Abstract
Sexual reproduction in internally fertilizing species requires complex coordination between female and male reproductive systems and among the diverse tissues of the female reproductive tract (FRT). Here, we report a comprehensive, tissue-specific investigation of Drosophila melanogaster FRT gene expression before and after mating. We identified expression profiles that distinguished each tissue, including major differences between tissues with glandular or primarily non-glandular epithelium. All tissues were enriched for distinct sets of genes possessing secretion signals and exhibiting accelerated evolution, as might be expected for genes participating in molecular interactions between the sexes within the FRT extracellular environment. Despite robust transcriptional differences between tissues, post-mating responses were dominated by coordinated transient changes indicative of an integrated systems-level functional response. This comprehensive characterization of gene expression throughout the FRT identifies putative female contributions to post-copulatory events critical to reproduction and potentially reproductive isolation, as well as the putative targets of sexual selection and conflict.
Characterization of Toll-like receptors in the female reproductive tract in humans