Female-Attracting Pheromone in Newt Cloacal Glands

摘要: It has been postulated that male newts emit pheromones attract females of the same species. Female species Cynops pyrrhogaster were attracted to water in which sexually active conspecific males had kept, but not abdominal gland-ablated indicating attracting pheromone was secreted by or through gland cloaca. An attempt made isolate and characterize female-attracting glands newts. Female-attracting activity monitored using a preference test. The substance isolated two steps purification reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Direct sequencing final product revealed it is decapeptide with amino acid sequence Ser-Ile-Pro-Ser-Lys-Asp-Ala-Leu-Leu-Lys. Its minimum effective concentration estimated be between 0.1 pM 1.0 pM. synthetic peptide showed similar native peptide. seems act olfactory organ female newts, because effect blocked bilateral nostril plugging cotton balls soaked melted vaseline. antiserum against sodefrin generated rabbit. immunoelectron microscopic study this exists predominantly within secretory granules epithelial cells glands. A radioimmunoassay for developed used along N-terminally extended tyrosine residue as radioligand. immunoassayable content C. diminished castration hypophysectomy. increased markedly castrated hypophysectomized after treatment both testosterone prolactin. Testosterone prolactin lesser extent. Aqueous extract ensicauda no inhibition binding assay. Moreover, insensitive sodefrin, although they from their own On other hand, responding males. Sequence analyses cDNA clones obtained library encoded variant type substitutions Leu3 Gln8. [Leu3, Gln8]-sodefrin females. These results indicate differs these genus Cynops.