Mouse deer pheromones helped CCMB scientists in species recovery programme

HYDERABAD

Mouse deer, or Indian chevrotain, plays a major role in the forest ecosystem as a seed disperser, and serves as an important prey for many carnivores. Though it is commonly found in most forested areas, it has been listed as endangered in the Wildlife Protection Act due to frequent hunting for their bushmeat.

Scientists at the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) at CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has successfully initiated a conservation breeding and species recovery programme of mouse deer in 2010 in collaboration with the Nehru Zoological park here and support from Central Zoo Authority.

Scientists involved in studying the reproductive behaviour of the mouse deer in captivity realised that it is the ‘sex pheromones’ (androstenone and androstanol) in the species that play a role in their reproduction by bringing opposite sexes together for mating in the wild as they are solitary creatures.

“Our findings have already helped in breeding of mouse deer at Nehru Zoological park. It will also help other Indian zoos and elsewhere,” said LaCONES scientist G. Umapathy, whose group studied the reproductive behaviour of mouse deer in captivity, in an official release.

The programme started with six deer — two males and four females — and aimed to increase their numbers in captivity and reintroduce them into the wild. The scientist and his team discovered the occurrence of novel post-partum ‘estrus’ (phase where the animal is ready to mate) when the female mouse deer mates within four to six hours of delivery. It is said to be the shortest post-partum estrus observed so far among large mammals.

While analysing the hormone profiles, it was found that the 16-androstenes sex pheromones in mouse deer were significantly elevated in the female mouse deer during delivery, post-partum estrus and mating. These pheromones have also previously reported to have played a major role in the reproduction of pigs, said Mr.Umapathy.

Scientists examined molecular characteristics of these pheromones, their synthesis pathway and functions in mouse deer reproduction. These findings were recently published in the journal, Cells (https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11233837 https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/11/23/3837).