Please contact me if you have any questionsabout my lecture.Leslie Vosshall leslie@mail.rockefeller.eduApril 3, 2006

Leslie B. Vosshall

Pheromones & Animal B

ehavior

http://njc.rockefeller.edu/BN2006.php

http://njc.rockefeller.edu/Vosshall.php

Adria Le Boeuf Joanna Spencer

April 10: Presentations (PDFs available April 4)

April 3: Lecture (PPT available this afternoon)

$50

Tristram WyattPheromones

and Animal Behaviour

Suggested Reading

David Michael Stoddart The Scented Ape :

The Biology and Culture of Human Odour

$37

Social Cues

Formula for the perfect social signal:

1. Cheap to transmit2. Cheap to receive3. Discreet4. Selective5. Effective in the dark/barriers6. Long-range7. Long-lasting8. Easy homing/identification

VISUAL

http://www.bentler.us/eastern-washington/insects/snd/crickets.wav

http://www.wildsong.demon.co.uk/LR/listening.html

AUDIO

CHEMICAL

cockroach sex pheromone

Brennan & Keverne, Curr. Biol. 14:R81–R89 (2004)

What is a Pheromone?

”defined chemical signal between members of the same species, eliciting a

particular behavior or physiological change...”

Broader Definition: Pheromones

”any chemical signal conveying information

between members of the same species”

Recognition of Individuals or Kin:Differences between signals essential

Pheromones Health and FitnessMate Choice/ Sexual Selection

Mate Selection to Avoid Incest/Genetic RelatednessSexual Maturation

Successful Fertilization (Aquatic Animals)Kin Recognition

Caste and Reproductive Status (Social Animals)Menstrual Synchrony

Maternal-Infant BondingInfant Suckling—Nipple Recognition

Dominance HierarchyAggression

Territory and Trail MarkingDeception (Plant->Animal)

Deception (Animal->Animal)Aggregation

Intruder Alarm

Semiochemicals: Infochemicals

Pheromones: Within species

Allelochemicals: Between species

Sender + Receiver +

Kairomones: Sender - Receiver +

Synomones: Sender + Receiver +

Allomones: Sender + Receiver -

Primer Pheromones

Wyatt Book

Evolution of Pheromones

Wyatt Book

Pheromones – Odor Imprinting

Wyatt Book

Pheromones and behavior(phenomenology)

Silkmoth

Bombyxmori

Sex (Releaser) Pheromones

Mate Quality: Courtship Pheromones

hydroxydanaidal

monocrotalinepyrrolizidine

alkaloids

Wyatt Book

Pheromones-Dominance Hierarchy

Aggregation pheromone—Desert Locust

Aggregation Pheromones: Barnacles

Wyatt Book

Ant caste determination

Primer pheromones-Termites

Wyatt Book

Dauer pheromones-C.elegans

High Density/Limiting Food

Alarm Pheromones

Marking Behavior-Mara rodent

Wyatt Book

Marking Behavior-desert ant

Trail Marking-leaf cutter ant

Marking, Territorial Behavior-Badger

Wyatt Book

Mimicry: Pheromones Subverted for Deception

Australian orchid D. glyptodontraps male Z.Trilobatus wasps

Bolas spiders vs. moths

Mate Quality: MHC

Models for the MHC Effect

1. The MHC molecule hypothesis(MHC fragments in urine and sweat)

2. The peptide hypothesis(MHC peptide metabolites in urine)

3. The microflora hypothesis(MHC shapes allele-specific populations

of commensal microbes)4. The carrier hypothesis

(MHC carries volatile aromatics, including thoseproduced by bacteria)

5. The peptide-microbe hypothesis(MHC alters odor by restricting peptides available

to commensal bacteria)

Coolidge Effect(Remating with arrival of new potential mate)

Bruce Effect (Pregnancy block when exposed to foreign male)

Vandenbergh Effect(Males accelerate puberty in young females)

Whitten Effect(Males induce oestrus in adult females)

Lee-Boot Effect(Group-housed females show suppressed oestrus;

oestrus synchronized by contact with males)

One day President and Mrs. Coolidge were visitinga government farm. Soon after their arrival they weretaken off on separate tours. When Mrs. Coolidge passedthe chicken pens she paused to ask the man in chargeif the rooster copulates more than once each day. "Dozens of times" was the reply. "Please tell that to thePresident," Mrs. Coolidge requested. When the Presidentpassed the pens and was told about the rooster, he asked"Same hen everytime?" "Oh no, Mr. President, a differentone each time." The President nodded slowly, then said"Tell that to Mrs. Coolidge."

The Coolidge Effect

Vandenbergh Effect(Males accelerate puberty in

young females)

Whitten Effect(Males induce oestrus in adult

females)

Lee-Boot Effect(Group-housed females show

suppressed oestrus; oestrus synchronized by

contact with males)

Pheromone chemistry

Where do pheromones come from?

UrineSweatTearsOther glands…

Pheromone-Producing Glands-Insects

Wyatt Book

Pheromone-Producing Glands-Mammals

Wyatt Book

E10E12Z14-16Al 11.3 E10E12E14-16Al 1.2 E10Z12-16Al 3.9 Z11-16Al 13.4 E11-16Al 6.8 Z9-16Al 0.8 16Al 15.7 Z11Z13-18Al 1.4 Z13-18Al 2.2 Z11-18Al 6.2 18Al 4.8

Manduca sexta female pheromone blend

Sex Pheromones

Wyatt Book

Schaal et al., Nature 424, 68-72 , 2003

Lin et al., Nature 434, 470 - 477, 2005

bombykol

bombykal

Jeong et al., Nature 433:541, 2005.

(- )-6R-(3'R, 5'R-dihydroxy-6'S-methyltetrahydro-pyran-2'R-yloxy) heptanoic acid

C. elegans dauer pheromone

Pheromone reception(neural circuitry)

Olfaction vs.Pheromone Perception

(vertebrates)

Vomeronasal or Jacobson’s Organ (VNO)

VNO Pathways

Brennan & Keverne, Curr. Biol. 14:R81–R89 (2004)

Brennan & Keverne, Curr. Biol. 14:R81–R89 (2004)

Brennan & Keverne, Curr. Biol. 14:R81–R89 (2004)

Olfaction vs.Pheromone Perception

(invertebrates)

MaleInsect

Antennae:Specialized toDetect FemalePheromones

Pheromone receptors

OdorantReceptors

(vertebrate)

PheromoneReceptors

(vertebrate)

V1R: expressed with Gαi and TRP2

V2R: expressed with Gαo and TRP2 (and MHC M10)

PheromoneReceptors

(invertebrate)

bombykol

bombykal

=come to me

=go away

Nakagawa et al., Science 2005

Nakagawa et al., Science 2005

Pheromone reception(humans)

Sequential Sensory Decisionsin Sexual Courtship:

Correct Species?Correct Gender?

Sexually Receptive?

Other Quality Control Criteria (usually monitored by Females)

Size?Strength?

Other indicators of good “gene pool”?

PHEROMONES IN HUMANS?

•Kin recognition-family member vs. partner

PHEROMONES IN HUMANS?

•Kin recognition-partner vs. stranger

PHEROMONES IN HUMANS?

•Kin recognition-mother/child

PHEROMONES IN HUMANS?

•Menstrual synchrony

Stern & McClintockNature 1998 392:177

”Realm, the fragrances with human pheromones. Only Realm adds this extra dimension of human Pleasure.

Awaken your sixth sense. Experience REALM. Contains human pheromones.”

Realm Men by RealmPheromone for Men

Realm Pheromones Women by RealmPheromone for Women

Active Ingredient: androstenone (pig pheromone)