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Chemical Senses Advance Access published online on June 5, 2008
Chemical Senses, doi:10.1093/chemse/bjn027
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

A Recombinant Courtship Pheromone Affects Sexual Receptivity in a Plethodontid Salamander

Lynne D. Houck1, Richard A. Watts1, Stevan J. Arnold1, Kathleen E. Bowen2, Karen M. Kiemnec1, Hilary A. Godwin3, Pamela W. Feldhoff2 and Richard C. Feldhoff2

1 Department of Zoology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA 2 Department of Biochemistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA 3 Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California–Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

Correspondence to be sent to: Lynne D. Houck, Department of Zoology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. e-mail: houckl{at}science.oregonstate.edu


  Abstract

Pheromones are important chemical signals for many vertebrates, particularly during reproductive interactions. In the terrestrial salamander Plethodon shermani, a male delivers proteinaceous pheromones to the female as part of their ritualistic courtship behavior. These pheromones increase the female's receptivity to mating, as shown by a reduction in courtship duration. One pheromone component in particular is plethodontid receptivity factor (PRF), a 22-kDa protein with multiple isoforms. This protein alone can act as a courtship pheromone that causes the female to be more receptive. We used a bacterial expression system to synthesize a single recombinant isoform of PRF. The recombinant protein was identical to the native PRF, based on mass spectrometry, circular dichroism spectra, and a behavioral bioassay that tested the effects of recombinant PRF (rPRF) on female receptivity (21% reduction in courtship duration). The rPRF appears to mimic the activity of a mixture of PRF isoforms, as well as a mixture of multiple different proteins that comprise the male courtship gland extract. Pheromones that are peptides have been characterized for some vertebrates; to date, however, rPRF is one of only 2 synthesized vertebrate proteins to retain full biological activity.

Key words: Plethodon shermani, plethodontid receptivity factor, recombinant protein pheromone, red-legged salamander, vertebrate pheromones

Accepted 24 April 2008


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