Male accessory gland proteins affect differentially female sexual receptivity and remating in closely related Drosophila species

摘要

Graphical abstract Display Omitted Highlights ? Drosophila Sex peptide (SP) and Acps regulate female remating behavior. ? We tested for conserved role of SP orthologs and Acps in closely-related species. ? Female receptivity was strongly reduced in species of the yakuba complex. ? Female remating rates highly depended on the species origin of SPs and Acps. ? Females of D. santomea and D. yakuba were more resistant to SP and Acp effects. Abstract In sexual species, mating success depends on the male’s capacity to find sexual partners and on female receptivity to mating. Mating is under evolutionary constraints to prevent interspecific mating and to maximize the reproductive success of both sexes. In Drosophila melanogaster, female receptivity to mating is mainly controlled by Sex peptide (SP, i.e. Acp70A) produced by the male accessory glands with other proteins (Acps). The transfer of SP during copulation dramatically reduces female receptivity to mating and prevents remating with other males. To date, female postmating responses are well-known in D. melanogaster but have been barely investigated in closely-related species or strains exhibiting different mating systems (monoandrous versus polyandrous). Here, we describe the diversity of mating systems in two strains of D. melanogaster and the three species of the yakuba complex. Remating delay and sexual receptivity were measured in cross-experiments following SP orthologs or Acp injections within females. Interestingly, we discovered strong differences between the two strains of D. melanogaster as well as among the three species of the yakuba co