Structural variation in Drosophila melanogaster spermathecal ducts and its association with sperm competition dynamics

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Ben R Hopkins - , University of California at Davis (Author)
  • Irem Sepil - , University of Oxford (Author)
  • Stuart Wigby - , Chair of Applied Zoology, University of Oxford (Author)

Abstract

The ability of female insects to retain and use sperm for days, months, or even years after mating requires specialized storage organs in the reproductive tract. In most orders, these organs include a pair of sclerotized capsules known as spermathecae. Here, we report that some Drosophila melanogaster females exhibit previously uncharacterized structures within the distal portion of the muscular duct that links a spermatheca to the uterus. We find that these 'spermathecal duct presences' (SDPs) may form in either or both ducts and can extend from the duct into the sperm-storing capsule itself. We further find that the incidence of SDPs varies significantly between genotypes, but does not change significantly with the age or mating status of females, the latter indicating that SDPs are not composed of or stimulated by sperm or male seminal proteins. We show that SDPs affect neither the number of first male sperm held in a spermatheca nor the number of offspring produced after a single mating. However, we find evidence that SDPs are associated with a lack of second male sperm in the spermathecae after females remate. This raises the possibility that SDPs provide a mechanism for variation in sperm competition outcome among females.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number200130
JournalRoyal Society open science
Volume7
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC7137968
Scopus 85083547888

Keywords