Major histocompatibility complex odors

Penn, D.J. and Potts, W. K. (1998) How do major histocompatibility complex genes influence odor and mating preferences Adv.Immunol. 69, 411—436. 

Willse, A., Belcher, A.M., Preti, G., Wahl, J.H., Thresher, M., Yang, P., Yamazaki, K. and Beauchamp, G.K. (2005) Identification of major histocompatibility complex-regulated body odorants by statistical analysis of a comparative gas chromatography/mass spectrometry experiment. Anal. Chem. 77, 2348-2361. 

Schaefer, M.L., Yamazaki, K., Osada, K., Restrepo, D. and Beauchamp, G.K. (2002) Olfactory fingerprints for major histocompatibility complex-determined body odors II relationship among odor maps, genetics, odor composition, and behavior. J. Neurosci. 22, 9513-9521. 

Schellinck, H.M., Slotnick, B.M. and Brown, R.E. (1997) Odors of individuality originating from the major histocompatibility complex are masked by diet cues in the urine of rats. Anim. Learn. Behav. 25, 193-199. 

In the rat, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is responsible for individual odors (Brown etal., 1987a,b). Genetic differences in the JA region actually result in different urine odors (Singh etal., 1987). 

Brown, R. E., Singh, P. B., and Roser, B. (1987a). Both class I and class II regions of the major histocompatibility complex influence the distinctive urinary odors of con-genic rat. American Zoologist 17,47A. 

Source-to-source odor variation in a population of odor-producing objects may be an important statistical feature affecting olfactory perception and behavior. Another recent study showed that variability in the major-histocompatability-complex (MHC) odor signal and the amount of scent marking by individuals affected scent use by female mice when they were selecting mates.They showed that a... 

Brown, R.E., Roser, P. and Singh, P.B. (1987 b). Class I and Class II regions of the Major Histocompatibility Complex both contribute to individual odors in congenic inbred strains of rats. Behav. Genet., 79 659-674. 

In the present study chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERP) were used to find objective evidence that body odor and the perception of body odor by females is related to the similarity of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (HLA in humans) of the subject and donor. Ten female subjects were examined three times during the course of their menstrual cycle (follicular, ovulatory and luteal phase). During a test session the responses of subjects to the odors of either three male or three female donors was measured. The HLA types of two donors were similar to each other but different to the HLA type of the test subject and the third donor, who shared a similar HLA type. Chemosensory event-related potentials were recorded from 7 electrode sites on the skull (Fz, Cz, Pz, F3, F4, P3, P4), referred to linked mastoids. Preliminary results show that during the ovulatory cycle phase, subjects responded with larger amplitudes to body odors of male donors with a similar HLA-type than to odors of male donors with a dissimilar HLA-type. When female odors were presented the speed of the neural response changed with the HLA-type of the odor donor during the luteal phase only. 

Yamaguchi, M., Yamazaki, K., Beauchamp, G.K, Bard, J., Thomas, L. Boyse, E.A.1981. Distinctive urinary odors governed by the major histocompatibility complex of the mouse. Proc Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 78, 5817-5820. 

Overall, these experimental results indicate that (1) urinary odors of individuality in rats and mice are influenced by dietary factors and genetic differences at the major histocompatibility complex (2) the presence of bacteria is necessary for the appropriate expression of both of these cues and (3) methodological factors may influence the outcome of odor discrimination experiments. 

Schellinck, H. M., Monahan, E., Maxson, S. C. Brown, R. E. 1993. A comparison of the contribution of the major histocompatability complex (MHC) and Y chromosomes to the discriminability of individual urine odors of mice by Long-Evans rats. Behav. Genet., 23, 257—263. 

Yamazaki, K., Yamaguchi, M., Boyse, E.A. Thomas, L. 1980. The major histocompatibility complex as a source of odors imparting individuality among mice. In Chemical Signals Vertebrates and Aquatic Invertebrates (Ed. by D. Muller-Schwartz R.M. Silverstein), pp 267—273. New York Plenum. 

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