Project description:Exploring gene expression changes in samples of D. pseudoobscura after 157 generations of experimental monogamy or elevated polyandry. Two tissues (abdomens, heads), two sexes, two courtship statuses (virgin, courted) and 3 biological treatments (Baseline, Elevated promiscuity, Monogamy).
Project description:Investigation of gene expression level changes in evolved polygamous and monogamous populations of Drosophila melanogaster. The populations investigated are described in Hollis et al. 2011. Populations with elevated mutation load do not benefit from the operation of sexual selection. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 24: 1918-1926. A study using total RNA extracted from male and female virgin 4-day old Drosophila melanogaster and then transcriptionally profiled with 12x135k Nimblegen arrays. Also, transcriptional profiling of male and female heads from the same populations using Illumina RNA-Seq.
Project description:We used RNA sequencing to examine the transcriptomes of male and female heads from experimentally-evolved D. melanogaster populations after 117 generations of mating system manipulation in order to examine the pattern of evolution in sex-biased genes. Examined head transcriptomes of 3 monogamous populations and 3 polygamous populations, both males and females, for 12 total samples.
Project description:By combining an experimental evolution approach with genomic techniques, we investigated the effects of seminal fluid on female gene expression. In our study, we experimentally manipulated the mating system in replicate populations of D. melanogaster, by removing post-copulatory sexual selection, with the aim of testing differences in short term post-mating reaction of females evolved under different mating strategies. We show that monogamous females suffer decreased fecundity, regardless of the type of male they were mated with, and that their post-mating gene expression profiles differ significantly from promiscuous females, involving 1141 transcripts (9% of the genes tested). These transcripts are active in several tissues, mainly ovaries, neural tissues, midgut and spermathecae, and are involved in metabolic processes, reproduction and signaling pathways. Our results provide a list of candidate genes responsible for the decrease in female fecundity in the absence of post-copulatory sexual selection, and demonstrate how the female post-mating response can evolve under different mating systems over relatively short time frames. From an LHM base population, we created 8 replicate populations and maintained them under experimental evolution: 4 populations were allowed to mate only once every generation (monogamy), and the other 4 were kept under the standard mating protocol (promiscuous). After 46 generations, we crossed males and females within the same population and with individuals of the opposite treatment. Mated female flies were frozen 6 h after mating and RNA extracted. Two biological replicates per cross per population (2x2x8=32 samples).
Project description:In socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), parental behaviors not only occur in mothers and fathers, but also can exist in virgin males. However, some virgin males display aggressive behaviors towards conspecific pups. Although this behavioral dichotomy in response to pup exposure has been well documented in male virgin voles, little is known about the gene expression changes underlie the parental behavioral differences and their regulatory mechanisms. To address this, we profiled the transcriptome and DNA methylome of hippocampal dentate gyrus of four prairie vole groups, attacker virgin males, parental virgin males, fathers, and mothers. We found a concordant pattern of gene transcription in parental virgin males and fathers, when comparing to the attacker group. The methylome analysis also revealed pathways with genes enriched for epigenetic changes involving both receptor-mediated and secondary messenger signaling across both behavioral phenotypes and sexual experiences. Furthermore, we found correlations between gene expression changes and DNA methylation differences between attacker and parental virgin males, which suggests a canonical gene expression regulatory role of DNA methylation in paternal care. Therefore, our study presents an integrated view of transcriptome and epigenome that provides a DNA epigenetic based molecular insight of paternal behavior.
Project description:In socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), parental behaviors not only occur in mothers and fathers, but also can exist in virgin males. However, some virgin males display aggressive behaviors towards conspecific pups. Although this behavioral dichotomy in response to pup exposure has been well documented in male virgin voles, little is known about the gene expression changes underlie the parental behavioral differences and their regulatory mechanisms. To address this, we profiled the transcriptome and DNA methylome of hippocampal dentate gyrus of four prairie vole groups, attacker virgin males, parental virgin males, fathers, and mothers. We found a concordant pattern of gene transcription in parental virgin males and fathers, when comparing to the attacker group. The methylome analysis also revealed pathways with genes enriched for epigenetic changes involving both receptor-mediated and secondary messenger signaling across both behavioral phenotypes and sexual experiences. Furthermore, we found correlations between gene expression changes and DNA methylation differences between attacker and parental virgin males, which suggests a canonical gene expression regulatory role of DNA methylation in paternal care. Therefore, our study presents an integrated view of transcriptome and epigenome that provides a DNA epigenetic based molecular insight of paternal behavior.
Project description:Drosophila adult midgut genes with sex-biased transcription and/or splicing Sex differences in physiology are commonly attributed to developmental and/or hormonal factors, but there is increasing realisation that cell-intrinsic mechanisms play important and persistent roles. Here we use the Drosophila melanogaster intestine to investigate the activity and significance of intrinsic sex in an adult somatic organ in vivo. We find that the adult intestinal epithelium is a cellular mosaic of different sex differentiation pathways, and displays extensive sex differences in expression of genes with roles in growth and metabolism. Cell-specific reversals of the sexual identity of adult intestinal stem cells uncover its key roles in controlling organ size, its reproductive plasticity and susceptibility to tumours. Unlike previous examples of sexually dimorphic somatic stem cell activity, the sex differences in intestinal stem cell behaviour arise from intrinsic mechanisms, which control cell cycle duration and involve a new doublesex- and fruitless-independent branch of the sex differentiation pathway downstream of transformer. Together, our findings indicate that the plasticity of an adult somatic organ is reversibly controlled by its intrinsic sexual identity, imparted by a new mechanism that may be active in more tissues than previously recognised. Adult midgut transcriptomes of 15-day-old virgin female and males were generated by deep sequencing, in triplicate using a Hiseq2000 using paired end 100bp reads.
Project description:Identification of midgut genes with sex-biased transcription and/or splicing under cell-autonomous control of transformer in adult intestinal stem cells Sex differences in physiology are commonly attributed to developmental and/or hormonal factors, but there is increasing realisation that cell-intrinsic mechanisms play important and persistent roles. Here we use the Drosophila melanogaster intestine to investigate the activity and significance of intrinsic sex in an adult somatic organ in vivo. We find that the adult intestinal epithelium is a cellular mosaic of different sex differentiation pathways, and displays extensive sex differences in expression of genes with roles in growth and metabolism. Cell-specific reversals of the sexual identity of adult intestinal stem cells uncover its key roles in controlling organ size, its reproductive plasticity and susceptibility to tumours. Unlike previous examples of sexually dimorphic somatic stem cell activity, the sex differences in intestinal stem cell behaviour arise from intrinsic mechanisms, which control cell cycle duration and involve a new doublesex- and fruitless-independent branch of the sex differentiation pathway downstream of transformer. Together, our findings indicate that the plasticity of an adult somatic organ is reversibly controlled by its intrinsic sexual identity, imparted by a new mechanism that may be active in more tissues than previously recognised. Adult midgut transcriptomes of 15-day-old virgin females were generated by deep sequencing, in triplicate using a Hiseq2000 using paired end 100bp reads. Genotypes were: control, transformer mutant and transformer mutant female in which transformer was re-introduced in adult intestinal stem cells.