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Sampling and Analysis of Animal Scent Signals

Sampling and Analysis of Animal Scent Signals

Published on: February 13, 2021

Reverse Chemical Ecology Suggests Putative Primate Pheromones.

Valeriia Zaremska¹, Isabella Maria Fischer¹, Giovanni Renzone²

¹Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Biosensor Technologies, Tulln, Austria.

Molecular Biology and Evolution

|December 13, 2021

Summary

Researchers investigated potential human pheromones using a pheromone-carrier protein (SAL) across lemurs, monkeys, and humans. Macrocyclic ketones and lactones were identified as likely pheromone candidates, though human chemical communication appears impaired.

Keywords:

disulfide bridges evolution human pheromones ligand-binding assays odorant-binding protein primates salivary proteins

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Published on: April 7, 2021

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Primate communication
Chemical ecology

Background:

Pheromonal communication is common in nature but poorly understood in humans and apes.
Lemurs utilize pheromones, while some monkeys show reduced capabilities.
Human chemical communication may be hindered by genetic and anatomical factors.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate potential pheromones in lemurs, Old-World monkeys, and humans using a reverse chemical ecology approach.
To identify candidate pheromone structures by examining ligand-binding properties of the pheromone-carrier protein (SAL).
To understand the evolutionary conservation and human impairment of pheromonal communication.

Main Methods:

Reconstructed the gene for the human SAL protein, which is typically non-functional.
Expressed orthologous SAL proteins from lemurs (Microcebus murinus), monkeys (Cercocebus atys), and humans (Homo sapiens).
Performed ligand-binding experiments with recombinant SAL proteins to identify best-fitting compounds.

Main Results:

Macrocyclic ketones and lactones, such as cyclopentadecanone and pentadecanolide, were identified as the strongest ligands for SAL proteins across all species.
These findings suggest similar compounds may function as pheromones in lemurs, monkeys, and potentially humans.
The presence of similar compounds in related monkey species supports the identified candidates.

Conclusions:

The SAL protein's function has remained relatively conserved throughout primate evolution from lemurs to humans.
Despite conserved protein function, human pheromonal communication appears physiologically impaired, possibly due to genetic mutations.
This study provides strong candidates for human pheromones and highlights evolutionary constraints on chemical communication.