2. Academic Validation
  3. The characteristic response of domestic cats to plant iridoids allows them to gain chemical defense against mosquitoes

The characteristic response of domestic cats to plant iridoids allows them to gain chemical defense against mosquitoes

  • Sci Adv. 2021 Jan 20;7(4):eabd9135. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abd9135.
Reiko Uenoyama 1,  Tamako Miyazaki 1,  Jane L Hurst 2,  Robert J Beynon 3,  Masaatsu Adachi 4,  Takanobu Murooka 1,  Ibuki Onoda 4,  Yu Miyazawa 4,  Rieko Katayama 1,  Tetsuro Yamashita 1,  Shuji Kaneko 5,  Toshio Nishikawa 4,  Masao Miyazaki 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Biological Chemistry and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka, Iwate 020-8550, Japan.
  • 2 Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston CH64 7TE, UK.
  • 3 Centre for Proteome Research, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK.
  • 4 Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
  • 5 Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
  • 6 Department of Biological Chemistry and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka, Iwate 020-8550, Japan. mmasao@iwate-u.ac.jp.
PMID: 33523929 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd9135
Abstract

Domestic cats and Other felids rub their faces and heads against catnip (Nepeta cataria) and silver vine (Actinidia polygama) and roll on the ground as a characteristic response. While this response is well known, its biological function and underlying mechanism remain undetermined. Here, we uncover the neurophysiological mechanism and functional outcome of this feline response. We found that the iridoid nepetalactol is the major component of silver vine that elicits this potent response in cats and Other felids. Nepetalactol increased plasma β-endorphin levels in cats, while pharmacological inhibition of μ-opioid receptors suppressed the classic rubbing response. Rubbing behavior transfers nepetalactol onto the faces and heads of respondents where it repels the mosquito, Aedes albopictus Thus, self-anointing behavior helps to protect cats against mosquito bites. The characteristic response of cats to nepetalactol via the μ-opioid system provides an important example of chemical pest defense using plant metabolites in nonhuman mammals.

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