Title

Influence of female age, sperm senescence and multiple mating on sperm viability in female Drosophila melanogaster

Authors

Authors

P. Radhakrishnan;K. M. Fedorka

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

J. Insect Physiol.

Keywords

Sperm viability; Drosophila; Age; COMPETITION; MALES; VELOCITY; SURVIVAL; SIZE; MECHANISMS; EVOLUTION; QUALITY; GENES; DEATH; Entomology; Physiology; Zoology

Abstract

Sperm viability has been associated with the degree of promiscuity across species, as well as the degree of reproductive success within species. Thus, sperm survival within the female reproductive tract likely plays a key role in how mating systems evolve. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, however, the extent and cause of sperm death has been the subject of recent debate. Here, we assess sperm death within the female reproductive tract of D. melanogaster following single and multiple matings in order to elucidate the extent of death and its potential mechanisms, including an acute female response to mating, female age and/or sperm senescence. We found no evidence that sperm viability was influenced by an acute female response or female age. We also found that rival ejaculates did not influence viability, supporting recent work in the system. Instead, the majority of death appears to be due to the aging of male gametes within the female, and that at least some dead resident sperm remain in the female after multiple mating. In contrast to earlier in vivo work, we found that overall sperm death was minimal (8.7%), indicating viability should have a negligible influence on female remating rates. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Journal Title

Journal of Insect Physiology

Volume

57

Issue/Number

6

Publication Date

1-1-2011

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

778

Last Page

783

WOS Identifier

WOS:000292120800013

ISSN

0022-1910

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