Induction of Dominant Lethals in Progeny of CBA Male Mice after Pheromonal Action

The inhibiting effect of pheromone 2,5-dimethylpyrazine of house mouse females on the reproductive function of the CBA male mice was studied. The mutagenic effect of six-day pheromonal treatment was assessed by dominant lethal test. Analysis for the frequency of dominant lethals showed that the pheromonal effect results in an increased death rate of the progeny of the treated males. This is probably explained by implantation failure and is expressed in a reduced average number of the implants and low live embryos per female. The proportion of females with live embryos decreased significantly. The implication of the effect of female mouse pheromone 2,5- dimethylpyrazine on the genetic processes in germ cells of male mice is discussed.