Pheromonally induced sexual maturation in females: regulation by the social environment of the male.
Social subordination, which suppresses gonadal function in juvenile and adult male house mice, also suppresses the activity of an androgen-dependent urinary pheromone that accelerates the rate of sexual maturation in juvenile females. Pheromone production may also be suppressed by the presence of pregnant or lactating females. This suggests that the social environment may influence the fertility of population females by altering urinary pheromone activity in the male.
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000502:physiology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010675:Pheromones / Q000502:physiology* / Q000652:urine; D011156:Population Density; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011247:Pregnancy; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D012930:Social Dominance; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014556:Urine; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology
D010675:Pheromones