Mature male African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) periodically experience a rut-like state called musth, involving elevated serum testosterone, swollen and draining temporal glands, urine dribbling, lowered appetite, increased aggression, and enhanced reproductive success. In Asian elephants, proteins play transport and sequestering roles before pheromone interactions with sensory receptors. Analogous pheromones have not yet been identified in African elephant urine. We have used SDS-PAGE to separate male elephant urinary proteins at different stages of musth, and have compared them to similar results from non-musth urine. By selective staining, we are determining which proteins are glycosylated. The results provide correlation of the proteins released into the urine with the periodic musth episode and possibly some insight into the role of these proteins.

Changes in elephant urine proteins during different stages of musth

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.