Since this project began, we have shown that mice exhibit body odors of exquisite individuality (odortypes) reflecting polymorphism of genes in the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), and, less potently, at other autosomal sites in both sex chromosomes. Perception of differential odortypes, of which urine is the prime source, underlies mate selection and influence the success of pregnancy. The most evident fundamental biological implication of such behavioral responses to odortype perception begins with the maintenance of genetic diversity, a vital ingredient in the survival and propagation of individuals in a species. Technical progress includes investigation of odortypes by computerized, fully- automated olfactometry. In the period under review, we ascertained that commensal microorganisms. play no essential part in mouse odortype determination, found that odortype preference is due to familial imprinting, obtained decisive evidence of the involvement of different MHC genes of odortype determination, showed that HLA-transgenic mice acquire human MHC (HLA)- related odor and uncovered further instances in which the perception of non-MHC odortypes, like MHC odortypes, affects reproductive behavior. Further preliminary findings are a critical focus of current work and new aims proposed. These findings support the proposition that the urinary MHC (H-2) odortype (the kidney being a terminal differential clearing-house for responsible odorants in general) is but one of several MHC pre-renal processed fractional odortypes. These tentative data imply that secretions such as saliva and amniotic fluid exhibit tissue-distinctive MHC odortypes. Proposed on the basis of new findings is extension of study of reproducible biological functions of MHC odortypes to other familial contexts such as mother-infant and infant-infant recognition. Also proposed are systematic pursuit of the discovery that maternal MHC urinary odortypes are specifically modified by differing MHC types of fetuses in MHC-disparate mating, further investigation of imprinting to MHC types and extension of odortype work to humans.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM032096-14
Application #
2176428
Study Section
Sensory Disorders and Language Study Section (CMS)
Project Start
1980-08-01
Project End
1995-11-30
Budget Start
1993-12-01
Budget End
1994-11-30
Support Year
14
Fiscal Year
1994
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Monell Chemical Senses Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
Singer, A G; Beauchamp, G K; Yamazaki, K (1997) Volatile signals of the major histocompatibility complex in male mouse urine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 94:2210-4
Beauchamp, G K; Katahira, K; Yamazaki, K et al. (1995) Evidence suggesting that the odortypes of pregnant women are a compound of maternal and fetal odortypes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 92:2617-21
Beauchamp, G K; Yamazaki, K; Curran, M et al. (1994) Fetal H-2 odortypes are evident in the urine of pregnant female mice. Immunogenetics 39:109-13
Yamazaki, K; Beauchamp, G K; Shen, F W et al. (1994) Discrimination of odortypes determined by the major histocompatibility complex among outbred mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 91:3735-8
Monahan, E; Yamazaki, K; Beauchamp, G K et al. (1993) Olfactory discrimination of urinary odortypes from congenic strains (DBA/1Bg and DBA1.C57BL10-YBg) of mice differing in their Y chromosomes. Behav Genet 23:251-5
Yamazaki, K; Beauchamp, G K; Imai, Y et al. (1992) Expression of urinary H-2 odortypes by infant mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 89:2756-8
Yamazaki, K; Beauchamp, G K; Shen, F W et al. (1991) A distinctive change in odortype determined by H-2D/L mutation. Immunogenetics 34:129-31
Yamazaki, K; Beauchamp, G K; Imai, Y et al. (1990) Odor types determined by the major histocompatibility complex in germfree mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 87:8413-6
Yamazaki, K; Beauchamp, G K; Bard, J et al. (1989) Sex-chromosomal odor types influence the maintenance of early pregnancy in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 86:9399-401
Beauchamp, G K; Yamazaki, K; Bard, J et al. (1988) Preweaning experience in the control of mating preferences by genes in the major histocompatibility complex of the mouse. Behav Genet 18:537-47

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