Towards an understanding of the pregnancy-blocking urinary chemosignals of mice

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 152-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.A. Brennan ◽  
P. Peele
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mass ◽  
Mass Fraction ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Male Urine ◽  
Mouse Urine ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Blocking Activity ◽  
Pheromonal Activity ◽  
Urinary Chemosignals

Male mouse urine contains a pregnancy-blocking chemosignal that causes pre-implantation pregnancy failure in recently mated female mice. However, females are able to recognize the chemosignal of the male with which they mated, preventing it from aborting his own offspring. The individuality of the pregnancy-blocking chemosignal is influenced by genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), although the chemical nature of the signal remains unclear. Possible candidates include fragments of MHC proteins, the highly polymorphic major urinary proteins (MUPs) and the profile of low-molecular-mass volatiles, which possess male pheromonal activity in other contexts. A recent study has found a high-molecular-mass fraction of male urine containing MUPs to be ineffective in eliciting pregnancy block. Moreover, both the pregnancy-blocking activity and the individuality of the signal were associated with the low-molecular-mass fraction of male urine.

CHEMICAL SIGNALS IN MALE HOUSE MICE URINE: PROTEIN-BOUND MOLECULES MODULATE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SEXES

Behaviour ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Mucignat-Caretta ◽  
Antonio Caretta
Keyword(s):  
Adult Male ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Male Urine ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Adult Mice ◽  
Similar Chemical ◽  
Male House ◽  
Urinary Chemosignals

AbstractThe role of urinary chemosignals in sexual interactions was investigated in pairs of adult mice. Based on previous findings, volatile molecules bound by the Major Urinary Proteins (MUPs) from adult male urine were thought to be sufficient to carry information about the sex of the emitter, and thus sufficient to modify the behaviour of conspecifics. In the first experiment, virgin and stud adult males were exposed to receptive females painted or not with MUPs-borne molecules. Both virgin and stud males showed an increased latency to the first anogenital sniff and a reduced number of sniffings towards MUPs-treated females. This suggests that adult mice are repelled by MUPs-borne volatile molecules, even in the presence of female stimuli conveyed by receptive mates. In the second experiment only stud males were tested, with ovariectomized or estrogen-primed females. These latter were either untreated, painted with MUPs-borne molecules or MUPs without volatile ligands. Ovariectomized females and those treated with MUPs without ligands received less sniffs than the other two groups. Estrogen-primed females were mounted more times, with a shorter latency. Ovariectomized females and females treated with MUPs-borne ligands were attacked earlier by males. The presence of chemical cues from male urine is thus sufficient to modify the behaviour of stud males towards receptive females. In particular, MUPs-borne volatiles are sufficient to act as male cues and to induce aggression towards receptive females. It can be speculated that in nature adult male mice rely on olfactory cues like MUPs-borne odorants to firstly identify a male conspecific and possibly use similar chemical cues from their own urine to signal their presence.

Heterogeneity of Major Urinary Proteins in House Mice: Population and Sex Differences

2001 ◽  
pp. 233-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline E. Payne ◽  
Nick Malone ◽  
Rick Humphries ◽  
Carl Bradbrook ◽  
Christina Veggerby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins

Multiple genes coding for the androgen-regulated major urinary proteins of the mouse

Cell ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas D. Hastie ◽  
William A. Held ◽  
John J. Toole
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Multiple Genes

scholarly journals Diversity of major urinary proteins (MUPs) in wild house mice

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Thoß ◽  
Viktoria Enk ◽  
Hans Yu ◽  
Ingrid Miller ◽  
Kenneth C. Luzynski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
House Mice ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Wild House Mice

scholarly journals Components in Lentinus edodes mushroom with anti-biofilm activity directed against bacteria involved in caries and gingivitis

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 3489-3499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adele Papetti ◽  
Caterina Signoretto ◽  
David A. Spratt ◽  
Jonathan Pratten ◽  
Peter Lingström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mass ◽  
Mass Fraction ◽  
Lentinus Edodes ◽  
Oral Pathogens

The present study investigated the compounds present in the low molecular mass fraction of Lentinus edodes mushroom (shiitake) extract and their anti-virulence activity against oral pathogens.

scholarly journals In Contrast to Dietary Restriction, Application of Resveratrol in Mice Does not Alter Mouse Major Urinary Protein Expression

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Pallauf ◽  
Ilka Günther ◽  
Dawn Chin ◽  
Gerald Rimbach
Keyword(s):  
Protein Expression ◽  
Dietary Restriction ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Pheromone Communication ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins ◽  
Glucocorticoid Response ◽  
Glucocorticoid Response Elements

Resveratrol (RSV) supplementation in mice has been discussed as partly mimicking the beneficial effects of dietary restriction (DR). However, data on putative benefits from resveratrol application in mice and other model organisms including humans is contradictory. Mouse major urinary proteins (MUPs) are a family of proteins that are expressed in rodent liver and secreted via urine. Impacting (mating) behavior and pheromone communication, they are severely down-regulated upon DR. We carried out two studies in C57BL/6Rj mice where RSV was either supplemented via diet or injected intraperitoneally for 8 weeks. Contrary to −40% DR, RSV did not decrease total MUP protein expression or Mup (amongst others Mup3, Mup5, Mup6, Mup15, and Mup20) mRNA levels in mouse liver when compared to ad-libitum (AL)-fed controls. Since inhibitory glucocorticoid response elements can be found in Mup promoters, we also measured glucocorticoid receptor (GR) levels in nuclear hepatic extracts. Consistent with differential MUP expression, we observed more nuclear GR in DR mice than in RSV-supplemented and AL control mice with no difference between RSV and AL. These findings point to the notion that, in mice, RSV does not mimic DR in terms of differential MUP expression.

scholarly journals Individual odour signatures that mice learn are shaped by involatile major urinary proteins (MUPs)

BMC Biology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Roberts ◽  
Mark C. Prescott ◽  
Amanda J. Davidson ◽  
Lynn McLean ◽  
Robert J. Beynon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Proteins ◽  
Major Urinary Proteins

scholarly journals Effect of diosgenin on biliary cholesterol transport in the rat

1993 ◽  
Vol 291 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Thewles ◽  
R A Parslow ◽  
R Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Bile Salt ◽  
Molecular Mass ◽  
Bile Salts ◽  
Mass Fraction ◽  
Gel Permeation Chromatography ◽  
High Molecular Mass ◽  
Cholesterol Transport ◽  
Biliary Cholesterol ◽  
Lower Molecular Mass ◽  
Salt Depletion

Biliary cholesterol output in rats was stimulated over 3-fold by feeding diosgenin for 5 days, whereas biliary outputs of phospholipid and bile salts were not changed by diosgenin feeding. Isolating and perfusing the liver without bile salts resulted in a rapid and substantial decrease in biliary bile salt output; bile salt depletion abolished the diosgenin-induced increment in biliary cholesterol output, showing that the diosgenin-elevated biliary cholesterol output was bile-salt-dependent. Diosgenin treatment also produced a significant decrease in biliary alkaline phosphodiesterase I. Fresh bile obtained from control and diosgenin-fed rats was subjected to gel-permeation chromatography in order to separate different-sized biliary cholesterol carriers. Two major peaks of cholesterol were eluted, with cholesterol also being eluted between the peaks. The cholesterol peak eluted at the lower molecular mass (20-30 kDa) was observed in all bile samples. The higher-molecular-mass peak, which was eluted at the void volume, was not observed in all biles; control biles contained very little high-molecular-mass form of cholesterol, whereas biles from the diosgenin group contained up to 47% of cholesterol in the high-molecular-mass fraction. Diosgenin treatment produced a range of elevated biliary cholesterol values which positively correlated with the proportion of cholesterol contained in the high-molecular-mass fraction (r = 0.98). The results show that diosgenin induced a marked bile-salt-dependent increase in biliary cholesterol output and a shift in biliary cholesterol transport to higher-molecular-mass structures.

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