Social housing influences the composition of volatile compounds in the preputial glands of male rats

Pohorecky, Larissa A.; Blakley, Gregory G.; Ma, Enhao; Soini, Helena A.; Wiesler, Donald; Bruce, Kevin E.; Novotný, Miloš V.

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.12.006

Cited by 25 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Furans have been reported in a wide range of mammalian samples. Rat urine (Holland et al, 1983) and rat preputial gland secretions (Pohorecky et al, 2008), as well as wolf urine (Raymer et al, 1986) and anal-sac secretions (Raymer et al, 1985), contained furan alkyl and acetyl derivatives, but not the amino derivatives found in this study. N-Acetylpyrrole, identified here, has been reported in human skin (Penn et al, 2007) and rat urine (Holland et al, 1983).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 58%

Investigation of Scents on Cheeks and Foreheads of Large Felines in Connection to the Facial Marking Behavior

et al. 2012

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We investigated head- and cheek-rubbing behavior in four species of large felines, lions (Leo panther), leopards (Panthera pardus), tigers (Panthera tigris), and cougars (Puma concolor), in captivity. Preliminary behavioral observations found that lions and tigers, but not leopards and cougars, showed behavioral responses to cardboard rubbing samples from head and cheek areas from conspecific felines, compared to the blank cardboard controls. In this context, surface samples on the facial areas of each species were collected to analyze volatile organic compounds that could be involved in the facial marking of felines. Previously developed stir bar surface sampling methodology was used. From all cheek and forehead samples, 100 volatile organic compounds were identified or tentatively identified. Among these, 41 have been previously reported to be present in feline urine and marking secretions. Several new compounds were identified on facial surfaces. Some of the compounds showed substantial quantitative differences among the species. One compound, that has not been reported previously in mammals, 3-acetamidofuran, was found in all investigated species. It was synthesized and tested for behavioral responses. No responses were elicited in a preliminary test. Future research will test other potential signaling compounds and their mixtures for ability to elicit behavioral responses.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 58%

Investigation of Scents on Cheeks and Foreheads of Large Felines in Connection to the Facial Marking Behavior

et al. 2012

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“…Recently, Pohorecky [70] demonstrated that housing condition (singly or grouped) and social ranks (dominants, subdominants, and subordinates) have significantly different effects on the composition of volatile compounds in preputial glands of male rats. This finding suggests that such social ranks also influence the properties of functional chemosignals in urinary scent.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social features of scent-donor mice modulate scent marking of C57BL/6J recipient males

Arakawa¹,

Arakawa²,

Blanchard³

et al. 2009

Behavioural Brain Research

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Territorial male mice can form familiarity-dependent amicable relationships, suggesting that they manage their territorial aggressiveness based on individual recognition, which may be mediated by olfactory signals. The present study demonstrated modulatory effect of odorant cues from mice of different social/housing groups on territorial scent marking by C57BL/6J males. Pair-housed males deposited few scent marks in a novel situation without mouse odors, while singly-housed males marked more in the same situation (Experiment 1). However, when confronted by a conspecific, singly-housed males made fewer marks to pair-housed than to singly-housed stimulus males, while pair-housed males showed few marks to either stimulus animal (Experiment 2). Reduction in scent marking in singly-housed males was also seen on exposure to urine scent alone from a pair-housed male, indicating that the inhibitory cue is mediated by urinary odor (Experiment 3). This inhibitory odor was effective even when singly-housed males were placed in a no-odor environment following exposure to soiled bedding used by pair-housed males (Experiment 4). When singly-housed males were exposed to scent from subordinate males, they showed less marking than when the stimulus scent was from dominants or singly-housed males (Experiment 5). Scent marking was not influenced by the total amount of urine scent marks deposited on the substrates (Experiment 6), suggesting that it is a particular component in urinary odor rather than the magnitude of the odor, that plays a significant role in recipient behavior. Together, these experiments indicate that conspecific male odor signals modulate territorial scent marking behavior in mice.

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“…38 Interestingly, in rat (Rattus norvegicus), the volatile signal, i.e. farnesol, a cholesterol intermediate, has been identified in the preputial gland and found to act as an attractant to the opposite sex.…”

Section: -12mentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection ofα_2u-globulin and its bound putative pheromones in the preputial gland of the Indian commensal rat (Rattus rattus) using mass spectrometry

Rajkumar

Ilayaraja

Liao³

et al. 2010

Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom.

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The role of pheromones and pheromone-binding proteins in the laboratory rat has been extensively investigated. However, we have previously reported that the preputial gland of the Indian commensal rat produces a variety of pheromonal molecules and preputial glands would seem to be the predominant source for pheromonal communication. The presence of pheromone-binding proteins has not yet been identified in the preputial gland of the Indian commensal rat; therefore, the experiments were designed to unravel the alpha(2u)-globulin (alpha2u) and its bound volatiles in the commensal rat. Total preputial glandular proteins were first fractionated by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and subsequently analyzed by mass spectrometry. Further, we purified alpha2u and screened for the presence of bound pheromonal molecules with the aid of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A novel alpha2u was identified with a high score and this protein has not been previously described as present in the preputial gland of Indian commensal rats. This novel alpha2u was then characterized by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Peptides with m/z values of 969, 1192, 1303 and 1876 were further fragmented with the aid of MS/MS and generated de novo sequences which provided additional evidence for the presence of alpha2u in the preputial gland. Finally, we identified the presence of farnesol 1 and 2 bound to alpha2u. The present investigation confirms the presence of alpha2u (18.54 kDa) in the preputial gland of the Indian commensal rat and identifies farnesol 1 and 2 as probably involved in chemo-communication by the Indian commensal rat.

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Social housing influences the composition of volatile compounds in the preputial glands of male rats

Cited by 25 publications

References 70 publications

Investigation of Scents on Cheeks and Foreheads of Large Felines in Connection to the Facial Marking Behavior

Investigation of Scents on Cheeks and Foreheads of Large Felines in Connection to the Facial Marking Behavior

Social features of scent-donor mice modulate scent marking of C57BL/6J recipient males

Detection ofα_2u-globulin and its bound putative pheromones in the preputial gland of the Indian commensal rat (Rattus rattus) using mass spectrometry

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Social housing influences the composition of volatile compounds in the preputial glands of male rats

Cited by 25 publications

References 70 publications

Investigation of Scents on Cheeks and Foreheads of Large Felines in Connection to the Facial Marking Behavior

Investigation of Scents on Cheeks and Foreheads of Large Felines in Connection to the Facial Marking Behavior

Social features of scent-donor mice modulate scent marking of C57BL/6J recipient males

Detection ofα2u-globulin and its bound putative pheromones in the preputial gland of the Indian commensal rat (Rattus rattus) using mass spectrometry

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Detection ofα_2u-globulin and its bound putative pheromones in the preputial gland of the Indian commensal rat (Rattus rattus) using mass spectrometry