| Title: | Key Male Glandular Odorants Attracting Female Ring-Tailed Lemurs |
| Author(s): | Shirasu M; Ito S; Itoigawa A; Hayakawa T; Kinoshita K; Munechika I; Imai H; Touhara K; |
| Address: | "Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Aichi 484-8506, Japan; The Research Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Tokyo 158-0098, Japan. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Aichi 484-8506, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan. Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan; Japan Monkey Centre, Aichi 484-0081, Japan. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Aichi 484-8506, Japan. The Research Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Tokyo 158-0098, Japan. Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Aichi 484-8506, Japan. Electronic address: imai.hiroo.5m@kyoto-u.ac.jp. Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; WPI International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. Electronic address: ktouhara@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.037 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-0445 (Electronic) 0960-9822 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Among rodents, information about the external world is mainly acquired via the olfactory system, which is one of five sensory modalities. Several semiochemical signals are used for inter- and intraspecies communication [1]. In contrast, primates are generally regarded as vision-oriented mammals, and have been thought to trade their olfactory sensitivity for good sight. However, strepsirrhines have a well-developed olfactory system [2] and a larger repertoire of functional olfactory and vomeronasal receptor genes than haplorhines [3, 4]. Moreover, strepsirrhines are well known for their use of olfactory communication in social behavior. Ring-tailed lemurs are a species of Malagasy strepsirrhines, and use olfactory cues for conspecific communication. Male lemurs mark their scent by spreading volatiles from the antebrachial gland on their wrists. This study combined ethological and chemical approaches to identify a key odorant(s) in antebrachial secretions involved in the sexual communication of lemurs. The results of a behavioral assay indicated that females sniff the males' antebrachial secretions longer during the breeding season than during the nonbreeding season. By examining seasonal changes in volatiles using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we found that the secretion of three C12 and C14 aldehydes with a fruity and floral scent significantly increased during the breeding season in a testosterone-dependent manner. Females sniffed for longer at biologically relevant concentrations of two of the aldehydes (12-methyltridecanal and tetradecanal) and were attracted to a mixture of these plus the third aldehyde, dodecanal. Our results suggest that these aldehydes are putative lemur pheromones involved in the attractiveness of males to females during the breeding season" |
| Keywords: | *Animal Communication Animals Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/veterinary Lemur/*physiology Male Odorants/*analysis Scent Glands/*chemistry Seasons Volatile Organic Compounds/*metabolism aldehyde attraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; |
| Notes: | "MedlineShirasu, Mika Ito, Satomi Itoigawa, Akihiro Hayakawa, Takashi Kinoshita, Kodzue Munechika, Isao Imai, Hiroo Touhara, Kazushige eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2020/04/18 Curr Biol. 2020 Jun 8; 30(11):2131-2138.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.037. Epub 2020 Apr 16" |
