Odorant-binding proteins in canine anal sac glands indicate an evolutionarily conserved role in mammalian chemical communication.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Chemical communication is an important aspect of the behavioural ecology of a wide range of mammals. In dogs and other carnivores, anal sac glands are thought to convey information to conspecifics by secreting a pallet of small volatile molecules produced by symbiotic bacteria. Because these glands are unique to carnivores, it is unclear how their secretions relate to those of other placental mammals that make use of different tissues and secretions for chemical communication. Here we analyse the anal sac glands of domestic dogs to verify the secretion of proteins and infer their evolutionary relationship to those involved in the chemical communication of non-carnivoran mammals.

Results

Proteomic analysis of anal sac gland secretions of 17 dogs revealed the consis

SUBMITTER: Janssenswillen S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8474896 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature