Hormones orchestrated pre- and post-copulatory sexual traits in male Mongolian gerbils
Hormones orchestrated pre- and post-copulatory sexual traits in male Mongolian gerbils
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激素协调雄性沙鼠交配前和交配后的性特征
DOI：
10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.02.041
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发表时间：
2015
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
Wang De-Hua
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Shen Wei;Zhang Xue-Ying;Liu Ding-Zhen;Wang De-Hua
帕克的精子竞争模型预测交配前（社会地位）和交配后（精子质量和数量）的性选择性状之间的负相关，然而，实证研究表明，这种关系相当不一致。我们假设在交配前后的性选择特征之间存在一种权衡，而激素（皮质酮，CORT;睾酮，T）则协调了这种关系。在本研究中，我们测量了在中性竞技场中通过长期社会接触建立的长爪沙鼠（Meriones unguiculatus）的能量参数，并检验了它们的社会地位与精子质量和数量之间的关系。我们的研究结果表明，占主导地位的男性发起攻击更快，并显示出更多的攻击，自我修饰和运动行为在日常的社会遭遇在连续七天。优势沙鼠的精子数量和质量也高于从属沙鼠，但在能量摄入和RMR方面与从属沙鼠没有显著差异。此外，占主导地位的男性有较高的血清T浓度比下属男性，而CORT浓度显示出相反的模式。攻击的频率和持续时间（社会地位的指示）增加与升高的T浓度。精子质量的数量和活动与较高浓度的血清T在优势沙鼠，而小精子计数和质量差的精子与相对较高浓度的血清CORT在下属沙鼠。总之，我们的数据表明，交配前和交配后的性选择性状之间没有权衡，但激素编排这些性状之间的关系在雄性蒙古沙鼠。
Parker's sperm competition model predicts a negative relationship between pre-copulatory (social status) and post-copulatory (sperm quality and quantity) sexually selected traits, however, empirical studies have revealed considerable inconsistency in this relationship. We hypothesized that there was a trade-off between pre- and post-copulatory sexually selected traits, and hormones (corticosterone, CORT; testosterone, T) orchestrate this relationship. In this study, we measured energetic parameters in the dominant–subordinate Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), whose relationship was established under chronic social encounters in a neutral arena, and then tested the relationship between their social status and sperm quality and quantity. Our results showed that dominant males initiated attack sooner and displayed more aggression, self-grooming and locomotion behaviors in daily social encounters across seven consecutive days. Dominant gerbils also had more and better quality of sperm than that of subordinate males, yet showed no significant differences in energy intake and RMR in comparison with subordinate individuals. In addition, dominant males had higher concentrations of serum T than subordinate males, whereas the concentrations of CORT showed a reverse pattern. The frequency and duration of aggression (indicative of social status) increased with elevated T concentrations. Sperm quality in terms of number and activity were associated with higher concentrations of serum T in dominant gerbils, whereas small sperm counts and poor-quality sperm were associated with relatively higher concentrations of serum CORT in subordinate gerbils. Together, our data indicated that there was no trade-off between pre- and post-copulatory sexually selected traits but hormones orchestrated the relationship between these traits in male Mongolian gerbils.