Sexual discrimination and attraction through scents in the water vole, Arvicola terrestris.

In mammals, especially rodents, social behaviours, such as parenting, territoriality or mate attraction, are largely based on olfactory communication through chemosignals. These behaviours are mediated by species-specific chemosignals, including small organic molecules and proteins that are secreted in the urine or in various fluids from exocrine glands. Chemosignal detection is mainly ensured by olfactory neurons in two specific sensory organs, the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the main olfactory epithelium (MOE).

Variation of ewe olfactory secretome during a ram effect.

Introduction: Under temperate latitudes, reproduction in displays a marked seasonality, governed by the photoperiod. In natural conditions, the transition between sexual rest and sexual activity in both sexes is induced by the decrease of day light. Meanwhile, specific odors emitted by a sexually active male are able to reactivate the gonadotropic axis of anovulatory ewes.

Oleic Acid and Palmitic Acid from and Exhibit Anti-Inflammatory and Antifungal Properties.

A decrease in populations of and is observed during the development of colitis and fungal overgrowth, while restoration of these populations reduces inflammatory parameters and fungal overgrowth in mice. This study investigated the effect of two fatty acids from and on macrophages and Caco-2 cells, as well as their impact on the inflammatory immune response and on overgrowth in a murine model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Oleic acid (OA) and palmitic acid (PA) from and were detected during their interaction with epithelial cells from colon samples.

Predicting male fertility from the sperm methylome: application to 120 bulls with hundreds of artificial insemination records.

Background: Conflicting results regarding alterations to sperm DNA methylation in cases of spermatogenesis defects, male infertility and poor developmental outcomes have been reported in humans. Bulls used for artificial insemination represent a relevant model in this field, as the broad dissemination of bull semen considerably alleviates confounding factors and enables the precise assessment of male fertility. This study was therefore designed to assess the potential for sperm DNA methylation to predict bull fertility.

Dynamics of cattle sperm sncRNAs during maturation, from testis to ejaculated sperm.

Background: During epididymal transit, spermatozoa go through several functional maturation steps, resulting from interactions with epididymal secretomes specific to each region. In particular, the sperm membrane is under constant remodeling, with sequential attachment and shedding of various molecules provided by the epididymal lumen fluid and epididymosomes, which also deliver sncRNA cargo to sperm. As a result, the payload of sperm sncRNAs changes during the transit from the epididymis caput to the cauda.

A comprehensive overview of bull sperm-borne small non-coding RNAs and their diversity across breeds.

Background: Mature sperm carry thousands of RNAs, including mRNAs, lncRNAs, tRNAs, rRNAs and sncRNAs, though their functional significance is still a matter of debate. Growing evidence suggests that sperm RNAs, especially sncRNAs, are selectively retained during spermiogenesis or specifically transferred during epididymis maturation, and are thus delivered to the oocyte at fertilization, providing resources for embryo development. However , a deep characterization of the sncRNA content of bull sperm and its expression profile across breeds is currently lacking.

Identification of potential chemosignals in the European water vole Arvicola terrestris.

The water vole Arvicola terrestris is endemic to Europe where its outbreak generates severe economic losses for farmers. Our project aimed at characterising putative chemical signals used by this species, to develop new sustainable methods for population control that could also be used for this species protection in Great Britain. The water vole, as well as other rodents, uses specific urination sites as territorial and sex pheromone markers, still unidentified.

Binding Specificity of Native Odorant-Binding Protein Isoforms Is Driven by Phosphorylation and -N-Acetylglucosaminylation in the Pig .

Odorant-binding proteins (OBP) are secreted in the nasal mucus at the vicinity of olfactory receptors (ORs). They act, at least, as an interface between hydrophobic and volatile odorant molecules and the hydrophilic medium bathing the ORs. They have also been hypothesized to be part of the molecular coding of odors and pheromones, by forming specific complexes with odorant molecules that could ultimately stimulate ORs to trigger the olfactory transduction cascade.

A multi-scale analysis of bull sperm methylome revealed both species peculiarities and conserved tissue-specific features.

Background: Spermatozoa have a remarkable epigenome in line with their degree of specialization, their unique nature and different requirements for successful fertilization. Accordingly, perturbations in the establishment of DNA methylation patterns during male germ cell differentiation have been associated with infertility in several species. While bull semen is widely used in artificial insemination, the literature describing DNA methylation in bull spermatozoa is still scarce.

Enhancing bull sexual behavior using estrus-specific molecules identified in cow urine.

Deficiencies in bull mating behavior have implications for bovine artificial insemination activities. The aim of this study was to identify the compounds present in fluids emitted by cows during estrus, which could enhance bull libido. Chemical analysis of urine samples from cows led to the characterization of molecules varying specifically at the preestrous and estrous stages.

Proteomic Analysis of Pig (Sus scrofa) Olfactory Soluble Proteome Reveals O-Linked-N-Acetylglucosaminylation of Secreted Odorant-Binding Proteins.

The diversity of olfactory binding proteins (OBPs) is a key point to understand their role in molecular olfaction. Since only few different sequences were characterized in each mammalian species, they have been considered as passive carriers of odors and pheromones. We have explored the soluble proteome of pig nasal mucus, taking benefit of the powerful tools of proteomics.

Binding specificity of recombinant odorant-binding protein isoforms is driven by phosphorylation.

Native porcine odorant-binding protein (OBP) bears eleven sites of phosphorylation, which are not always occupied in the molecular population, suggesting that different isoforms could co-exist in animal tissues. As phosphorylation is a dynamic process resulting in temporary conformational changes that regulate the function of target proteins, we investigated the possibility that OBP isoforms could display different binding affinities to biologically relevant ligands. The availability of recombinant proteins is of particular interest for the study of protein/ligand structure-function relationships, but prokaryotic expression systems do not perform eukaryotic post-translational modifications.

Phosphorylation of native porcine olfactory binding proteins.

The identification of various isoforms of olfactory binding proteins is of major importance to elucidate their involvement in detection of pheromones and other odors. Here, we report the characterization of the phosphorylation of OBP (odorant binding protein) and Von Ebner's gland protein (VEG) from the pig, Sus scrofa. After labeling with specific antibodies raised against the three types of phosphorylation (Ser, Thr, Tyr), the phosphate-modified residues were mapped by using the beta-elimination followed by Michael addition of dithiothreitol (BEMAD) method.

Natural ligands of porcine olfactory binding proteins.

Knowledge of endogenous ligands of olfactory binding proteins is a prerequisite for studying their role in odor and pheromone transduction. Here, we report the extraction, derivatization, and characterization by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of the natural ligands of pig, Sus scrofa (L.), Von Ebner's Gland protein (VEG) and odorant binding protein (OBP).

Phenylalanine 35 and tyrosine 82 are involved in the uptake and release of ligand by porcine odorant-binding protein.

Structural and molecular dynamics studies have pointed out the role of aromatic residues in the uptake of ligand by porcine odorant-binding protein (pOBP). The shift of Tyr82 from its position during the opening of the binding cavity has been shown, and was supposed to participate in the entrance of the ligand. Several Phe residues in the vicinity of Tyr82 could also participate in the binding process.