| Title: | Superoxide dismutase deficiency impairs olfactory sexual signaling and alters bioenergetic function in mice |
| Author(s): | Garratt M; Pichaud N; Glaros EN; Kee AJ; Brooks RC; |
| Address: | "Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michael.Garratt@unsw.edu.au. Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Centre for Vascular Research and Faculty of Medicine, and. Neuromuscular and Regenerative Medicine Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1091-6490 (Electronic) 0027-8424 (Print) 0027-8424 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Oxidative stress (an overproduction of reactive oxygen species in relation to defense mechanisms) may restrict investment in life history traits, such as growth, reproduction, lifespan, and the production of sexual signals to attract mates. The constraint on sexual signaling by oxidative stress is of particular interest because it has been proposed as a mechanism ensuring that only good-quality males produce the most attractive sexual signals. Despite these predictions, evidence supporting this theory is, at best, equivocal. We used a superoxide dismutase knockout mouse to demonstrate that oxidative stress directly impairs investment in morphological (preputial glands) and molecular (major urinary proteins) components of olfactory signaling essential for mate attraction. By maintaining males in a much more competitive environment than usual for mouse laboratory experiments, we also revealed a range of phenotypes of superoxide dismutase deficiency not observed in previous studies of this mouse model. This range included impaired bioenergetic function, which was undetectable in the control environment of this study. We urge further examination of model organisms in seminatural conditions and more competitive laboratory environments, as important phenotypes can be exposed under these more demanding conditions" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Competitive Behavior/physiology Energy Metabolism/physiology Female Male Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Mice, Knockout Oxidative Stress/*physiology Phenols/metabolism Plant Extracts/metabolism Sex Attractants/*physiology Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiolo;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineGarratt, Michael Pichaud, Nicolas Glaros, Elias N Kee, Anthony John Brooks, Robert C eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2014/05/21 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Jun 3; 111(22):8119-24. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1322282111. Epub 2014 May 19" |
