Dataset Information

Molecular characterization of firefly nuptial gifts: a multi-omics approach sheds light on postcopulatory sexual selection

ABSTRACT: Postcopulatory sexual selection is recognized as a key driver of reproductive trait evolution, including the machinery required to produce endogenous nuptial gifts. Despite the importance of such gifts, the molecular composition of the non-gametic components of male ejaculates and their interactions with female reproductive tracts remain poorly understood. During mating, male Photinus fireflies transfer to females a spermatophore gift manufactured by multiple reproductive glands. Here we combined transcriptomics of both male and female reproductive glands with proteomics and metabolomics to better understand the synthesis, composition and fate of the spermatophore in the common Eastern firefly, Photinus pyralis. Our transcriptome of male glands revealed up-regulation of proteases that may enhance male fertilization success and activate female immune response. Using bottom-up proteomics we identified 208 functionally annotated proteins that males transfer to the female in their spermatophore. Targeted metabolomic analysis also provided the first evidence that Photinus nuptial gifts contain lucibufagin, a firefly defensive toxin. The reproductive tracts of female fireflies showed increased gene expression for several proteases that may be involved in egg production. This study offers new insights into the molecular composition of male spermatophores, and extends our understanding of how nuptial gifts may mediate postcopulatory interactions between the sexes.

OTHER RELATED OMICS DATASETS IN: PXD018322PXD006154PRJNA328865

INSTRUMENT(S): Exactive (Thermo Scientific)

SUBMITTER: Timothy R Fallon

PROVIDER: MTBLS362 | MetaboLights | 2016-12-22

REPOSITORIES: MetaboLights

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Dataset's files

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			Action	DRS
	MTBLS362	Other
	FILES	Other
	a_MTBLS362_photinus_pyralis_spermatophore_comparative_lc-esi-hram-ms_metabolite_profiling_mass_spectrometry.txt	Txt
	i_Investigation.txt	Txt
	m_MTBLS362_photinus_pyralis_spermatophore_comparative_lc-esi-hram-ms_metabolite_profiling_mass_spectrometry_v2_maf.tsv	Tabular

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Publications

Molecular characterization of firefly nuptial gifts: a multi-omics approach sheds light on postcopulatory sexual selection.

Al-Wathiqui Nooria N Fallon Timothy R TR South Adam A Weng Jing-Ke JK Lewis Sara M SM

Scientific reports 20161222

Postcopulatory sexual selection is recognized as a key driver of reproductive trait evolution, including the machinery required to produce endogenous nuptial gifts. Despite the importance of such gifts, the molecular composition of the non-gametic components of male ejaculates and their interactions with female reproductive tracts remain poorly understood. During mating, male Photinus fireflies transfer to females a spermatophore gift manufactured by multiple reproductive glands. Here we combine ...[more]

PMID: 28004739

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Project description:In internally fertilizing organisms, mating involves a series of highly coordinated molecular interactions between the sexes that occur within the female reproductive tract. In species with promiscuous mating systems, traits involved in postcopulatory interactions are expected to evolve rapidly, potentially leading to postmating-prezygotic (PMPZ) reproductive isolation between diverging populations. Here, we use a novel study design to investigate the postmating transcriptional response of Drosophila mojavensis female reproductive tracts following copulation with either conspecific or heterospecific (D. arizonae) males at three time points postmating. Relatively few genes (15 total) were transcriptionally regulated in the female lower reproductive tract in response to conspecific mating. Heterospecifically-mated females exhibited significant perturbations in the expression of the majority of these genes, and also downregulated transcription of a number of others, including several involved in mitochondrial function. These striking regulatory differences indicate failed postcopulatory molecular interactions between the sexes consistent with the strong PMPZ isolation observed for this cross. We also report, for the first time, the transfer of male mRNA transcripts to females during copulation. These included transcripts from male accessory-gland proteins (ACPs), a finding with potentially broad implications for understanding postcopulatory molecular interactions between the sexes. Dataset from Postmating transcriptional changes in reproductive tracts of con- and heterospecifically-mated Drosophila mojavensis females Bono, JM, Matzkin,LM, Kelleher, ES, and Markow, MA, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. The treatments were con- and heterospecific mated D. mojavensis females. Three different post-copulation times points were assayed, 15 minutes, 2 hours and 6 hours. For each time point there were two independent replicates. Additionally, two replicates of a virgin D. mojavensis female control were assayed. A total of 14 arrays. All RNA extractions were from the lower reproductive tract of females.

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