1
|
Hurtado J, Almeida FC, Belliard SA, Revale S, Hasson E. Research gaps and new insights in the evolution of Drosophila seminal fluid proteins. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 31:139-158. [PMID: 34747062 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
While the striking effects of seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) on females are fairly conserved among Diptera, most SFPs lack detectable homologues among the SFP repertoires of phylogenetically distant species. How such a rapidly changing proteome conserves functions across taxa is a fascinating question. However, this and other pivotal aspects of SFPs' evolution remain elusive because discoveries on these proteins have been mainly restricted to the model Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on the inter-specific divergence of the SFP repertoire in Drosophila and compile the increasing amount of relevant genomic information from multiple species. Capitalizing on the accumulated knowledge in D. melanogaster, we present novel sets of high-confidence SFP candidates and transcription factors presumptively involved in regulating the expression of SFPs. We also address open questions by performing comparative genomic analyses that failed to support the existence of many conserved SFPs shared by most dipterans and indicated that gene co-option is the most frequent mechanism accounting for the origin of Drosophila SFP-coding genes. We hope our update establishes a starting point to integrate further data and thus widen the understanding of the intricate evolution of these proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Hurtado
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), CABA, Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CABA, Argentina
| | - Francisca Cunha Almeida
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), CABA, Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CABA, Argentina
| | - Silvina Anahí Belliard
- Laboratorio de Insectos de Importancia Agronómica, IGEAF (INTA), GV-IABIMO (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Santiago Revale
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Esteban Hasson
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), CABA, Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CABA, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Patlar B, Civetta A. Seminal fluid gene expression and reproductive fitness in Drosophila melanogaster. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:20. [PMID: 35196983 PMCID: PMC8867848 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-01975-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The rapid evolution of seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) has been suggested to be driven by adaptations to postcopulatory sexual selection (e.g. sperm competition). However, we have recently shown that most SFPs evolve rapidly under relaxed selective pressures. Given the role of SFPs in competition for fertilization phenotypes, like the ability to transfer and store sperm and the modulation of female receptivity and ovulation, the prevalence of selectively relaxed SFPs appears as a conundrum. One possible explanation is that selection on SFPs might be relaxed in terms of protein amino acid content, but adjustments of expression are essential for post-mating function. Interestingly, there is a general lack of systematic implementation of gene expression perturbation assays to monitor their effect on phenotypes related to sperm competition. Results We successfully manipulated the expression of 16 SFP encoding genes using tissue-specific knockdowns (KDs) and determined the effect of these genes’ perturbation on three important post-mating phenotypes: female refractoriness to remating, defensive (P1), and offensive (P2) sperm competitive abilities in Drosophila melanogaster. Our analyses show that KDs of tested SFP genes do not affect female refractoriness to remating and P2, however, most gene KDs significantly decreased P1. Moreover, KDs of SFP genes that are selectively constrained in terms of protein-coding sequence evolution have lower P1 than KDs of genes evolving under relaxed selection. Conclusions Our results suggest a more predominant role, than previously acknowledged, of variation in gene expression than coding sequence changes on sperm competitive ability in D. melanogaster. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-01975-1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Patlar
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9, Canada
| | - Alberto Civetta
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ramm SA. Seminal fluid and accessory male investment in sperm competition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200068. [PMID: 33070740 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm production and allocation strategies have been a central concern of sperm competition research for the past 50 years. But during the 'sexual cascade' there may be strong selection for alternative routes to maximizing male fitness. Especially with the evolution of internal fertilization, a common and by now well-studied example is the accessory ejaculate investment represented by seminal fluid, the complex mixture of proteins, peptides and other components transferred to females together with sperm. How seminal fluid investment should covary with sperm investment probably depends on the mechanism of seminal fluid action. If seminal fluid components boost male paternity success by directly enhancing sperm function or use, we might often expect a positive correlation between the two forms of male investment, whereas trade-offs seem more likely if seminal fluid acts independently of sperm. This is largely borne out by a broad taxonomic survey to establish the prevailing patterns of seminal fluid production and allocation during animal evolution, in light of which I discuss the gaps that remain in our understanding of this key ejaculate component and its relationship to sperm investment, before outlining promising approaches for examining seminal fluid-mediated sperm competitiveness in the post-genomic era. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Ramm
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rowe M, Whittington E, Borziak K, Ravinet M, Eroukhmanoff F, Sætre GP, Dorus S. Molecular Diversification of the Seminal Fluid Proteome in a Recently Diverged Passerine Species Pair. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:488-506. [PMID: 31665510 PMCID: PMC6993853 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) mediate an array of postmating reproductive processes that influence fertilization and fertility. As such, it is widely held that SFPs may contribute to postmating, prezygotic reproductive barriers between closely related taxa. We investigated seminal fluid (SF) diversification in a recently diverged passerine species pair (Passer domesticus and Passer hispaniolensis) using a combination of proteomic and comparative evolutionary genomic approaches. First, we characterized and compared the SF proteome of the two species, revealing consistencies with known aspects of SFP biology and function in other taxa, including the presence and diversification of proteins involved in immunity and sperm maturation. Second, using whole-genome resequencing data, we assessed patterns of genomic differentiation between house and Spanish sparrows. These analyses detected divergent selection on immunity-related SF genes and positive selective sweeps in regions containing a number of SF genes that also exhibited protein abundance diversification between species. Finally, we analyzed the molecular evolution of SFPs across 11 passerine species and found a significantly higher rate of positive selection in SFPs compared with the rest of the genome, as well as significant enrichments for functional pathways related to immunity in the set of positively selected SF genes. Our results suggest that selection on immunity pathways is an important determinant of passerine SF composition and evolution. Assessing the role of immunity genes in speciation in other recently diverged taxa should be prioritized given the potential role for immunity-related proteins in reproductive incompatibilities in Passer sparrows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissah Rowe
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Emma Whittington
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
| | - Kirill Borziak
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
| | - Mark Ravinet
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fabrice Eroukhmanoff
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Glenn-Peter Sætre
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Steve Dorus
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Grogan KE, Perry GH. Studying human and nonhuman primate evolutionary biology with powerful in vitro and in vivo functional genomics tools. Evol Anthropol 2020; 29:143-158. [PMID: 32142200 PMCID: PMC10574139 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, tools for functional genomic studies have become increasingly feasible for use by evolutionary anthropologists. In this review, we provide brief overviews of several exciting in vitro techniques that can be paired with "-omics" approaches (e.g., genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) for potentially powerful evolutionary insights. These in vitro techniques include ancestral protein resurrection, cell line experiments using primary, immortalized, and induced pluripotent stem cells, and CRISPR-Cas9 genetic manipulation. We also discuss how several of these methods can be used in vivo, for transgenic organism studies of human and nonhuman primate evolution. Throughout this review, we highlight example studies in which these approaches have already been used to inform our understanding of the evolutionary biology of modern and archaic humans and other primates while simultaneously identifying future opportunities for anthropologists to use this toolkit to help answer additional outstanding questions in evolutionary anthropology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E. Grogan
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - George H. Perry
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lindsay WR, Andersson S, Bererhi B, Höglund J, Johnsen A, Kvarnemo C, Leder EH, Lifjeld JT, Ninnes CE, Olsson M, Parker GA, Pizzari T, Qvarnström A, Safran RJ, Svensson O, Edwards SV. Endless forms of sexual selection. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7988. [PMID: 31720113 PMCID: PMC6839514 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the field of sexual selection has exploded, with advances in theoretical and empirical research complementing each other in exciting ways. This perspective piece is the product of a "stock-taking" workshop on sexual selection and sexual conflict. Our aim is to identify and deliberate on outstanding questions and to stimulate discussion rather than provide a comprehensive overview of the entire field. These questions are organized into four thematic sections we deem essential to the field. First we focus on the evolution of mate choice and mating systems. Variation in mate quality can generate both competition and choice in the opposite sex, with implications for the evolution of mating systems. Limitations on mate choice may dictate the importance of direct vs. indirect benefits in mating decisions and consequently, mating systems, especially with regard to polyandry. Second, we focus on how sender and receiver mechanisms shape signal design. Mediation of honest signal content likely depends on integration of temporally variable social and physiological costs that are challenging to measure. We view the neuroethology of sensory and cognitive receiver biases as the main key to signal form and the 'aesthetic sense' proposed by Darwin. Since a receiver bias is sufficient to both initiate and drive ornament or armament exaggeration, without a genetically correlated or even coevolving receiver, this may be the appropriate 'null model' of sexual selection. Thirdly, we focus on the genetic architecture of sexually selected traits. Despite advances in modern molecular techniques, the number and identity of genes underlying performance, display and secondary sexual traits remains largely unknown. In-depth investigations into the genetic basis of sexual dimorphism in the context of long-term field studies will reveal constraints and trajectories of sexually selected trait evolution. Finally, we focus on sexual selection and conflict as drivers of speciation. Population divergence and speciation are often influenced by an interplay between sexual and natural selection. The extent to which sexual selection promotes or counteracts population divergence may vary depending on the genetic architecture of traits as well as the covariance between mating competition and local adaptation. Additionally, post-copulatory processes, such as selection against heterospecific sperm, may influence the importance of sexual selection in speciation. We propose that efforts to resolve these four themes can catalyze conceptual progress in the field of sexual selection, and we offer potential avenues of research to advance this progress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Willow R. Lindsay
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Staffan Andersson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Badreddine Bererhi
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Jacob Höglund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Arild Johnsen
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Charlotta Kvarnemo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Erica H. Leder
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan T. Lifjeld
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Calum E. Ninnes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - Mats Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Geoff A. Parker
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Tommaso Pizzari
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rebecca J. Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Ola Svensson
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Scott V. Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Gothenburg Centre for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Deletion of a Seminal Gene Cluster Reinforces a Crucial Role of SVS2 in Male Fertility. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20184557. [PMID: 31540031 PMCID: PMC6769479 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple genes, whose functions or expression are overlapping, compensate for the loss of one gene. A gene cluster in the mouse genome encodes five seminal vesicle proteins (SVS2, SVS3, SVS4, SVS5, and SVS6). These proteins are produced by male rodents and function in formation of the copulatory plug following mating. SVS2 plays an essential role in the successful internal fertilization by protecting the sperm membrane against a uterine immune attack. We hypothesized that the four remaining seminal vesicle proteins (SVPs) of this gene cluster may partially/completely compensate for the deficiency of SVS2. For confirming our hypothesis, we generated mice lacking the entire SVP-encoding gene cluster and compared their fecundity with Svs2-deficient (Svs2−/−) mice; that is, mice deficient in Svs2 alone. A single loxP site remained after the deletion of the Svs2 gene. Therefore, we inserted another loxP site by combining the CRISPR/Cas9 system with single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODN). Male mice lacking the entire SVP-encoding gene cluster (Svs2–6−/− mice) and thereby all five SVP proteins, generated by the deletion of 100kbp genomic DNA, showed low fecundity. However, the fecundity level was comparable with that from Svs2−/− male mice. Our results demonstrate that SVS3, SVS4, SVS5, and SVS6 do not function in the protection of sperm against a uterine immune attack in the absence of SVS2. Thus, Svs2 is the critical gene in the SVP gene cluster.
Collapse
|