The Role of Urinary Proteins and Volatiles in Competitive Scent Marking Among Male House Mice

Humphries, Rick E.; Robertson, Duncan H. L.; Nevison, Charlotte M.; Beynon, Robert J.; Hurst, Jane L.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-0671-3_48

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…(12) While most male signalling volatiles are lost from scents within a few hours, (12,41,42) non-volatile components of scent marks continue to be detected for at least 7 days if males are aware of the presence of scent marks in the area. (12,86) A receiver animal must be able to pick up the molecular signature that indicates the age of a scent mark. This precludes the use of a single volatile chemical as a molecular timer to establish the age of a scent mark because the receiver would not be able to detect the difference between a small, recent scent mark and a larger deposit that was placed in the environment some time ago.…”

Section: Discriminating Scent Marks and Countermarksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scent wars: the chemobiology of competitive signalling in mice

2004

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Many mammals use scent marks to advertise territory ownership, but only recently have we started to understand the complexity of these scent signals and the types of information that they convey. Whilst attention has generally focused on volatile odorants as the main information molecules in scents, studies of the house mouse have now defined a role for a family of proteins termed major urinary proteins (MUPs) which are, of course, involatile. MUPs bind male signalling volatiles and control their release from scent marks. These proteins are also highly polymorphic and the pattern of polymorphic variants provides a stable ownership signal that communicates genome-derived information on the individual identity of the scent owner. Here we review the interaction between the chemical basis of mouse scents and the dynamics of their competitive scent marking behaviour, demonstrating how it is possible to provide reliable signals of the competitive ability and identity of individual males.

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