A recombinant courtship pheromone affects sexual receptivity in a plethodontid salamander.
Pheromones are important chemical signals for many vertebrates, particularly during reproductive interactions. In the terrestrial salamander Plethodon shermani, a male delivers proteinaceous pheromones to the female as part of their ritualistic courtship behavior. These pheromones increase the female's receptivity to mating, as shown by a reduction in courtship duration. One pheromone component in particular is plethodontid receptivity factor (PRF), a 22-kDa protein with multiple isoforms. This protein alone can act as a courtship pheromone that causes the female to be more receptive. We used a bacterial expression system to synthesize a single recombinant isoform of PRF. The recombinant protein was identical to the native PRF, based on mass spectrometry, circular dichroism spectra, and a behavioral bioassay that tested the effects of recombinant PRF (rPRF) on female receptivity (21% reduction in courtship duration). The rPRF appears to mimic the activity of a mixture of PRF isoforms, as well as a mixture of multiple different proteins that comprise the male courtship gland extract. Pheromones that are peptides have been characterized for some vertebrates; to date, however, rPRF is one of only 2 synthesized vertebrate proteins to retain full biological activity.
Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. houckl@science.oregonstate.edu
Lynne D
LD
Houck
Richard A
RA
Watts
Stevan J
SJ
Arnold
Kathleen E
KE
Bowen
Karen M
KM
Kiemnec
Hilary A
HA
Godwin
Pamela W
PW
Feldhoff
Richard C
RC
Feldhoff
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D014562:Caudata / Q000502:physiology*
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012724:Sex Attractants