The male’s scent triggered a neural response in females despite ambiguous behavioral response in Asian house rats

Abstract

Pheromones and olfactory communication play vital roles in sex recognition and mate choice in rodents. Asian house rats (Rattus tanezumi) (RT) often startle easily, making behavioral measurements difficult to carry out accurately in the laboratory. Here, the behavioral and olfactory preferences of the female RT between males and females were not observed using a conventional two-choice device; we then explored the neuro-immunohistochemical evidence in the brains of RT females. We found that male urine elicited significantly higher c-fos expression in the accessory olfactory system and sex-related brain regions in females than female urine did. On the other hand, the differences of volatile compounds and major urinary proteins (MUPs) in both voided urine and preputial glands (PGs) of the RT were detected using gas chromatography–mass spectrometer, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing electrophoresis, and liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. We found that PG-derived 1-(4, 5-dihydro-2-thiazolyl)-ethanone and total MUPs were more abundant in males versus females, suggesting these sexually divergent components might activate the female’s accessory olfactory system. In conclusion, the neuro-immunohistochemical evidence indicated that potential sex pheromones might exist in RT; however, the strength of the chemical signal might be too weak to cause behavioral responses in females.

Keywords

neural responses / pheromones / preputial gland / Rattus tanezumi / sex recognition / urine

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2023 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.