Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/88915
Title: Localization of α 2u-globulin in the acinar cells of preputial gland, and confirmation of its binding with farnesol, a putative pheromone, in field rat (Millardia meltada)
Authors: Ganesan, Ramya Vaideki
Parasuraman, Padmanabhan
Govindaraju, Archunan
Rajamanickam, Ramachandran
Shanmugam, Achiraman
Thangavel, Rajagopal
Devaraj, Sankarganesh
Soundararajan, Kamalakkannan
Ponnirul, Ponmanickam
Ramalingam, Rajkumar
Keywords: DRNTU::Science::Medicine
Farnesol
Preputial Gland
Issue Date: 2018
Source: Rajamanickam, R., Shanmugam, A., Thangavel, R., Devaraj, S., Soundararajan, K., Ponnirul, P., . . . Govindaraju, A. (2018). Localization of α 2u-globulin in the acinar cells of preputial gland, and confirmation of its binding with farnesol, a putative pheromone, in field rat (Millardia meltada). PLOS ONE, 13(6), e0197287-. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197287
Series/Report no.: PLOS ONE
Abstract: Pheromones, low molecular weight chemical entities that bind to pheromone carrier proteins, are chemical signals that play an important role in the communication system in animals. This has been rather fairly well-studied in the rodents. The preputial gland, a rich source of pheromones in many rodents, contains a low molecular mass protein (18–20 kDa) that acts as one such pheromone carrier. However, the presence of this protein in the notorious rodent pest Millardia meltada has not yet been proven. Therefore, we aimed at identifying this protein, and the pheromones that are bound to it, in this rodent so as to utilize the information in the control of this pest. Twenty volatile compounds were identified in the preputial gland using GC-MS. Total protein of the gland was fractioned by both one and two-dimensional electrophoresis when we identified a low molecular mass protein (19 kDa, pI-4.7). Adopting MALDI-TOF MS and LC-MS analyses, the protein was confirmed as α 2u-globulin. To identify the volatiles bound to this protein, we used column chromatography and GC-MS. We found that farnesol and 6-methyl-1-heptanol are the volatiles that would bind to the protein, which we propose to be putative pheromones. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed localization of α 2u-globulin in the acinar cells of the preputial gland. Thus, we show that α 2u-globulin, a pheromone-carrier protein, is present in the preputial gland acinar cells of M. meltada and suggest farnesol and 6-methyl-1-heptanol to be the volatiles which would bind to it. The α 2u-globulin together with farnesol and 6-methyl-1-heptanol contribute to pheromonal communication of M. meltada.
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/88915
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/46980
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197287
Schools: Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) 
Organisations: Translational Neuroscience Laboratory
Rights: © 2018 Rajamanickam et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Fulltext Permission: open
Fulltext Availability: With Fulltext
Appears in Collections:LKCMedicine Journal Articles

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