Chemistry of male dominance in the house mouse,Mus domesticus

Summary Two terpenic constituents, E,E,--farnesene and E--farnesene, were found to be elevated in dominant male urine when compared to subordinate or control males. These two urinary compounds were absent in the bladder urine of males; however, they were the most prominent constituents of the preputial gland's aliquots. The results of a two-choice preference test, conducted on ICR/Alb subordinate males, gave a strong indication that these two terpenic constituents introduced into the previously attractive stimulus significantly discouraged prolonged investigations by male mice. The compounds, whether present in the urine matrix or water, rendered the stimulus with a quality behaviorally similar to the urine of dominant males. It appears that they may be synonymous with the previously described aversion signal produced by dominant males. We suggest that these compounds may play a wide-ranging role in the territorial marking behavior of male mice.     

Dynamics of excretion of urinary chemosignals in the house mouse (Mus musculus) during the natural estrous cycle

The volatile fraction of urinary metabolites was investigated chromatographically at five different stages of the natural estrous cycle. A very substantial endocrine dependency has been noted for 11 compounds: 4 ketones, 2 acetate esters, 3 dihydrofuran isomers, dehydro-exo-brevicomin, and 2,5-dimethylpyrazine. The compounds were structurally verified through combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.     

Dynamics of excretion of urinary chemosignals in the house mouse (Mus musclus) during the natural estrous cycle

Summary The volatile fraction of urinary metabolites was investigated chromatographically at five different stages of the natural estrous cycle. A very substantial endocrine dependency has been noted for 11 compounds: 4 ketones, 2 acetate esters, 3 dihydrofuran isomers, dehydro-exo-brevicomin, and 2,5-dimethylpyrazine. The compounds were structurally verified through combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.     

Pheromone binding proteins of the mouse,Mus musculus

Proteins of the Major Urinary Complex of the adult male mouse (Mus musculus) selectively bind the male pheromones 2-(sec-butyl)thiazoline and dehydro-exo-brevicomin, and concentrate them in urine.     

Influence of the pineal gland on the reproductive system of the male house mouse

Summary Procedures designed to express pineal-mediated antigonadotropic activity were performed upon male house mice. Neither blinding nor blinding plus olfactory bulbectomy of house mice resulted in testicular involution within 12 weeks. The pineal gland appears to be of little significance to reproduction in the house mouse.Supported by NICHHD grant No. HDO 7119-092.Supported by NICHHD grant No. 5P5 OHDO 8338.Supported by NSF grant No. SPI 7922 372.     

Robertsonian chromosomal polymorphism in the mouse (M. musculus domesticus)

Zusammenfassung Hausmäuse (M. m. domesticus) aus dem Bergell/GR zeigen einen intraspezifischen Chromosomenpolymorphismus vomRobertson'schen Typ mit wenigstens zwei verschiedenen metazentrischen Chromosomen. Für eines dieser beiden Chromosomen konnte gezeigt werden, dass es von den sieben bei der Tabakmaus (M. poschiavinus) vorhandenen metazentrischen Chromosomen unabhängig ist. Ein für dieses Chromosom (T8Bnr) homozygoter Stamm auf dem Hintergrund der Laboratoriumsmaus wird für experimentelle Verwendung herausgezüchtet.

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Work supported by Landesamt für Forschung, Nordrehein-Westfalen.     

Interaction oft alleles at theT locus in the house mouse

Zusammenfassung Mehrfach wurde gezeigt, dass zwei rezessive letale Allele in der Hausmaus (t ^o undt ¹) lebensfähige normale Tiere in heterozygoter Kombinationt ⁰/t ¹ produzieren. Neuere Daten machen wahrscheinlich, dass dast ¹-Allel mutativ abänderte, so dass sowohl seine homozygote Wirkung als auch die Zusammenwirkung mitt ⁰ beeinflusst worden ist. Hingegen sind Kombinationen vont ⁰ und dem neuen Allel nicht mehr lebensfähig, und Homozygote sterben erst nach der Implantation.

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This work was supported in part by Research Grant B-931 from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service, and in part by a grant-in-aid from the American Cancer Society.

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Part of the data reported in this paper were submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pa., byAnna C. Pai who would like to express her deepest appreciation to ProfessorJane M. Oppenheimer for her guidance during the course of the work.     

Histochemical localization of acetylcholinesterase in the glycogen body (sinus rhomboidalis) of common brown dove,Streptopelia senegalensis and house sparrow,Passer domesticus

Summary Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was studied in the glycogen bodies of the spinal cords of 2 birds namelyStreptopelia senegalensis andPasser domesticus. A possible functional significance of AChE in the light of relative enzymatic localization especially in Hoffmann-Kolliker nuclei (motor cell groups), substantia gelatinosa and other regions of gray matter of 2 avian glycogen bodies has been discussed.     

Influence of social experience on sexual readiness of male house crickets,Acheta domestica

Summary MaleAcheta domestica were deprived of social experience at three different life stages and mated as 2-or 3-day adults. Those deprived from the egg stage were found to copulate morereadily than males which had social experience.The data were taken from a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph. D. degree at the City University of New York.     

Plasma corticosterone fluctuations during the oestrous cycle of the house mouse

Summary The circadian rhythm of corticosterone concentration in the mouse persists throughout the oestrous cycle, but concentrations are significantly elevated at proestrus and oestrus.     

Seasonal variations in testicular monoamine oxidase in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and uinta ground squirrels (Spermophilus armatus)

Résumé Des moinaux familiers (Passer domesticus) et des écureuils (Spermophilus armatus) des montagnes Uinta ont été capturés à différentes époques de l'année et l'activité de laMao a été mesurée dans leurs testicules. Chez les deux espèces l'activité de la MAO était la plus grande lorsque le poids des testicules était le plus élevé et la plus basse avant et après la saison du rut. Chez le moineau, l'augmentation de l'activité de MAO a précédé le développement des testicules.

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We thank the Atomic Energy Commission Grant No. At(11-1)-1602, Utah State University research project No. U-300 and Ecol. Grant No. 19 for their support of this research.R. L. Urry, present address: Division of Urology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, 14642.J. L. Frehn was on sabbatical leave from his present position in the Department of Biology, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61761. We thankPhyllis Tayler for her technical help in this investigation.     

Attraction of the male house fly to cuticular hydrocarbons and feces of several other dipteran species

Zusammenfassung Männchen vonMusca domestica werden von Kohlenwasserstoffextrakten aus der Cuticula weiblicherMusca domestica, M. autumnalis undHaematobia irritan angelockt (gleiche oder ähnliche Pheromone), nicht aber von entsprechenden Extrakten ausStomoxys calitrans, Glossina morsitans, G. austeni, Fannia canicularis undCochliomyia hominivorax.

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The authors thankDr. P. A. Langley, University of Bristol, for his geneous aid in providing cuticular washes and feces of tsetse flies;Dr. C. M. Jones, USDA, for face fly samples;Dr. R. L. Harris, USDA, for horn fly samples;Dr. B. G. Hightower and R. R. Grabbe, USDA, for screwworm samples andDr. W. M. Rogoff, USDA, for little house fly samples.     

Increased rate of melanization in hemolymph of American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) an house crickets (Acheta domesticus) intoxicated by insecticides

Summary Treatment of house crickets and American cockroaches with any one of a variety of insecticides increased the rate of melanization in hemolymph incubated with diphenol substrates.     

Spontaneous robertsonian fusion leading to karyotype variation in the house mouse — First report from Asia

Summary The occurrence of spontaneous Robertsonian fusion leading to 2n=39 chromosomes (NF=40) in the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) has been reported for the first time from Asia. 3 phenotypically normal female mice collected from 2 distantly located populations of India (Tripura and Calcutta) show centric fusion in somatic chromosomes between pairs 2 and 16, and 8 and 14 respectively. C-banding analysis revealed that the (sub) metacentric has been originated by fusion between the broken/eroded centromeres of 2 telocentric chromosomes.     

Increased rate of melanization in hemolymph of American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) and house crickets (Acheta domesticus) intoxicated by insecticides

Treatment of house crickets and American cockroaches with any one of a variety of insecticides increased the rate of melanization in hemolymph incubated with diphenol substrates.     

Steroid hormones in the testicular tissue ofGallus domesticus

Riassunto Nel tessuto testicolare diGallus domesticus sono stati identificatii seguenti ormoni steroidi: pregnenolone (127 µg/kg), progesterone (66,5 µg/kg), androstenedione (2,4 µg/kg), testosterone (35 µg/kg), 20-idrossipregn-4-ene-3-one (30,5 µg/kg). Questi risultati dimostrano che il testicolo di pollo secerne gli steroidi della principale via biosintetica degli androgeni. La concentrazione relativamente alta di 20-idrossipregn-4-ene-3-one viene discussa alla luce delle ricerche sul metabolismo in vitro del progesterone.

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This investigation was supported by a research grant No. HD 01477-07 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Public Health Service, USA, and by the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche of Italy.