Protein-bound male urinary pheromones: differential responses according to age and gender

The attractive properties of male urinary pheromones were tested on adultor prepubertal male and female mice. An androgen-dependent protein ispresent in adult male urine (major urinary protein, MUP) which has beensuggested to be a pheromone-binding protein. We tested the pheromonalproperties of the protein-bound volatiles in a test of attractiveness.These molecules, that co-purify with MUP, attract females and repel adultmales. In prepubertal animals, females are repelled and males are attractedby the same stimuli. These results are similar to those obtained by otherswith adult male whole urine. Therefore MUP binds molecules with apheromonal activity, and these molecules are sufficient to act as malesignals.