A research group led by Professor Masao Miyazaki of Iwate University is a joint research with Nagoya University, Liverpool University in the UK, and Kyoto University. I clarified that.
The Actinidia polygama reaction is also called the Actinidia polygama dance, and when a cat sniffs the Actinidia polygama, it rubs its body against the leaves and rolls around.It is a famous biological phenomenon described in books of the Edo period, but its biological significance was unknown.
The research group first separated the extract of Actinidia polygama leaves by liquid chromatograph, and searched for components that induce the Actinidia polygama reaction by letting cats smell.As a result, it was discovered that a chemical substance called nepetalactol, which had been overlooked in past studies, has a strong activity of inducing the Actinidia polygama reaction.
Next, nepetalactol was presented to cats to induce the Actinidia polygama reaction, and changes in the blood concentration of β-endorphin were investigated. β-endorphin is a neurotransmitter in the brain that activates the μ opioid system involved in euphoria and analgesia.As a result of the experiment, the concentration increased significantly after the Actinidia polygama reaction, and it was considered that the μ opioid system was functioning in the brain of the cat during the reaction.
Furthermore, when the reaction of cats by nepetalactol was analyzed, it was found that the actinidia polygama reaction was an action for the cat to rub the smell of Actinidia polygama on the body.We found that nepetalactol has a mosquito repellent effect, and that cats attach this substance to their bodies to repel mosquitoes.
This time, we have elucidated the biological significance of the cat's Actinidia polygama reaction, which has been a mystery for more than 300 years.In the future, we will identify genes essential for the Actinidia polygama reaction and explore the evolutionary process of the Actinidia polygama reaction by felines.The company will also consider developing a new mosquito repellent that utilizes nepetalactol.
Paper information:[Science Advances] The characteristic response of domestic cats to plant iridoids allows them to gain chemical defense against mosquitoes
