Female mice preference: does Trypanosoma cruzi affect males' scent?

Résumé 0

"Female mammals preferentially select parasite-free or disease- resistant males for mating. Thus, parasitic infections may influence mate choice. In rodents, urine and other odoriferous secretions are of paramount importance in mate attraction and selection, and females can distinguish between infected and non-infected males through their scent. In female mice, a lower preference for males infected with either endo- or ectoparasites has been observed. The main goal of this study was to examine the effect of a tropical endoparasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) on female mice odor preference. Adult female mice (NMRI) were individually placed in the base of a Y-maze and allowed to choose between two different odors: urine from a non-infected male and urine from an infected male. The time spent by females on each arm was recorded during 5min, as well as the number of visits to each arm where urine samples were placed. Although females invested equal times exploring the sources of odors, the number of visits of females indicated that they preferred odors from non-infected males. The results would indicate that NMRI females are able to detect parasitic infection caused by the protozoan T. cruzi, and presumably avoid infected males for mating."