesting to note, however, that the detection threshold for geraniol (Schmidt,'82), a monoterpenoid known to act as a pheromone in mice (Kayali-Sayadi et al, 2003), is in the same range as that found for 2,5-DMP which has also been demonstrated to be a pheromone in this species (Daev et al, 2007), suggesting that the behavioral relevance of odorants might affect a species' olfactory sensitivity. This supposition is supported by our finding that in the spider monkeys the olfactory detection thresholds for the alkylpyrazines tested here generally do not rank among the lowest reported so far in this species Laska et al, 2004Laska et al, , 2005bJoshi et al, 2006;Laska et al, 2006aLaska et al, ,c,d, 2007.…”

Alarm pheromones as an exponent of emotional state shortly before death—Science fiction or a new challenge?

“…Although many of them have been isolated and identified [35,38,40], none of them were alarm pheromones. While it is commonly believed that alarm pheromones are volatile compounds, it is also hypothesized that they may be low molecular weight volatile substances, such as fatty acids or steroids [41].…”