Project description:Male-derived accessory gland proteins (Acps) that are transferred to females during mating have profound effects on female reproductive physiology including increased ovulation, mating inhibition, and effects on sperm utilization and storage. The extreme rates of evolution seen in Acps may be driven by sperm competition and sexual conflict, processes which may ultimately drive complex interactions between female- and male-derived molecules and sperm. However, little is known of how gene expression in female reproductive tissues changes in response to the presence of male molecules and sperm. To characterize this response, we conducted parallel genomic and proteomic analyses of gene expression in the reproductive tract of 3-day-old unmated and mated female Drosophila melanogaster. Using DNA microarrays, we identified 539 transcripts that are differentially expressed in unmated vs. mated females and revealed a striking peak in differential expression at 6 hrs postmating and a marked shift from primarily down-regulated to primarily up-regulated transcripts within 3 hrs after mating. Combining two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analyses, we identified 84 differentially expressed proteins at 3 hrs postmating, including proteins which appeared to undergo post-translational modification. Together, our observations define transcriptional and translational response to mating within the female reproductive tract and suggest a bimodal model of postmating gene expression initially correlated with mating and the final stages of female reproductive tract maturation and later with the declining presence of male reproductive molecules and with sperm maintenance and utilization. Experiment Overall Design: Three-day-old mated and unmated females were dissected to remove the lower reproductive tract (upper uterus, sperm-storage organs, and accessory glands). Mated females were dissected either immediately following mating (0 hr) or at 3, 6, or 24 hrs following the termination of mating. Tracts of 12-40 females of like category were pooled and total RNA extracted via a TRIzol-based protocol. Processing and labeling of transcript was performed by the Molecular Biology Core Facility at the Medical College of Georgia. Arrays from mated females at the different timepoints were compared to unmated females.
Project description:Male-derived accessory gland proteins (Acps) that are transferred to females during mating have profound effects on female reproductive physiology including increased ovulation, mating inhibition, and effects on sperm utilization and storage. The extreme rates of evolution seen in Acps may be driven by sperm competition and sexual conflict, processes which may ultimately drive complex interactions between female- and male-derived molecules and sperm. However, little is known of how gene expression in female reproductive tissues changes in response to the presence of male molecules and sperm. To characterize this response, we conducted parallel genomic and proteomic analyses of gene expression in the reproductive tract of 3-day-old unmated and mated female Drosophila melanogaster. Using DNA microarrays, we identified 539 transcripts that are differentially expressed in unmated vs. mated females and revealed a striking peak in differential expression at 6 hrs postmating and a marked shift from primarily down-regulated to primarily up-regulated transcripts within 3 hrs after mating. Combining two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analyses, we identified 84 differentially expressed proteins at 3 hrs postmating, including proteins which appeared to undergo post-translational modification. Together, our observations define transcriptional and translational response to mating within the female reproductive tract and suggest a bimodal model of postmating gene expression initially correlated with mating and the final stages of female reproductive tract maturation and later with the declining presence of male reproductive molecules and with sperm maintenance and utilization. Keywords: keywords: reproduction, reproductive tract, accessory gland proteins, sperm, timecourse
Project description:In insects, male accessory gland proteins (ACPs) are important reproductive proteins secreted by male accessory glands (MAGs) of the internal male reproductive system. During mating, ACPs were transferred along with sperms inside female bodies and have a significant impact on the physiology of female reproduction. Under sexual selection pressures, the ACPs exhibit remarkably rapid and divergent evolution and varies from species to species. The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is a major insect pest of cruciferous vegetables worldwide. The reproductive physiology on post-mating state of this species is still largely unknown, which is important for management of this pest. In this study, the ACPs transferred into females during mating were identified by using a tandem mass tags quantitative proteomic analysis. The MAGs were compared before and after mating immediately. In total, we identified 123 putative secreted ACPs, including most important physiological: regulators of proteolysis, transporters and protein export machinery, signal transduction and immunity. Comparing P. xylostella with other four insect ACPs, trypsins were the only ACPs detected in all insect species. This was the first time to identify and analyze ACPs in P. xylostella. Our results have provided an important list of putative secreted ACPs, and have set the stage for further explore functions of these putative proteins in P. xylostella reproduction.
Project description:In Drosophila, the accessory gland proteins (Acps) secreted from the male accessory glands (MAGs) and transferred along with sperm into the female reproductive tract have been implicated in triggering postmating behavioral changes, including refractoriness to subsequent mating and propensity to egg laying. Recently, Acps have been found also in Anopheles, suggesting similar functions. Understanding the mechanisms underlying transcriptional regulation of Acps and their functional role in modulating Anopheles postmating behavior may lead to the identification of novel vector control strategies to reduce mosquito populations. We identified heat-shock factor (HSF) binding sites within the Acp promoters of male Anopheles gambiae and discovered three distinct Hsf isoforms; one being significantly up-regulated in the MAGs after mating. Through genome-wide transcription analysis of Hsf-silenced males, we observed significant down-regulation in 50% of the Acp genes if compared to control males treated with a construct directed against an unrelated bacterial sequence. Treated males retained normal life span and reproductive behavior compared to control males. However, mated wild-type females showed a ∼46% reduction of egg deposition rate and a ∼23% reduction of hatching rate (∼58% combined reduction of progeny). Our results highlight an unsuspected role of HSF in regulating Acp transcription in A. gambiae and provide evidence that Acp down-regulation in males leads a significant reduction of progeny, thus opening new avenues toward the development of novel vector control strategies.
Project description:In insects, male accessory gland proteins (ACPs) are important reproductive proteins secreted by male accessory glands (MAGs) of the internal male reproductive system. During mating, ACPs were transferred along with sperms inside female bodies and have a significant impact on the physiology of female reproduction. Under sexual selection pressures, the ACPs exhibit remarkably rapid and divergent evolution and varies from species to species. The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is a major insect pest of cruciferous vegetables worldwide. The reproductive physiology on post-mating state of this species is still largely unknown, which is important for management of this pest. In this study, the ACPs transferred into females during mating were identified by using a tandem mass tags quantitative proteomic analysis. The MAGs were compared before and after mating immediately. The proteomes of copulatory bursas (CB) in mated females shortly after mating were also analyzed by shotgun LC-MS/MS technique. In total, we identified 123 putative secreted ACPs, including most important physiological: regulators of proteolysis, transporters and protein export machinery, signal transduction and immunity. Comparing P. xylostella with other four insect ACPs, trypsins were the only ACPs detected in all insect species. We also identified some new insect ACPs, including protein with chitin binding Peritrophin-A domain, PMP-22/EMP/MP20/Claudin tight junction domain-containing protein, netrin-1, type II inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 5-phosphatase, two spaetzles, allatostatin-CC and cuticular protein. This was the first time to identify and analyze ACPs in P. xylostella. Our results have provided an important list of putative secreted ACPs, and have set the stage for further explore functions of these putative proteins in P. xylostella reproduction.
Project description:The female’s reproductive tract is exposed directly to the male’s ejaculate, making it a hotspot for mating-induced responses shortly after mating. In Drosophila melanogaster, changes in the reproductive tract are essential to optimize fertilization. To detect the earliest gene regulatory events that underlie these changes, we measured transcript abundances using RNA-seq and microRNA-seq of reproductive tracts of unmated females and females collected within 10-15 minutes after the end of mating, either to a wildtype male or to a male with defective BMP signaling in secondary cells of the accessory gland, which influences the composition of the male’s ejaculate. We observed transcript abundance changes for genes with roles in tissue morphogenesis, wound healing, the immune response and metabolism. Strikingly, predicted targets of microRNAs that respond to mating are enriched for overlapping functions, suggesting that mating-induced changes are in part regulated by microRNAs. Most of the differentially expressed RNAs are upregulated in response to mating, while most of the differentially expressed microRNAs are downregulated. This pattern suggests a response of activation and de-repression of gene programs that switch the reproductive tract to a “mated” state, rather than a repression of virgin-specific programs. Male genotype did not influence transcript levels, indicating that the earliest transcriptomic responses in the reproductive tract are not dependent on ejaculate components that require BMP signaling in secondary cells. Our results shed light on the molecular changes that accompany very early responses to mating and present candidate genes and microRNAs that can be further examined for their participation in alterations of the reproductive tract microenvironment in response to signals from the male.