Abstract
The presence of large amounts of proteins in mammal urine is usually associated with a pathological condition. However, there are few species with obligate proteinuria.
This issue has been most extensively studied in the house mouse (Mus musculus). Mouse urinary proteins (MUPs) have been shown to belong to lipocalin protein family and play an important role in mouse chemical communication.
Similar proteins of the same family have been found in urine of some other rodent species. Their function remains, however, elusive.
In the present study we demonstrate the existence of urinary lipocalins in Mastomys coucha for the first time. We discuss the hypothesis that the main function of rodent urinary proteins resides in chemical communication and we stress the need for precise characteristic of these proteins and their production in different rodent species in order to understand their specific function.