scholarly journals Condition dependent seminal fluid gene expression and intergenerational paternal effects on ejaculate quality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh W. Simmons ◽  
Soon Hwee Ng ◽  
Maxine Lovegrove
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Seminal Fluid ◽  
Paternal Effects

scholarly journals Social manipulation of sperm competition intensity reduces seminal fluid gene expression

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 20170659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia S. Sloan ◽  
Maxine Lovegrove ◽  
Leigh W. Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Seminal Fluid ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Accessory Gland ◽  
Fluid Composition ◽  
Competition Intensity ◽  
Teleogryllus Oceanicus ◽  
Sperm Competition Risk ◽  
Considerable Body

A considerable body of evidence supports the prediction that males should increase their expenditure on the ejaculate in response to sperm competition risk. The prediction that they should reduce their expenditure with increasing sperm competition intensity is less well supported. Moreover, most studies have documented plasticity in sperm numbers. Here we show that male crickets Teleogryllus oceanicus exhibit reduced seminal fluid gene expression and accessory gland mass in response to elevated sperm competition intensity. Together with previous research, our findings suggest that strategic adjustments in seminal fluid composition contribute to competitive fertilization success in this species.

scholarly journals High-protein paternal diet confers an advantage to sons in sperm competition

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 20160914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Zajitschek ◽  
Susanne Zajitschek ◽  
Mollie Manier
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Sperm Competition ◽  
High Protein Diet ◽  
High Protein ◽  
Larval Diet ◽  
Paternal Effects ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
Reproductive Processes ◽  
Paternity Success

Parental environment can widely influence offspring phenotype, but paternal effects in the absence of parental care remain poorly understood. We asked if protein content in the larval diet of fathers affected paternity success and gene expression in their sons. We found that males reared on high-protein diet had sons that fared better during sperm competition, suggesting that postcopulatory sexual selection is subject to transgenerational paternal effects. Moreover, immune response genes were downregulated in sons of low-protein fathers, while genes involved in metabolic and reproductive processes were upregulated.

scholarly journals Functional genome annotation of Drosophila seminal fluid proteins using transcriptional genetic networks

2011 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 387-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
JULIEN F. AYROLES ◽  
BROOKE A. LAFLAMME ◽  
ERIC A. STONE ◽  
MARIANA F. WOLFNER ◽  
TRUDY F. C. MACKAY
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Seminal Fluid ◽  
Gene Annotation ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Seminal Fluid Proteins ◽  
High Throughput Method ◽  
Seminal Fluid Protein ◽  
Functional Genome Annotation

SummaryPredicting functional gene annotations remains a significant challenge, even in well-annotated genomes such as yeast and Drosophila. One promising, high-throughput method for gene annotation is to use correlated gene expression patterns to annotate target genes based on the known function of focal genes. The Drosophila melanogaster transcriptome varies genetically among wild-derived inbred lines, with strong genetic correlations among the transcripts. Here, we leveraged the genetic correlations in gene expression among known seminal fluid protein (SFP) genes and the rest of the genetically varying transcriptome to identify 176 novel candidate SFPs (cSFPs). We independently validated the correlation in gene expression between seven of the cSFPs and a known SFP gene, as well as expression in male reproductive tissues. We argue that this method can be extended to other systems for which information on genetic variation in gene expression is available.

scholarly journals Ejaculate-mediated paternal effects: evidence, mechanisms and evolutionary implications

Reproduction ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 157 (4) ◽  
pp. R109-R126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan P Evans ◽  
Alastair J Wilson ◽  
Andrea Pilastro ◽  
Francisco Garcia-Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequence ◽  
Sperm Cell ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Seminal Fluid ◽  
Complex Trait ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Haploid Genome ◽  
Paternal Effects ◽  
Induced Changes

Despite serving the primary objective of ensuring that at least one sperm cell reaches and fertilises an ovum, the male ejaculate (i.e. spermatozoa and seminal fluid) is a compositionally complex ‘trait’ that can respond phenotypically to subtle changes in conditions. In particular, recent research has shown that environmentally and genetically induced changes to ejaculates can have implications for offspring traits that are independent of the DNA sequence encoded into the sperm’s haploid genome. In this review, we compile evidence from several disciplines and numerous taxonomic systems to reveal the extent of such ejaculate-mediated paternal effects (EMPEs). We consider a number of environmental and genetic factors that have been shown to impact offspring phenotypes via ejaculates, and where possible, we highlight the putative mechanistic pathways by which ejaculates can act as conduits for paternal effects. We also highlight how females themselves can influence EMPEs, and in some cases, how maternally derived sources of variance may confound attempts to test for EMPEs. Finally, we consider a range of putative evolutionary implications of EMPEs and suggest a number of potentially useful approaches for exploring these further. Overall, our review confirms that EMPEs are both widespread and varied in their effects, although studies reporting their evolutionary effects are still in their infancy.

scholarly journals Maternal modulation of paternal effects on offspring development

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1874) ◽  
pp. 20180118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahia Mashoodh ◽  
Ireneusz B. Habrylo ◽  
Kathryn M. Gudsnuk ◽  
Geralyn Pelle ◽  
Frances A. Champagne
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Embryo Transfer ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Maternal Investment ◽  
Female Offspring ◽  
Paternal Effects ◽  
Offspring Development ◽  
Male Mate ◽  
Mating Conditions ◽  
The Impact

The paternal transmission of environmentally induced phenotypes across generations has been reported to occur following a number of qualitatively different exposures and appear to be driven, at least in part, by epigenetic factors that are inherited via the sperm. However, previous studies of paternal germline transmission have not addressed the role of mothers in the propagation of paternal effects to offspring. We hypothesized that paternal exposure to nutritional restriction would impact male mate quality and subsequent maternal reproductive investment with consequences for the transmission of paternal germline effects. In the current report, using embryo transfer in mice, we demonstrate that sperm factors in adult food restricted males can influence growth rate, hypothalamic gene expression and behaviour in female offspring. However, under natural mating conditions females mated with food restricted males show increased pre- and postnatal care, and phenotypic outcomes observed during embryo transfer conditions are absent or reversed. We demonstrate that these compensatory changes in maternal investment are associated with a reduced mate preference for food restricted males and elevated gene expression within the maternal hypothalamus. Therefore, paternal experience can influence offspring development via germline inheritance, but mothers can serve as a modulating factor in determining the impact of paternal influences on offspring development.

Author response for "Divergence of seminal fluid gene expression and function among natural snail populations"

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumi Nakadera ◽  
Alice Thornton Smith ◽  
Léa Daupagne ◽  
Marie‐Agnès Coutellec ◽  
Joris M. Koene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Seminal Fluid ◽  
Author Response ◽  
And Function

A genome-wide analysis of courting and mating responses in Drosophila melanogaster females

Genome ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 900-910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara KN Lawniczak ◽  
David J Begun
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Seminal Fluid ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Female Side ◽  
Accessory Gland Proteins ◽  
Seminal Fluid Proteins ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Immune Related Genes

In Drosophila melanogaster, seminal fluid proteins influence several components of female physiology and behavior, including re-mating rates, ovulation and oviposition, and sperm use. It is well-known that female flies are not simply passive vessels and that female-mediated interactions with male products are important to female (and thus male) reproductive success. While the population genetics, molecular evolution and physiological effects of seminal fluid proteins have been examined, the genetics and evolution of the female side of these post-mating interactions is unexplored in spite of work showing that female genotype and female-by-male genotype interactions are important determinants of sperm competition outcomes. Here we use microarrays to identify candidate genes involved in the female side of post-mating sexual interactions. We report the results of a whole-genome oligonucleotide chip experiment that reveals 23 genes differentially expressed between virgin females exposed and unexposed to courting males, and 38 genes differentially expressed between virgin and recently mated females. Immune related genes are overrepresented among the mating-influenced candidates. We use quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR to independently assess gene expression changes for roughly half of the mating-affected candidate genes.Key words: reproduction, gene expression, Drosophila immune related genes, serine proteases, accessory gland proteins.

Effects of male and female age on mating success in Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akimasa Morita ◽  
Mohammad Shaef Ullah ◽  
Reo Sugawara ◽  
Tetsuo Gotoh
Keyword(s):  
Tetranychus Urticae ◽  
Male Fertility ◽  
Seminal Fluid ◽  
Female Offspring ◽  
Paternal Effects ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Male Age ◽  
Virgin Male ◽  
Tetranychus Urticae Koch ◽  
Mating Time

Females of most arthropods undergo multiple matings, most often with different males (polyandry) but sometimes with the same male (repeated matings). Arthropod seminal fluid contains components that are known to stimulate their fecundity and fertility. In spider mites, much is known about the paternal effects on offspring phenotypes, but nothing is known about how the age of males affects their fertility. In Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), the female offspring ratio is known to decrease with time. Here, we attempted to clarify whether the decrease is due to sperm deletion or a decrease in male fertility ability with age. Female age had significantly increase the fecundity. Older virgin females that mated with virgin males produced fewer female offspring. Female age at mating was negatively related to the mating time (= copulation time, sec) but not to the premating time (sec) after introduction of a virgin male. The mating time tended to decrease with increasing age at mating. Male fertility defined as the proportion of female offspring produced, and male fertility declines with male age and number of matings, even no female offspring produced in some cases. These results suggest that increased male age at mating is associated with sperm depletion, which in turn affects the number of progeny as well as the phenotype of the progeny in the subsequent generation.

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