title: Regionally specific occurrence of an active sodefrin variant in the red-bellied newt.
abstract: Sodefrin (SIPSKDALLK) is a female-attracting pheromone that is secreted by the abdominal gland of the male red-bellied newt. We found that mRNA encoding a sodefrin variant, [Val(8)] sodefrin, is expressed exclusively in specimens captured in the Nara area of Japan. The synthetic peptide was tested for its activity. It attracted females from Nara, but not those from other regions, suggesting that there is a geographic variation in the pheromone molecule and in the responsiveness to the pheromone. Employing an abdominal gland extract and synthetic substrates, the possibility of generation of the putative pheromone, [Val(8)] sodefrin, from the precursor molecule was demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, School of Education, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishizuka
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakada
authors.forename: Fumiyo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Toyoda
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Conlon
authors.forename: Sakae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikuyama
mesh_terms: D034841:Abdominal Cavity / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008297:Male; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012455:Salamandridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009842:Oligopeptides; D012724:Sex Attractants; C092479:sodefrin