NatureChina 8月27日，以“小鼠信息素：神秘的骗色者－可以操纵吸引雌鼠的雄性信息素来吸引雄鼠”为亮点介绍到了动物研究所在Physiology & Behavior 杂志上在线发表的论文“包皮腺分泌物及其主要组分在小鼠性识别中的双重作用” (http://www.nature.com/nchina/2008/080827/full/nchina.2008.197.html)。报道说，小鼠在其尿液中分泌信息素与同种其它成员通讯已知道很久。至今，两个信息素成分，即α-和β-法尼稀在小鼠包皮腺中得到鉴定。中国科学院动物研究所的张健旭及其同事又鉴定了另外两个增加雄鼠性吸引的信息素。

这两个信息素已知为16碳醇和16碳乙酸脂，是雌雄鼠包皮腺的主要成分，但是雄鼠的产生量必雌鼠高。研究人员证实，阉割雄鼠不能正常分泌这些性信息素，难于吸引雌性。通过向阉割雄鼠的尿液补充相当于正常雄鼠含量的合成成分，可以恢复阉割雄鼠的性吸引

有趣的是，当16碳醇和16碳乙酸脂在阉割雄鼠的尿液中的含量与雌鼠尿液的含量相同时，对其它雄鼠更有性吸引力。该发现说明这两个信息素成分对雌鼠或雄鼠的吸引作用依赖于其在尿液中的量。

Original article citation

Zhang, J. X., Liu, Y. J., Zhang, J. H. & Sun, L. Dual role of preputial gland secretion and its major components in sex recognition of mice. Physiol. Behav. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.07.002 (2008).

附录：NatureChina Highlights-Subject Category:Ecology & Evolution

Published online: 27 August 2008 | doi:10.1038/nchina.2008.197

Mouse pheromones: Secret seducers
Felix Cheung

Male pheromones that are used to attract female mice could be manipulated to attract male mice

Introduction

Mice have long been known to secrete pheromones in their urine for communication with other members of the same species. So far, two pheromones that are used to attract female members, namely alpha- and beta-farnesene, have been identified in the genital glands of male mice. Jianxu Zhang at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and co-workers have identified two more pheromones that increase the sexual attractiveness of male mice.

The two pheromones, known as hexadecanol and hexadecyl acetate, are among the major components of genital gland secretion in both sexes, but are produced in higher quantities in male mice than in females. The researchers showed that castrated males, which could not produce these sex pheromones, had difficulties attracting females. The sexual attractiveness of castrated males could be recovered by replenishing their urine with synthetic analogues of the two pheromones up to the same level as those in intact males.

Interestingly, castrated male mice became more sexually attractive to other males when the hexadecanol and hexadecyl acetate in their urine is at the same level as in the urine of females. The finding suggests that these two pheromones could arouse male mice or female mice depending on the quantities in the urine.