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Evolution of sex-peptide in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: The Drosophila sex-peptide (SP) has been identified as a seminal fluid component that induces post-mating responses (PMRs) in the inseminated females, such as inhibition of remating and stimulation of egg-laying. SP has been thought to play a central role in sexual conflict and sexually antagonistic co-evolution. Most of the sequenced Drosophila genomes contain SP orthologs, but their functions have been poorly characterized. Recently, we have investigated cross-species activity of D. melanogaster SP by means of injection into virgin females of other species. Among 11 species examined, SP response was observed in 6 species belonging to the D. melanogaster species group only. These species females express SP receptor (SPR) in their oviducts at relatively high levels, which was visualized by using a GFP-tagged SP. Furthermore, females of this species group responded to their own SP orthologs. However, females of the species outside the group did not respond to their own SP orthologs, even though all of them were potent inducers of SP-response in D. melanogaster. Our results suggested that the SP/SPR-mediated PMR was established in the lineage of the D. melanogaster species group.

SUBMITTER: Tsuda M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5036924 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Sex determining mechanisms are evolutionarily labile and related species often use different primary signals and gene regulatory networks. This is well illustrated by the sex determining cascade of Drosophila fruitflies, which have recruited Sex-lethal as the master switch and cellular memory of sexual identity, a role performed in other insects by the gene transformer. Here we investigate the evolutionary change in the coding sequences of sex determining genes associated with the recruitment of Sex-lethal. We analyze sequences of Sex-lethal itself, its Drosophila paralogue sister-or-Sex-lethal and downstream targets transformer and doublesex. RESULTS: We find that the recruitment of sister-or-Sex-lethal was associated with a number of adaptive amino acid substitutions, followed by a tightening of purifying selection within the Drosophila clade. Sequences of the paralogue sister-or-Sex-lethal, in contrast, show a signature of rampant positive selection and relaxation of purifying selection. The recruitment of Sex-lethal as top regulator and memory gene is associated with a significant release from purifying selection in transformer throughout the Drosophila clade. In addition, doublesex shows a signature of positive selection and relaxation of purifying selection in the Drosophila clade. A similar pattern is seen in sequences from the sister Tephritidae clade. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of molecular evolution we observe for Sex-lethal and its paralogue sister-or-Sex-lethal is not characteristic of a duplication followed by neo-functionalization. Rather, evidence suggests a sub-functionalization scenario achieved through the evolution of sophisticated splicing. As expected, we find that transformer evolves under relaxed purifying selection after the recruitment of Sex-lethal in Drosophila. Finally, the observation of doublesex adaptation in both Drosophila and Tephritidae suggests that these changes are due to ongoing adaptation of downstream sex-specific regulation, rather than being associated the recruitment of Sex-lethal and the resulting change in the topology of the sex determining cascade.

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Evolution of sex-peptide in Drosophila.

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