The Experts below are selected from a list of 9714 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Mariana F. Wolfner - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
cleavage of the drosophila seminal protein acp36de in mated females enhances its Sperm Storage activity
Journal of Insect Physiology, 2017Co-Authors: Frank W Avila, Mariana F. WolfnerAbstract:Sperm Storage in the mated female reproductive tract (RT) is required for optimal fertility in numerous species with internal fertilization. In Drosophila melanogaster, Sperm Storage is dependent on female receipt of seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) during mating. The seminal fluid protein Acp36DE is necessary for the accumulation of Sperm into Storage. In the female RT, Acp36DE localizes to the anterior mating plug and also to a site in the common oviduct, potentially "corralling" Sperm near the entry sites into the Storage organs. Genetic studies showed that Acp36DE is also required for a series of conformational changes of the uterus that begin at the onset of mating and are hypothesized to move Sperm towards the entry sites of the Sperm Storage organs. After Acp36DE is transferred to the female RT, the protein is cleaved by the astacin-metalloprotease Semp1. However, the effect of this cleavage on Acp36DE's function in Sperm accumulation into Storage is unknown. We used mass spectrometry to identify the single cleavage site in Acp36DE. We then mutated this site and tested the effects on Sperm Storage. Mutations of Acp36DE's cleavage site that slowed or prevented cleavage of the protein slowed the accumulation of Sperm into Storage, although they did not affect uterine conformational changes in mated females. Moreover, the N-terminal cleavage product of Acp36DE was sufficient to mediate Sperm accumulation in Storage, and it did so faster than versions of Acp36DE that could not be cleaved or were only cleaved slowly. These results suggest that cleavage of Acp36E may increase the number of bioactive molecules within the female RT, a mechanism similar to that hypothesized for Semp1's other substrate, the seminal fluid protein ovulin.
-
A requirement for the neuromodulators octopamine and tyramine in Drosophila melanogaster female Sperm Storage
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012Co-Authors: F. W. Avila, M. C. Bloch Qazi, C. D. Rubinstein, Mariana F. WolfnerAbstract:Female Sperm Storage is common among organisms with internal fertilization. It is important for extended fertility and, in cases of multiple mating, for Sperm competition. The physiological mechanisms by which females store and manage stored Sperm are poorly understood. Here, we report that the biogenic amines tyramine (TA) and octopamine (OA) in Drosophila melanogaster females play essential roles in Sperm Storage. D. melanogaster females store Sperm in two types of organs, a single seminal receptacle and a pair of Spermathecae. We examined Sperm Storage parameters in females mutant in enzymes required for the biochemical synthesis of tyrosine to TA and TA to OA, respectively. Postmating uterine conformational changes, which are associated with Sperm entry and accumulation into Storage, were unaffected by the absence of either TA or OA. However, Sperm release from Storage requires both TA and OA; Sperm were retained in Storage in both types of mutant females at significantly higher levels than in control flies. Absence of OA inhibited Sperm depletion only from the seminal receptacle, whereas absence of both OA and TA perturbed Sperm depletion from both Storage organ types. We find innervation of the seminal receptacle and Spermathecae by octopaminergic-tyraminergic neurons. These findings identify a distinct role for TA and OA in reproduction, regulating the release of Sperm from Storage, and suggest a mechanism by which Drosophila females actively regulate the release of stored Sperm.
-
a role for acp29ab a predicted seminal fluid lectin in female Sperm Storage in drosophila melanogaster
Genetics, 2008Co-Authors: Alex Wong, Shannon N Albright, Jonathan D Giebel, Shuqing Ji, Anthony C Fiumera, Mariana F. WolfnerAbstract:Females of many animal species store Sperm for taxon-specific periods of time, ranging from a few hours to years. Female Sperm Storage has important reproductive and evolutionary consequences, yet relatively little is known of its molecular basis. Here, we report the isolation of a loss-of-function mutation of the Drosophila melanogaster Acp29AB gene, which encodes a seminal fluid protein that is transferred from males to females during mating. Using this mutant, we show that Acp29AB is required for the normal maintenance of Sperm in Storage. Consistent with this role, Acp29AB localizes to female Sperm Storage organs following mating, although it does not appear to associate tightly with Sperm. Acp29AB is a predicted lectin, suggesting that sugar–protein interactions may be important for D. melanogaster Sperm Storage, much as they are in many mammals. Previous association studies have found an effect of Acp29AB genotype on a male's Sperm competitive ability; our findings suggest that effects on Sperm Storage may underlie these differences in Sperm competition. Moreover, Acp29AB's effects on Sperm Storage and Sperm competition may explain previously documented evidence for positive selection on the Acp29AB locus.
-
seminal proteins but not Sperm induce morphological changes in the drosophila melanogaster female reproductive tract during Sperm Storage
Journal of Insect Physiology, 2007Co-Authors: Erika M Adams, Mariana F. WolfnerAbstract:In most insects, Sperm transferred by the male to the female during mating are stored within the female reproductive tract for subsequent use in fertilization. In Drosophila melanogaster, male accessory gland proteins (Acps) within the seminal fluid are required for efficient accumulation of Sperm in the female's Sperm Storage organs. To determine the events within the female reproductive tract that occur during Sperm Storage, and the role that Acps and Sperm play in these events, we identified morphological changes that take place during Sperm Storage in females mated to wild-type, Acp-deficient or Sperm-deficient males. A reproducible set of morphological changes occurs in a wild-type mating. These were categorized into 10 stereotypic stages. Sperm are not needed for progression through these stages in females, but receipt of Acps is essential for progression beyond the first few stages of morphological change. Furthermore, females that received small quantities of Acps reached slightly later stages than females that received no Acps. Our results suggest that timely morphological changes in the female reproductive tract, possibly muscular in nature, may be needed for successful Sperm Storage, and that Acps from the male are needed in order for these changes to occur.
-
the developments between gametogenesis and fertilization ovulation and female Sperm Storage in drosophila melanogaster
Developmental Biology, 2003Co-Authors: Margaret Bloch C Qazi, Yael Heifetz, Mariana F. WolfnerAbstract:Abstract In animals with internal fertilization, ovulation and female Sperm Storage are essential steps in reproduction. While these events are often required for successful fertilization, they remain poorly understood at the developmental and molecular levels in many species. Ovulation involves the regulated release of oocytes from the ovary. Female Sperm Storage consists of the movement of Sperm into, maintenance within, and release from specific regions of the female reproductive tract. Both ovulation and Sperm Storage elicit important changes in gametes: in oocytes, ovulation can trigger changes in the egg envelopes and the resumption of meiosis; for Sperm, Storage is a step in their transition from being “movers” to “fertilizers.” Ovulation and Sperm Storage both consist of timed and directed cell movements within a morphologically and chemically complex environment (the female reproductive tract), culminating with gamete fusion. We review the processes of ovulation and Sperm Storage for Drosophila melanogaster, whose requirements for gamete maturation and Sperm Storage as well as powerful molecular genetics make it an excellent model organism for study of these processes. Within the female D. melanogaster, both processes are triggered by male factors during and after mating, including Sperm and seminal fluid proteins. Therefore, an interplay of male and female factors coordinates the gametes for fertilization.
Phillip W. Taylor - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
control of copula duration and Sperm Storage by female queensland fruit flies
Journal of Insect Physiology, 2010Co-Authors: Diana Perezstaples, Christopher W Weldon, Preethi Radhakrishnan, John Prenter, Phillip W. TaylorAbstract:Copula duration and Sperm Storage patterns can directly or indirectly affect fitness of male and female insects. Although both sexes have an interest in the outcome, research has tended to focus on males. To investigate female influences, we compared copula duration and Sperm Storage of Queensland fruit fly females that were intact, or had been incapacitated through decapitation or abdomen isolation. We found that copulations were far longer when females had been incapacitated, indicating that constraints imposed on copula duration by intact females had been relaxed. Repeatability of copula duration for males was very low regardless of female treatment, and this is also consistent with strong female influence. Number of Sperm in the Spermathecae was not influenced by female treatment, suggesting that female abdominal ganglia control the transport of Sperm to these long-term Storage organs. However, more Sperm were found in the ventral receptacles of incapacitated females compared to intact females. Overall, results implicate cephalic ganglia in regulation of copula duration and short-term Sperm Storage in the ventral receptacle and abdominal ganglia in regulation of long-term Sperm Storage in the Spermathecae.
-
Sperm Storage and utilization in female queensland fruit flies bactrocera tryoni
Physiological Entomology, 2007Co-Authors: Diana Perezstaples, Aaron M T Harmer, Phillip W. TaylorAbstract:Female animals that use Sperm from a single mating to fertilize eggs over an extended period require efficient mechanisms for Sperm Storage and use. There have been few studies of these mechanisms in tephritid flies. Mating, copula duration, Sperm Storage and Sperm usage patterns are assessed in an Australian tephritid, the Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni; a.k.a. ‘Q-fly’). In particular, the present study investigates whether each of these aspects of mating varies in relation to female size or male size, whether Sperm Storage patterns change over time after mating (1, 5, 10 and 15 days), and the relative roles of the ventral receptacle and the two Spermathecae as Sperm Storage organs. Large females are more likely to mate than are small females, and are also more fecund in the first 5 days after mating. Females are more likely to store some Sperm and, among those that store some Sperm, store more Sperm if their mate is large. Most Sperm are stored in the Spermathecae (median = 97%), often with high levels of asymmetry between the two Spermathecae. Asymmetry of Sperm Storage is related to number of Sperm stored, but not to male or female size. Total number of stored Sperm declines over the 15 days after mating, but this decrease in Sperm numbers only reflects changes in the Spermathecae; numbers of Sperm in the ventral receptacle remain unchanged over this period. As a consequence, the proportion of total Sperm stored in the Spermathecae declines relative to the ventral receptacle. These results are consistent with a system in which small numbers of Sperm are maintained in the ventral receptacle for fertilizations, and are replenished by Sperm from the Spermathecae as required. Sperm distribution and usage patterns in Q-flies are comparable with recent findings in medflies, Ceratitis capitata, but differ markedly from patterns found in several Anastrepha species.
-
remating inhibition in female queensland fruit flies effects and correlates of Sperm Storage
Journal of Insect Physiology, 2006Co-Authors: Aaron M T Harmer, Preethi Radhakrishnan, Phillip W. TaylorAbstract:Abstract Reproductive success of male insects commonly hinges both on their ability to secure copulations with many mates and also on their ability to inseminate and inhibit subsequent sexual receptivity of their mates to rival males. We here present the first investigation of Sperm Storage in Queensland fruit flies (Tephritidae: Bactrocera tryoni; a.k.a. ‘Q-flies’) and address the question of whether remating inhibition in females is directly influenced by or correlated with number of Sperm stored from their first mates. We used irradiation to disrupt Spermatogenesis and thereby experimentally reduce the number of Sperm stored by some male's mates while leaving other aspects of male sexual performance (mating probability, latency until copulating, copula duration) unaffected. Females that mated with irradiated rather than normal males were less likely to store any Sperm at all (50% vs. 89%) and, if some Sperm were stored, the number was greatly reduced (median 11 vs. 120). Despite the considerable differences in Sperm Storage, females mated by normal males and irradiated males were similarly likely to remate at the next opportunity, indicating (1) number of Sperm stored does not directly drive female remating inhibition and (2) factors actually responsible for remating inhibition are similarly expressed in normal and irradiated males. While overall levels of remating were similar for mates of normal and irradiated males, factors responsible for female remating inhibition were positively associated with presence and number of Sperm stored by mates of normal but not irradiated males. We suggest seminal fluids as the most likely factor responsible for remating inhibition in female Q-flies, as these are likely to be transported in proportion to number of Sperm in normal males, be uninfluenced by irradiation, and be transported without systematic relation to Sperm number in irradiated males.
Jan T. Lifjeld - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
comparative evidence for the evolution of Sperm swimming speed by Sperm competition and female Sperm Storage duration in passerine birds
Evolution, 2009Co-Authors: Oddmund Kleven, Geir Rudolfsen, Terje Laskemoen, Raleigh J. Robertson, Frode Fossøy, Jan T. LifjeldAbstract:Sperm swimming speed is an important determinant of male fertility and Sperm competitiveness. Despite its fundamental biological importance, the underlying evolutionary processes affecting this male reproductive trait are poorly understood. Using a comparative approach in a phylogenetic framework, we tested the predictions that Sperm swim faster with (1) increased risk of Sperm competition, (2) shorter duration of female Sperm Storage, and (3) increased Sperm length. We recorded Sperm swimming speed in 42 North American and European free-living passerine bird species, representing 35 genera and 16 families. We found that Sperm swimming speed was positively related to the frequency of extrapair paternity (a proxy for the risk of Sperm competition) and negatively associated with clutch size (a proxy for the duration of female Sperm Storage). Sperm swimming speed was unrelated to Sperm length, although Sperm length also increased with the frequency of extrapair paternity. These results suggest that Sperm swimming speed and Sperm length are not closely associated traits and evolve independently in response to Sperm competition in passerine birds. Our findings emphasize the significance of both Sperm competition and female Sperm Storage duration as evolutionary forces driving Sperm swimming speed.
-
comparative evidence for the evolution of Sperm swimming speed by Sperm competition and female Sperm Storage duration in passerine birds
Evolution, 2009Co-Authors: Oddmund Kleven, Geir Rudolfsen, Terje Laskemoen, Raleigh J. Robertson, Frode Fossøy, Jan T. LifjeldAbstract:Sperm swimming speed is an important determinant of male fertility and Sperm competitiveness. Despite its fundamental biological importance, the underlying evolutionary processes affecting this male reproductive trait are poorly understood. Using a comparative approach in a phylogenetic framework, we tested the predictions that Sperm swim faster with (1) increased risk of Sperm competition, (2) shorter duration of female Sperm Storage, and (3) increased Sperm length. We recorded Sperm swimming speed in 42 North American and European free-living passerine bird species, representing 35 genera and 16 families. We found that Sperm swimming speed was positively related to the frequency of extrapair paternity (a proxy for the risk of Sperm competition) and negatively associated with clutch size (a proxy for the duration of female Sperm Storage). Sperm swimming speed was unrelated to Sperm length, although Sperm length also increased with the frequency of extrapair paternity. These results suggest that Sperm swimming speed and Sperm length are not closely associated traits and evolve independently in response to Sperm competition in passerine birds. Our findings emphasize the significance of both Sperm competition and female Sperm Storage duration as evolutionary forces driving Sperm swimming speed.
Frode Fossøy - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
comparative evidence for the evolution of Sperm swimming speed by Sperm competition and female Sperm Storage duration in passerine birds
Evolution, 2009Co-Authors: Oddmund Kleven, Geir Rudolfsen, Terje Laskemoen, Raleigh J. Robertson, Frode Fossøy, Jan T. LifjeldAbstract:Sperm swimming speed is an important determinant of male fertility and Sperm competitiveness. Despite its fundamental biological importance, the underlying evolutionary processes affecting this male reproductive trait are poorly understood. Using a comparative approach in a phylogenetic framework, we tested the predictions that Sperm swim faster with (1) increased risk of Sperm competition, (2) shorter duration of female Sperm Storage, and (3) increased Sperm length. We recorded Sperm swimming speed in 42 North American and European free-living passerine bird species, representing 35 genera and 16 families. We found that Sperm swimming speed was positively related to the frequency of extrapair paternity (a proxy for the risk of Sperm competition) and negatively associated with clutch size (a proxy for the duration of female Sperm Storage). Sperm swimming speed was unrelated to Sperm length, although Sperm length also increased with the frequency of extrapair paternity. These results suggest that Sperm swimming speed and Sperm length are not closely associated traits and evolve independently in response to Sperm competition in passerine birds. Our findings emphasize the significance of both Sperm competition and female Sperm Storage duration as evolutionary forces driving Sperm swimming speed.
-
comparative evidence for the evolution of Sperm swimming speed by Sperm competition and female Sperm Storage duration in passerine birds
Evolution, 2009Co-Authors: Oddmund Kleven, Geir Rudolfsen, Terje Laskemoen, Raleigh J. Robertson, Frode Fossøy, Jan T. LifjeldAbstract:Sperm swimming speed is an important determinant of male fertility and Sperm competitiveness. Despite its fundamental biological importance, the underlying evolutionary processes affecting this male reproductive trait are poorly understood. Using a comparative approach in a phylogenetic framework, we tested the predictions that Sperm swim faster with (1) increased risk of Sperm competition, (2) shorter duration of female Sperm Storage, and (3) increased Sperm length. We recorded Sperm swimming speed in 42 North American and European free-living passerine bird species, representing 35 genera and 16 families. We found that Sperm swimming speed was positively related to the frequency of extrapair paternity (a proxy for the risk of Sperm competition) and negatively associated with clutch size (a proxy for the duration of female Sperm Storage). Sperm swimming speed was unrelated to Sperm length, although Sperm length also increased with the frequency of extrapair paternity. These results suggest that Sperm swimming speed and Sperm length are not closely associated traits and evolve independently in response to Sperm competition in passerine birds. Our findings emphasize the significance of both Sperm competition and female Sperm Storage duration as evolutionary forces driving Sperm swimming speed.
Ping Yang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
global analysis of differential gene expression related to long term Sperm Storage in oviduct of chinese soft shelled turtle pelodiscus sinensis
Scientific Reports, 2016Co-Authors: Tengfei Liu, Ping Yang, Yufei Huang, Hong Chen, Yi Liu, Yasir Waqas, Nisar Ahmed, Xiaoya Chu, Qiusheng ChenAbstract:Important evolutionary and ecological consequences arise from the ability of female turtles to store viable Spermatozoa for an extended period. Although previous morphological studies have observed the localization of Spermatozoa in Pelodiscus sinensis oviduct, no systematic study on the identification of genes that are involved in long-term Sperm Storage has been performed. In this study, the oviduct of P. sinensis at different phases (reproductive and hibernation seasons) was prepared for RNA-Seq and gene expression profiling. In total, 2,662 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including 1,224 up- and 1,438 down-regulated genes were identified from two cDNA libraries. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that many genes were predominantly involved in the immune response, apoptosis pathway and regulation of autophagy. RT-qPCR, ELISA, western blot and IHC analyses showed that the expression profiles of mRNA and protein in selected DEGs were in consistent with results from RNA-Seq analysis. Remarkably, TUNEL analysis revealed the reduced number of apoptotic cells during Sperm Storage. IHC and TEM analyses found that autophagy occurred in the oviduct epithelial cells, where the Spermatozoa were closely attached. The outcomes of this study provide fundamental insights into the complex Sperm Storage regulatory process and facilitate elucidating the mechanism of Sperm Storage in P. sinensis.
-
b cell lymphoma 2 localization in the female reproductive tract of the chinese soft shelled turtle pelodiscus sinensis and its relationship with Sperm Storage
Anatomical Record-advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, 2015Co-Authors: Yuan Le, Ping Yang, Shakeeb Ullah, Linli Zhang, Shaofan Chen, Lisi Hu, Qiusheng ChenAbstract:: The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and localization of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) in the oviduct of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis, during the reproductive cycle to analyze the relationship between Bcl-2 and Sperm Storage. Bcl-2 expression was confirmed in the P. sinensis oviduct by western blot analysis. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that female P. sinensis stored Sperm from November to April of the following year. The oviduct showed positive immunostaining for Bcl-2 of epithelial ciliated cells, gland ducts, and gland cells. Bcl-2 expression in the oviduct was associated with Sperm Storage occurrence. This indicates that the survival factor Bcl-2 may play a role in P. sinensis Sperm Storage.
-
modification of Sperm morphology during long term Sperm Storage in the reproductive tract of the chinese soft shelled turtle pelodiscus sinensis
Scientific Reports, 2015Co-Authors: Linli Zhang, Ping Yang, Shakeeb Ullah, Yi Liu, Yasir Waqas, Wei Chen, Qian Zhang, Xunguang Bian, Xiaowu Chen, Bing ChenAbstract:Sperm Storage in vivo extends the time window for fertilisation in several animal species, from a few days to several years. The underlying Storage mechanisms, however, are largely unknown. In this study, Spermatozoa from the epididymis and oviduct of Chinese soft-shelled turtles were investigated to identify potentially relevant morphological features and transformations at different stages of Sperm Storage. Large cytoplasmic droplets (CDs) containing lipid droplets (LDs) were attached to the midpiece of most Spermatozoa in the epididymis, without migrating down the Sperm tail. However, they were absent from the oviductal Spermatozoa, suggesting that CDs with LDs may be a source of endogenous energy for epididymal Spermatozoa. The onion-like mitochondria recovered their double-membrane morphology, with typical cristae, within the oviduct at a later stage of Storage, thus implying that mitochondrial metabolism undergoes alterations during Storage. Furthermore, a well developed fibrous sheath on the long principal piece was the integrating ultrastructure for glycolytic enzymes and substrates. These novel morphological characteristics may allow turtle Spermatozoa to use diverse energy metabolism pathways at different stages of Storage.
-
Sperm Storage and Spermatozoa interaction with epithelial cells in oviduct of chinese soft shelled turtle pelodiscus sinensis
Ecology and Evolution, 2015Co-Authors: Shaofan Chen, Tengfei Liu, Shakeeb Ullah, Linli Zhang, Yasir Waqas, Wei Chen, Qian Zhang, Ping YangAbstract:Spermatozoa are known to be stored within the female genital tract after mating in various species to optimize timing of reproductive events such as copulation, fertilization, and ovulation. The mechanism supporting long-term Sperm Storage is still unclear in turtles. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between the Spermatozoa and oviduct in Chinese soft-shelled turtle by light and electron microscopy to reveal the potential cytological mechanism of long-term Sperm Storage. Spermatozoa were stored in isthmus, uterine, and vagina of the oviduct throughout the year, indicating long-term Sperm Storage in vivo. Sperm heads were always embedded among the cilia and even intercalated into the apical hollowness of the ciliated cells in the oviduct mucosal epithelium. The stored Spermatozoa could also gather in the gland conduit. There was no lysosome distribution around the hollowness of the ciliated cell, suggesting that the ciliated cells of the oviduct can support the Spermatozoa instead of phagocytosing them in the oviduct. Immune cells were sparse in the epithelium and lamina propria of oviduct, although few were found inside the blood vessel of mucosa, which may be an indication of immune tolerance during Sperm Storage in the oviduct of the soft-shelled turtle. These characteristics developed in the turtle benefited Spermatozoa survival for a long time as extraneous cells in the oviduct of this species. These findings would help to improve the understanding of reproductive regularity and develop strategies of species conservation in the turtle. The Chinese soft-shelled turtle may be a potential model for uncovering the mechanism behind the Sperm Storage phenomenon.
