Changes in volatile compounds of mouse urine as it ages: their interactions with water and urinary proteins

Mice release a variety of chemical signals, particularly through urine, which mediate social interactions and endocrine function. Studies have been conducted to investigate the stability of urinary chemosignals in mice. Neuroendocrine and behavioral responses of mice to urine samples of male and female conspecifics which have aged for different amounts of time have been examined, demonstrating that the quality and intensity of signaling molecules in urine change over time. In this study, we monitored changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from male and female mouse urine following aging the urine samples. Substantial amounts of some VOCs were lost during the aging process of urine, whereas other VOCs increased. Considerable portions of the VOCs which exhibited the increased release were shown to have previously been dissolved in water and subsequently released as the urine dried. We also demonstrated that some VOCs decreased slightly due to their binding with the major urinary proteins (MUPs) and identified MUP ligands whose headspace concentrations increased as the urine aged. Our results underscore the important role of MUPs and the hydration status in the release of VOCs in urine, which may largely account for the changes in the quality and intensity of urinary signals over time.