INBIOTECA, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico.
INBIOTECA, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico.
J Insect Physiol. 2024 Oct;158:104699. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2024.104699. Epub 2024 Aug 26.
Mating and the transfer of seminal fluid components including male accessory glands (MAGs) proteins can affect oviposition behavior in insects. After oviposition, some species of fruit flies deposit a host-marking pheromone (HMP) on the fruit that discourages oviposition by other females of the same or different species or genus and reduces competition between larvae. However, we know very little about how mating, receiving seminal fluid, or male condition can affect female host marking behavior. Here, we tested how the physiological state of females (mated or unmated), the receipt of seminal fluid, and the condition of the male (wild or sterile) affect oviposition and host-marking behavior (HMB) in Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae). We also determined the efficiency of the host-marking pheromone from mated or unmated females in deterring oviposition. In a further examination of how seminal fluid may be affecting HMB we assessed if there were differences in the size of wild or sterile MAGs and the protein quantity transferred during mating. Our results indicate that receiving seminal fluid increased egg laying and increased time invested in host-marking (HM). Unmated females laid fewer eggs than mated females but invested the same amount of time in depositing host-marking pheromone, which had similar effectiveness in deterring oviposition as that of mated females. Females that mated with sterile males laid the same number of eggs as females that mated with wild males but spent less time depositing host-marking pheromone, which suggests that females detect the condition of the male and invest less in marking hosts. Finally, sterile males had larger accessory glands and transferred more MAGs proteins during mating compared to wild males. Seminal proteins could be manipulating HM behavior and female investment into their current reproductive effort. We are only beginning to understand how male condition and seminal fluid can affect female physiology and maternal investment in HMP.
交配和精液成分（包括雄性附属腺[MAGs]蛋白）的转移会影响昆虫的产卵行为。产卵后，一些果蝇会在果实上分泌一种宿主标记信息素（HMP），这会阻止同一或不同物种或属的其他雌性产卵，并减少幼虫之间的竞争。然而，我们对交配、接受精液或雄性状况如何影响雌性宿主标记行为知之甚少。在这里，我们测试了雌性（交配或未交配）的生理状态、接受精液以及雄性（野生或无菌）的状况如何影响 Anastrepha ludens（双翅目：果蝇科）的产卵和宿主标记行为（HMB）。我们还确定了来自交配或未交配雌性的宿主标记信息素阻止产卵的效率。在进一步研究精液如何影响 HMB 时，我们评估了野生或无菌 MAGs 的大小以及交配过程中转移的蛋白质数量是否存在差异。我们的结果表明，接受精液会增加产卵量并增加用于宿主标记（HM）的时间。未交配的雌性产卵量少于交配的雌性，但在沉积宿主标记信息素上投入的时间相同，其阻止产卵的效果与交配的雌性相似。与与野生雄性交配的雌性相比，与无菌雄性交配的雌性产卵数量相同，但在沉积宿主标记信息素上花费的时间更少，这表明雌性可以检测到雄性的状况，并减少对宿主的标记。最后，无菌雄性的附属腺较大，在交配过程中转移的 MAGs 蛋白也更多。精液蛋白可能在操纵 HM 行为和雌性对当前生殖投入的投资。我们才刚刚开始了解雄性状况和精液如何影响雌性生理学和对 HMP 的母性投资。
