A new study shows that a chemical scent from the queen helps maintain order and suppresses reproduction in naked mole-rat colonies.
Researchers identified isopropyl myristate, or IPM, as the key compound found at higher levels in queens than in other colony members. The study, published in Nature, found that this scent increases prolactin levels while lowering progesterone, which keeps other females non-reproductive and reduces aggression.
Lead author Mohammed Khallaf from the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine stated that the queen broadcasts a scent that helps hold the society together. He described IPM as a signal that tells colony members to keep calm and stay non-reproductive.
In experiments, applying IPM to bedding after removing the queen prevented fighting for 12 weeks. When the treatment stopped, aggression returned and one female was killed during the conflict. Khallaf noted that IPM resembles queen pheromones in insects but is likely not the only factor involved.
