Genetic Analysis of Male x Female Interaction in Drosophila Sperm Competition

描述（由申请人提供）：有性生殖为交配对的基因型之间的成对相互作用提供了独特的机会。当涉及到雄性与雌性的相互作用时，进化可能无法优化任何一种性别的功能，而保留了高度的变异。这似乎是影响果蝇精子竞争和其他生殖健康属性的因素的情况。辅助腺蛋白（Acps）介导这些相互作用的各个方面，并与与Acps相互作用的雌性分子一起，它们将为量化特定的雄性与雌性相互作用提供分子途径。果蝇的精子竞争为研究雄性与雌性在有性生殖中的相互作用提供了一个独特的系统。第一个目标是利用来自自然种群的遗传分离物来量化精子竞争成分中的雄性x雌性相互作用，并最终确定生殖适应性，重点关注那些可能由Acps介导的因素以及在雌性中相互作用的过程。父权成功在双交配的女性，繁殖力，生育能力，和女性接受将得分。本研究将量化生殖适应性成分，以验证目标2的发现。第二个目标是通过测试RNAi敲低特定雄性Acp基因，在一系列特征良好的野生雌性基因型中剖析雄性与雌性的相互作用。将比较对照雄性和被RNAi敲除特定Acps的雄性的生殖表型。重点将是影响精子储存或精子竞争的Acps。将确定对每个敲低反应强烈和反应迟钝的雌性细胞系，并将相互作用划分为由每个Acp介导的组件。目的2将确定Acps与女性背景和女性反应基因与男性背景的具体相互作用。这将扩大对男性和女性对生殖的遗传变异的理解，以及遗传变异如何和为什么在自然界中保持。由于要检查的基因涉及基本的生殖功能，这些结果将扩大对特发性人类不孕症病例的理解基础，特别是那些无法确定性别特异性原因并可能反映伴侣之间遗传不相容的病例。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Sexual reproduction provides a unique opportunity for pairwise interactions between genotypes of mating pairs. When male x female interactions are involved, evolution may fail to optimize functions for either sex, and retains a high level of variation. This appears to be the case for factors influencing sperm competition and other reproductive fitness attributes in Drosophila. The accessory gland proteins (Acps) mediate aspects of these interactions, and along with the female molecules that interact with Acps, they will provide a molecular path to quantifying specific male x female interactions. Drosophila sperm competition provides a unique system for studying male x female interactions in sexaul reproduction. The first aim is to use genetic isolates from natural populations to quantify male x female interactions in components of sperm competition and ultimately, reproductive fitness with a focus on those likely to be mediated by Acps and the processes that interact in females. Paternity success in doubly mated females, fecundity, fertility, and female receptivity will be scored. This study will quantify reproductive fitness components for validation of the findings of Aim 2. The second aim is to dissect male x female interactions by testing RNAi knockdowns of specific male Acp genes across a range of well-characterized wild female genotypes. Comparisons of reproductive phenotypes will be made between control males and males with specific Acps knocked down by RNAi. Focus will be Acps that effect sperm storage or sperm competition. Female lines that are hyper- and hypo-responsive to each knockdown will be identified, and interactions will be partitioned into components mediated by each Acp. Aim 2 will identify specific interactions of Acps with female backgrounds and female response genes with male backgrounds. This will extend the understanding of the genetic variation in male and female contributions to reproduction, as well as how and why genetic variation is maintained in nature. Since the genes to be examined involve basic reproductive functions, these results will expand the foundation for understanding cases of idiopathic human infertility, specifically those in which no sex-specific cause can be identified and may reflect genetic incompatibility between the partners. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Drosophila melanogaster will be used as a model to quantify the male x female genetic interactions in aspects of fertility. The project aims to understand cases of aberrant fertility of particular genotype-pairs in crosses, when neither genotype by itself is unusual in its fertility. It will also be relevant to explaining the basis for human infertilities that arise from a reproductive incompatibility between the particular pair of individuals involved.