Major urinary proteins (MUPs) are highly polymorphic proteins that have been shown to perform several important functions in the chemical communication of the house mouse, Mus musculus. Production of these proteins in C57Bl/6 females is cyclic, reaching the maximum just before the beginning of estrus. Social environment is an important factor that increases MUP production in both sexes. We examined responsiveness of MUP production to social stimuli in wild mice, Mus musculus musculus. The direction of change of MUP production in males depended on the sex of the stimulus animal. Males up-regulated MUP production when caged with a female, but down-regulated MUP production when caged with a male. Down-regulation was more pronounced in males that were defeated in a male-male encounter. Females responded to a male's presence with a decrease in MUP production. We conclude that social modulation of MUP production is specific and, in coordination with other mechanisms, facilitates adjustment of the animal's odor profile to different social contexts. Our results also suggest that in males, MUPs may play an important role in advertizing the male's quality to females. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of analyzing data corrected with creatinine, which show MUP production on the (post)translational level as well as raw data (non-corrected with creatinine), which represent actual concentrations of MUPs in the urine.

Department of Zoology Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Vinicna 7 CZ 128 44 Praha 2 Czech Republic

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Curr Biol. 2007 Dec 4;17(23):2061-6 PubMed

Experientia. 1956;(Suppl 4):195-8; discussion, 199-200 PubMed

Anal Biochem. 1976 May 7;72:248-54 PubMed

Proc Biol Sci. 2000 Apr 7;267(1444):687-94 PubMed

Chem Senses. 2006 Jun;31(5):393-401 PubMed

Proc Biol Sci. 1999 Oct 7;266(1432):2017-22 PubMed

Biochem J. 1996 Aug 15;318 ( Pt 1):1-14 PubMed

Science. 1973 Nov 20;182(4115):939-41 PubMed

Science. 1975 Sep 26;189(4208):1104-6 PubMed

Horm Behav. 1987 Jun;21(2):139-52 PubMed

J Chem Ecol. 1993 Jul;19(7):1405-16 PubMed

Genetics. 1985 Mar;109(3):549-68 PubMed

Curr Biol. 2007 Oct 23;17(20):1771-7 PubMed

J Chem Ecol. 2007 Apr;33(4):861-9 PubMed

Experientia. 1992 Apr 15;48(4):419-21 PubMed

Protein Sci. 2001 Feb;10(2):411-7 PubMed

J Mol Endocrinol. 1995 Feb;14(1):21-34 PubMed

Horm Behav. 2005 Sep;48(3):259-67 PubMed

Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680-5 PubMed

Biochem J. 2005 Oct 15;391(Pt 2):343-50 PubMed

Anim Behav. 1998 May;55(5):1289-97 PubMed

J Physiol. 1995 Jul 15;486 ( Pt 2):517-22 PubMed

Curr Biol. 1997 Apr 1;7(4):277-80 PubMed

Biochem Soc Trans. 2003 Feb;31(Pt 1):142-6 PubMed

Physiol Behav. 2009 Feb 16;96(2):253-61 PubMed

Physiol Behav. 1991 Dec;50(6):1119-22 PubMed

J Cell Biol. 1982 Aug;94(2):414-7 PubMed

Experientia. 1990 Jan 15;46(1):109-13 PubMed

Mol Cell Biol. 1983 Dec;3(12):2232-40 PubMed

J Chem Ecol. 1995 Oct;21(10):1481-93 PubMed

Trends Ecol Evol. 1998 Oct 1;13(10):391-6 PubMed

Anim Behav. 1998 Aug;56(2):365-369 PubMed

Curr Biol. 2008 Apr 22;18(8):619-23 PubMed

Physiol Behav. 1994 Feb;55(2):347-53 PubMed

Nature. 2007 Dec 6;450(7171):899-902 PubMed

Physiol Behav. 2007 Aug 15;91(5):667-70 PubMed

Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 1997;11(7):786-90 PubMed

Physiol Behav. 2001 Jun;73(3):421-6 PubMed

The Expansion of House Mouse Major Urinary Protein Genes Likely Did Not Facilitate Commensalism with Humans

Variation in mouse chemical signals is genetically controlled and environmentally modulated

Biological Roles of Lipocalins in Chemical Communication, Reproduction, and Regulation of Microbiota

Transcriptomic and Proteomic Profiling Revealed High Proportions of Odorant Binding and Antimicrobial Defense Proteins in Olfactory Tissues of the House Mouse

Differential regulation of vaginal lipocalins (OBP, MUP) during the estrous cycle of the house mouse

On the tear proteome of the house mouse (Mus musculus musculus) in relation to chemical signalling

On the saliva proteome of the Eastern European house mouse (Mus musculus musculus) focusing on sexual signalling and immunity