Bile Acid secreted by male sea lamprey that acts as a sex pheromone.
We show that reproductively mature male sea lampreys release a bile acid that acts as a potent sex pheromone, inducing preference and searching behavior in ovulated female lampreys. The secreted bile acid 7alpha,12alpha,24-trihydroxy-5alpha-cholan-3-one 24-sulfate was released in much higher amounts relative to known vertebrate steroid pheromones and may be secreted through the gills. Hence, the male of this fish species signals both its reproductive status and location to females by secreting a pheromone that can act over long distances.
Li
Weiming
W
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Liweim@msu.edu
Scott
Alexander P
AP
Siefkes
Michael J
MJ
Yan
Honggao
H
Liu
Qin
Q
Yun
Sang-Seon
SS
Gage
Douglas A
DA
D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002793:Cholic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005260:Female; D005880:Gills / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007798:Lampreys / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D010060:Ovulation; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment
C452218:7alpha,12alpha,24-trihydroxy-5alpha-cholan-3-one 24-sulfate; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002793:Cholic Acids; D012724:Sex Attractants