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Van Bocxlaer I, Treer D, Maex M, Vandebergh W, Janssenswillen S, Stegen G, Kok P, Willaert B, Matthijs S, Martens E, Mortier A, de Greve H, Proost P, Bossuyt F. Side-by-side secretion of Late Palaeozoic diverged courtship pheromones in an aquatic salamander. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20142960. [PMID: 25694622 PMCID: PMC4345460 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Males of the advanced salamanders (Salamandroidea) attain internal fertilization without a copulatory organ by depositing a spermatophore on the substrate in the environment, which females subsequently take up with their cloaca. The aquatically reproducing modern Eurasian newts (Salamandridae) have taken this to extremes, because most species do not display close physical contact during courtship, but instead largely rely on females following the male track at spermatophore deposition. Although pheromones have been widely assumed to represent an important aspect of male courtship, molecules able to induce the female following behaviour that is the prelude for successful insemination have not yet been identified. Here, we show that uncleaved sodefrin precursor-like factor (SPF) protein pheromones are sufficient to elicit such behaviour in female palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus). Combined transcriptomic and proteomic evidence shows that males simultaneously tail-fan multiple ca 20 kDa glycosylated SPF proteins during courtship. Notably, molecular dating estimates show that the diversification of these proteins already started in the late Palaeozoic, about 300 million years ago. Our study thus not only extends the use of uncleaved SPF proteins outside terrestrially reproducing plethodontid salamanders, but also reveals one of the oldest vertebrate pheromone systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Van Bocxlaer
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dag Treer
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Margo Maex
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wim Vandebergh
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sunita Janssenswillen
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gwij Stegen
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Philippe Kok
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bert Willaert
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Severine Matthijs
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Erik Martens
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U. Leuven), Minderbroedersstraat 10-Box 1030, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anneleen Mortier
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U. Leuven), Minderbroedersstraat 10-Box 1030, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Henri de Greve
- Structural and Molecular Microbiology, Structural Biology Research Centre, VIB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Paul Proost
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U. Leuven), Minderbroedersstraat 10-Box 1030, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Franky Bossuyt
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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Vallesi A, Alimenti C, Federici S, Di Giuseppe G, Dini F, Guella G, Luporini P. Evidence for gene duplication and allelic codominance (not hierarchical dominance) at the mating-type locus of the ciliate, Euplotes crassus. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2014; 61:620-9. [PMID: 25040318 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The high-multiple mating system of Euplotes crassus is known to be controlled by multiple alleles segregating at a single locus and manifesting relationships of hierarchical dominance, so that heterozygous cells would produce a single mating-type substance (pheromone). In strain L-2D, now known to be homozygous at the mating-type locus, we previously identified two pheromones (Ec-α and Ec-1) characterized by significant variations in their amino acid sequences and structure of their macronuclear coding genes. In this study, pheromones and macronuclear coding genes have been analyzed in strain POR-73 characterized by a heterozygous genotype and strong mating compatibility with L-2D strain. It was found that POR-73 cells contain three distinct pheromone coding genes and, accordingly, secrete three distinct pheromones. One pheromone revealed structural identity in amino acid sequence and macronuclear coding gene to the Ec-α pheromone of L-2D cells. The other two pheromones were shown to be new and were designated Ec-2 and Ec-3 to denote their structural homology with the Ec-1 pheromone of L-2D cells. We interpreted these results as evidence of a phenomenon of gene duplication at the E. crassus mating-type locus, and lack of hierarchical dominance in the expression of the macronuclear pheromone genes in cells with heterozygous genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Vallesi
- Laboratory of Eukaryotic Microbiology and Animal Biology, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
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