Superoxide dismutase deficiency impairs olfactory sexual signaling and alters bioenergetic function in mice.

ABSTRACT: Oxidative stress (an overproduction of reactive oxygen species in relation to defense mechanisms) may restrict investment in life history traits, such as growth, reproduction, lifespan, and the production of sexual signals to attract mates. The constraint on sexual signaling by oxidative stress is of particular interest because it has been proposed as a mechanism ensuring that only good-quality males produce the most attractive sexual signals. Despite these predictions, evidence supporting this theory is, at best, equivocal. We used a superoxide dismutase knockout mouse to demonstrate that oxidative stress directly impairs investment in morphological (preputial glands) and molecular (major urinary proteins) components of olfactory signaling essential for mate attraction. By maintaining mal

SUBMITTER: Garratt M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4050573 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature