| Title: | Sexual communication via peptide and protein pheromones |
| Address: | "Department of Integrated Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan. touhara@k.u-tokyo.ac.jp" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.coph.2008.09.001 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1471-4892 (Print) 1471-4892 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Pheromones are specific substances utilized by various organisms for intraspecific communication about sex, strain, or species. Although pheromones in terrestrial animals tend to be volatile airborne chemicals, large non-volatile molecules such as peptides and proteins are also utilized for sociosexual communication. Peptide pheromones are recognized by specific receptors expressed in the vertebrate vomeronasal organ that comprises a unique chemosensory system. The information is sent to the hypothalamic area wherein the signal is further integrated, leading to various pheromonal outputs. In this review, current knowledge on the structure and function of peptide and protein pheromones in vertebrates as well as the mechanisms underlying receptor-mediated signal processing will be summarized. The present review will also discuss why, from chemical and ecological points of view, peptide pheromones evolved" |
| Keywords: | "*Animal Communication Animals Female Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/*physiology Male Models, Biological Pheromones/*physiology Receptors, Odorant/physiology Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology;Animals;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineTouhara, Kazushige eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review England 2008/10/01 Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2008 Dec; 8(6):759-64. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2008.09.001. Epub 2008 Oct 18" |
