NatureChina 8月27日，以“小鼠信息素：神秘的騙色者－可以操縱吸引雌鼠的雄性信息素來吸引雄鼠”為亮點介紹到了必威在线网址 在Physiology & Behavior 雜誌上在線發表的論文“包皮腺分泌物及其主要組分在小鼠性識別中的雙重作用” (http://www.nature.com/nchina/2008/080827/full/nchina.2008.197.html)。報道說，小鼠在其尿液中分泌信息素與同種其它成員通訊已知道很久。至今，兩個信息素成分，即α-和β-法尼稀在小鼠包皮腺中得到鑒定。必威精装版app西汉姆联 的張健旭及其同事又鑒定了另外兩個增加雄鼠性吸引的信息素。

這兩個信息素已知為16碳醇和16碳乙酸脂，是雌雄鼠包皮腺的主要成分，但是雄鼠的產生量必雌鼠高。研究人員證實，閹割雄鼠不能正常分泌這些性信息素，難於吸引雌性。通過向閹割雄鼠的尿液補充相當於正常雄鼠含量的合成成分，可以恢複閹割雄鼠的性吸引

有趣的是，當16碳醇和16碳乙酸脂在閹割雄鼠的尿液中的含量與雌鼠尿液的含量相同時，對其它雄鼠更有性吸引力。該發現說明這兩個信息素成分對雌鼠或雄鼠的吸引作用依賴於其在尿液中的量。

Original article citation

Zhang, J. X., Liu, Y. J., Zhang, J. H. & Sun, L. Dual role of preputial gland secretion and its major components in sex recognition of mice. Physiol. Behav. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.07.002 (2008).

附錄：NatureChina Highlights-Subject Category:Ecology & Evolution

Published online: 27 August 2008 | doi:10.1038/nchina.2008.197

Mouse pheromones: Secret seducers
Felix Cheung

Male pheromones that are used to attract female mice could be manipulated to attract male mice

Introduction

Mice have long been known to secrete pheromones in their urine for communication with other members of the same species. So far, two pheromones that are used to attract female members, namely alpha- and beta-farnesene, have been identified in the genital glands of male mice. Jianxu Zhang at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and co-workers have identified two more pheromones that increase the sexual attractiveness of male mice.

The two pheromones, known as hexadecanol and hexadecyl acetate, are among the major components of genital gland secretion in both sexes, but are produced in higher quantities in male mice than in females. The researchers showed that castrated males, which could not produce these sex pheromones, had difficulties attracting females. The sexual attractiveness of castrated males could be recovered by replenishing their urine with synthetic analogues of the two pheromones up to the same level as those in intact males.

Interestingly, castrated male mice became more sexually attractive to other males when the hexadecanol and hexadecyl acetate in their urine is at the same level as in the urine of females. The finding suggests that these two pheromones could arouse male mice or female mice depending on the quantities in the urine.