Identification of female-attractive substance secreted from male kidney in nest-spawning teleosts

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K05780
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 40040:Aquatic life science-related
• Research Institution: Gifu University
• Principal Investigator: Koya Yasunori 岐阜大学, 教育学部, 教授 (30273113)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 山家 秀信 東京農業大学, 生物産業学部, 准教授 (40423743)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 性フェロモン / 営巣繁殖 / 腎臓 / 雌誘引 / 多糖類 / トゲウオ科 / ハゼ科 / スピギン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In male Rhinogobius, kidneys were enlarged during the breeding season and the production of polysaccharide-containing components (molecular weights 74 and 33 kDa) in the renal tubule epithelium is stimulated. Kidney extracts from males were shown to contain components that attract ovulating females.
During the breeding season, male Pungitius enlarged his kidney, and activated the production of spiggin, a substance that adheres plant fragments, in the renal tubular epithelium. Kidney extracts from breeding males contain a substance that attracts ovulated females, with a molecular weight of 3 kDa or more. Nests built by males were shown to contain a substance that attracts females, strongly suggesting that spiggin is a female attractant. It was thought that spiggin production in the kidney is stimulated by androgen.

Free Research Field

動物生理生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究および先行研究での知見から、営巣繁殖する魚類には雄が腎臓で産生する物質によって雌を巣まで誘引するという普遍性が存在することを示すことができた。これは営巣繁殖魚において、繁殖巣を防衛しつつ繁殖成功を最大にする上で理にかなった仕組みであり、今後も多くの営巣繁殖魚の繁殖生理生態を理解する上で基礎となる概念になり得る。
トゲウオ科魚類に見られる特異な造巣生態に関しては、巣材を接着する成分が雌誘引物質に由来する可能性を示し、単純な縄張り繁殖から、営巣繁殖、さらには造巣繁殖へと進化する過程で、雌誘引物質が巣材接着物質へと機能を進化させてきたと言う新たな概念を示すことができた。