Physiological analysis of the courtship pheromones in both sexes: a study of the molecular mechanism of mate selection in newts.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06321
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44040:Morphology and anatomical structure-related
• Research Institution: Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University
• Principal Investigator: Nakada Tomoaki 日本獣医生命科学大学, 獣医学部, 講師 (50549566)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 性フェロモン / ソデフリン / アイモリン / 両生類 / 生殖行動 / 配偶者選択

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The results of this research project can be summarized in the following three points.
(1) As a result of investigating sex pheromone genes expressed in a large number of male newts in this study, it was revealed that a novel sodefrin homologous peptide functions in sword-tailed newts, Cynops ensicauda. (2) We examined the conditions under which male courtship behavior is induced in the absence of females, and found that while the body shape and nuptial color of males inhibit courtship by other males, there is an unidentified sex pheromone molecule in the conditioned water of females. (3) The genome editing technology can now be practically applied to the red-bellied newt, and we are now ready to further elucidate the molecular physiological mechanisms of sex pheromone communication at a higher resolution in the future.

Free Research Field

行動学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

性フェロモンは動物の配偶者選択に深く関わる生殖制御因子の1つである。本研究は、異性の性行動を誘起する雌雄両性の性フェロモンペプチドが同定された唯一の四肢動物であるイモリを用いて、異性の性行動を誘起する性フェロモンの分子的作用機構について分子生物学・組織形態学・行動生理学などの多角的アプローチ法で調査し、脊椎動物の配偶者選択に関わる雌雄間コミュニケーションの研究基盤を確立することを目的として実施した。