Post-mating gene expression of Mexican fruit fly females: disentangling the effects of the male accessory glands

Mating has profound physiological and behavioural consequences for female insects. During copulation, female insects typically receive not only sperm, but a complex ejaculate containing hundreds of proteins and other molecules from male reproductive tissues, primarily the reproductive accessory glands. The post-mating phenotypes affected by male accessory gland (MAG) proteins include egg development, attraction to oviposition hosts, mating, attractiveness, sperm storage, feeding and lifespan. In the Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens, mating increases egg production and the latency to remating. However, previous studies have not found a clear relationship between injection of MAG products and oviposition or remating inhibition in this species. We used RNA-seq to study gene expression in mated, unmated and MAG-injected females to understand the potential mating- and MAG-regulated genes and pathways in A. ludens. Both mating and MAG-injection regulated transcripts and pathways related to egg development. Other transcripts regulated by mating included those with orthologs predicted to be involved in immune response, musculature and chemosensory perception, whereas those regulated by MAG-injection were predicted to be involved in translational control, sugar regulation, diet detoxification and lifespan determination. These results suggest new phenotypes that may be influenced by seminal fluid molecules in A. ludens. Understanding these influences is critical for developing novel tools to manage A. ludens.Fil: Sirot, L.. The College Of Wooster; Estados UnidosFil: Bansal, R.. United States Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Research Service; Estados UnidosFil: Esquivel, C.J.. Ohio Agricultural Research And Development Center; Estados UnidosFil: Arteaga Vázquez, M.. Universidad Veracruzana; MéxicoFil: Herrera Cruz, M.. Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca; MéxicoFil: Pavinato, V.A.C.. Ohio Agricultural Research And Development Center; Estados UnidosFil: Abraham, Solana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Medina-Jiménez, K.. Universidad Veracruzana; México. Arkansas State University; Estados UnidosFil: Reyes Hernández, M.. Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara; México. Universidad Veracruzana; MéxicoFil: Dorantes Acosta, A.. Universidad Veracruzana; MéxicoFil: Pérez Staples, D.. Universidad Veracruzana; Méxic