Pitnick S, Karr T L
Department of Biology, Syracuse University, NY 13244-1270, USA.
Proc Biol Sci. 1998 May 7;265(1398):821-6. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1998.0366.
Tails of fertilizing spermatozoa persist throughout embryogenesis in Drosophila species and can be observed within the midguts of larvae after hatching. Throughout development, sperm proteins slowly diffuse or are stripped from the giant sperm tail residing within the embryo's anterior end. The shape and position of the sperm within the embryo are regulated such that, during organ formation, the unused portion of the sperm is enveloped by the developing midgut. This persistent, paternally derived structure is composed of the sperm's mitochondrial derivatives and appears to be defecated by the larva soon after hatching. These complex sperm-egg interactions may represent mechanisms to avoid intragenomic conflict by ensuring strictly maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
在果蝇物种中,受精精子的尾部在整个胚胎发育过程中一直存在,孵化后可在幼虫的中肠内观察到。在整个发育过程中,精子蛋白会从位于胚胎前端的巨大精子尾部缓慢扩散或被剥离。胚胎内精子的形状和位置受到调控,以便在器官形成过程中,精子未使用的部分被发育中的中肠包裹。这种持续存在的、源自父本的结构由精子的线粒体衍生物组成,似乎在孵化后不久就被幼虫排出体外。这些复杂的精卵相互作用可能代表了一种机制,通过确保线粒体DNA(mtDNA)严格的母系遗传来避免基因组内冲突。