| Title: | "Single compounds elicit complex behavioural responses in wild, free-ranging rats" |
| Author(s): | Jackson MD; Keyzers RA; Linklater WL; |
| Address: | "Centre for Biodiversity & Restoration Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. michael.jackson@vuw.ac.nz. School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. michael.jackson@vuw.ac.nz. Centre for Biodiversity & Restoration Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. School of Chemical and Physical Sciences and Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand" |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-018-30953-1 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2045-2322 (Electronic) 2045-2322 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "There is mounting evidence that single compounds can act as signals and cues for mammals and that when presented at their optimal concentration they can elicit behavioural responses that replicate those recorded for complex mixtures like gland secretions and foods. We designed a rapid bioassay to present nine compounds that we had previously identified in foods, each at seven different concentrations (63 treatments), to wild, free-ranging rats and scored each treatment for attraction and three behavioural responses. Nine treatments (taken from five compounds) statistically outperformed the current standard rat attractant, peanut butter. Attraction to treatments was highest at the two lowest concentrations (0.1 and 0.01 mug g(-1)) and a statistically significant relationship of increasing attraction with decreasing treatment concentration was identified. Our study identified five compounds not previously associated with behavioural responses by rats that elicit equivalent or more intense behavioural responses than those obtained with peanut butter. Moreover, attraction to treatments was driven by a concentration-dependent relationship not previously reported. This is the first study to identify isopentanol, 1-hexanol, acetoin, isobutyl acetate and 2-methylbutyl acetate as possible semiochemicals/cues for rats. More broadly, our findings provide important guidance to researchers in the ongoing search for mammalian semiochemicals and cues" |
| Keywords: | "Acetates Acetic Acid Acetoin Animals Animals, Wild/physiology Behavior, Animal/*drug effects Biological Assay Hexanols Mammals/physiology New Zealand Pentanols Pheromones/*physiology Rats/physiology Smell/drug effects/physiology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineJackson, Michael D Keyzers, Robert A Linklater, Wayne L eng Victoria Doctoral Scholarship/Faculty of Science, Victoria University of Wellington (Faculty of Science, VUW)/International Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2018/08/24 Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 22; 8(1):12588. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-30953-1" |
