Musk Gland Seasonal Development and Musk Secretion Are Regulated by the Testis in Muskrat (Ondatra Zibethicus)

Overview

Journal Biol Res

Specialty Biology

Date 2017 Mar 6

PMID 28259185

Citations 8

Authors

Tianxiang Zhang

Dong Peng

Lei Qi

Weixuan Li

Mengyuan Fan

Jiachen Shen

Liangliang Yang

Yihua Wang

Wenxia Wang

Xiaolong Hu

Ruibo Cai

Ran Zhou

Yuting Wei

Juntong Zhou

Shuang Yang

Defu Hu

Shuqiang Liu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The muskrat is a seasonal breeder. Males secrete musk to attract females during the breeding season. The testosterone binding to the androgen receptor (AR) in musk glands of muskrat may play an important role conducting the musk secretion process.

Methods: The musk gland, testis and blood samples of musk rats are collected in both breeding and non-breeding seasons. Some part of the samples are kept in liquid nitrogen for transcriptome analysis and Western blotting test. Some part of the samples are kept in 70% alcohol for histology experiment, blood samples are kept at -20 °C for the serum testosterone measurement experiment.

Results: This study demonstrates that the quantity of secreted musk, the volume of the musk glands, the diameter of the gland cells and AR expression are all higher during the breeding season than at other times (p < 0.01). StAR, P450scc and 3β-HSD expression in the Leydig cells of the testis were also higher during this season, as was serum testosterone. AR was also observed in the gland cells of two other musk-secreting animals, the musk deer and small Indian civet, in their musk glands. These results suggest that the testes and musk glands co-develop seasonally.

Conclusion: The musk glands' seasonal development and musk secretion are regulated by the testes, and testosterone plays an important role in the seasonal development of musk glands.

Citing Articles

An Investigation of the Saccharides Profile and Metabolic Gene Expression in Muskrat Scented Glands in Different Secretion Seasons.

Zhou J, Hu D, Feng N, Liu S, Li J Animals (Basel). 2025; 14(24.

PMID: 39765609 PMC: 11672420. DOI: 10.3390/ani14243705.

Caspase-8-and Gasdermin D (GSDMD)-Dependent PANoptosis Participate in the Seasonal Atrophy of Scented Glands in Male Muskrats.

Tong X, Zhao X, Ma Y, Li H, Zhang J, Zhang Z Animals (Basel). 2024; 14(22).

PMID: 39595247 PMC: 11591373. DOI: 10.3390/ani14223194.

Chemical composition and microbiota changes across musk secretion stages of forest musk deer.

Xu Z, Li F, Liu Q, Ma T, Feng X, Zhao G Front Microbiol. 2024; 15:1322316.

PMID: 38505545 PMC: 10948612. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1322316.

Differential expression profiles of microRNAs in musk gland of unmated and mated forest musk deer ().

Jie H, Xu Z, Gao J, Li F, Chen Y, Zeng D PeerJ. 2022; 9:e12710.

PMID: 35036174 PMC: 8710055. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12710.

Study of compositions of musks in different types secreted by forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii).

Zhang T, Jin W, Yang S, Li Y, Zhang M, Shi M PLoS One. 2021; 16(3):e0245677.

PMID: 33725016 PMC: 7963063. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245677.

References

Johnson L . Seasonal differences in equine spermatocytogenesis. Biol Reprod. 1991; 44(2):284-91. DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod44.2.284. View

Dubey A, Plant T . A suppression of gonadotropin secretion by cortisol in castrated male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) mediated by the interruption of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone release. Biol Reprod. 1985; 33(2):423-31. DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod33.2.423. View

Simpson E . Cholesterol side-chain cleavage, cytochrome P450, and the control of steroidogenesis. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1979; 13(3):213-27. DOI: 10.1016/0303-7207(79)90082-0. View

Keller E, Ershler W, Chang C . The androgen receptor: a mediator of diverse responses. Front Biosci. 1996; 1:d59-71. DOI: 10.2741/a116. View

Weng Q, Tsubota T, Dai M, Weng J, Tian Y, Xu M . Immunolocalization of steroidogenic enzymes and their expression during the breeding season in the testes of wild raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides). Anim Sci J. 2012; 83(7):535-42. DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2011.00990.x. View

Raucci F, DAniello A, Di Fiore M . Stimulation of androgen production by D-aspartate through the enhancement of StAR, P450scc and 3β-HSD mRNA levels in vivo rat testis and in culture of immature rat Leydig cells. Steroids. 2014; 84:103-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2014.03.016. View

Lu L, Zhang H, Lv N, Ma X, Tian L, Hu X . Immunolocalization of androgen receptor, aromatase cytochrome P450, estrogen receptor alpha and estrogen receptor beta proteins during the breeding season in scent glands of muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus). Zoolog Sci. 2011; 28(10):727-32. DOI: 10.2108/zsj.28.727. View

Knol B . Stress and the endocrine hypothalamus-pituitary-testis system: a review. Vet Q. 1991; 13(2):104-14. DOI: 10.1080/01652176.1991.9694292. View

Payne A, Youngblood G . Regulation of expression of steroidogenic enzymes in Leydig cells. Biol Reprod. 1995; 52(2):217-25. DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod52.2.217. View

10.

Palvimo J . The androgen receptor. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012; 352(1-2):1-3. DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2012.01.016. View

11.

Sheng X, Zhang H, Zhang W, Song M, Zhang M, Li B . Seasonal changes in spermatogenesis and immunolocalization of inhibin/activin subunits in the wild male ground squirrel (Citellus dauricus Brandt). J Reprod Dev. 2008; 54(6):460-4. DOI: 10.1262/jrd.20032. View

12.

Lu L, Liu S, Li Q, Huang S, Bao L, Sheng X . Seasonal expression of androgen receptor in scented gland of muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus). Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2014; 204:1-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.04.031. View

13.

Takeda H, Chodak G, Mutchnik S, Nakamoto T, Chang C . Immunohistochemical localization of androgen receptors with mono- and polyclonal antibodies to androgen receptor. J Endocrinol. 1990; 126(1):17-25. DOI: 10.1677/joe.0.1260017. View

14.

Clark B, Wells J, King S, Stocco D . The purification, cloning, and expression of a novel luteinizing hormone-induced mitochondrial protein in MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells. Characterization of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR). J Biol Chem. 1994; 269(45):28314-22. View

15.

Blottner S, Hingst O, Meyer H . Seasonal spermatogenesis and testosterone production in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). J Reprod Fertil. 1996; 108(2):299-305. DOI: 10.1530/jrf.0.1080299. View

16.

Luo L, Chen H, Stocco D, Zirkin B . Leydig cell protein synthesis and steroidogenesis in response to acute stimulation by luteinizing hormone in rats. Biol Reprod. 1998; 59(2):263-70. DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod59.2.263. View

17.

McLachlan R, Wreford N, ODonnell L, de Kretser D, Robertson D . The endocrine regulation of spermatogenesis: independent roles for testosterone and FSH. J Endocrinol. 1996; 148(1):1-9. DOI: 10.1677/joe.0.1480001. View

18.

Zhang H, Sheng X, Hu X, Li X, Xu H, Zhang M . Seasonal changes in spermatogenesis and immunolocalization of cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase/c17-20 lyase and cytochrome P450 aromatase in the wild male ground squirrel (Citellus dauricus Brandt). J Reprod Dev. 2010; 56(3):297-302. DOI: 10.1262/jrd.09-078t. View

19.

Stocco D, Clark B . Regulation of the acute production of steroids in steroidogenic cells. Endocr Rev. 1996; 17(3):221-44. DOI: 10.1210/edrv-17-3-221. View

20.

Simard J, Ricketts M, Gingras S, Soucy P, Feltus F, Melner M . Molecular biology of the 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta5-delta4 isomerase gene family. Endocr Rev. 2005; 26(4):525-82. DOI: 10.1210/er.2002-0050. View