Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences logoLink to Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
. 2003 Sep 22;270(1527):1957–1963. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2003.2452

The ownership signature in mouse scent marks is involatile.

C M Nevison 1, S Armstrong 1, R J Beynon 1, R E Humphries 1, J L Hurst 1
PMCID: PMC1691453  PMID: 14561310

Abstract

Male house mice advertise their territory ownership through urinary scent marks and use individual-specific patterns of major urinary proteins (MUPs) to discriminate between their own scent and that of other males. It is not clear whether recognition occurs through discrimination of the non-volatile proteins or protein-ligand complexes (direct model), or by the detection of volatile ligands that are released from MUPs (indirect model). To examine the mechanism underlying individual scent mark signatures, we compared investigatory and countermarking responses of male laboratory mice presented with male scent marks from a strain with a different MUP pattern, when they could contact the scent or when contact was prevented by a porous nitrocellulose sheet to which proteins bind. Mice investigated scent marks from other males whether these were covered or not, and biochemical analysis confirmed that the porous cover did not prevent the release of volatiles from scent marks. Having gained information through investigation, mice increased their own scent marking only if they had direct contact with another male's urine, failing to do this when contact was prevented. Individual signatures in scent marks thus appear to be carried by non-volatile proteins or by non-volatile protein-ligand complexes, rather than by volatiles emanating from the scent.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (100.5 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bacchini A., Gaetani E., Cavaggioni A. Pheromone binding proteins of the mouse, Mus musculus. Experientia. 1992 Apr 15;48(4):419–421. doi: 10.1007/BF01923448. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beynon R. J., Hurst J. L. Multiple roles of major urinary proteins in the house mouse, Mus domesticus. Biochem Soc Trans. 2003 Feb;31(Pt 1):142–146. doi: 10.1042/bst0310142. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beynon Robert J., Veggerby Christina, Payne Caroline E., Robertson Duncan H. L., Gaskell Simon J., Humphries Rick E., Hurst Jane L. Polymorphism in major urinary proteins: molecular heterogeneity in a wild mouse population. J Chem Ecol. 2002 Jul;28(7):1429–1446. doi: 10.1023/a:1016252703836. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bishop J. O., Clark A. J., Clissold P. M., Hainey S., Francke U. Two main groups of mouse major urinary protein genes, both largely located on chromosome 4. EMBO J. 1982;1(5):615–620. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1982.tb01217.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brennan P. A., Peele P. Towards an understanding of the pregnancy-blocking urinary chemosignals of mice. Biochem Soc Trans. 2003 Feb;31(Pt 1):152–155. doi: 10.1042/bst0310152. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Brown R. E. What is the role of the immune system in determining individually distinct body odours? Int J Immunopharmacol. 1995 Aug;17(8):655–661. doi: 10.1016/0192-0561(95)00052-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Carroll Lara S., Penn Dustin J., Potts Wayne K. Discrimination of MHC-derived odors by untrained mice is consistent with divergence in peptide-binding region residues. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Feb 12;99(4):2187–2192. doi: 10.1073/pnas.042244899. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Desjardins C., Maruniak J. A., Bronson F. H. Social rank in house mice: differentiation revealed by ultraviolet visualization of urinary marking patterns. Science. 1973 Nov 20;182(4115):939–941. doi: 10.1126/science.182.4115.939. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Humphries RE, Robertson DH, Beynon RJ, Hurst JL. Unravelling the chemical basis of competitive scent marking in house mice. Anim Behav. 1999 Dec;58(6):1177–1190. doi: 10.1006/anbe.1999.1252. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hurst J. L., Payne C. E., Nevison C. M., Marie A. D., Humphries R. E., Robertson D. H., Cavaggioni A., Beynon R. J. Individual recognition in mice mediated by major urinary proteins. Nature. 2001 Dec 6;414(6864):631–634. doi: 10.1038/414631a. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hurst JL, Robertson DHL, Tolladay U, Beynon RJ. Proteins in urine scent marks of male house mice extend the longevity of olfactory signals. Anim Behav. 1998 May;55(5):1289–1297. doi: 10.1006/anbe.1997.0650. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jemiolo B., Harvey S., Novotny M. Promotion of the Whitten effect in female mice by synthetic analogs of male urinary constituents. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jun;83(12):4576–4579. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.12.4576. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Konat G. W., Wiggins R. C. Effect of reactive oxygen species on myelin membrane proteins. J Neurochem. 1985 Oct;45(4):1113–1118. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1985.tb05530.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Luo Minmin, Fee Michale S., Katz Lawrence C. Encoding pheromonal signals in the accessory olfactory bulb of behaving mice. Science. 2003 Feb 21;299(5610):1196–1201. doi: 10.1126/science.1082133. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Manning C. J., Wakeland E. K., Potts W. K. Communal nesting patterns in mice implicate MHC genes in kin recognition. Nature. 1992 Dec 10;360(6404):581–583. doi: 10.1038/360581a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Moncho-Bogani Jose, Lanuza Enrique, Hernández Adoración, Novejarque Amparo, Martínez-García Fernando. Attractive properties of sexual pheromones in mice: innate or learned? Physiol Behav. 2002 Sep;77(1):167–176. doi: 10.1016/s0031-9384(02)00842-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mucignat-caretta C, Caretta A. Urinary chemical cues affect light avoidance behaviour in male laboratory mice, Mus musculus. Anim Behav. 1999 Apr;57(4):765–769. doi: 10.1006/anbe.1998.1023. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Nevison C. M., Barnard C. J., Beynon R. J., Hurst J. L. The consequences of inbreeding for recognizing competitors. Proc Biol Sci. 2000 Apr 7;267(1444):687–694. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2000.1057. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Novotny M., Harvey S., Jemiolo B., Alberts J. Synthetic pheromones that promote inter-male aggression in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Apr;82(7):2059–2061. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.7.2059. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pearse-Pratt R., Schellinck H., Brown R., Singh P. B., Roser B. Soluble MHC antigens and olfactory recognition of genetic individuality: the mechanism. Genetica. 1998;104(3):223–230. doi: 10.1023/a:1026489524199. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Potts W. K., Manning C. J., Wakeland E. K. Mating patterns in seminatural populations of mice influenced by MHC genotype. Nature. 1991 Aug 15;352(6336):619–621. doi: 10.1038/352619a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Ralls K. Mammalian scent marking. Science. 1971 Feb 5;171(3970):443–449. doi: 10.1126/science.171.3970.443. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Robertson D. H., Cox K. A., Gaskell S. J., Evershed R. P., Beynon R. J. Molecular heterogeneity in the Major Urinary Proteins of the house mouse Mus musculus. Biochem J. 1996 May 15;316(Pt 1):265–272. doi: 10.1042/bj3160265. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Singer A. G., Beauchamp G. K., Yamazaki K. Volatile signals of the major histocompatibility complex in male mouse urine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Mar 18;94(6):2210–2214. doi: 10.1073/pnas.94.6.2210. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Singh P. B., Brown R. E., Roser B. MHC antigens in urine as olfactory recognition cues. Nature. 1987 May 14;327(6118):161–164. doi: 10.1038/327161a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Singh P. B. Chemosensation and genetic individuality. Reproduction. 2001 Apr;121(4):529–539. doi: 10.1530/rep.0.1210529. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Timm D. E., Baker L. J., Mueller H., Zidek L., Novotny M. V. Structural basis of pheromone binding to mouse major urinary protein (MUP-I). Protein Sci. 2001 May;10(5):997–1004. doi: 10.1110/ps.52201. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Yamazaki K., Beauchamp G. K., Matsuzaki O., Bard J., Thomas L., Boyse E. A. Participation of the murine X and Y chromosomes in genetically determined chemosensory identity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jun;83(12):4438–4440. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.12.4438. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Yamazaki K., Beauchamp G. K., Wysocki C. J., Bard J., Thomas L., Boyse E. A. Recognition of H-2 types in relation to the blocking of pregnancy in mice. Science. 1983 Jul 8;221(4606):186–188. doi: 10.1126/science.6857281. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences are provided here courtesy of The Royal Society

RESOURCES