Frog nuptial pads secrete mating season-specific proteins related to salamander pheromones.
Males of many frog species develop spiny nuptial pads with underlying glands on their thumbs during the mating period. We used 3D visualization on the European common frog Rana temporaria to show that the morphology of these glands allows the channelling of secreted molecules to the pad's surface during amplexus. Combined transcriptome and proteome analyses show that proteins of the Ly-6/uPAR family, here termed amplexins, are highly expressed in the nuptial glands during the mating season, but are totally absent outside that period. The function of amplexins remains unknown, but it is interesting to note that they share structural similarities with plethodontid modulating factors, proteins that influence courtship duration in salamanders.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Biology Department, Amphibian Evolution Lab, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Bert
B
Willaert
Franky
F
Bossuyt
Sunita
S
Janssenswillen
Dominique
D
Adriaens
Geert
G
Baggerman
Severine
S
Matthijs
Elin
E
Pauwels
Paul
P
Proost
Arent
A
Raepsaet
Liliane
L
Schoofs
Gwij
G
Stegen
Dag
D
Treer
Luc
L
Van Hoorebeke
Wim
W
Vandebergh
Ines
I
Van Bocxlaer
D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005552:Forelimb / Q000378:metabolism*; D015723:Gene Library; D006652:Histological Techniques; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013045:Species Specificity; D014562:Caudata / Q000378:metabolism; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
D012724:Sex Attractants
Anura; Ly-6/uPAR protein family; amplexin; chemical communication; three-finger motif