1
|
Sherman CDH, Careau V, Gasparini C, Weston KJ, Evans JP. Population density effects on gamete traits and fertilisation dynamics under varying sperm environments in mussels. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11338. [PMID: 38698926 PMCID: PMC11063781 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Gamete traits can vary widely among species, populations and individuals, influencing fertilisation dynamics and overall reproductive fitness. Sexual selection can play an important role in determining the evolution of gamete traits with local environmental conditions determining the strength and direction of sexual selection. Here, we test for signatures of post-mating selection on gamete traits in relation to population density, and possible interactive effects of population density and sperm concentration on sperm motility and fertilisation rates among natural populations of mussels. Our study shows that males from high-density populations produce smaller sperm compared with males from low-density populations, but we detected no effect of population density on egg size. Our results also reveal that females from low-density populations tended to exhibit lower fertilisation rates across a range of sperm concentrations, although this became less important as sperm concentration increased. Variances in fertilisation success were higher for females than males and the effect of gamete compatibility between males and females increases as sperm concentrations increase. These results suggest that local population density can influence gamete traits and fertilisation dynamics but also highlight the importance of phenotypic plasticity in governing sperm-egg interactions in a highly dynamic selective environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Craig D. H. Sherman
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Vincent Careau
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OttawaOttawaOntarioCanada
| | | | - Kim J. Weston
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin UniversityGeelongVictoriaAustralia
| | - Jonathan P. Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bramwell G, Schultz AG, Jennings G, Nini UN, Vanbeek C, Biro PA, Beckmann C, Dujon AM, Thomas F, Sherman CDH, Ujvari B. The effect of mitochondrial recombination on fertilization success in blue mussels. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169491. [PMID: 38154641 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
The presence of doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) in bivalves represents a unique mode of mitochondrial transmission, whereby paternal (male-transmitted M-type) and maternal (female-transmitted F-type) haplotypes are transmitted to offspring separately. Male embryos retain both haplotypes, but the M-type is selectively removed from females. Due to the presence of heteroplasmy in males, mtDNA can recombine resulting in a 'masculinized' haplotype referred to as Mf-type. While mtDNA recombination is usually rare, it has been recorded in multiple mussel species across the Northern Hemisphere. Given that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, different mtDNA haplotypes may have different selective advantages under diverse environmental conditions. This may be particularly important for sperm fitness and fertilization success. In this study we aimed to i) determine the presence, prevalence of the Mf-type in Australian blue mussels (Mytilus sp.) and ii) investigate the effect of Mf-mtDNA on sperm performance (a fitness correlate). We found a high prevalence of recombined mtDNA (≈35 %) located within the control region of the mitochondrial genome, which occurred only in specimens that contained Southern Hemisphere mtDNA. The presence of two female mitotypes were identified in the studied mussels, one likely originating from the Northern Hemisphere, and the other either representing the endemic M. planulatus species or introduced genotypes from the Southern Hemisphere. Despite having recombination events present in a third of the studied population, analysis of sperm performance indicated no difference in fertilization success related to mitotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Bramwell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
| | - Aaron G Schultz
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
| | - Geordie Jennings
- Queenscliff Marine Research Facility and Shellfish Hatchery, Victorian Fisheries Australia, Queenscliff, VIC, Australia
| | - Urmi Nishat Nini
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
| | - Caitlin Vanbeek
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter A Biro
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
| | - Christa Beckmann
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia; School of Science, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia; Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Antoine M Dujon
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia; CREEC, MIVEGEC, UMR IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC, MIVEGEC, UMR IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Craig D H Sherman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia; Queenscliff Marine Research Facility and Shellfish Hatchery, Victorian Fisheries Australia, Queenscliff, VIC, Australia
| | - Beata Ujvari
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kekäläinen J, Oskoei P, Janhunen M, Koskinen H, Kortet R, Huuskonen H. Sperm pre-fertilization thermal environment shapes offspring phenotype and performance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.181412. [PMID: 30171097 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.181412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The sperm pre-fertilization environment has recently been suggested to mediate remarkable transgenerational consequences for offspring phenotype (transgenerational plasticity, TGB), but the adaptive significance of the process has remained unclear. Here, we studied the transgenerational effects of sperm pre-fertilization thermal environment in a cold-adapted salmonid, the European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus). We used a full-factorial breeding design where the eggs of five females were fertilized with the milt of 10 males that had been pre-incubated at two different temperatures (3.5°C and 6.5°C) for 15 h prior to fertilization. Thermal manipulation did not affect sperm motility, cell size, fertilization success or embryo mortality. However, offspring that were fertilized with 6.5°C-exposed milt were smaller and had poorer swimming performance than their full-siblings that had been fertilized with the 3.5°C-exposed milt. Furthermore, the effect of milt treatment on embryo mortality varied among different females (treatment×female interaction) and male-female combinations (treatment×female×male interaction). Together, these results indicate that sperm pre-fertilization thermal environment shapes offspring phenotype and post-hatching performance and modifies both the magnitude of female (dam) effects and the compatibility of the gametes. Generally, our results suggest that short-term changes in sperm thermal conditions may have negative impact for offspring fitness. Thus, sperm thermal environment may have an important role in determining the adaptation potential of organisms to climate change. Detailed mechanism(s) behind our findings require further attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jukka Kekäläinen
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Párástu Oskoei
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland.,Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Matti Janhunen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Survontie 9, FI-40500 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Heikki Koskinen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Huuhtajantie 160, FI-72210 Tervo, Finland
| | - Raine Kortet
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Hannu Huuskonen
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kekäläinen J, Evans JP. Female-induced remote regulation of sperm physiology may provide opportunities for gamete-level mate choice. Evolution 2016; 71:238-248. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jukka Kekäläinen
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA 6009 Australia
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences; University of Eastern Finland; Joensuu Finland
| | - Jonathan P. Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA 6009 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sherman CDH, Ab Rahim ES, Olsson M, Careau V. The more pieces, the better the puzzle: sperm concentration increases gametic compatibility. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:4354-64. [PMID: 26664684 PMCID: PMC4667825 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic benefits individuals receive from mate choice have been the focus of numerous studies, with several showing support for both intrinsic genetic benefits and compatibility effects on fertilization success and offspring viability. However, the robustness of these effects have rarely been tested across an ecologically relevant environmental gradient. In particular, sperm environment is a crucial factor determining fertilization success in many species, especially those with external fertilization. Here, we test the importance of sperm environment in mediating compatibility‐based selection on fertilization using a factorial breeding design. We detected a significant intrinsic male effect on fertilization success at only one of four sperm concentrations. Compatibility effects were significant at the two highest sperm concentrations and, interestingly, the magnitude of the compatibility effect consistently increased with sperm concentration. This suggests that females are able to modify the probability of sperm–egg fusion as the amount of sperm available increases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Craig D H Sherman
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Waurn Ponds Victoria 3216 Australia
| | - Emi S Ab Rahim
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Waurn Ponds Victoria 3216 Australia ; School of Biological Sciences Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 Minden Penang Malaysia
| | - Mats Olsson
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Vincent Careau
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Waurn Ponds Victoria 3216 Australia
| |
Collapse
|