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Rajagopal T, Mahalakshmi S, Gayathri TR, Muruganantham N, Muthukatturaja M, Rajesh D, Rameshkumar K, Ponmanickam P, Akbarsha MA, Archunan G. Histomorphology and Chemical Constituents of Interdigital Gland of Vembur Sheep, Ovis aries. Vet Sci 2022; 9:647. [PMID: 36423097 PMCID: PMC9698652 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9110647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
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 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thangavel Rajagopal
- Department of Zoology, Thiagarajar College (Autonomous), Madurai 625009, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Selvam Mahalakshmi
- Department of Zoology, Thiagarajar College (Autonomous), Madurai 625009, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | | | | | - Durairaj Rajesh
- Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology (IRSEA), Quartier Salignan, 84400 Apt, France
| | - Kamatchi Rameshkumar
- Department of Zoology, Rajah Serfoji Government College (Autonomous), Thanjavur 613006, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ponnirul Ponmanickam
- Department of Zoology, Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College (Autonomous), Sivakasi 626124, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mohammad Abdulkader Akbarsha
- Department of Biotechnology & Research Coordinator, National College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli 620001, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Govindaraju Archunan
- Pheromone Technology Lab, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
- Research Dean, Marudupandiyar College, Thanjavur 613403, Tamil Nadu, India
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Rajamanickam R, Shanmugam A, Thangavel R, Devaraj S, Soundararajan K, Ponnirul P, Ramalingam R, Ganesan RV, Parasuraman P, Govindaraju A. Localization of α 2u-globulin in the acinar cells of preputial gland, and confirmation of its binding with farnesol, a putative pheromone, in field rat (Millardia meltada). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197287. [PMID: 29856754 PMCID: PMC5983455 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pheromones, low molecular weight chemical entities that bind to pheromone carrier proteins, are chemical signals that play an important role in the communication system in animals. This has been rather fairly well-studied in the rodents. The preputial gland, a rich source of pheromones in many rodents, contains a low molecular mass protein (18–20 kDa) that acts as one such pheromone carrier. However, the presence of this protein in the notorious rodent pest Millardia meltada has not yet been proven. Therefore, we aimed at identifying this protein, and the pheromones that are bound to it, in this rodent so as to utilize the information in the control of this pest. Twenty volatile compounds were identified in the preputial gland using GC-MS. Total protein of the gland was fractioned by both one and two-dimensional electrophoresis when we identified a low molecular mass protein (19 kDa, pI-4.7). Adopting MALDI-TOF MS and LC-MS analyses, the protein was confirmed as α 2u-globulin. To identify the volatiles bound to this protein, we used column chromatography and GC-MS. We found that farnesol and 6-methyl-1-heptanol are the volatiles that would bind to the protein, which we propose to be putative pheromones. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed localization of α 2u-globulin in the acinar cells of the preputial gland. Thus, we show that α 2u-globulin, a pheromone-carrier protein, is present in the preputial gland acinar cells of M. meltada and suggest farnesol and 6-methyl-1-heptanol to be the volatiles which would bind to it. The α 2u-globulin together with farnesol and 6-methyl-1-heptanol contribute to pheromonal communication of M. meltada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramachandran Rajamanickam
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Achiraman Shanmugam
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India
- Centre for Pheromone Technology, Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India
- * E-mail: (AS); (PP); (AG)
| | - Rajagopal Thangavel
- Centre for Pheromone Technology, Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India
- Post Graduate and Research Department of Zoology and Microbiology, Thiagarajar College (Autonomous), Madurai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Sankarganesh Devaraj
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India
| | | | - Ponmanickam Ponnirul
- Centre for Pheromone Technology, Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India
- Department of Zoology, Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College (Autonomous), Sivakasi, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Rajkumar Ramalingam
- Centre for Pheromone Technology, Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India
- Nuclear Dynamics and Architecture Lab, Institute of Medical Biology-IMB, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ramya Vaideki Ganesan
- Post Graduate and Research Department of Zoology and Microbiology, Thiagarajar College (Autonomous), Madurai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Padmanabhan Parasuraman
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- * E-mail: (AS); (PP); (AG)
| | - Archunan Govindaraju
- Centre for Pheromone Technology, Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu, India
- * E-mail: (AS); (PP); (AG)
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Ceacero F, Pluháček J, Komárková M, Zábranský M. Pre-orbital gland opening during aggressive interactions in rusa deer (Rusa timorensis). Behav Processes 2014; 111:51-4. [PMID: 25481309 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Revised: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The opening of the preorbital gland in cervids has a visual meaning and is frequently associated with agonistic and/or stress related situations. Apart from in red deer, this behaviour has scarcely been studied and the range of situations when it may occur remains unclear. In this study we report the unusual case of preorbital gland opening in rusa deer, Rusa timorensis, associated to direct aggressive agonistic interaction (biting/kicking) between two adult hinds. This case observed in Tierpark Berlin (Germany) is the first one ever recorded in female-female interactions in cervids. Preorbital gland opening was also studied in 116 social interactions in Plzeň Zoo (Czech Republic). Preorbital gland opening by the dominant adult male was twice observed with relation to alert behaviour, which is also rare. In order to contextualise our observations we summarise the current knowledge about the behaviour associated with preorbital gland opening in R. timorensis and in cervids in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ceacero
- Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcka 129, 165 21 Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic; Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, 104 00 Praha - Uhříněves, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Pluháček
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, 104 00 Praha - Uhříněves, Czech Republic; Ostrava Zoo, Michálkovická 197, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Komárková
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, 104 00 Praha - Uhříněves, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Zábranský
- Plzeň Zoo and Botanical Garden, Pod Vinicemi 9, 301 16 Plzeň, Czech Republic
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Fernandes NDS, Willemart RH. Neotropical harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones) use sexually dimorphic glands to spread chemicals in the environment. C R Biol 2014; 337:269-75. [PMID: 24702896 DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2014.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Revised: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic glands have convergently appeared in animals and are often responsible for the production of pheromones. In the suborder Laniatores of the order Opiliones (Arachnida), glands of such type are widespread, but there is not a single paper on how they are used. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy and a behavioral approach, we describe glandular openings and how these glands are used, in the harvestmen Gryne perlata and Gryne coccinelloides (Cosmetidae). Males of these two species have glandular openings on the metatarsi of legs I and on the metatarsi IV. Males were shown rubbing the glands of the metatarsi I against their other legs, whereas glands on the metatarsi IV are gently touched on the substrate or rubbed either against other legs, or against the substrate. Not all behaviors were seen in both species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathália da Silva Fernandes
- Laboratório de Ecologia Sensorial e Comportamento de Artrópodes (LESCA), Escola de Artes Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Arlindo Béttio, 1000 Ermelino Matarazzo 03828-000, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Hirata Willemart
- Laboratório de Ecologia Sensorial e Comportamento de Artrópodes (LESCA), Escola de Artes Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Arlindo Béttio, 1000 Ermelino Matarazzo 03828-000, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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