title: Discrimination of odortypes determined by the major histocompatibility complex among outbred mice.
abstract: Genetically determined body odors that distinguish one mouse from another are termed odortypes. The best known odortypes, highly expressed in urine, are those specified by H-2, the major histocompatibility complex of the mouse, but other odortypes originate from unidentified loci in the rest of the genome, including both sex chromosomes. The definition of H-2 odortypes and evidence that their perception affects reproductive behavior have so far depended on studies with inbred mouse strains whose genetic differences are confined to the H-2 complex of genes. To simulate feral conditions more closely, a freely segregating population was bred from crosses involving four unrelated inbred strains contributing four different H-2 haplotypes. After H-2 typing, this outbred population was divided into four groups of freely segregating mice, comprising the four distinct H-2 genotypes represented, to serve as conventional donors of urine for evaluation in the standard Y-maze system used in the training and testing of mice for H-2 odortype discrimination. With respect to utility in training mice for H-2 odortype discrimination, and to degrees of concordance attained in the Y-maze by trained mice, these urinary H-2 odortype sources from outbred mice were no less effective than urines customarily obtained for those purposes from nonsegregating inbred donors. We conclude that discrimination of H-2 odortypes is not appreciably affected or impaired by the usual concurrent segregation within the genome as a whole.
authors.affiliation: Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3308.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Beauchamp
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bard
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Boyse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000502:physiology*; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000502:physiology*; D009812:Odorants
chemical_list: D006183:H-2 Antigens