« Previous AbstractDiscrimination of pheromonal cues in fish: emerging parallels with insects    Next AbstractMixture of new sulfated steroids functions as a migratory pheromone in the sea lamprey »

Gen Comp Endocrinol

Title:		"Evidence that 4-pregnen-17,20beta,21-triol-3-one functions as a maturation-inducing hormone and pheromonal precursor in the percid fish, Gymnocephalus cernuus"
Author(s):		Sorensen PW; Murphy CA; Loomis K; Maniak P; Thomas P;
Address:		"Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St Paul 55108, USA. Soren003@umn.edu"
Journal Title:		Gen Comp Endocrinol
Year:		2004
Volume:		139
Issue:		1
Page Number:		1 - 11
DOI:		10.1016/j.ygcen.2004.05.014
ISSN/ISBN:		0016-6480 (Print) 0016-6480 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Behavioral, biochemical, and electrophysiological studies suggest that the trihydroxylated progestin steroid, 4-pregnen-17,20beta,21-triol-3-one (20beta-S) stimulates oocyte maturation and pheromone release in the Eurasian ruffe, a freshwater percid fish. Behavioral observations found that female ruffe undergoing oocyte maturation (OM) release a pheromonal cue that stimulates swimming activity and social interactions among conspecific males. Neither vitellogenic nor ovulated females released the cue. Pheromone production was directly associated with elevated plasma levels of 20beta-S in maturing female ruffe which in vitro incubation suggested to be a possible maturation-inducing hormone (MIH) in this species along with 4-pregnen-17,20beta-diol-3-one (17,20betaP). However, neither of these steroids appear to be the pheromone because electrophysiological and behavioral studies found them to lack olfactory (EOG) and behavioral activity. Instead, studies of the odor of steroid-injected fish suggest the pheromone is a metabolite of 20beta-S. In particular, inter-peritoneal injection of 20beta-S (but not 17,20betaP) consistently induced release of a urinary cue with strong behavioral activity. The pheromone may be a highly polar and novel metabolite because it could not be extracted using octadecylsilane resin (C18) which has proven effective for other teleost hormonal pheromones"
Keywords:		"Animals Behavior, Animal/drug effects/physiology Cortodoxone/administration & dosage/*analogs & derivatives/blood/*metabolism/pharmacology Cues Female Hormones/*physiology Injections, Intraperitoneal Male Oogenesis/physiology Perches/*growth & development;"
Notes:		"MedlineSorensen, P W Murphy, C A Loomis, K Maniak, P Thomas, P eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2004/10/12 Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2004 Oct; 139(1):1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2004.05.014"