• Carbon Dating of Cave Art - Mass Spectrometry dates prehistoric cave paintings in southern France...


• On the Nose - MS shows mice prefer to mate with partners that express different MHC genes...


• Special Delivery - A mass spectrometer is delivered to the international space station...


• Molecular Hitchhiking on a Comet - Mass spectrometry shows molecules can survive an impact with Earth...


• Mass Spectrometry Unearths Mexico's Maize - Accelerator MS provides evidence of early agriculture in Mexico...


• Mass of the Universe -Scientists may finally have a reliable estimate of the mass of the universe...


• Airport Security - Ion mobility mass spectrometry to detect narcotics at airports...


• MS at the Olympics - Mass spectrometry keeps the athletes honest...


• more past features...

• Ion Formula by Mol. Weight
• Isotope Pattern Calculator
• Mass Loss Calculator
• Periodic e-Table

• EMBL Peptide Search - protein ID from peptide mass and sequence data
• FindMod - post-translational modifications by peptide mass
• GlycanMass - oligosaccharide mass from structure
• GlycoMod - oligosaccharide structures from mass
• GlycoSuiteDB - search database with oligosaccharide mass
• Javascript Protein Digest - peptide digest masses
• Javascipt Fragment Ion Generator for peptides
• Mascot Search - peptide mass and sequence tools
• Mowse - protein identification from peptide MS data
• Protein Prospector - mass spectra interpretation tools
• PROWL - identification of proteins from MS data

 

On the Nose

Mice prefer to mate with partners that express different MHC (major hiscompatibility complex) genes from their own to achieve genetic diversity. Researchers in Germany have used an electronic nose and mass spectrometry to "sniff out" the urine markers that signal mouse matrimony.

Volatile components in urine that are MHC-dependent have been shown to influence mating behaviour in mice. A group at the University of Tubingen have used a gas sensor array coupled with mass spectrometry as an electronic nose to identify the odouress constitutents.

The electronic nose consists of a quartz microbalance of eight individual sensors each coated with a difference polymer coating. The mass-sensitive crystals change their frequency according to the size of the absorbed molecules. A second set of gas sensors consist of metal oxide surfaces that alter their conductivity based on interactions with volatile constituents in the urine. The vapour above the surfaces is further analysed by gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry to identify and quantitate the volatile components present.

The approach enables the odor types of different mouse strains to be identified. The researchers report that same sex mice can be characterized according to their odour profiles and that the dominant components of the odour are MHC-dependent.

What the study is unable to answer is whether mice use the same urine components to differentiate their sexual partners. Interestingly, humans also appear to use body odour signals to attract partners. One reported study found that female students prefer the odour of males who possess different genetic traits. The attraction mates, however, in humans is more complex as many sociocultural influences and the use of perfumed cosmetics can influence and conceal natural odours.

The full report is featured in the July 31 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 

• European Mass Spectrom.
• Intl. J. of Mass Spectrom.
• J. American Society of MS
• J. Mass Spectrometry
• J. MS Society of Japan
• Mass Spectrometry Reviews
• Rapid Communications in MS

• Analyst
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nature
• New Scientist
• Science
• Scientific American

• Beilstein Abstracts
• ChemWeb
• Current Contents - ISI
• PubMed - NCBI
• PubScience - DOE

• Africa
• Asia
• Australia / NZ
• Canada
• Europe
• Mexico / Carribean
• South America
• USA