1
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Yan JL, Dobbin ML, Dukas R. Sexual conflict and sexual networks in bed bugs: the fitness cost of traumatic insemination, female avoidance and male mate choice. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232808. [PMID: 39016237 PMCID: PMC11253432 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexual conflict is prevalent among animals and is primarily caused by the fact that the optimal mating rates are often higher in males than in females. While there is a growing appreciation that females can also gain from multiple matings, we still know relatively little about which sex controls the observed mating rates and how close it is to the optimal female mating rates. To address this issue, we tracked female bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) inseminated daily versus weekly and found that weekly inseminated females lived longer and produced over 50% more offspring. In a follow-up experiment employing a social network framework, we placed 24 bed bugs into a semi-naturalistic arena and recorded all sexual interactions. While recently inseminated females did not avoid males more often, they were more frequently rejected by males. Finally, we tracked avoidance behaviour in a single cohort of female bed bugs as they received six successive daily inseminations. Avoidance rates increased and insemination durations decreased with increasing number of prior inseminations. Overall, our results indicate high costs of polyandry. Although females possess some plastic avoidance strategies, the observed rates of insemination fall closer to the male rather than female optimum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice L. Yan
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maggie L. Dobbin
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Reuven Dukas
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Stewart AD, Herrick CM, Fitzgibbon TR, Wehner JM, Lev A, Venti PA, Pischedda A. Life history changes associated with over 400 generations of artificial selection on body size in Drosophila. J Evol Biol 2024; 37:851-861. [PMID: 38809925 DOI: 10.1093/jeb/voae066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Body size is a trait that shapes many aspects of a species' development and evolution. Larger body size is often beneficial in animals, but it can also be associated with life history costs in natural systems. Similarly, miniaturization, the evolution of extremely small adult body size, is found in every major animal group, yet carries its own life history trade-offs. Given that these effects can depend on an animal's environment and life stage and have mainly been studied in species that are already specialized for their size, the life history changes associated with evolutionary shifts in body size warrant additional investigation. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster populations that had undergone over 400 generations of artificial selection on body size to investigate the changes in life history traits associated with the evolution of extremely large and extremely small body sizes. Populations selected for small body size experienced strong trade-offs in multiple life history traits, including reduced female fecundity and lower juvenile viability. Although we found positively correlated changes in egg size associated with selection for both large and small body size, after adjusting for female body size, females from populations selected for large size had the lowest relative investment per egg and females from populations selected for small size had the highest relative investment per egg. Taken together, our results suggest that egg size may be a key constraint on the evolution of body size in D. melanogaster, providing insight into the broader phenomenon of body size evolution in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Stewart
- Department of Biology, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Calvin M Herrick
- Department of Biology, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | | | - James M Wehner
- Department of Biology, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Avigayil Lev
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Patricia A Venti
- Department of Biology, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Alison Pischedda
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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3
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Peng J, Svetec N, Molina H, Zhao L. The Origin and Evolution of Sex Peptide and Sex Peptide Receptor Interactions. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae065. [PMID: 38518286 PMCID: PMC11017328 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Post-mating responses play a vital role in successful reproduction across diverse species. In fruit flies, sex peptide binds to the sex peptide receptor, triggering a series of post-mating responses. However, the origin of sex peptide receptor predates the emergence of sex peptide. The evolutionary origins of the interactions between sex peptide and sex peptide receptor and the mechanisms by which they interact remain enigmatic. In this study, we used ancestral sequence reconstruction, AlphaFold2 predictions, and molecular dynamics simulations to study sex peptide-sex peptide receptor interactions and their origination. Using AlphaFold2 and long-time molecular dynamics simulations, we predicted the structure and dynamics of sex peptide-sex peptide receptor interactions. We show that sex peptide potentially binds to the ancestral states of Diptera sex peptide receptor. Notably, we found that only a few amino acid changes in sex peptide receptor are sufficient for the formation of sex peptide-sex peptide receptor interactions. Ancestral sequence reconstruction and molecular dynamics simulations further reveal that sex peptide receptor interacts with sex peptide through residues that are mostly involved in the interaction interface of an ancestral ligand, myoinhibitory peptides. We propose a potential mechanism whereby sex peptide-sex peptide receptor interactions arise from the preexisting myoinhibitory peptides-sex peptide receptor interface as well as early chance events both inside and outside the preexisting interface that created novel sex peptide-specific sex peptide-sex peptide receptor interactions. Our findings provide new insights into the origin and evolution of sex peptide-sex peptide receptor interactions and their relationship with myoinhibitory peptides-sex peptide receptor interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhui Peng
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicolas Svetec
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Henrik Molina
- Proteomics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Zhao
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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4
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Liao A, Cavigliasso F, Savary L, Kawecki TJ. Effects of an entomopathogenic fungus on the reproductive potential of Drosophila males. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11242. [PMID: 38590549 PMCID: PMC10999951 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
While mortality is often the primary focus of pathogen virulence, non-lethal consequences, particularly for male reproductive fitness, are less understood; however, they are essential for understanding how sexual selection contributes to promoting resistance. We investigated how the fungal pathogen Metarhizium brunneum affects mating ability, fertility, and seminal fluid protein (SFP) expression of male Drosophila melanogaster paired with highly receptive virgin females in non-competitive settings. Depending on sex and dose, there was a 3-6-day incubation period after infection, followed by an abrupt onset of mortality. Meanwhile, the immune response was strongly induced already 38 h after infection and continued to increase as infection progressed. Latency to mate somewhat increased during the incubation period compared to sham-treated males, but even on Day 5 post infection >90% of infected males mated within 2 h. During the incubation period, M. brunneum infection reduced male reproductive potential (the number of offspring sired without mate limitation) by 11%, with no clear increase over time. Approaching the end of the incubation period, infected males had lower ability to convert number of mating opportunities into number of offspring. After repeated mating, infected males had lower SFP expression than sham controls, more so in males that mated with few mates 24 h earlier. Overall, despite strong activation of the immune response, males' mating ability and fertility remained surprisingly little affected by the fungal infection, even shortly before the onset of mortality. This suggests that the selection for resistance acts mainly through mortality, and the scope for fertility selection to enhance resistance in non-competing settings is rather limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aijuan Liao
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Fanny Cavigliasso
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Loriane Savary
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Tadeusz J. Kawecki
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
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5
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Peng J, Svetec N, Molina H, Zhao L. The Origin and Evolution of Sex Peptide and Sex Peptide Receptor Interactions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.19.567744. [PMID: 38013995 PMCID: PMC10680801 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.19.567744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Post-mating responses play a vital role in successful reproduction across diverse species. In fruit flies, sex peptide (SP) binds to the sex peptide receptor (SPR), triggering a series of post-mating responses. However, the origin of SPR predates the emergence of SP. The evolutionary origins of the interactions between SP and SPR and the mechanisms by which they interact remain enigmatic. In this study, we used ancestral sequence reconstruction, AlphaFold2 predictions, and molecular dynamics simulations to study SP-SPR interactions and their origination. Using AlphaFold2 and long-time molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we predicted the structure and dynamics of SP-SPR interactions. We show that SP potentially binds to the ancestral states of Diptera SPR. Notably, we found that only a few amino acid changes in SPR are sufficient for the formation of SP-SPR interactions. Ancestral sequence reconstruction and MD simulations further reveal that SPR interacts with SP through residues that are mostly involved in the interaction interface of an ancestral ligand, myoinhibitory peptides (MIPs). We propose a potential mechanism whereby SP-SPR interactions arise from the pre-existing MIP-SPR interface as well as early chance events both inside and outside the pre-existing interface that created novel SP-specific SP-SPR interactions. Our findings provide new insights into the origin and evolution of SP-SPR interactions and their relationship with MIP-SPR interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhui Peng
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicolas Svetec
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Henrik Molina
- Proteomics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Li Zhao
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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6
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Salazar K, Novais A, Lino-Neto J, Serrão JE. Morphology of the Female and Male Reproductive Tracts and More Data on the Spermatostyle in the Brazilian Gyretes sp. (Coleoptera, Adephaga, Gyrinidae). MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:2184-2203. [PMID: 37992276 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the male and female reproductive tracts of Gyretes sp. with light and transmission electron microscopies. The male has a pair of testes with a single coiled follicle, followed by short efferent ducts, which have a similar shape and diameter to the testes. Long ducts (epididymides) with differential epithelium open in a pair of long vasa deferentia that lead to the accessory glands. Glycoprotein secretions from the vas deferens epithelium constitute the spermatostyle for spermatozoa aggregation. The female has numerous ovarioles per ovary, a coiled fertilization duct, an accessory gland, and an elongated vagina. Spermatozoa are stored as unaggregated cells in the fertilization duct. In Gyrinidae, the testes and accessory glands show diverse shapes, and the female sperm storage organs vary in shape, size, and type and may play a role in the interaction with sperm aggregates. Testes with a single follicle and vasa deferentia opening in the accessory glands of Gyretes sp. are features shared with other Gyrinidae and other Adephaga. We proposed adding this latter trait to characterize this suborder of beetles. The morphology of the reproductive organs in both sexes contributes to comparative analyses and knowledge of the reproductive biology of Gyretes and may provide additional features for systematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Salazar
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900 Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris cedex 05 75231, France
| | - Ademária Novais
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900 Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Mato Grosso, Campus Juína, Juína, 78320-000 Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - José Lino-Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900 Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - José Eduardo Serrão
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900 Minas Gerais, Brazil
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7
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Zeender V, Pfammatter S, Roschitzki B, Dorus S, Lüpold S. Genotype-by-environment interactions influence the composition of the Drosophila seminal proteome. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231313. [PMID: 37700651 PMCID: PMC10498039 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Ejaculate proteins are key mediators of post-mating sexual selection and sexual conflict, as they can influence both male fertilization success and female reproductive physiology. However, the extent and sources of genetic variation and condition dependence of the ejaculate proteome are largely unknown. Such knowledge could reveal the targets and mechanisms of post-mating selection and inform about the relative costs and allocation of different ejaculate components, each with its own potential fitness consequences. Here, we used liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to characterize the whole-ejaculate protein composition across 12 isogenic lines of Drosophila melanogaster that were reared on a high- or low-quality diet. We discovered new proteins in the transferred ejaculate and inferred their origin in the male reproductive system. We further found that the ejaculate composition was mainly determined by genotype identity and genotype-specific responses to larval diet, with no clear overall diet effect. Nutrient restriction increased proteolytic protein activity and shifted the balance between reproductive function and RNA metabolism. Our results open new avenues for exploring the intricate role of genotypes and their environment in shaping ejaculate composition, or for studying the functional dynamics and evolutionary potential of the ejaculate in its multivariate complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérian Zeender
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sibylle Pfammatter
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernd Roschitzki
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, University of Zurich/ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Steve Dorus
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Stefan Lüpold
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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8
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Aguilar P, Dag B, Carazo P, Sultanova Z. Sex-specific paternal age effects on offspring quality in Drosophila melanogaster. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:720-729. [PMID: 36946550 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Advanced paternal age has been repeatedly shown to modulate offspring quality via male- and/or female-driven processes, and there are theoretical reasons to expect that some of these effects can be sex-specific. For example, sex allocation theory predicts that, when mated with low-condition males, mothers should invest more in their daughters compared to their sons. This is because male fitness is generally more condition-dependent and more variable than female fitness, which makes it less risky to invest in female offspring. Here, we explore whether paternal age can affect the quality and quantity of offspring in a sex-specific way using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. In order to understand the contribution of male-driven processes on paternal age effects, we also measured the seminal vesicle size of young and older males and explored its relationship with reproductive success and offspring quality. Older males had lower competitive reproductive success, as expected, but there was no difference between the offspring sex ratio of young and older males. However, we found that paternal age caused an increase in offspring quality (i.e., offspring weight), and that this increase was more marked in daughters than sons. We discuss different male- and female-driven processes that may explain such sex-specific paternal age effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prem Aguilar
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Berfin Dag
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Pau Carazo
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Valencia, Spain
| | - Zahida Sultanova
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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9
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Matsumura K. Trade-off between pre and post-copulatory traits depends on locomotor activity in male Tribolium castaneum beetles. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:507-514. [PMID: 36759962 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Locomotor performance is an indicator of dynamic exercise; thus, it is a central trait in many animal behaviours. Although higher locomotor endurance may increase male reproductive success (e.g., in mate searching and male-male contests), investment in other male reproductive traits (e.g., male attractiveness and sperm competition) may be decreased through energy consumption due to higher activity levels. Here, I investigated male attractiveness, mating success, and paternity success using males of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum selected for higher (H) and lower (L) locomotor endurance. Although there was no difference in male attractiveness between the selection regimes, H males had significantly higher mating success than L males. Conversely, L males had significantly higher paternity success than H males. Therefore, there was a trade-off between mating success and paternity success among the selection regimes, suggesting that locomotor endurance affects male reproduction in T. castaneum, and individual variation of locomotor endurance may be maintained within a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentarou Matsumura
- Laboratory of Entomological Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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10
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Fricke C, Sanghvi K, Emery M, Lindenbaum I, Wigby S, Ramm SA, Sepil I. Timeless or tainted? The effects of male ageing on seminal fluid. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1066022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproductive ageing can occur due to the deterioration of both the soma and germline. In males, it has mostly been studied with respect to age-related changes in sperm. However, the somatic component of the ejaculate, seminal fluid, is also essential for maintaining reproductive function. Whilst we know that seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) are required for male reproductive success across diverse taxa, age-related changes in SFP quantity and composition are little understood. Additionally, only few studies have explored the reproductive ageing of the tissues that produce SFPs, and the resulting reproductive outcomes. Here we provide a systematic review of studies addressing how advancing male age affects the production and properties of seminal fluid, in particular SFPs and oxidative stress, highlighting many open questions and generating new hypotheses for further research. We additionally discuss how declines in function of different components of seminal fluid, such as SFPs and antioxidants, could contribute to age-related loss of reproductive ability. Overall, we find evidence that ageing results in increased oxidative stress in seminal fluid and a decrease in the abundance of various SFPs. These results suggest that seminal fluid contributes towards important age-related changes influencing male reproduction. Thus, it is essential to study this mostly ignored component of the ejaculate to understand male reproductive ageing, and its consequences for sexual selection and paternal age effects on offspring.
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11
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Patlar B. On the Role of Seminal Fluid Protein and Nucleic Acid Content in Paternal Epigenetic Inheritance. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314533. [PMID: 36498858 PMCID: PMC9739459 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The evidence supports the occurrence of environmentally-induced paternal epigenetic inheritance that shapes the offspring phenotype in the absence of direct or indirect paternal care and clearly demonstrates that sperm epigenetics is one of the major actors mediating these paternal effects. However, in most animals, while sperm makes up only a small portion of the seminal fluid, males also have a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, different types of small noncoding RNAs, and cell-free DNA fragments in their ejaculate. These seminal fluid contents (Sfcs) are in close contact with the reproductive cells, tissues, organs, and other molecules of both males and females during reproduction. Moreover, their production and use are adjusted in response to environmental conditions, making them potential markers of environmentally- and developmentally-induced paternal effects on the next generation(s). Although there is some intriguing evidence for Sfc-mediated paternal effects, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly defined. In this review, the current evidence regarding the links between seminal fluid and environmental paternal effects and the potential pathways and mechanisms that seminal fluid may follow in mediating paternal epigenetic inheritance are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Patlar
- Animal Ecology, Department of Zoology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
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12
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Pretterebner K, Pardo LM, Paschke K, Riveros MP. Influence of mating strategies on seminal material investment in crabs. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18376. [PMID: 36319667 PMCID: PMC9626634 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21116-4] [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: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproduction involves high energetic costs which are related to behaviour and gamete production. In females energy allocation to gamete production has been well documented. However, estimations of male investment in seminal material are scarce. The present study aims to assess and compare male investment in four brachyuran species by determining biochemical substrates present in the vasa deferentia to subsequently estimate energetic investment during the reproductive cycle. We identified two groups with contrasting energy investments. Two species, Homalaspis plana and Romaleon setosum, showed high investment due to significant quantities of proteins and lipids. Both species are characterised by large and complex vasa deferentia, and the formation of a remarkably large sperm plug deposited to the female after copulation as a sperm competition avoidance strategy. In contrast, Metacarcinus edwardsii and Taliepus dentatus invested little energy in their smaller-sized and simpler vasa deferentia. Morpho-functional traits may play a key role in determining the investment, which may also be influenced by mechanisms (i.e. mating tactics) to prevent sperm competition and the intensity of polygyny. This study emphasises the high amount of energy males invest in seminal material and highlights the diversity of mating strategies in Brachyura, which are reflected even on the physiological level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Pretterebner
- grid.7119.e0000 0004 0487 459XPrograma de Doctorado en Biología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, 5090000 Valdivia, Chile ,grid.7119.e0000 0004 0487 459XLaboratorio Costero de Calfuco, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, 5090000 Valdivia, Chile ,grid.507876.bCentro de Investigación de Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL), 5090000 Valdivia, Chile
| | - Luis Miguel Pardo
- grid.7119.e0000 0004 0487 459XLaboratorio Costero de Calfuco, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, 5090000 Valdivia, Chile ,grid.507876.bCentro de Investigación de Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL), 5090000 Valdivia, Chile
| | - Kurt Paschke
- grid.507876.bCentro de Investigación de Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL), 5090000 Valdivia, Chile ,grid.7119.e0000 0004 0487 459XInstituto de Acuicultura, Universidad Austral de Chile, 5480000 Puerto Montt, Chile
| | - Marcela Paz Riveros
- grid.8170.e0000 0001 1537 5962Programa de Magister en Didáctica de Las Ciencias Experimentales, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, 2340000 Valparaíso, Chile
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13
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Corbel Q, Londoño-Nieto C, Carazo P. Does perception of female cues modulate male short-term fitness components in Drosophila melanogaster? Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9287. [PMID: 36177144 PMCID: PMC9471061 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity in reproductive behavior can be a strong driver of individual fitness. In species with high intra‐sexual competition, changes in socio‐sexual context can trigger quick adaptive plastic responses in males. In particular, a recent study in the vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster) shows that males derive net fitness benefits from being shortly exposed to female cues ahead of access to mating (termed sexual perception), but the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon remain unknown. Here, we investigated the short‐term effects of female perception on male pre‐ and post‐copulatory components of reproductive performance: (a) mating success, (b) mating latency and duration, (c) sperm competitiveness, and (d) ejaculate effects on female receptivity and reproductive rate. We found that brief sexual perception increased mating duration, but had no effect on the other main pre‐ and post‐copulatory fitness proxies recorded. This suggests that perception of female cues may not yield net fitness benefits for males in the short‐term, but we discuss alternative explanations and future avenues of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Corbel
- Ethology Lab, Ethology, Ecology and Evolution Group, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
| | - Claudia Londoño-Nieto
- Ethology Lab, Ethology, Ecology and Evolution Group, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
| | - Pau Carazo
- Ethology Lab, Ethology, Ecology and Evolution Group, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology University of Valencia Valencia Spain
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Bi H, Xu X, Li X, Wang Y, Zhou S, Huang Y. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Serine protease 2 disruption induces male sterility in Spodoptera litura. Front Physiol 2022; 13:931824. [PMID: 35991171 PMCID: PMC9382020 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.931824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Male fertility is essential for reproduction and population growth in animals. Many factors affect male fertility, such as courtship behavior, sperm quantity, and sperm motility, among others. Seminal Fluid Proteins (SFPs) are vital components of seminal fluid in the male ejaculate, which affect male fertility, sperm activation, and female ovulation. However, the knowledge of SFPs is insufficient; the function of many SFPs remains unknown, and most described functions were mainly characterized in Drosophila or other laboratory models. Here, we focus on the Serine protease 2 (Ser2) gene in the lepidopteran pest Spodoptera litura. The Ser2 gene was specifically expressed in male adults. Disruption of the Ser2 gene mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 induced male sterility but females remained fertile. PCR-based detection of the next-generation mutants showed that male sterility was stably inherited. The qRT-PCR analysis of SlSer2 mutants showed that motor protein family genes and structural protein family genes were down-regulated, while protein modification family genes were up-regulated, suggesting that SlSer2 may be involved in sperm movement and activity. These results demonstrate that Ser2 is an important component of SFPs in seminal fluid and was identified for a useful sterile gene for pest control that may lead to new control strategies for lepidopteran insect pests such as S. litura.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglun Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Xia Xu
- Institute of Sericulture and Tea Research, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaowei Li
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaohui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
| | - Shutang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- *Correspondence: Shutang Zhou, ; Yongping Huang,
| | - Yongping Huang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Shutang Zhou, ; Yongping Huang,
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15
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Zou D, Coudron TA, Wu H, Zhang L, Wang M, Xu W, Xu J, Song L, Xiao X. Differential Proteomics Analysis Unraveled Mechanisms of Arma chinensis Responding to Improved Artificial Diet. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13070605. [PMID: 35886781 PMCID: PMC9319121 DOI: 10.3390/insects13070605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Arma chinensis Fallou is a predaceous stink bug that can effectively control many kinds of agricultural and forest pests, such as fall armyworm, cotton bollworm and Colorado potato beetle. An insect-free artificial diet comprising chicken egg, tuna fish and raw pig liver was developed for A. chinensis. Several biological characteristics were diminished for A. chinensis reared on the artificial diet compared to the pupae of Chinese oak silk moth. Changes in the formulation of the diet were made in response to the transcriptome results and tested using biological characteristics. Several parameters were improved over 6 generations, although the improved artificial diet remained inferior to the pupae of Chinese oak silk moth regarding egg viability, fecundity, body weight, and nymphal development time. The current study reported the differential proteomic analysis revealing the mechanism of A. chinensis responding to the improved artificial diet. This information will be used to optimize the formulation of the artificial diet and decrease the cost of mass rearing in A. chinensis. Abstract The development of artificial diets could considerably simplify and reduce the cost of mass rearing of natural enemies compared to conventional rearing methods. However, improvement of artificial diets can be tedious, convoluted and often uncertain. For accelerating diet development, a better method that can offer informative feedback to target deficiencies in diet improvement is required. Our previous research demonstrated several biological characteristics were diminished in the insect predator, Arma chinensis Fallou, fed on an artificial diet formulated with the aid of transcriptomic methods compared to the Chinese oak silk moth pupae. The present study reports differential proteomic analysis by iTRAQ-PRM, which unravels the molecular mechanism of A. chinensis responding to improvements in the artificial diet. Our study provides multivariate proteomic data and provides comprehensive sequence information in studying A. chinensis. Further, the physiological roles of the differentially expressed proteins and pathways enable us to explain several biological differences between natural prey-fed and improved diet-fed A. chinensis, and subsequent proposed reformulation optimizations to artificial diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyu Zou
- Mass Production Base of Natural Enemy Insects of Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin 300384, China; (D.Z.); (W.X.); (J.X.)
| | - Thomas A. Coudron
- Biological Control of Insects Research Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Columbia, MO 65203-3535, USA;
| | - Huihui Wu
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin 300392, China; (L.S.); (X.X.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-22-23781319
| | - Lisheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (L.Z.); (M.W.)
| | - Mengqing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management in Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (L.Z.); (M.W.)
| | - Weihong Xu
- Mass Production Base of Natural Enemy Insects of Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin 300384, China; (D.Z.); (W.X.); (J.X.)
| | - Jingyang Xu
- Mass Production Base of Natural Enemy Insects of Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Plant Protection, Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin 300384, China; (D.Z.); (W.X.); (J.X.)
| | - Liuxiao Song
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin 300392, China; (L.S.); (X.X.)
| | - Xuezhuang Xiao
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin 300392, China; (L.S.); (X.X.)
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16
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Córdova-García G, Esquivel CJ, Pérez-Staples D, Ruiz-May E, Herrera-Cruz M, Reyes-Hernández M, Abraham S, Aluja M, Sirot L. Characterization of reproductive proteins in the Mexican fruit fly points towards the evolution of novel functions. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212806. [PMID: 35765836 PMCID: PMC9240691 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Seminal fluid proteins (Sfps) modify female phenotypes and have wide-ranging evolutionary implications on fitness in many insects. However, in the Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens, a highly destructive agricultural pest, the functions of Sfps are still largely unknown. To gain insights into female phenotypes regulated by Sfps, we used nano-liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to conduct a proteomic analysis of the soluble proteins from reproductive organs of A. ludens. The proteins predicted to be transferred from males to females during copulation were 100 proteins from the accessory glands, 69 from the testes and 20 from the ejaculatory bulb, resulting in 141 unique proteins after accounting for redundancies from multiple tissues. These 141 included orthologues to Drosophila melanogaster proteins involved mainly in oogenesis, spermatogenesis, immune response, lifespan and fecundity. In particular, we found one protein associated with female olfactory response to repellent stimuli (Scribble), and two related to memory formation (aPKC and Shibire). Together, these results raise the possibility that A. ludens Sfps could play a role in regulating female olfactory responses and memory formation and could be indicative of novel evolutionary functions in this important agricultural pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Córdova-García
- INBIOTECA, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. de las Culturas Veracruzanas 101, Col. E. Zapata, Xalapa, CP 91090 Veracruz, México
| | | | - Diana Pérez-Staples
- INBIOTECA, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. de las Culturas Veracruzanas 101, Col. E. Zapata, Xalapa, CP 91090 Veracruz, México
| | - Eliel Ruiz-May
- Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic®, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Antigua Carretera a Coatepec 351, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Mariana Herrera-Cruz
- Facultad de Medicina y Cirugía, Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, Ex-Hda de Aguilera S/N, C.P. 68020, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, México
| | - Martha Reyes-Hernández
- Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Av. Patria 1201, Col. Lomas del Valle, CP 45129 Zapopan, Jalisco, México
| | - Solana Abraham
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), PROIMI-Biotecnología, CONICET, Avenida Belgrano y Pasaje Caseros s/n, CP 4000 San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Martín Aluja
- Red de Manejo Biorracional de Plagas y Vectores, Clúster Científico y Tecnológico BioMimic®, Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Antigua Carretera a Coatepec 351, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Laura Sirot
- Department of Biology, College of Wooster, 931 College Mall, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
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17
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Mital A, Sarangi M, Nandy B, Pandey N, Joshi A. Shorter effective lifespan in laboratory populations of D. melanogaster might reduce sexual selection. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03158-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The role of sexual selection in mediating levels of sexual conflict has been demonstrated in many experimental evolution studies on Drosophila spp. where competition among males for mating was the target of selection. Sexual selection has also been shown to affect the evolution of life-histories. However, the influence of divergent life-histories on reproductive strategies and, therefore, sexual selection and possibly sexual conflict has been less well studied. We examined D. melanogaster populations selected for a short development time and early age at reproduction for changes in reproductive behavior and traits that are proxies of sexual selection. We report a large reduction in reproductive competition experienced by the males of these populations, compared to ancestral populations that are not consciously selected for rapid development or early reproduction, potentially leading to reduced sexual selection. We show that rapidly developing and early reproducing populations have very low levels of mating in their lifetime (females are more or less monandrous), low courtship levels, shorter copulation duration, and longer time from eclosion to first mating, compared to the controls. These results are discussed in the context of the previously demonstrated reduction of inter-locus sexual conflict in these populations. We show that life-history strategies might have a large and significant impact on sexual selection, with each influencing the other and contributing to the complexities of adaptation.
Significance statement
Sexual conflict, often manifested as an arms-race between males and females trying to enhance their own reproductive success at some cost to the other, is of great evolutionary interest because it can maintain genetic variation in populations, prevent the independent optimization of male and female traits, and also promote speciation. Sexual selection, or variation in mating success, is well known to affect levels of sexual conflict. However, it is not so clear whether, and how, the regular evolution of life-histories also affects sexual selection. Here, we show that life-history evolution in fruit fly populations selected for traits not directly related to sexual conflict might, nevertheless, mediate the possible evolution of altered sexual conflict levels through effects on sexual selection. Populations that evolved to develop to adulthood fast, and reproduce relatively early in life, are shown to potentially experience less sexual selection, which can explain the low sexual conflict levels earlier observed in them.
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18
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Hopkins BR, Perry JC. The evolution of sex peptide: sexual conflict, cooperation, and coevolution. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1426-1448. [PMID: 35249265 PMCID: PMC9256762 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A central paradigm in evolutionary biology is that the fundamental divergence in the fitness interests of the sexes (‘sexual conflict’) can lead to both the evolution of sex‐specific traits that reduce fitness for individuals of the opposite sex, and sexually antagonistic coevolution between the sexes. However, clear examples of traits that evolved in this way – where a single trait in one sex demonstrably depresses the fitness of members of the opposite sex, resulting in antagonistic coevolution – are rare. The Drosophila seminal protein ‘sex peptide’ (SP) is perhaps the most widely cited example of a trait that appears to harm females while benefitting males. Transferred in the ejaculate by males during mating, SP triggers profound and wide‐ranging changes in female behaviour and physiology. Early studies reported that the transfer of SP enhances male fitness while depressing female fitness, providing the foundations for the widespread view that SP has evolved to manipulate females for male benefit. Here, we argue that this view is (i) a simplification of a wider body of contradictory empirical research, (ii) narrow with respect to theory describing the origin and maintenance of sexually selected traits, and (iii) hard to reconcile with what we know of the evolutionary history of SP's effects on females. We begin by charting the history of thought regarding SP, both at proximate (its production, function, and mechanism of action) and ultimate (its fitness consequences and evolutionary history) levels, reviewing how studies of SP were central to the development of the field of sexual conflict. We describe a prevailing paradigm for SP's evolution: that SP originated and continues to evolve to manipulate females for male benefit. In contrast to this view, we argue on three grounds that the weight of evidence does not support the view that receipt of SP decreases female fitness: (i) results from studies of SP's impact on female fitness are mixed and more often neutral or positive, with fitness costs emerging only under nutritional extremes; (ii) whether costs from SP are appreciable in wild‐living populations remains untested; and (iii) recently described confounds in genetic manipulations of SP raise the possibility that measures of the costs and benefits of SP have been distorted. Beyond SP's fitness effects, comparative and genetic data are also difficult to square with the idea that females suffer fitness costs from SP. Instead, these data – from functional and evolutionary genetics and the neural circuitry of female responses to SP – suggest an evolutionary history involving the evolution of a dedicated SP‐sensing apparatus in the female reproductive tract that is likely to have evolved because it benefits females, rather than harms them. We end by exploring theory and evidence that SP benefits females by functioning as a signal of male quality or of sperm receipt and storage (or both). The expanded view of the evolution of SP that we outline recognises the context‐dependent and fluctuating roles played by both cooperative and antagonistic selection in the origin and maintenance of reproductive traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben R. Hopkins
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California – Davis One Shields Avenue Davis CA 95616 U.S.A
| | - Jennifer C. Perry
- School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ U.K
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19
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Praggastis SA, Nam HJ, Lam G, Child Vi MB, Castillo DM, Thummel CS. Regulation of male fertility and accessory gland gene expression by the Drosophila HR39 nuclear receptor. Dev Biol 2021; 479:51-60. [PMID: 34331899 PMCID: PMC8410687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Successful reproduction is dependent on the transfer of male seminal proteins to females upon mating. These proteins arise from secretory tissues in the male reproductive tract, including the prostate and seminal vesicles in mammals and the accessory gland in insects. Although detailed functional studies have provided important insights into the mechanisms by which accessory gland proteins support reproduction, much less is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate their expression within this tissue. Here we show that the Drosophila HR39 nuclear receptor is required for the proper expression of most genes that encode male accessory gland proteins. Consistent with this role, HR39 mutant males are infertile. In addition, tissue-specific RNAi and genetic rescue experiments indicate that HR39 acts within the accessory glands to regulate gene expression and male fertility. These results provide new directions for characterizing the mammalian orthologs of HR39, the SF-1 and LRH-1 nuclear receptors, both of which are required for glandular secretions and reproduction. In addition, our studies provide a molecular mechanism to explain how the accessory glands can maintain the abundant levels of seminal fluid production required to support fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia A Praggastis
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 North 2030 East, Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Hyuck-Jin Nam
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 North 2030 East, Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Geanette Lam
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 North 2030 East, Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Myron B Child Vi
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Rm. 201, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Dean M Castillo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Rm. 201, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Carl S Thummel
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, 15 North 2030 East, Rm 5100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
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20
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Mank JE, Rideout EJ. Developmental mechanisms of sex differences: from cells to organisms. Development 2021; 148:272484. [PMID: 34647574 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Male-female differences in many developmental mechanisms lead to the formation of two morphologically and physiologically distinct sexes. Although this is expected for traits with prominent differences between the sexes, such as the gonads, sex-specific processes also contribute to traits without obvious male-female differences, such as the intestine. Here, we review sex differences in developmental mechanisms that operate at several levels of biological complexity - molecular, cellular, organ and organismal - and discuss how these differences influence organ formation, function and whole-body physiology. Together, the examples we highlight show that one simple way to gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of animal development is to include both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith E Mank
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.,Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Rideout
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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21
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Córdova-García G, Sirot L, Abraham S, Díaz-Fleischer F, Flores-Estevez N, López-Ortega M, Pérez-Staples D. Mating, but Not Male Accessory Gland Products, Changes Female Response to Olfactory Cues in Anastrepha Fruit Flies. Front Physiol 2021; 12:714247. [PMID: 34566680 PMCID: PMC8458877 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.714247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Copulation and/or ejaculate components can alter female physiological state and female post-mating behavior. The objective of the present study was to determine if copulation and male reproductive accessory gland products (MAGs) modify the behavior of female Anastrepha ludens (Loew) and Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart; Diptera: Tephritidae) in response to two stimuli: male-emitted pheromone and oviposition host volatiles. Olfactometry studies revealed that mated females of both A. ludens and A. obliqua have a stronger response for host volatiles compared to unmated females, which have a stronger response for male pheromone. We also examined olfactory responses of females mated to testectomized males who could transfer MAGs but not sperm. In both species, MAGs alone did not cause the change in the olfactory response observed after copulation, unlike what has been found in Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Females mated to testectomized males responded equally to the male sex pheromone or to host volatiles, thus suggesting that the whole ejaculate is needed to elicit the complete behavioral switch in olfactory response. The function of MAGs is still unknown in these two pests of economic importance. The response for host volatiles by mated females has implications for the development of baits and traps that should preferably attract and target this population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Sirot
- Department of Biology, College of Wooster, Wooster, OH, United States
| | - Solana Abraham
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), PROIMI-Biotecnología, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
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22
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Kamimura Y, Yoshizawa K, Lienhard C, Ferreira RL, Abe J. Evolution of nuptial gifts and its coevolutionary dynamics with male-like persistence traits of females for multiple mating. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:164. [PMID: 34482815 PMCID: PMC8419916 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01901-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many male animals donate nutritive materials during courtship or mating to their female mates. Donation of large-sized gifts, though costly to prepare, can result in increased sperm transfer during mating and delayed remating of the females, resulting in higher paternity. Nuptial gifting sometimes causes severe female-female competition for obtaining gifts (i.e., sex-role reversal in mate competition) and selection on females to increase their mating rate, changing the intensity of sperm competition and the resultant paternity gains. We built a theoretical model to simulate such coevolutionary feedbacks between nuptial gift size (male trait) and propensity for multiple mating (female trait). Donation of nuptial gifts sometimes causes development of female persistence trait for gift acquisition. We also analyzed the causes and consequences of this type of traits, taking double receptacles for nutritious seminal gifts, which are known to occur in an insect group with a "female penis" (Neotrogla spp.), as an illustrative example. RESULTS Our individual-based simulations demonstrated that female-female competition for male-derived nutrients always occur when the environment is oligotrophic and mating costs are low for females. However, a positive correlation between donated gift size and the resultant paternity gain was a requisite for the co-occurrence of large gifts and females' competitive multiple mating for the gifts. When gift donation satisfied female demands and thus resulted in monandry, exaggeration of nuptial gift size also occurred under the assumption that the last male monopolizes paternity. The evolution of double slots for gift acquisition and digestion (female persistence trait) always occurred when males could not satisfy the demands of females for gifts. However, through coevolutionary reduction in male gift size, fixation of this trait in a population drastically reduced the average female fitness. CONCLUSION Sperm usage patterns, which have rarely been examined for animals with nuptial gifts, can be a critical factor for determining the extent of exaggeration in nuptial gifting. Sex-role reversals in mate competition, as a result of donation of nuptial gifts from males to females, can involve the evolution of male-like, persistent traits in females that reduce population productivity, as is the case with persistence traits in males.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kazunori Yoshizawa
- Systematic Entomology, School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8589, Japan
| | - Charles Lienhard
- Geneva Natural History Museum, CP 6434, 1211, Geneva 6, Switzerland
| | - Rodrigo L Ferreira
- Biology Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, 37200-000, Brazil
| | - Jun Abe
- Faculty of Liberal Arts, Meijigakuin University, Yokohama, Japan
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23
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Vasudeva R, Dickinson M, Sutter A, Powell S, Sales K, Gage M. Facultative polyandry protects females from compromised male fertility caused by heatwave conditions. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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24
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Snopkowski K, Nelson JJ. Fertility intentions and outcomes in Indonesia: Evolutionary perspectives on sexual conflict. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2021; 3:e33. [PMID: 37588532 PMCID: PMC10427277 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2021.27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential fertility preferences for men and women may provide insights into human sexual conflict. We explore whether pairbonded couples have different preferences for future offspring, which socioecological factors are associated with these preferences, and who achieves their desired fertility over time. We utilise the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS), a longitudinal survey which collected data from 1993 to 2015, to compare desired future fertility for 9655 couples and follow couples who had divergent preferences. The majority of couples (64.8%) want the same number of future offspring. In 20.7% of couples, husbands want more future offspring than their wives, while the reverse occurs in 14.5% of couples. Living in villages with the husband's or the wife's parent(s) is associated with having divergent preferences for future offspring, where there is a higher likelihood that women prefer more offspring than their husbands. When examining fertility outcomes, women, particularly those who marry at older ages, are more likely to achieve their desired preference. Contrary to previous research, we do not find that living near one's natal kin or having increased autonomy increases an individual's likelihood of achieving desired fertility outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Snopkowski
- Department of Anthropology, 1910 University Drive, Boise State University, Boise, ID83725, USA
| | - James Joseph Nelson
- Department of Anthropology, 1910 University Drive, Boise State University, Boise, ID83725, USA
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25
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Hill T, Rosales-Stephens HL, Unckless RL. Rapid divergence of the male reproductive proteins in the Drosophila dunni group and implications for postmating incompatibilities between species. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkab050. [PMID: 33599779 PMCID: PMC8759818 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Proteins involved in post-copulatory interactions between males and females are among the fastest evolving genes in many species, usually attributed to their involvement in reproductive conflict. As a result, these proteins are thought to often be involved in the formation of postmating-prezygotic incompatibilities between species. The Drosophila dunni subgroup consists of a dozen recently diverged species found across the Caribbean islands with varying levels of hybrid incompatibility. We performed experimental crosses between species in the dunni group and see some evidence of hybrid incompatibilities. We also find evidence of reduced survival following hybrid mating, likely due to postmating-prezygotic incompatibilities. We assessed rates of evolution between these species genomes and find evidence of rapid evolution and divergence of some reproductive proteins, specifically the seminal fluid proteins. This work suggests the rapid evolution of seminal fluid proteins may be associated with postmating-prezygotic isolation, which acts as a barrier for gene flow between even the most closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Hill
- The Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | | | - Robert L Unckless
- The Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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26
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Pepler MA, Hindra, Miller JS, Elliot MA, Balshine S. Tactic-specific antimicrobial activity suggests a parental care function for accessory glands in a marine toadfish. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202873. [PMID: 33726600 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Males of some species possess extra reproductive organs called accessory glands which are outgrowths of the testes or sperm duct. These organs have a well-established role in reproduction; however, they also appear to have other important functions that are less understood. Here, we investigate the function of the highly complex accessory glands of a marine toadfish, Porichthys notatus, a fish with two reproductive male types: large care-providing 'guarder' males and small non-caring 'sneaker' males. While both male types have accessory glands, guarder male accessory glands are much larger relative to their body size. We show that accessory gland fluids strongly inhibit the growth of bacterial genera associated with unhealthy eggs and have no effect on the growth of strains isolated from healthy eggs. This antibacterial effect was particularly pronounced for extracts from guarder males. Furthermore, we demonstrate that both healthy and unhealthy plainfin midshipman eggs have diverse but distinct microbial communities that differ in their composition and abundance. The highly specific inhibitory capacity of accessory gland fluid on bacteria from unhealthy eggs was robust across a wide range of ecologically relevant temperatures and salinities. Collectively, these ecological and molecular observations suggest a care function for the accessory gland mediated by antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan A Pepler
- Department of Biology, and Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hindra
- Department of Biology, and Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica S Miller
- Aquatic Behavioural Ecology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marie A Elliot
- Department of Biology, and Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Aquatic Behavioural Ecology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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27
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Desjardins E, Kurtz J, Kranke N, Lindeza A, Richter SH. Beyond Standardization: Improving External Validity and Reproducibility in Experimental Evolution. Bioscience 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Discussions of reproducibility are casting doubts on the credibility of experimental outcomes in the life sciences. Although experimental evolution is not typically included in these discussions, this field is also subject to low reproducibility, partly because of the inherent contingencies affecting the evolutionary process. A received view in experimental studies more generally is that standardization (i.e., rigorous homogenization of experimental conditions) is a solution to some issues of significance and internal validity. However, this solution hides several difficulties, including a reduction of external validity and reproducibility. After explaining the meaning of these two notions in the context of experimental evolution, we import from the fields of animal research and ecology and suggests that systematic heterogenization of experimental factors could prove a promising alternative. We also incorporate into our analysis some philosophical reflections on the nature and diversity of research objectives in experimental evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Desjardins
- Rotman Institute of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | - S Helene Richter
- RG Behavioural Biology and Animal Welfare, Institute of Neuro and Behavioural Biology all at the WWU, Münster, Germany
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28
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Li GY, Zhang ZQ. Sex-specific response to delayed and repeated mating in spider mite Tetranychus urticae. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 111:49-56. [PMID: 32517821 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485320000292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sexual interaction is an important activity that determines the reproductive schedule of organisms and can ultimately influence the fitness traits of both sexes. Although the influence of sexual interaction on the fitness of females has been extensively determined, little is known about the effects on males, which often have different mating strategies and optimal mating regimes from those of females. To understand how mating regimes (timing and frequency) modulate the fitness in both sexes, we used spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) to investigate the influence of delayed mating and repeated mating on the fitness of male and female. For females, the unmated and the delayed mating females outlived those mated immediately after adult emergence. The repeated mating shortened the lifespan of females that mated at 1-day-old, but not that mated 7-day-old. However, no significant variation in lifespan was observed for males across different mating regimes. We found although delayed mating significantly reduced the daily reproductive rate of the females, there was no significant difference in lifetime reproduction of females across treatments because the delayed mating females increased their reproductive lifespan as a compensation. Our study highlighted that the time and frequency of sexual interaction showed a sex-specific consequence on male and female spider mites, indicating that sexual interaction incurs a higher cost to females which have a much lower optimal mating frequency than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Yun Li
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, 231 Morrin Road, Auckland1072, New Zealand
| | - Zhi-Qiang Zhang
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, 231 Morrin Road, Auckland1072, New Zealand
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29
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Leigh S, Rostant WG, Taylor MI, Alphey L, Chapman T. Satyrization in Drosophila fruitflies. J Evol Biol 2020; 34:319-330. [PMID: 33159350 PMCID: PMC8246970 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The satyr of Greek mythology was half‐man, half‐goat, with an animal persona signifying immoderate sexual appetites. In biology, satyrization is the disruption of reproduction in matings between closely related species. Interestingly, its effects are often reciprocally asymmetric, manifesting more strongly in one direction of heterospecific mating than the other. Heterospecific matings are well known to result in female fitness costs due to the production of sterile or inviable hybrid offspring and can also occur due to reduced female sexual receptivity, lowering the likelihood of any subsequent conspecific matings. Here we investigated the costs and mechanisms of satyrization in the Drosophila melanogaster species subgroup of fruitflies. The results showed that D. simulans females experienced higher fitness costs from a loss of remating opportunities due to significantly reduced post‐mating sexual receptivity than did D. melanogaster females, as a result of reciprocal heterospecific matings. Reciprocal tests of the effects of male reproductive accessory gland protein (Acp) injections on female receptivity in pairwise comparisons between D. melanogaster and five other species within the melanogaster species subgroup revealed significant post‐mating receptivity asymmetries. This was due to variation in the effects of heterospecific Acps within species with which D. melanogaster can mate, and significant but nonasymmetric Acp effects in species with which it cannot. We conclude that asymmetric satyrization due to post‐mating effects of Acps may be common among diverging and hybridising species. The findings are of interest in understanding the evolution of reproductive isolation and species divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stewart Leigh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Wayne G Rostant
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Martin I Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Tracey Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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30
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Ramm SA. Seminal fluid and accessory male investment in sperm competition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200068. [PMID: 33070740 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm production and allocation strategies have been a central concern of sperm competition research for the past 50 years. But during the 'sexual cascade' there may be strong selection for alternative routes to maximizing male fitness. Especially with the evolution of internal fertilization, a common and by now well-studied example is the accessory ejaculate investment represented by seminal fluid, the complex mixture of proteins, peptides and other components transferred to females together with sperm. How seminal fluid investment should covary with sperm investment probably depends on the mechanism of seminal fluid action. If seminal fluid components boost male paternity success by directly enhancing sperm function or use, we might often expect a positive correlation between the two forms of male investment, whereas trade-offs seem more likely if seminal fluid acts independently of sperm. This is largely borne out by a broad taxonomic survey to establish the prevailing patterns of seminal fluid production and allocation during animal evolution, in light of which I discuss the gaps that remain in our understanding of this key ejaculate component and its relationship to sperm investment, before outlining promising approaches for examining seminal fluid-mediated sperm competitiveness in the post-genomic era. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Ramm
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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31
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Parker GA. Conceptual developments in sperm competition: a very brief synopsis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200061. [PMID: 33070727 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The past half century has seen the development of the field of post-ejaculatory sexual selection, the sequel to sexual selection for mate-acquisition (pre-ejaculatory) described by Darwin. In richness and diversity of adaptations, post-ejaculatory selection rivals that of pre-ejaculatory sexual selection. Anisogamy-and hence two sexes-likely arose by primeval gamete competition, and sperm competition remains a major force maintaining high sperm numbers. The post-ejaculatory equivalent of male-male competition for matings, sperm competition was an intense ancestral form of sexual selection, typically weakening as mobility and internal fertilization developed in many taxa, when some expenditure became diverted into pre-ejaculatory competition. Sperm competition theory has been relatively successful in explaining variation in relative testes size and sperm numbers per ejaculate and is becoming more successful in explaining variation in sperm phenotype. Sperm competition has generated many other male adaptations such as seminal fluid proteins that variously modify female reproduction towards male interests, and copulatory plugs, prolonged copulations and post-ejaculatory guarding behaviour that reduce female remating probability, many of which result in sexual conflict. This short survey of conceptual developments is intended as a broad overview, mainly as a primer for new researchers. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoff A Parker
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
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32
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Lemaître JF, Ronget V, Gaillard JM. Female reproductive senescence across mammals: A high diversity of patterns modulated by life history and mating traits. Mech Ageing Dev 2020; 192:111377. [PMID: 33031803 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2020.111377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Senescence patterns are highly variable across the animal kingdom. However, while empirical evidence of actuarial senescence in vertebrates is accumulating in the wild and life history correlates of actuarial senescence are increasingly identified, both the extent and variation of reproductive senescence across species remain poorly studied. Here, we performed the first large-scale analysis of female reproductive senescence across 101 mammalian species that encompassed a wide range of Orders. We found evidence of reproductive senescence in 68.31 % of the species, which demonstrates that reproductive senescence is pervasive in mammals. As expected from allometric rules, the onset of reproductive senescence occurs later and the rate of reproductive senescence decreases with increasing body mass and delayed age at first reproduction. Moreover, for a given pace of life, females displaying a high level of multiple mating and/or with induced ovulation senesce earlier than females displaying a low level of multiple mating and/or with spontaneous ovulation. These results suggest that both female mating behavior and reproductive physiology shape the diversity of reproductive senescence patterns across mammals. We propose future avenues of research regarding the role played by environmental conditions or reproductive features (e.g. type of placentation) on the evolution of reproductive senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Lemaître
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Victor Ronget
- Unité Eco-Anthropologie (EA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, F-75016, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive UMR 5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
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33
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Yan Y, Ziemek J, Schetelig MF. CRISPR/Cas9 mediated disruption of the white gene leads to pigmentation deficiency and copulation failure in Drosophila suzukii. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 126:104091. [PMID: 32745561 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2020.104091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Spotted-wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) is a devastating invasive pest of fruit crops. In D. melanogaster, the white (w) gene was associated with pigmentation and mating behavior, which are also important aspects to understand the invasion biology as well as to develop control strategies for D. suzukii. Here, we show that the generation of D. suzukii white-eyed mutants by CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis of the w gene resulted in the complete failure of copulation when w- males were individually paired with w- females in small circular arenas (diameter 0.7 cm) for 24 h. Further analysis showed that the mating defect was associated with w- males and could not be rectified by two years of inbreeding by crossing sibling w- females with w+ males, dim red illumination, male-female sexual training, changing to large arenas (diameter 3.5 cm), or different sex ratios. Profound pigmentation deficiency was detected in the compound eyes, ocelli, Malpighian tubules and testis sheaths in the w- flies. Specifically, testis imaging showed that w- males failed to deposit any pigments into pigment cells of the testis sheath, and produced smaller sperms and less seminal fluid compared to those from wildtype males. Together these observations suggest that the w gene plays an essential role in the regulation of sexual behavior and reproduction in D. suzukii. The similarities and differences in w gene function between D. suzukii and D. melanogaster in the context of pigmentation and mating behavior are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yan
- Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Insect Biotechnology in Plant Protection, Winchesterstr. 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Winchesterstr. 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Judith Ziemek
- Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Insect Biotechnology in Plant Protection, Winchesterstr. 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany
| | - Marc F Schetelig
- Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Insect Biotechnology in Plant Protection, Winchesterstr. 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Winchesterstr. 2, 35394 Giessen, Germany.
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34
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Frequent mating reduces male mating rate but not offspring quality or quantity in a neriid fly. Evol Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-020-10076-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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35
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PBP genes regulated by the development of the ovaries, sex pheromone release, mating and oviposition behavior in Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée). CHEMOECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-020-00323-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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36
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Nakadera Y, Thornton Smith A, Daupagne L, Coutellec MA, Koene JM, Ramm SA. Divergence of seminal fluid gene expression and function among natural snail populations. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1440-1451. [PMID: 32697880 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) can trigger drastic changes in mating partners, mediating post-mating sexual selection and associated sexual conflict. Also, cross-species comparisons have demonstrated that SFPs evolve rapidly and hint that post-mating sexual selection drives their rapid evolution. In principle, this pattern should be detectable within species as rapid among-population divergence in SFP expression and function. However, given the multiple other factors that could vary among populations, isolating divergence in SFP-mediated effects is not straightforward. Here, we attempted to address this gap by combining the power of a common garden design with functional assays involving artificial injection of SFPs in the simultaneously hermaphroditic freshwater snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. We detected among-population divergence in SFP gene expression, suggesting that seminal fluid composition differs among four populations collected in Western Europe. Furthermore, by artificially injecting seminal fluid extracted from these field-derived snails into standardized mating partners, we also detected among-population divergence in the strength of post-mating effects induced by seminal fluid. Both egg production and subsequent sperm transfer of partners differed depending on the population origin of seminal fluid, with the response in egg production seemingly closely corresponding to among-population divergence in SFP gene expression. Our results thus lend strong intraspecific support to the notion that SFP expression and function evolve rapidly, and confirm L. stagnalis as an amenable system for studying processes driving SFP evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Nakadera
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Léa Daupagne
- Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Joris M Koene
- Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Steven A Ramm
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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37
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Liu C, Zhang B, Zhang L, Yang T, Zhang Z, Gao Z, Zhang W. A neural circuit encoding mating states tunes defensive behavior in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3962. [PMID: 32770059 PMCID: PMC7414864 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17771-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Social context can dampen or amplify the perception of touch, and touch in turn conveys nuanced social information. However, the neural mechanism behind social regulation of mechanosensation is largely elusive. Here we report that fruit flies exhibit a strong defensive response to mechanical stimuli to their wings. In contrast, virgin female flies being courted by a male show a compromised defensive response to the stimuli, but following mating the response is enhanced. This state-dependent switch is mediated by a functional reconfiguration of a neural circuit labelled with the Tmc-L gene in the ventral nerve cord. The circuit receives excitatory inputs from peripheral mechanoreceptors and coordinates the defensive response. While male cues suppress it via a doublesex (dsx) neuronal pathway, mating sensitizes it by stimulating a group of uterine neurons and consequently activating a leucokinin-dependent pathway. Such a modulation is crucial for the balance between defense against body contacts and sexual receptivity. Wing touching induces a defensive response in D. melanogaster. Here, the authors show that female flies change the defensive response during courtship and after mating. This switch is mediated by functional reconfiguration of a neural circuit in the ventral nerve cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Bei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Liwei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Zhewei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Zihua Gao
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
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38
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Singh P, Ballmer DN, Laubscher M, Schärer L. Successful mating and hybridisation in two closely related flatworm species despite significant differences in reproductive morphology and behaviour. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12830. [PMID: 32732887 PMCID: PMC7393371 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69767-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive traits are some of the fastest diverging characters and can serve as reproductive barriers. The free-living flatworm Macrostomum lignano, and its congener M. janickei are closely related, but differ substantially in their male intromittent organ (stylet) morphology. Here, we examine whether these morphological differences are accompanied by differences in behavioural traits, and whether these could represent barriers to successful mating and hybridization between the two species. Our data shows that the two species differ in many aspects of their mating behaviour. Despite these differences, the species mate readily with each other in heterospecific pairings. Although both species have similar fecundity in conspecific pairings, the heterospecific pairings revealed clear postmating barriers, as few heterospecific pairings produced F1 hybrids. These hybrids had a stylet morphology that was intermediate between that of the parental species, and they were fertile. Finally, using a mate choice experiment, we show that the nearly two-fold higher mating rate of M. lignano caused it to mate more with conspecifics, leading to assortative mating, while M. janickei ended up mating more with heterospecifics. Thus, while the two species can hybridize, the mating rate differences could possibly lead to higher fitness costs for M. janickei compared to M. lignano.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Singh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Daniel N Ballmer
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland.,Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Max Laubscher
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Schärer
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
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39
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Abstract
It has long been acknowledged that changes in the regulation of gene expression may account for major organismal differences. However, we still do not fully understand how changes in gene expression evolve and how do such changes influence organisms' differences. We are even less aware of the impact such changes might have in restricting gene flow between species. Here, we focus on studies of gene expression and speciation in the Drosophila model. We review studies that have identified gene interactions in post-mating reproductive isolation and speciation, particularly those that modulate male gene expression. We also address studies that have experimentally manipulated changes in gene expression to test their effect in post-mating reproductive isolation. We highlight the need for a more in-depth analysis of the role of selection causing disrupted gene expression of such candidate genes in sterile/inviable hybrids. Moreover, we discuss the relevance to incorporate more routinely assays that simultaneously evaluate the potential effects of environmental factors and genetic background in modulating plastic responses in male genes and their potential role in speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Patlar
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9, Canada.,Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9, Canada
| | - Alberto Civetta
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9, Canada
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40
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Injection of seminal fluid into the hemocoel of honey bee queens (Apis mellifera) can stimulate post-mating changes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11990. [PMID: 32686702 PMCID: PMC7371693 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68437-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee queens undergo dramatic behavioral (e.g., reduced sexual receptivity), physiological (e.g., ovary activation, ovulation, and modulation of pheromone production) and transcriptional changes after they complete mating. To elucidate how queen post-mating changes are influenced by seminal fluid, the non-spermatozoa-containing component of semen, we injected queens with semen or seminal fluid alone. We assessed queen sexual receptivity (as measured by likelihood to take mating flights), ovary activation, worker retinue response (which is influenced by queen pheromone production), and transcriptional changes in queen abdominal fat body and brain tissues. Injection with either seminal fluid or semen resulted in decreased sexual receptivity, increased attractiveness of queens to workers, and altered expression of several genes that are also regulated by natural mating in queens. The post-mating and transcriptional changes of queens receiving seminal fluid were not significantly different from queens injected with semen, suggesting that components in seminal fluid, such as seminal fluid proteins, are largely responsible for stimulating post-mating changes in queens.
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41
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Mossman JA, Mabeza RMS, Blake E, Mehta N, Rand DM. Age of Both Parents Influences Reproduction and Egg Dumping Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. J Hered 2020; 110:300-309. [PMID: 30753690 PMCID: PMC6503451 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esz009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Trans-generational maternal effects have been shown to influence a broad range of offspring phenotypes. However, very little is known about paternal trans-generational effects. Here, we tested the trans-generational effects of maternal and paternal age, and their interaction, on daughter and son reproductive fitness in Drosophila melanogaster. We found significant effects of parent ages on offspring reproductive fitness during a 10 day postfertilization period. In daughters, older (45 days old) mothers conferred lower reproductive fitness compared with younger mothers (3 days old). In sons, father’s age significantly affected reproductive fitness. The effects of 2 old parents were additive in both sexes and reproductive fitness was lowest when the focal individual had 2 old parents. Interestingly, daughter fertility was sensitive to father’s age but son fertility was insensitive to mother’s age, suggesting a sexual asymmetry in trans-generational effects. We found the egg-laying dynamics in daughters dramatically shaped this relationship. Daughters with 2 old parents demonstrated an extreme egg dumping behavior on day 1 and laid >2.35× the number of eggs than the other 3 age class treatments. Our study reveals significant trans-generational maternal and paternal age effects on fertility and an association with a novel egg laying behavioral phenotype in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim A Mossman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box G, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Russyan Mark S Mabeza
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box G, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Emma Blake
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box G, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Neha Mehta
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box G, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - David M Rand
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box G, Brown University, Providence, RI
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Filice DCS, Dukas R. Winners have higher pre-copulatory mating success but losers have better post-copulatory outcomes. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182838. [PMID: 30940060 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In many animals, the outcomes of competitive interactions can have lasting effects that influence an individual's reproductive success and have important consequences for the strength and direction of evolution via sexual selection. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, males that have won previous contests are more likely to win in subsequent conflicts and losers are more likely to lose (winner-loser effects), but the direct fitness consequences and genetic underpinnings of this plasticity are poorly understood. Here, we tested how male genotype and the outcomes of previous male-male conflicts influence male pre- and post-copulatory success. We quantified pre-copulatory success in a choice and no-choice context, and post-copulatory success by quantifying ejaculate offensive and defensive ability. We found that winners have higher reproductive success compared to losers in both pre-copulatory scenarios. However, losers consistently mated for a longer duration, boosted female fecundity and had an increased paternity share when they were the first males to mate, suggesting increased investment into post-copulatory mechanisms. Finally, by using clonal hybrids from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel, we documented that genetic variation explained a sizeable proportion of the observed differences between lines, and of the interaction between line and winner and loser effects. Our results place the behavioural data on winner-loser effects in an evolutionary context by documenting the potential fitness gain to males from altering their reproductive strategy based on fighting experience. Our data may also explain the presence and maintenance of trade-offs between different male reproductive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C S Filice
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University , 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON , Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Reuven Dukas
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University , 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON , Canada L8S 4K1
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Łukasiewicz A. Juvenile diet quality and intensity of sexual conflict in the mite Sancassania berlesei. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:35. [PMID: 32164531 PMCID: PMC7069193 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-1599-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differing evolutionary interests of males and females may result in sexual conflict, whereby traits or behaviours that are beneficial for male reproductive success (e.g., traits related to male-male competition) are costly for females. Since sexual conflict may play an important role in areas such as speciation, population persistence or evolution of life history traits, understanding what factors modulate the intensity of sexual conflict is important. This study aims to examine juvenile diet quality as one of the underestimated ecological factors that may affect the intensity of sexual conflict via individual conditions. I used food manipulation during the development of the mite Sancassania berlesei to investigate the effects on male reproductive behaviour and competitiveness, male-induced harm to female fitness and female resistance to this harm. RESULTS Males that were exposed to low-quality food started mating later than the control males, and number of their mating attempts were lower compared to those of control males. Moreover, males from the low-quality diet treatment sired fewer offspring under competition than males from the control treatment. However, the fitness of females exposed to males reared on a poor diet did not differ from that of females mated with control males. Furthermore, female diet quality did not alter their resistance to male-induced harm. CONCLUSION Overall, diet quality manipulation affected male reproductive behaviour and mating success. However, I found no evidence that the intensity of sexual conflict in S. berlesei depends on male or female conditions. Investigating a broader range of environmental factors will provide a better understanding of sexual conflict dynamics and its feedback into associated evolutionary mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Łukasiewicz
- Evolutionary Biology Group, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
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Weber M, Patlar B, Ramm SA. Effects of two seminal fluid transcripts on post-mating behaviour in the simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm Macrostomum lignano. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:714-726. [PMID: 32064699 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) transferred to mating partners along with sperm often play crucial roles in mediating post-mating sexual selection. One way in which sperm donors can maximize their own reproductive success is by modifying the partner's (sperm recipient's) post-copulatory behaviour to prevent or delay re-mating, thereby decreasing the likelihood or intensity of sperm competition. Here, we adopted a quantitative genetic approach combining gene expression and behavioural data to identify candidates that could mediate such a response in the simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm Macrostomum lignano. We identified two putative SFPs-Mlig-pro46 and Mlig-pro63-linked to both mating frequency and 'suck' frequency, a distinctive behaviour, in which, upon ejaculate receipt, the worm places its pharynx over its female genital opening and apparently attempts to remove the received ejaculate. We, therefore, performed a manipulative experiment using RNA interference-induced knockdown to ask how the loss of Mlig-pro46 and Mlig-pro63 expression, singly and in combination, affects mating frequency, partner suck propensity and sperm competitive ability. None of the knockdown treatments impacted strongly on the mating frequency or sperm competitive ability, but knockdown of Mlig-pro63 resulted in a significantly decreased suck propensity of mating partners. This suggests that Mlig-pro63 may normally act as a cue in the ejaculate to trigger recipient suck behaviour and-given that other proteins in the ejaculate have the opposite effect-could be one component of an ongoing arms race between donors and recipients over the control of ejaculate fate. However, the adaptive significance of Mlig-pro46 and Mlig-pro63 from a donor perspective remains enigmatic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Weber
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Bahar Patlar
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Steven A Ramm
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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Strilbytska O, Velianyk V, Burdyliuk N, Yurkevych IS, Vaiserman A, Storey KB, Pospisilik A, Lushchak O. Parental dietary protein-to-carbohydrate ratio affects offspring lifespan and metabolism in drosophila. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 241:110622. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2019.110622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Laranjo LT, da Silva IB, Costa-Leonardo AM. Development and comparative morphology of the reproductive system in different aged males of the drywood termite Cryptotermes brevis (Blattaria, Isoptera, Kalotermitidae). PROTOPLASMA 2020; 257:31-42. [PMID: 31321554 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-019-01417-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Termites are eusocial cockroaches, which have received great attention due to their diversity of reproductive strategies. Although these novelties allow new interpretations concerning the mating biology of these insects, studies highlighting the structure of the reproductive system are limited to some termite lineages. Here we provide the first comparative analysis of the reproductive system of a drywood termite, using different aged males of Cryptotermes brevis as models. This species represents an important structural pest in tropical regions, and most aspects of its reproductive biology remain unknown, especially on males. The reproductive apparatus of C. brevis is equipped with paired testes, composed of seven testicular lobes, in which developing spermatozoa are located. The basal portion of the lobes connects to the vasa deferentia and transport spermatozoa to a pair of enlarged chambers, the seminal vesicles. These structures join in a median ejaculatory duct, which opens to the external region through a retractile penis. Spermatozoa were observed in all C. brevis males, exhibiting elongated morphology and measuring about 10 μm in length/4 μm in width. Compared with last-instar nymphs and alates, functional kings showed enlarged testes and seminal vesicles, as well as an intense secretory activity towards the lumen of the latter structures. Histochemical tests evidenced strongly PAS and xylidine Ponceau positive reactions of the secretion only in functional kings, indicating the occurrence of glycoproteins. Thus, we suggest that morphophysiological changes establish during the maturation of the reproductive system in C. brevis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Teixeira Laranjo
- Laboratório de Cupins, Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Av. 24A, No. 1515, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Iago Bueno da Silva
- Laboratório de Cupins, Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Av. 24A, No. 1515, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Costa-Leonardo
- Laboratório de Cupins, Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP, Av. 24A, No. 1515, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900, Brazil.
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Weber M, Giannakara A, Ramm SA. Seminal fluid-mediated fitness effects in the simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm Macrostomum lignano. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:13889-13901. [PMID: 31938489 PMCID: PMC6953679 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
As a class, seminal fluid proteins are expected to exert strong effects on mating partners due to the selection pressures of sperm competition and sexual conflict. But because of the complexity of this secretion, linking specific proteins to downstream effects on own fitness-via manipulating the reproductive behavior, physiology, and ultimately the sperm utilization of mating partners-is not straightforward. Here, we adopted a systematic gene knockdown approach to screen for seminal fluid-mediated fitness effects in the simultaneously hermaphroditic flatworm Macrostomum lignano. We focused on 18 transcripts in M. lignano seminal fluid, testing how their RNA interference-induced knockdown impacted on three aspects of donor (male) reproductive success: (a) fertility (offspring production of the partner); (b) defensive sperm competitive ability, P 1; and (c) offensive sperm competitive ability, P 2. In general, the knockdown of most individual transcripts appeared to have only a minor impact on male reproductive success, though we found evidence that the knockdown of up to five different transcripts impacted on fertility; the knockdown of two other transcripts resulted in reduced P 2; and knockdown of a further transcript actually increased P 2. We thus identify a number of candidate seminal fluid transcripts that appear to modulate offspring production and sperm competitiveness in M. lignano. That only a minority of transcripts exhibit such a pattern likely reflects both the difficulty of accurately estimating sperm competitiveness and the functional redundancy of seminal fluid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Weber
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Athina Giannakara
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Steven A. Ramm
- Department of Evolutionary BiologyBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
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Rivas-Torres A, Lorenzo-Carballa MO, Sánchez-Guillén RA, Cordero-Rivera A. Variation in intraspecific sperm translocation behaviour in a damselfly and its consequences for sperm viability. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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49
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Iglesias‐Carrasco M, Fox RJ, Vega‐Trejo R, Jennions MD, Head ML. An experimental test for body size‐dependent effects of male harassment and an elevated copulation rate on female lifetime fecundity and offspring performance. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1262-1273. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maider Iglesias‐Carrasco
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Rebecca J. Fox
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Regina Vega‐Trejo
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- Department of Zoology/Ethology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Megan L. Head
- Division of Ecology and Evolution Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
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50
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Liberti J, Görner J, Welch M, Dosselli R, Schiøtt M, Ogawa Y, Castleden I, Hemmi JM, Baer-Imhoof B, Boomsma JJ, Baer B. Seminal fluid compromises visual perception in honeybee queens reducing their survival during additional mating flights. eLife 2019; 8:45009. [PMID: 31500699 PMCID: PMC6739865 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Queens of social insects make all mate-choice decisions on a single day, except in honeybees whose queens can conduct mating flights for several days even when already inseminated by a number of drones. Honeybees therefore appear to have a unique, evolutionarily derived form of sexual conflict: a queen’s decision to pursue risky additional mating flights is driven by later-life fitness gains from genetically more diverse worker-offspring but reduces paternity shares of the drones she already mated with. We used artificial insemination, RNA-sequencing and electroretinography to show that seminal fluid induces a decline in queen vision by perturbing the phototransduction pathway within 24–48 hr. Follow up field trials revealed that queens receiving seminal fluid flew two days earlier than sister queens inseminated with saline, and failed more often to return. These findings are consistent with seminal fluid components manipulating queen eyesight to reduce queen promiscuity across mating flights. For social insects like honeybees it is beneficial if their queens mate with many males, because genetic diversity can protect the hive against parasites. Early in life, a honeybee queen has a short period of time in which she can fly out to mate with males before returning to the hive with all the sperm needed to last for a lifetime. Queens that have mated on their first flight may embark on additional mating flights over a few consecutive days to further increase genetic variability in their offspring. This is problematic for a male that has already mated because the more males that inseminate the queen the fewer offspring will carry on his specific genes. This results in sexual conflict between males and queens over the number of mating flights. In many animals, males manipulate females using molecules in seminal fluid to reduce the chances of the female mating again and honeybee males may use a similar strategy. Previous studies revealed that insemination alters the activity of genes related to vision in a honeybee queen’s brain. This could be one way for the males to prevent queens from embarking on additional mating flights. Now, Liberti et al. find support for this idea by showing that seminal fluid can indeed trigger changes in the activity of vision-related genes in the brains of honeybee queens, which in turn reduce a queen’s opportunity to complete additional mating flights. Queens inseminated with seminal fluid were less responsive to light compared to queens that were exposed to saline instead. Electronic tracking devices affixed to queens showed that the seminal fluid-exposed queens left for mating flights sooner but were more likely to get lost and to not return to their hives compared to the saline-exposed queens. The experiments support the idea of a sexual arms race in honeybees. Males use seminal fluid to cause rapid deteriorating vision in queens, thus reducing their likelihood of leaving the hive to mate again and to find males when they do fly again. The queens try to counteract these effects by leaving for mating flights sooner, thereby increasing offspring genetic diversity and the success of their colonies. Further studies will be needed to find out how the honeybee sexual arms race varies across seasons, bee races, and geographic ranges. Such information will be useful for honeybee breeding programs, which rely on queen mating success and hive genetic diversity to ensure hive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanito Liberti
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julia Görner
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Mat Welch
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Ryan Dosselli
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.,Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Morten Schiøtt
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yuri Ogawa
- School of Animal Biology and UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Ian Castleden
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Jan M Hemmi
- School of Animal Biology and UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Barbara Baer-Imhoof
- Centre for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER), Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, United States
| | - Jacobus J Boomsma
- Centre for Social Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Boris Baer
- Centre for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER), Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, United States
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