title: Antigen-induced changes in odor attractiveness and reproductive output in male mice.
abstract: Modulation of social signals by antigen-induced immunoenhancement is a significant component of behavioral and reproductive adaptations of a host population to parasitic pressure. To investigate this concept, we studied odor attractiveness and reproductive output of ICR male mice treated with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) as an antigenic stimulus. We collected urine samples for olfactory preference tests (control vs. KLH administration) on different days following treatment. We found that the differences in odor attractiveness between control and immunized males, which were observed on the 3rd day, disappeared soon afterwards. Odor attractiveness of male mice positively correlated with their immunoresponsiveness, which was assessed by the sum of anti-KLH IgG1 and anti-KLH IgG2a titers. According to the hypothesis of terminal investment, antigen-treated males had higher reproductive output in comparison with control males and produced more progeny as a result.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of RAS, Novosibirsk 630091, Russia.
authors.forename: Ludmila A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Gerlinskaya
authors.forename: Elena P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Shnayder
authors.forename: Anna S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Dotsenko
authors.forename: Svetlana O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Maslennikova
authors.forename: Eugene L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Zavjalov
authors.forename: Mikhail P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Moshkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006433:Hemocyanins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009812:Odorants; D012098:Reproduction / Q000276:immunology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin