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Biol Reprod

Title:		Sexual attractiveness in male rats is associated with greater concentration of major urinary proteins
Author(s):		Kumar V; Vasudevan A; Soh LJ; Le Min C; Vyas A; Zewail-Foote M; Guarraci FA;
Address:		"School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas. Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas guarracf@southwestern.edu"
Journal Title:		Biol Reprod
Year:		2014
Volume:		20141030
Issue:		6
Page Number:		150 -
DOI:		10.1095/biolreprod.114.117903
ISSN/ISBN:		1529-7268 (Electronic) 0006-3363 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Female rats show a distinct attraction for males. This attraction remains consistent without the necessity for the physical presence of the male. However, the identity of the olfactory cues contributing to attraction in rats remains unknown. Rat urine contains copious amounts of major urinary proteins (MUPs). Here, we investigated the hypothesis that MUPs mediate sexual attractiveness in rats. We first demonstrated that a member of a male dyad receiving greater copulatory opportunities in competitive mate choice tests excrete greater amounts of MUPs. Furthermore, the amount of male MUPs positively correlated with both copulatory opportunities received and female exploration of the urine. Using females and a two-choice olfactory attraction test, we demonstrated that urinary fractions containing MUPs were sufficient to induce attraction and that male MUPs activated neurons in the posterodorsal medial amygdala in female rats. Taken together, these results suggest that olfactory cues associated with MUPs act as an attractant to female rats in estrus"
Keywords:		"Animals Choice Behavior Competitive Behavior Female Male Mating Preference, Animal/*physiology Proteins/*metabolism Rats Rats, Long-Evans Rats, Wistar Sex Attractants/*urine Smell female sexual motivation major urinary proteins mate choice pheromones repr;"
Notes:		"MedlineKumar, Vineet Vasudevan, Anand Soh, Linda Jing Ting Le Min, Choo Vyas, Ajai Zewail-Foote, Maha Guarraci, Fay A eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2014/11/02 Biol Reprod. 2014 Dec; 91(6):150. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.114.117903. Epub 2014 Oct 30"