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Related Experiment Videos

Pheromone unwrapping by pH flip-flopping.

Walter S Leal1

  • 1Honorary Maeda-Duffey Lab, Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

Chemistry & Biology
|August 25, 2004
PubMed
Summary
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Asian elephants use a sex pheromone, (Z)-7-dodecen-1-yl acetate, also found in moths. This chemical signal, delivered via urine and received in trunk mucus, is released through a pH-mediated process.

Area of Science:

  • Zoology
  • Chemical Ecology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) employs a specific sex pheromone, (Z)-7-dodecen-1-yl acetate, for communication.
  • This pheromone is shared with several moth species, indicating convergent evolution or a conserved signaling mechanism.

Discussion:

  • The pheromone is released in elephant urine and detected within the mucus lining of the trunk.
  • The release mechanism involves a pH-mediated 'unwrapping' of the pheromone from its carrier molecule, serum-derived albumin.

Key Insights:

  • Identifies a shared sex pheromone between a large mammal and insects.
  • Elucidates the delivery (urine) and reception (trunk mucus) pathways of the pheromone.
  • Reveals a novel pH-dependent mechanism for pheromone release.

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Outlook:

  • Further research can explore the evolutionary implications of this shared pheromone.
  • Investigating the precise molecular interactions in trunk mucus reception.
  • Potential applications in conservation efforts for Asian elephants.