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Curr Biol

Title:		Identification of an olfactory signal molecule that activates the central regulator of reproduction in goats
Author(s):		Murata K; Tamogami S; Itou M; Ohkubo Y; Wakabayashi Y; Watanabe H; Okamura H; Takeuchi Y; Mori Y;
Address:		"Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, Department of Animal Resource Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. Technical Research Institute, T. Hasegawa Co., Ltd., 29-7 Kariyado, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 211-0022, Japan. Animal Physiology Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 2 Ikenodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0901, Japan. Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, Department of Animal Resource Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. Electronic address: aytake@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp"
Journal Title:		Curr Biol
Year:		2014
Volume:		20140227
Issue:		6
Page Number:		681 - 686
DOI:		10.1016/j.cub.2014.01.073
ISSN/ISBN:		1879-0445 (Electronic) 0960-9822 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Pheromone signals regulate conspecific behavior and physiology [1]. Releaser pheromones induce specific behavior by exerting acute effects on the neuronal response, whereas primer pheromones induce physiological changes with long-lasting effects by changing the neuroendocrine status of the recipients. In mammals, although several types of releaser pheromones have been identified [2-5], the identities of primer pheromones, as well as their mechanisms of action, remain largely unknown [6]. In sheep and goats, the seasonally anestrous endocrine state of females is changed to the estrous state upon exposure to male scents [7, 8]. This so-called 'male effect' is one of the most conspicuous primer pheromone effects in mammals [9, 10]. In this study, we have identified an olfactory signal molecule that activates the central regulator of reproduction, the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator, in goats. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze male goat headspace volatiles, we identified several ethyl-branched aldehydes and ketones. We electrophysiologically demonstrated that one of these compounds, 4-ethyloctanal, activates the GnRH pulse generator in female goats. This is the first report of an olfactory molecule that has been shown to activate the central reproductive axis, and this discovery will provide a new direction for primer pheromone research"
Keywords:		Aldehydes/isolation & purification/*metabolism Animals Biological Assay Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Goats/*physiology Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone/*physiology Luteinizing Hormone/physiology Male Reproduction/*physiology Sex Attractants/i;
Notes:		"MedlineMurata, Ken Tamogami, Shigeyuki Itou, Masamichi Ohkubo, Yasutaka Wakabayashi, Yoshihiro Watanabe, Hidenori Okamura, Hiroaki Takeuchi, Yukari Mori, Yuji eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2014/03/04 Curr Biol. 2014 Mar 17; 24(6):681-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.01.073. Epub 2014 Feb 27"