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Propagation of seminal toxins through binary expression gene drives could suppress populations. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6332. [PMID: 35428855 PMCID: PMC9012762 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10327-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene drives can be highly effective in controlling a target population by disrupting a female fertility gene. To spread across a population, these drives require that disrupted alleles be largely recessive so as not to impose too high of a fitness penalty. We argue that this restriction may be relaxed by using a double gene drive design to spread a split binary expression system. One drive carries a dominant lethal/toxic effector alone and the other a transactivator factor, without which the effector will not act. Only after the drives reach sufficiently high frequencies would individuals have the chance to inherit both system components and the effector be expressed. We explore through mathematical modeling the potential of this design to spread dominant lethal/toxic alleles and suppress populations. We show that this system could be implemented to spread engineered seminal proteins designed to kill females, making it highly effective against polyandrous populations.
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2
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Amaro IA, Ahmed-Braimah YH, League GP, Pitcher SA, Avila FW, Cruz PC, Harrington LC, Wolfner MF. Seminal fluid proteins induce transcriptome changes in the Aedes aegypti female lower reproductive tract. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:896. [PMID: 34906087 PMCID: PMC8672594 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08201-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mating induces behavioral and physiological changes in the arbovirus vector Aedes aegypti, including stimulation of egg development and oviposition, increased survival, and reluctance to re-mate with subsequent males. Transferred seminal fluid proteins and peptides derived from the male accessory glands induce these changes, though the mechanism by which they do this is not known. RESULTS To determine transcriptome changes induced by seminal proteins, we injected extract from male accessory glands and seminal vesicles (MAG extract) into females and examined female lower reproductive tract (LRT) transcriptomes 24 h later, relative to non-injected controls. MAG extract induced 87 transcript-level changes, 31 of which were also seen in a previous study of the LRT 24 h after a natural mating, including 15 genes with transcript-level changes similarly observed in the spermathecae of mated females. The differentially-regulated genes are involved in diverse molecular processes, including immunity, proteolysis, neuronal function, transcription control, or contain predicted small-molecule binding and transport domains. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal that seminal fluid proteins, specifically, can induce gene expression responses after mating and identify gene targets to further investigate for roles in post-mating responses and potential use in vector control.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Alexandra Amaro
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | | | - Garrett P League
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Sylvie A Pitcher
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Frank W Avila
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, 050010, Colombia
| | - Priscilla C Cruz
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | | | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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3
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Xochipiltecatl D, Baixeras J, Cordero CR. Atypical functioning of female genitalia explains monandry in a butterfly. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12499. [PMID: 34900425 PMCID: PMC8614189 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Monandrous species are rare in nature, especially in animals where males transfer nutrients to females in the ejaculate. The proximate mechanisms responsible for monandry are poorly studied. In butterflies and moths, the male transfers a nutritious spermatophore into the corpus bursae (CB) of the female. The CB is a multifunctional organ that digests the spermatophore and has partial control of the post-mating sexual receptivity of the female. The spermatophore distends the CB and the post-mating sexual receptivity of the female is inversely proportional to the degree of distension. The CB of many butterfly species has a muscular sheath whose contractions mechanically contribute to digest the spermatophore. As the contents of the CB are absorbed, the degree of distension decreases and the female recovers receptivity. We studied the monandrous butterfly Leptophobia aripa (Boisduval, 1836) (Pieridae) and found that females do not digest the spermatophores. We investigated the structure of the CB and found that a muscular sheath is absent, indicating that in this butterfly females lack the necessary "apparatus" for the mechanical digestion of the spermatophore. We propose that female monandry in this species is result of its incapability to mechanically digest the spermatophore, which results in a constant degree of CB distension after mating and, thus, in the maintenance of the sexually unreceptive state of females. Hypotheses on the evolution of this mechanism are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Xochipiltecatl
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
| | - Joaquín Baixeras
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlos R Cordero
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
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4
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Ahmed-Braimah YH, Wolfner MF, Clark AG. Differences in Postmating Transcriptional Responses between Conspecific and Heterospecific Matings in Drosophila. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:986-999. [PMID: 33035303 PMCID: PMC7947788 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In many animal species, females undergo physiological and behavioral changes after mating. Some of these changes are driven by male-derived seminal fluid proteins and are critical for fertilization success. Unfortunately, our understanding of the molecular interplay between female and male reproductive proteins remains inadequate. Here, we analyze the postmating response in a Drosophila species that has evolved strong gametic incompatibility with its sister species; Drosophila novamexicana females produce only ∼1% fertilized eggs in crosses with Drosophila americana males, compared to ∼98% produced in within-species crosses. This incompatibility is likely caused by mismatched male and female reproductive molecules. In this study, we use short-read RNA sequencing to examine the evolutionary dynamics of female reproductive genes and the postmating transcriptome response in crosses within and between species. First, we found that most female reproductive tract genes are slow-evolving compared to the genome average. Second, postmating responses in con- and heterospecific matings are largely congruent, but heterospecific matings induce expression of additional stress-response genes. Some of those are immunity genes that are activated by the Imd pathway. We also identify several genes in the JAK/STAT signaling pathway that are induced in heterospecific, but not conspecific mating. While this immune response was most pronounced in the female reproductive tract, we also detect it in the female head and ovaries. These results show that the female's postmating transcriptome-level response is determined in part by the genotype of the male, and that divergence in male reproductive genes and/or traits can have immunogenic effects on females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasir H Ahmed-Braimah
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 13850
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244
| | - Mariana F Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 13850
| | - Andrew G Clark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 13850
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5
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Rowe M, Whittington E, Borziak K, Ravinet M, Eroukhmanoff F, Sætre GP, Dorus S. Molecular Diversification of the Seminal Fluid Proteome in a Recently Diverged Passerine Species Pair. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:488-506. [PMID: 31665510 PMCID: PMC6993853 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) mediate an array of postmating reproductive processes that influence fertilization and fertility. As such, it is widely held that SFPs may contribute to postmating, prezygotic reproductive barriers between closely related taxa. We investigated seminal fluid (SF) diversification in a recently diverged passerine species pair (Passer domesticus and Passer hispaniolensis) using a combination of proteomic and comparative evolutionary genomic approaches. First, we characterized and compared the SF proteome of the two species, revealing consistencies with known aspects of SFP biology and function in other taxa, including the presence and diversification of proteins involved in immunity and sperm maturation. Second, using whole-genome resequencing data, we assessed patterns of genomic differentiation between house and Spanish sparrows. These analyses detected divergent selection on immunity-related SF genes and positive selective sweeps in regions containing a number of SF genes that also exhibited protein abundance diversification between species. Finally, we analyzed the molecular evolution of SFPs across 11 passerine species and found a significantly higher rate of positive selection in SFPs compared with the rest of the genome, as well as significant enrichments for functional pathways related to immunity in the set of positively selected SF genes. Our results suggest that selection on immunity pathways is an important determinant of passerine SF composition and evolution. Assessing the role of immunity genes in speciation in other recently diverged taxa should be prioritized given the potential role for immunity-related proteins in reproductive incompatibilities in Passer sparrows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissah Rowe
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Emma Whittington
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
| | - Kirill Borziak
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
| | - Mark Ravinet
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fabrice Eroukhmanoff
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Glenn-Peter Sætre
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Steve Dorus
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
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6
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McCullough EL, McDonough CE, Pitnick S, Dorus S. Quantitative proteomics reveals rapid divergence in the postmating response of female reproductive tracts among sibling species. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201030. [PMID: 32576111 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertility depends, in part, on interactions between male and female reproductive proteins inside the female reproductive tract (FRT) that mediate postmating changes in female behaviour, morphology, and physiology. Coevolution between interacting proteins within species may drive reproductive incompatibilities between species, yet the mechanisms underlying postmating-prezygotic (PMPZ) isolating barriers remain poorly resolved. Here, we used quantitative proteomics in sibling Drosophila species to investigate the molecular composition of the FRT environment and its role in mediating species-specific postmating responses. We found that (i) FRT proteomes in D. simulans and D. mauritiana virgin females express unique combinations of secreted proteins and are enriched for distinct functional categories, (ii) mating induces substantial changes to the FRT proteome in D. mauritiana but not in D. simulans, and (iii) the D. simulans FRT proteome exhibits limited postmating changes irrespective of whether females mate with conspecific or heterospecific males, suggesting an active female role in mediating reproductive interactions. Comparisons with similar data in the closely related outgroup species D. melanogaster suggest that divergence is concentrated on the D. simulans lineage. Our study suggests that divergence in the FRT extracellular environment and postmating response contribute to previously described patterns of PMPZ isolation and the maintenance of species boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L McCullough
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Caitlin E McDonough
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Scott Pitnick
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Steve Dorus
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
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7
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Plakke MS, Walker JL, Lombardo JB, Goetz BJ, Pacella GN, Durrant JD, Clark NL, Morehouse NI. Characterization of Female Reproductive Proteases in a Butterfly from Functional and Evolutionary Perspectives. Physiol Biochem Zool 2019; 92:579-590. [DOI: 10.1086/705722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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8
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Sirot LK. On the evolutionary origins of insect seminal fluid proteins. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 278:104-111. [PMID: 30682344 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In most cases, proteins affect the phenotype of the individual in which they are produced. However, in some cases, proteins have evolved in such a way that they are able to influence the phenotype of another individual of the same or of a different species ("influential proteins"). Examples of interspecific influential proteins include venom proteins and proteins produced by parasites that influence their hosts' physiology or behavior. Examples of intraspecific influential proteins include those produced by both mothers and fetuses that mitigate maternal resource allocation and proteins transferred to females in the seminal fluid during mating that change female physiology and behavior. Although there has been much interest in the functions and evolutionary dynamics of these influential proteins, less is known about the origin of these proteins. Where does the DNA that encodes the proteins that can impact another individual's phenotype come from and how do the proteins acquire their influential abilities? In this mini-review, I use insect seminal fluid proteins as a case study to consider the origin of intraspecific influential proteins. The existing data suggest that influential insect seminal fluid proteins arise both through co-option of existing genes (both single copy genes and gene duplicates) and de novo evolution. Other mechanisms for the origin of new insect seminal fluid proteins (e.g., retrotransoposition and horizontal gene transfer) are plausible but have not yet been demonstrated. Additional gaps in our understanding of the origin of insect seminal fluid proteins include an understanding of the cis-regulatory elements that designate expression in the male reproductive tract and of the evolutionary steps by which individual proteins come to depend on other seminal fluid proteins for their activity within the mated female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura King Sirot
- Department of Biology, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691, United States.
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9
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Kumaran N, van der Burg CA, Qin Y, Cameron SL, Clarke AR, Prentis PJ. Plant-Mediated Female Transcriptomic Changes Post-Mating in a Tephritid Fruit Fly, Bactrocera tryoni. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:94-107. [PMID: 29220418 PMCID: PMC5765559 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Female post-mating behaviors are regulated by complex factors involving males, females, and the environment. In insects, plant secondary compounds that males actively forage for, may indirectly modify female behaviors by altering male behavior and physiology. In the tephritid fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, females mated with males previously fed on plant-derived phenylpropanoids (=“lures” based on usage in tephritid literature), have longer mating refractoriness, greater fecundity, and reduced longevity than females mated with non-lure fed males. This system thus provides a model for studying transcriptional changes associated with those post-mating behaviors, as the genes regulating the phenotypic changes are likely to be expressed at a greater magnitude than in control females. We performed comparative transcriptome analyses using virgin B. tryoni females, females mated with control males (control-mated), and females mated with lure-fed males (lure-mated). We found 331 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in control-mated females and 80 additional DEGs in lure-mated females. Although DEGs in control-mated females are mostly immune response genes and chorion proteins, as reported in Drosophila species, DEGs in lure-mated females are titin-like muscle proteins, histones, sperm, and testis expressed proteins which have not been previously reported. While transcripts regulating mating (e.g., lingerer) did not show differential expression in either of the mated female classes, the odorant binding protein Obp56a was down-regulated. The exclusively enriched or suppressed genes in lure-mated females, novel transcripts such as titin and histones, and several taxa-specific transcripts reported here can shed more light on post-mating transcriptional changes, and this can help understand factors possibly regulating female post-mating behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagalingam Kumaran
- School of Earth, Environmental, and Biological Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Chloé A van der Burg
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Yujia Qin
- School of Earth, Environmental, and Biological Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Stephen L Cameron
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN47907, USA
| | - Anthony R Clarke
- School of Earth, Environmental, and Biological Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter J Prentis
- School of Earth, Environmental, and Biological Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Institute of Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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10
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Non-Pleiotropic Coupling of Daily and Seasonal Temporal Isolation in the European Corn Borer. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9040180. [PMID: 29587435 PMCID: PMC5924522 DOI: 10.3390/genes9040180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Speciation often involves the coupling of multiple isolating barriers to produce reproductive isolation, but how coupling is generated among different premating barriers is unknown. We measure the degree of coupling between the daily mating time and seasonal mating time between strains of European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) and evaluate the hypothesis that the coupling of different forms of allochrony is due to a shared genetic architecture, involving genes with pleiotropic effects on both timing phenotypes. We measure differences in gene expression at peak mating times and compare these genes to previously identified candidates that are associated with changes in seasonal mating time between the corn borer strains. We find that the E strain, which mates earlier in the season, also mates 2.7 h earlier in the night than the Z strain. Earlier daily mating is correlated with the differences in expression of the circadian clock genes cycle, slimb, and vrille. However, different circadian clock genes associate with daily and seasonal timing, suggesting that the coupling of timing traits is maintained by natural selection rather than pleiotropy. Juvenile hormone gene expression was associated with both types of timing, suggesting that circadian genes activate common downstream modules that may impose constraint on future evolution of these traits.
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11
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Kozak GM, Wadsworth CB, Kahne SC, Bogdanowicz SM, Harrison RG, Coates BS, Dopman EB. A combination of sexual and ecological divergence contributes to rearrangement spread during initial stages of speciation. Mol Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.111/mwc.1403610.1111/mec.14036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve M. Kozak
- Department of Biology Tufts University 200 Boston Ave. Ste. 4700 Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - Crista B. Wadsworth
- Department of Biology Tufts University 200 Boston Ave. Ste. 4700 Medford MA 02155 USA
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health 677 Huntington Ave. Boston MA 02115 USA
| | - Shoshanna C. Kahne
- Department of Biology Tufts University 200 Boston Ave. Ste. 4700 Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - Steven M. Bogdanowicz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University 215 Tower Road Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Richard G. Harrison
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University 215 Tower Road Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Brad S. Coates
- Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit USDA‐ARS Iowa State University 103 Genetics Laboratory Ames IA 50011 USA
| | - Erik B. Dopman
- Department of Biology Tufts University 200 Boston Ave. Ste. 4700 Medford MA 02155 USA
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12
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Kozak GM, Wadsworth CB, Kahne SC, Bogdanowicz SM, Harrison RG, Coates BS, Dopman EB. A combination of sexual and ecological divergence contributes to rearrangement spread during initial stages of speciation. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:2331-2347. [PMID: 28141898 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomal rearrangements between sympatric species often contain multiple loci contributing to assortative mating, local adaptation and hybrid sterility. When and how these associations arise during the process of speciation remains a subject of debate. Here, we address the relative roles of local adaptation and assortative mating on the dynamics of rearrangement evolution by studying how a rearrangement covaries with sexual and ecological trait divergence within a species. Previously, a chromosomal rearrangement that suppresses recombination on the Z (sex) chromosome was identified in European corn borer moths (Ostrinia nubilalis). We further characterize this recombination suppressor and explore its association with variation in sex pheromone communication and seasonal ecological adaptation in pairs of populations that are divergent in one or both of these characteristics. Direct estimates of recombination suppression in pedigree mapping families indicated that more than 39% of the Z chromosome (encompassing up to ~10 megabases and ~300 genes) resides within a nonrecombining unit, including pheromone olfactory receptor genes and a major quantitative trait locus that contributes to ecotype differences (Pdd). Combining direct and indirect estimates of recombination suppression, we found that the rearrangement was occasionally present between sexually isolated strains (E vs. Z) and between divergent ecotypes (univoltine vs. bivoltine). However, it was only consistently present when populations differed in both sexual and ecological traits. Our results suggest that independent of the forces that drove the initial establishment of the rearrangement, a combination of sexual and ecological divergence is required for rearrangement spread during speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve M Kozak
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave. Ste. 4700, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Crista B Wadsworth
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave. Ste. 4700, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.,Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Shoshanna C Kahne
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave. Ste. 4700, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Steven M Bogdanowicz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Richard G Harrison
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Brad S Coates
- Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Iowa State University, 103 Genetics Laboratory, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Erik B Dopman
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave. Ste. 4700, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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13
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Al-Wathiqui N, Fallon TR, South A, Weng JK, Lewis SM. Molecular characterization of firefly nuptial gifts: a multi-omics approach sheds light on postcopulatory sexual selection. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38556. [PMID: 28004739 PMCID: PMC5177949 DOI: 10.1038/srep38556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Postcopulatory sexual selection is recognized as a key driver of reproductive trait evolution, including the machinery required to produce endogenous nuptial gifts. Despite the importance of such gifts, the molecular composition of the non-gametic components of male ejaculates and their interactions with female reproductive tracts remain poorly understood. During mating, male Photinus fireflies transfer to females a spermatophore gift manufactured by multiple reproductive glands. Here we combined transcriptomics of both male and female reproductive glands with proteomics and metabolomics to better understand the synthesis, composition and fate of the spermatophore in the common Eastern firefly, Photinus pyralis. Our transcriptome of male glands revealed up-regulation of proteases that may enhance male fertilization success and activate female immune response. Using bottom-up proteomics we identified 208 functionally annotated proteins that males transfer to the female in their spermatophore. Targeted metabolomic analysis also provided the first evidence that Photinus nuptial gifts contain lucibufagin, a firefly defensive toxin. The reproductive tracts of female fireflies showed increased gene expression for several proteases that may be involved in egg production. This study offers new insights into the molecular composition of male spermatophores, and extends our understanding of how nuptial gifts may mediate postcopulatory interactions between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy R Fallon
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Adam South
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jing-Ke Weng
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sara M Lewis
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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14
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Hashimoto K, Sugawara H, Hayashi F. Sclerotised spines in the female bursa associated with male's spermatophore production in cantharidin-producing false blister beetles. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 93-94:18-27. [PMID: 27498144 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Cantharidin is a defence chemical synthesised in only two beetle families Meloidae and Oedemeridae. In Meloidae, cantharidin is used as a defence chemical in eggs. However, in Oedemeridae the function of cantharidin remains unclear. Based on morphological comparison of female internal reproductive organs in 39 species of Oedemeridae, we found that some species have sclerotised spines in the bursa copulatrix (bursal spines), while others have no such spines. Molecular phylogenetic trees inferred from mitochondrial 16S and nuclear 28S rRNA gene sequences suggested multiple evolutionary origins of bursal spines from an ancestor without spines. In the species which lacked spines, males transferred small amounts of ejaculates to females; however, in species with spines, males transferred large spermatophores. Deposited spermatophores gradually disappeared in the bursa, probably owing to absorption. To compare the amounts of cantharidin in eggs laid by species with and without bursal spines, we constructed a new bioassay system using the small beetle Mecynotarsus tenuipes from the family Anthicidae. M. tenuipes individuals were attracted to droplets of cantharidin/acetone solution, and the level of attraction increased with cantharidin concentration. This bioassay demonstrated that the eggs of Nacerdes caudata and N. katoi, both of which species have conspicuous bursal spines, contain more cantharidin than the eggs of N. waterhousei, which lacks spines. In the former species, males transfer large spermatophores to the female, and spermatophores are eventually broken down and digested within the female's spiny bursa. Thus, females with bursal spines may be able to provide more cantharidin to their eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosei Hashimoto
- Department of Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiosawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.
| | - Hirotaka Sugawara
- Department of Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiosawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Fumio Hayashi
- Department of Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiosawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
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15
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Al-Wathiqui N, Dopman EB, Lewis SM. Postmating transcriptional changes in the female reproductive tract of the European corn borer moth. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 25:629-645. [PMID: 27329655 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Mating triggers a cascade of physiological and behavioural responses in females that persist after copulation. In insects, seminal fluid proteins contained within male ejaculates are known to initiate some responses, but our understanding of how females mediate these reactions remains limited. Few studies have examined postmating transcriptional changes within ejaculate-receiving organs within females or how these changes might depend on the identity of the male. Furthermore, whereas males of many insects transfer packaged ejaculates, transcriptional dynamics have mainly been examined in dipterans, in which males transfer a free ejaculate. To identify genes that may be important in mediating female physiological responses in a spermatophore-producing species, we sequenced the transcriptomes of the ejaculate-receiving organs and examined postmating gene expression within and between pheromone strains of the European corn borer (ECB) moth, Ostrinia nubilalis. After within-strain mating, significant differential expression of 978 transcripts occurred in the female bursa or its associated bursal gland, including peptidases, transmembrane transporters, and hormone processing genes; such genes may potentially play a role in postmating male-female interactions. We also identified 14 transcripts from the bursal gland that were differentially expressed after females mated with cross-strain males, representing candidates for previously observed postmating reproductive isolation between ECB strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Al-Wathiqui
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - E B Dopman
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - S M Lewis
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
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16
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Proteomics of reproductive systems: Towards a molecular understanding of postmating, prezygotic reproductive barriers. J Proteomics 2016; 135:26-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2015.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Meslin C, Plakke MS, Deutsch AB, Small BS, Morehouse NI, Clark NL. Digestive organ in the female reproductive tract borrows genes from multiple organ systems to adopt critical functions. Mol Biol Evol 2015; 32:1567-80. [PMID: 25725432 PMCID: PMC4572785 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msv048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent adaptive challenges are often met with the evolution of novel physiological traits. Although there are specific examples of single genes providing new physiological functions, studies on the origin of complex organ functions are lacking. One such derived set of complex functions is found in the Lepidopteran bursa copulatrix, an organ within the female reproductive tract that digests nutrients from the male ejaculate or spermatophore. Here, we characterized bursa physiology and the evolutionary mechanisms by which it was equipped with digestive and absorptive functionality. By studying the transcriptome of the bursa and eight other tissues, we revealed a suite of highly expressed and secreted gene products providing the bursa with a combination of stomach-like traits for mechanical and enzymatic digestion of the male spermatophore. By subsequently placing these bursa genes in an evolutionary framework, we found that the vast majority of their novel digestive functions were co-opted by borrowing genes that continue to be expressed in nonreproductive tissues. However, a number of bursa-specific genes have also arisen, some of which represent unique gene families restricted to Lepidoptera and may provide novel bursa-specific functions. This pattern of promiscuous gene borrowing and relatively infrequent evolution of tissue-specific duplicates stands in contrast to studies of the evolution of novelty via single gene co-option. Our results suggest that the evolution of complex organ-level phenotypes may often be enabled (and subsequently constrained) by changes in tissue specificity that allow expression of existing genes in novel contexts, such as reproduction. The extent to which the selective pressures encountered in these novel roles require resolution via duplication and sub/neofunctionalization is likely to be determined by the need for specialized reproductive functionality. Thus, complex physiological phenotypes such as that found in the bursa offer important opportunities for understanding the relative role of pleiotropy and specialization in adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Meslin
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | - Melissa S Plakke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | - Aaron B Deutsch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | - Brandon S Small
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | | | - Nathan L Clark
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
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