Different Components of the Chemical Communication Mechanisms in Domestic Animals

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 8516

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Biology and Chemical Communication, IRSEA, 84400 Apt, France
Interests: neurobiology; chemical communication; veterinary sciences; stress; animal welfare

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Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Biology and Chemical Communication, IRSEA, 84400 Apt, France
Interests: pheromone biology; chemical communication; semiochemicals; bioinformatics; proteomics; and computational biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

From the appearance of the simplest living beings (bacteria, yeasts, protozoa, etc.) to those of the most organized beings (insects, fish, mammals, etc.), chemical communication, in the form of exchanges of molecular signals, has been the most universally used communication system in the living world. Chemical communication is highly connected with several behavioral and physiological mechanisms in every living being, and plays a crucial and inevitable role in different aspects of animals’ lives (social behavior, sexual behavior, territory marking, inter- and intra-species ecological interactions). Fundamentally, chemical communication systems are based on the same main key components: a transmitter of the message, a chemical substance serving as a code/signal, and a receiver producing a biological response. The substances used by different organisms to communicate with each other are called semiochemicals in general, and are called pheromones in the case of intra-species chemical communication. They are volatile chemical cues released by body exudates such as skin, urine, feces, and other important secretions. Chemosignal cues are sensed within the main and accessory olfactory organs where the sensory epithelia are laid by olfactory and vomeronasal sensory neurons. The volatile chemical cues are bound by soluble carrier proteins called OBPs (odorant-binding-proteins), and are able to carry hydrophobic ligands in aqueous biological fluids, such as the mucus of the nasal or vomeronasal cavity. The binding of chemical cues by the carrier proteins also increases volatile longevity and long-lasting, slow or prolonged release to the environment. The perception capability is modulated by the chemosensory receptors on sensory neurons, which discriminate the semiochemicals by their compositions and are involved in the chemosignal transduction to upper brain regions (i.e., main and accessory olfactory bulbs), in which the signal is processed for further central brain integration, then triggering the behavioral and/or physiological modifications. These entire fundamental mechanisms are of the utmost importance for all living beings, including domestic animals.

For the last few decades, the research approach has been fully focused on the identification of crucial elements behind the chemical communication in the domestic animal's life. Several studies shed light on the key components of semiochemical transport and the significant involvement of chemosensory receptors by interdisciplinary scientific approaches (e.g., in vivo, in vitro, and in silico methods). The multidisciplinary evolution of science, as well as the simplification and development of analytical chemistry techniques, have made it possible to open research paths towards deciphering the chemical code. More recently, advances in functional genomics and proteomics have also brought a better understanding of semiochemical receptor systems (i.e., olfactory and vomeronasal receptors), as well as the actors of peri-receptor events such as the soluble semiochemical carrier proteins (e.g., OBPs). Reverse chemical ecology approaches are also developing to suggest putative structures of still-unknown semiochemicals through the study of the structural and functional characteristics of their binding proteins.

This Special Issue aims to focus on all the chemical communication components underlying domestic animal interactions, from the secretion to the perception and integration of the chemical signal, including their identification and the description of their functioning and mechanisms of action from peripheral to central nervous regions. In this Special Issue, we especially intend to focus on trending and innovative research approaches and interdisciplinary studies on these topics.

We are pleased to invite you to submit articles, reviews, case reports, and other types of contributions supported by Veterinary Sciences. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Fundamental mechanisms and importance of chemical communication in domestic animals, including the causes and consequences of chemical communication dysfunction;
  • Scent marking strategies and behaviors in domestic animals;
  • Chemoreception components in domestic animals;
  • Mechanisms of perception and discrimination of chemosignals, including the brain areas involved in chemosignal processing;
  • Identification of new semiochemicals in domestic animals;
  • Metagenomic and transcriptomic research in chemical communication and the identification of new components of chemical communication in domestic species (e.g., receptors, semiochemical carrier proteins);
  • Evolutionary features of domestic animals for predicting the fundamental chemosensory action mechanisms;
  • Proteomics analysis and protein semiochemistry in domestic animals;
  • Microbial partners involved in domestic species’ chemical communication (e.g., production and secretion of semiochemicals) and metabolomic research;
  • Recent trends in chemical communication and the management of domestic animals;
  • Domestic animal breeding and reproduction strategies through chemical cues;
  • Welfare state and stress-management strategies through chemical cues (pheromonotherapy).

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Cécile Bienboire-Frosini
Dr. Rajesh Durairaj
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • pheromones/semiochemicals/chemical cues/chemosignals
  • scent-marking
  • chemosensory receptors
  • odorant-binding proteins
  • chemoreception
  • olfactory system
  • vomeronasal system
  • genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic/metabolomic
  • microbiota

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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15 pages, 1004 KiB  
Article
Urinary Proteins of Female Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris) during Ovarian Cycle
by Martyna Woszczyło, Paweł Pasikowski, Sankarganesh Devaraj, Agata Kokocińska, Antoni Szumny, Marcin J. Skwark, Wojciech Niżański and Michał Dzięcioł
Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(4), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10040292 - 14 Apr 2023
Viewed by 2429
Abstract
The presence and identity of non-volatile chemical signals remain elusive in canines. In this study, we aim to evaluate the urinary proteins of female domestic dogs in the estrus and anestrus phases to evidence the presence of non-volatile chemical signals and to elucidate [...] Read more.
The presence and identity of non-volatile chemical signals remain elusive in canines. In this study, we aim to evaluate the urinary proteins of female domestic dogs in the estrus and anestrus phases to evidence the presence of non-volatile chemical signals and to elucidate their identities. We collected urine samples from eight female dogs in the estrus and anestrus phases. A total of 240 proteins were identified in the urine samples using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS analysis). The comparison of the proteins revealed a significant difference between the estrus and anestrus urine. We identified proteins belonging to the lipocalin family of canines (beta-lactoglobulin-1 and beta-lactoglobulin-2, P33685 and P33686, respectively), one of whose function was the transport of pheromones and which was present only in the estrus urine samples. Moreover, proteins such as Clusterin (CLU), Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2), and Proenkephalin (PENK) were more abundant in the estrus urine when compared to the anestrus urine. LEAP2 was recently described as a ghrelin receptor antagonist and implicated in regulating food intake and body weight in humans and mice. Proenkephalin, a polypeptide hormone cleaved into opioid peptides, was also recognized as a candidate to determine kidney function. As of yet, none of these have played a role in chemical communication. Clusterin, an extracellular chaperone protecting from protein aggregation implicated in stress-induced cell apoptosis, is a plausible candidate in chemical communication, which is a claim that needs to be ascertained further. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD040418. Full article
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19 pages, 7369 KiB  
Article
Histomorphology and Chemical Constituents of Interdigital Gland of Vembur Sheep, Ovis aries
by Thangavel Rajagopal, Selvam Mahalakshmi, Thirukonda Ravindhran Gayathri, Naganathan Muruganantham, Marimuthu Muthukatturaja, Durairaj Rajesh, Kamatchi Rameshkumar, Ponnirul Ponmanickam, Mohammad Abdulkader Akbarsha and Govindaraju Archunan
Vet. Sci. 2022, 9(11), 647; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9110647 - 21 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4755
Abstract
The interdigital gland is a specialized skin gland located between the digits of Artiodactyla (i.e., even-toed ungulates). Its secretion participates in semiochemical communication, and protects from ultraviolet radiation as well as fungal and bacterial infections of the feet. The present study aimed at [...] Read more.
The interdigital gland is a specialized skin gland located between the digits of Artiodactyla (i.e., even-toed ungulates). Its secretion participates in semiochemical communication, and protects from ultraviolet radiation as well as fungal and bacterial infections of the feet. The present study aimed at finding if there are male-female differences in the anatomy, morphology, and volatile compounds of the interdigital gland of the South Indian breed of Vembur sheep. A total of 24 sheep (12 each of male and female) were spotted at the slaughterhouse and the interdigital gland was removed for examination. The anatomical examination revealed it to resemble a tobacco pipe and to consist of a body, flexure, and excretory duct with an external orifice located at the cleft of the digits. Morphometrically, the interdigital glands differed between males and females. The gland possesses a distinct fibrous capsule, epidermis, and dermis. The fibrous capsule contains several parallel bundles of collagen fibers, nerve fibers, and blood vessels, etc. The epidermis consists of keratinized squamous epithelium formed of stratum basale, stratum granulosum and stratum spinosum. The dermis consists of hair follicles, nerve plexuses, arrector pili muscles, and apocrine and sebaceous glandular lobules. The latter, lined by a simple cuboidal epithelium, are arranged in clusters of acini in the upper portion of the dermis. The apocrine secretory lobules, made up of parenchymal cells, are found in the lower portion of the dermis. The density and diameter of the apocrine and sebaceous secretory lobules were significantly higher in the males than females. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis confirmed the apocrine and sebaceous secretory components. Twenty-three major compounds were identified in the interdigital gland postings of male and female sheep, among which butanoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, 1-heptanol and octadecanoic acid were present only in the male glandular post, whereas octane, 7-hexyl-tridecane, tetradecane, heptadecane and decanoic acid were present only in the female glandular post. Tetradecanol, tetradecanoic acid and hexadecanol peaks, reportedly antibacterial compounds in pronghorn antelopes, were highly prominent in both male and female sheep. Thus, the interdigital gland of Vembur sheep has two major secretory lobules, namely, sebaceous and apocrine, larger in males than females, which secrete a variety chemical compounds that may serve as chemical communication systems and protect the sheep from foot-borne diseases. Full article
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