Naked Mole-Rat Queens Suppress Fertility With IPM, Blocking 11 of 13 Pregnancies
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · Aug 24
Naked Mole-Rat Queens Suppress Fertility With IPM, Blocking 11 of 13 Pregnancies
2 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · Aug 24
Summary
In opposite-sex pair tests lasting 18 weeks, 11 of 13 females exposed to queen odours or daily IPM never became pregnant, while 5 of 6 females on blank bedding did.
The Nature study identified isopropyl myristate as the clearest queen-enriched scent among 240 detected compounds, and showed naked mole-rats smell it, avoid it and respond with higher prolactin and lower progesterone-linked reproductive activation.
In a 19-animal colony, removing the queen but adding IPM to bedding each day for 12 weeks prevented aggression, dominance contests and the rise of a successor.
One week after IPM was withdrawn, fighting began, one female was killed, and by week 19 a dominant female was pregnant—suggesting the chemical alone can delay succession.
Researchers say IPM is a strong queen-mediated signal, not a complete explanation: the decisive queen-removal test used one captive colony, and touch, rank and other odours may also shape reproduction.