Sexual Dimorphism of the Protein Level in Urine of Muridae Rodents: Relation to Population Numbers

Назарова, Г. Г.; Proskurnyak, L. P.; Potapova, O. F.

doi:10.1134/s1995425518020087

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…MUPs could be used to test the hypothesis that sexual conflict favors the evolution of gene duplication ( Cox and Calsbeek, 2009 ; Connallon and Clark, 2011 ; Gallach and Betrán, 2011 ). Other mammalian genera need to be investigated, as there are substantial differences in the sexual dimorphism in urinary protein excretion among different rodents, and house mice are not the most sexually dimorphic ( Nazarova et al, 2018 ). It will be possible to begin reconstructing the evolutionary transitions that explain sexually dimorphic MUP expression once the genes that control MUP gene expression in Mus musculus and other Mus species are identified.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Determining the origins of sexually dimorphic MUP expression requires comparing MUP expression in both sexes among rodent species. The phylogeny MUP genes have been described ( Stopka et al, 2012 ); however, few studies have compared urinary protein output ( Nazarova et al, 2018 ) or MUP gene expression between the sexes in different Mus species ( Sheehan et al, 2019 ; Matthews et al, 2021 ). Several studies have compared the MUPs of two European Mus subspecies and examined the hypothesis that divergence of these genes among populations promotes speciation.…”

Section: Evolutionary Origins and Potential Effects On Divergence And...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Regulation of Sexually Dimorphic Expression of Major Urinary Proteins

2022

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Male house mice excrete large amounts of protein in their urinary scent marks, mainly composed of Major Urinary Proteins (MUPs), and these lipocalins function as pheromones and pheromone carriers. Here, we review studies on sexually dimorphic MUP expression in house mice, including the proximate mechanisms controlling MUP gene expression and their adaptive functions. Males excrete 2 to 8 times more urinary protein than females, though there is enormous variation in gene expression across loci in both sexes. MUP expression is dynamically regulated depending upon a variety of factors. Males regulate MUP expression according to social status, whereas females do not, and males regulate expression depending upon health and condition. Male-biased MUP expression is regulated by pituitary secretion of growth hormone (GH), which binds receptors in the liver, activating the JAK2-STAT5 signaling pathway, chromatin accessibility, and MUP gene transcription. Pulsatile male GH secretion is feminized by several factors, including caloric restriction, microbiota depletion, and aging, which helps explain condition-dependent MUP expression. If MUP production has sex-specific fitness optima, then this should generate sexual antagonism over allelic expression (intra-locus sexual conflict) selectively favoring sexually dimorphic expression. MUPs influence the sexual attractiveness of male urinary odor and increased urinary protein excretion is correlated with the reproductive success of males but not females. This finding could explain the selective maintenance of sexually dimorphic MUP expression. Producing MUPs entails energetic costs, but increased excretion may reduce the net energetic costs and predation risks from male scent marking as well as prolong the release of chemical signals. MUPs may also provide physiological benefits, including regulating metabolic rate and toxin removal, which may have sex-specific effects on survival. A phylogenetic analysis on the origins of male-biased MUP gene expression in Mus musculus suggests that this sexual dimorphism evolved by increasing male MUP expression rather than reducing female expression.

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