0000000000296643
AUTHOR
Hélène Tiesset
Glutathione conjugation of the rabbit mammary pheromone 2-methylbut-2-enal
International audience; In the process of smell, the olfactory signal is initiated by the binding of odorous molecules to olfactory receptors. In the receptor environment,associated events are supposed to modulate this signal.Thus, the xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, potentially involved in the clearance of the odorous molecules, could modulate the availability of these molecules for the olfactory receptors, and consequently could participate indirectly in the olfactory signal termination. A mammary pheromone, which is an odorous aldehyde (2-methylbut-2-enal or 2MB2) has been recently characterized in the rabbit by our group. The aim of this work was to elucidate the metabolism of 2MB2 in …
When the nose must remain responsive: glutathione conjugation of the mammary pheromone in the newborn rabbit
In insects, xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes were demonstrated to regulate pheromones inactivation, clearing them from the olfactory periphery and keeping receptors ready for stimulation renewal. Here, we investigate whether similar processes could occur in mammals, focusing on the pheromonal communication between female rabbits and their newborns. Lactating rabbits emit in their milk a volatile aldehyde, 2-methylbut-2-enal, that elicits searching-grasping in neonates; called the mammary pheromone (MP), it is critical for pups which are constrained to find nipples within the 5 min of daily nursing. For newborns, it is thus essential to remain sensitive to this odorant during the whole nursin…