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PLoS One

Title:		"Localization of alpha 2u-globulin in the acinar cells of preputial gland, and confirmation of its binding with farnesol, a putative pheromone, in field rat (Millardia meltada)"
Author(s):		Rajamanickam R; Shanmugam A; Thangavel R; Devaraj S; Soundararajan K; Ponnirul P; Ramalingam R; Ganesan RV; Parasuraman P; Govindaraju A;
Address:		"Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India. Centre for Pheromone Technology, Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India. Post Graduate and Research Department of Zoology and Microbiology, Thiagarajar College (Autonomous), Madurai, Tamilnadu, India. Department of Zoology, Bishop Heber College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India. Department of Zoology, Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College (Autonomous), Sivakasi, Tamilnadu, India. Nuclear Dynamics and Architecture Lab, Institute of Medical Biology-IMB, Singapore, Singapore. Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore"
Journal Title:		PLoS One
Year:		2018
Volume:		20180601
Issue:		6
Page Number:		e0197287 -
DOI:		10.1371/journal.pone.0197287
ISSN/ISBN:		1932-6203 (Electronic) 1932-6203 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Pheromones, low molecular weight chemical entities that bind to pheromone carrier proteins, are chemical signals that play an important role in the communication system in animals. This has been rather fairly well-studied in the rodents. The preputial gland, a rich source of pheromones in many rodents, contains a low molecular mass protein (18-20 kDa) that acts as one such pheromone carrier. However, the presence of this protein in the notorious rodent pest Millardia meltada has not yet been proven. Therefore, we aimed at identifying this protein, and the pheromones that are bound to it, in this rodent so as to utilize the information in the control of this pest. Twenty volatile compounds were identified in the preputial gland using GC-MS. Total protein of the gland was fractioned by both one and two-dimensional electrophoresis when we identified a low molecular mass protein (19 kDa, pI-4.7). Adopting MALDI-TOF MS and LC-MS analyses, the protein was confirmed as alpha 2u-globulin. To identify the volatiles bound to this protein, we used column chromatography and GC-MS. We found that farnesol and 6-methyl-1-heptanol are the volatiles that would bind to the protein, which we propose to be putative pheromones. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed localization of alpha 2u-globulin in the acinar cells of the preputial gland. Thus, we show that alpha 2u-globulin, a pheromone-carrier protein, is present in the preputial gland acinar cells of M. meltada and suggest farnesol and 6-methyl-1-heptanol to be the volatiles which would bind to it. The alpha 2u-globulin together with farnesol and 6-methyl-1-heptanol contribute to pheromonal communication of M. meltada"
Keywords:		Acinar Cells/cytology/*metabolism Alpha-Globulins/*metabolism Animals Exocrine Glands/cytology/*metabolism Farnesol/*metabolism Male Murinae/*metabolism Pheromones/*metabolism;neuroscience;
Notes:		"MedlineRajamanickam, Ramachandran Shanmugam, Achiraman Thangavel, Rajagopal Devaraj, Sankarganesh Soundararajan, Kamalakkannan Ponnirul, Ponmanickam Ramalingam, Rajkumar Ganesan, Ramya Vaideki Parasuraman, Padmanabhan Govindaraju, Archunan eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2018/06/02 PLoS One. 2018 Jun 1; 13(6):e0197287. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197287. eCollection 2018"