Chemical Ecology of Uropygial Gland Secretions

在它们的尾巴底部，鸟类拥有一种被称为尿道腺或羽毛腺的腺体。这个腺体产生油性分泌物。鸟类每天多次使用它们的喙将这些分泌物传播到羽毛上。人们早就知道，这种行为对于保持羽毛的良好状态至关重要，因为将这些分泌物涂在羽毛上可以保持羽毛的柔软和延展性。先前的研究表明，尽管大多数鸟类都会分泌分泌物，但其化学成分因鸟类而异。分泌物的组成也会随季节而变化，在雄性和雌性之间可能有所不同。在温暖的天气里，分泌物比在寒冷的天气里含有更多的化学成分。在鸟的羽毛里和羽毛上可以发现许多生物。其中包括细菌、真菌、螨虫、虱子和其他节肢动物。这些生物中的许多对鸟类是有害的，可以假设，腺前腺分泌物在保护鸟类免受它们的侵害方面发挥了重要作用。本提案的目的是描述腺前腺分泌物非常复杂的化学成分，确定这些成分在单一物种中如何随时间和空间变化，并测试这些分泌物对寄生细菌、真菌和节肢动物的影响。这项研究将导致发现和鉴定新的化合物，并确定哪些化合物具有抗菌、抗真菌、抗虱子和杀螨作用。其中一些化学物质可能具有其他生物无法产生的新结构。这些化合物在兽医科学（家禽）中可能有很大的价值，甚至可能有药用应用。

Chemical Ecology of Uropygial Gland Secretions At the base of their tail, birds possess a gland known as the uropygial or preen gland. This gland produces oily secretions. Multiple times a day birds use their beak to spread these secretions over their feathers. It has long be known that this behavior is essential for maintaining feathers in good condition because applying these secretions to feathers keeps them supple and malleable. Previous studies have shown that although most birds produce secretions, the chemical composition varies between bird species. Secretion composition also changes seasonally, and may differ between males and females. In warmer weather secretions contain a larger number of chemical components than during cooler periods. In and on bird feathers numerous organisms can be found. These include bacteria, fungi, mites, lice and other arthropods. Many of these organisms are harmful to the birds, and it can be hypothesized that preen-gland secretions would play an important role in protecting the bird against them. The objective of this proposal is to describe the very complex chemical composition of preen-gland secretions, to determine how these vary in time and space within a single species, and to test the effect the secretions have on parasitic bacteria, fungi and arthropods. The research will lead to the discovery and identification of new chemical compounds and determine which of these have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-lice and miticidal effects. Some of these chemicals may have novel structures that are not produced by other living organisms. Such compounds could be of great value in veterinary sciences (poultry), and could perhaps even have applications for medicinal use.