Project description:To determine whether paternal methamphetamine exposure alters the development, behavior and gene expression of first (F1) and second (F2) generations. We administrated methamphetamine (5 mg/kg) or saline (10 ml/kg) to sire (F0) and performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of striatum of 7-week-old male F1 mice. Male F1 mice were mated with untreated female mice to obtain F2 mice. Male F1 mice were mated with female mice to obtain F2 mice. RNA-seq of striatum of 7-week-old male F2 mice was also analyzed in the same way.
Project description:Gene expression profiles comparing controls (1) with females mated with vasectomized male (2) or normal males (3). Three-condition experiment: 1 vs. 2; 1 vs. 3; 2 vs. 3. RNA source: 1. pool of 10 females control; 2. pool of 10 females in estrous mated with vasectomized male; 3. pool of 10 females in estrous mated with normal male.
Project description:Geographical and host plant influences on transcriptional variation in Drosophila mojavensis: mapping gene expression differences in both sexes. (1. Punta Onah:PO07; 2. Organ Pipe National Monument:OPNM08; 3. Punta Prieta:PP08; & 4. San Quintin:SQ08). The experiment was designed to investigate effects of host plant (diet), mating status (mated:M or nonmated:V) and sex (male:male or Female:F) on transcriptome.
Project description:Sperm samples were extracted from adult A. aegypti male seminal vesicles. Semen samples were extracted from bursa of recently mated bursa of N15 labeled females. The goal was to differentiate between the contribution of seminal fluid proteins and sperm proteins in the semen transfered to the female. Our results yield insights into the molecular function, genome organization, regulation, and evolution of sperm proteins and SFPs in this important disease vector.
Project description:We present data using a novel method to simultaneously identify and quantify transferred male seminal proteins and the female reproductive proteome using multiplexed Tandem-Mass-Tag (TMT) isobaric labelling of the lower female reproductive tracts dissected from virgin- or recently mated- females of three species of the virilis group. We identified over 200 putative male ejaculate proteins many of which show differential abundance between species. We also identified over 2000 proteins providing the first description of the Drosophila female reproductive tract proteome outside of the melanogaster group which also shows significant divergence between species. We then assessed the utility of species-specific compared to single species query databases for protein identification and quantification.
Project description:Insects, unlike vertebrates, are generally believed to lack steroid hormones with functions predominantly associated with adult male biology. In the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae, the ecdysteroid 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) appears to both control egg development in females and induce mating refractoriness and oviposition when sexually transferred by males. Here we show that these sex-specific functions are instead carried out by distinct steroids. We identify a male-specific oxidized form of 20E (3D20E) that upon sexual transfer switches off female mating receptivity, ensuring male paternity. Endogenous female 20E does not induce mating refractoriness, while it triggers oviposition in mated females when expression of a 20E-inhibiting kinase is repressed. 3D20E and 20E have different downstream targets, with 3D20E inducing expression of a tolerance factor that preserves female fitness during Plasmodium infection. The evolution of this male steroid has therefore not only shaped the mating biology of An. gambiae, but also impacted malaria transmission.
Project description:Purpose: Mating induces a multitude of changes in female behavior, physiology and gene expression. Interactions between female and male genotype lead to variation in post-mating phenotypes and reproductive success. So far, few female molecules responsible for these interactions have been identified. Methods: We used Drosophila melanogaster from five geographically dispersed populations to investigate such female x male genotypic interactions at the female transcriptomic and phenotypic levels. Methods: Females from each line were singly-mated to males from the same five lines, for a total of 25 combinations. To assess whether female x male genotypic interactions affect the female post-mating transcriptome, next-generation RNA sequencing was performed on virgin and mated females at 5 to 6 hours post-mating. Results: Seventy-seven genes showed strong variation in mating-induced expression changes in a female x male genotype-dependent manner. These genes were enriched for immune response and odorant-binding functions, and for expression exclusively in the head. Conclusions: The transcriptional variation found in specific functional classes of genes might be a read-out of female x male compatibility at a molecular level. Understanding the roles these genes play in the female post-mating response will be crucial to better understand the evolution of post-mating responses and related conflicts between the sexes.
Project description:In Drosophila melanogaster, mating radically transforms female physiology and behavior. Post-mating responses include an increase in the oviposition rate, a reduction in female receptivity, and an activation of the immune system . The fitness consequences of mating are similarly dramatic – females must mate once in order to produce fertile eggs, but additional matings have a clear negative effect. Previously, microarrays have been used to examine gene expression of females differing in their reproductive status with the aim of identifying genes influenced by mating. However, since only virgin and single mated females were compared, transcriptional changes associated with reproduction (under natural selection) and the effects of male-induced harm (under sexually antagonistic selection) cannot be disentangled. We partitioned these fundamentally different effects by instead examining the expression profiles of virgin, single mated and double mated females. We found substantial effects relating to reproduction and further effects that are only attributable to a second mating. Immune response genes dominate this male-induced harm effect indicating that the cost of mating may be due partly to this system's activation. We propose that both sexually antagonistic and natural selection have been important in the evolution of the innate immunity genes, thereby contributing to the sexual dimorphismand rapid evolution at these loci. Keywords: Female response to mating