Isopropyl Myristate Identified as Molecule Queens Use to Suppress Breeding in Naked Mole Rat Colonies

A single molecule produced exclusively by naked mole rat queens suppresses breeding by all other females in a colony, according to experiments reported by NewScientist. The compound, isopropyl myristate, is generated in the queen’s reproductive organs and spreads through the colony as she patrols tunnels that can stretch up to three kilometres.

Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center identified the molecule by comparing scents from hundreds of animals.

Only queens produced it. When the team sprayed isopropyl myristate daily into cages holding male-female pairs, none of the females became pregnant. Without the spray, almost all females conceived. Removing a queen and applying the molecule for three months prevented succession fights and kept other females from breeding.

High-ranking females avoided treated areas, while lower-ranked animals did not. Stopping the applications led to fights within one week and the first pregnancy roughly three weeks later. Exposure changed levels of progesterone and prolactin.

The molecule is volatile enough to disperse yet persists for at least one day, consistent with a queen’s daily patrols. It was absent from solitary mole rat species but present in a few other social species. Gary Lewin of the Max Delbrück Center said the compound functions as a “super-contraceptive” for mole rats.

Mohammed Khallaf, also at the centre, led the scent analysis. The study was published in Nature with DOI 10.1038/s41586-026-10772-5.