Protein and carbohydrate intake influence sperm number and fertility in male cockroaches, but not sperm viability
Protein and carbohydrate intake influence sperm number and fertility in male cockroaches, but not sperm viability
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DOI：
10.1098/rspb.2014.2144
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发表时间：
2015-03-07
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Hunt, John
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bunning, Harriet;Rapkin, James;Hunt, John
人们通常认为，因为雄性产生许多微小的精子，所以它们的生产成本很低。然而，最近的研究表明，精子的产生并不是没有成本的。如果精子的生产成本很高，精子的数量和/或活力应该受到饮食的影响，这在许多物种中都有记录。然而，很少有研究检查负责介导这些影响的确切营养素。在这里，我们量化了蛋白质（P）和碳水化合物（C）摄入量对蟑螂Nauphoeta cinerea精子数量和活力的影响，以及对男性生育能力的影响。我们发现摄入的P和C影响精子数量，在高摄入量的饮食与P：C的比例为1：2，但不是精子活力最大化。雄性育性和精子数量的营养景观密切相关，表明精子数量是N.灰色区域。在饮食选择下，雄性以1：4.95的P：C比例调节营养摄入，这是该物种中最大化精子产量和交配前吸引力所需比例之间的中间值。这就提出了一种可能性，即男性调节营养摄入量，以平衡在这个物种的交配前和交配后性状之间的权衡。
It is commonly assumed that because males produce many, tiny sperm, they are cheap to produce. Recent work, however, suggests that sperm production is not cost-free. If sperm are costly to produce, sperm number and/or viability should be influenced by diet, and this has been documented in numerous species. Yet few studies have examined the exact nutrients responsible for mediating these effects. Here, we quantify the effects of protein (P) and carbohydrate (C) intake on sperm number and viability in the cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea, as well as the consequences for male fertility. We found the intake of P and C influenced sperm number, being maximized at a high intake of diets with a P : C ratio of 1 : 2, but not sperm viability. The nutritional landscapes for male fertility and sperm number were closely aligned, suggesting that sperm number is the major determinant of male fertility in N. cinerea. Under dietary choice, males regulate nutrient intake at a P : C ratio of 1 : 4.95, which is midway between the ratios needed to maximize sperm production and pre-copulatory attractiveness in this species. This raises the possibility that males regulate nutrient intake to balance the trade-off between pre- and post-copulatory traits in this species.