Decoupled evolution of the <i>Sex Peptide</i> gene family and <i>Sex Peptide Receptor</i> in Drosophilidae.

ABSTRACT: Across internally fertilising species, males transfer ejaculate proteins that trigger wide-ranging changes in female behaviour and physiology. Much theory has been developed to explore the drivers of ejaculate protein evolution. The accelerating availability of high-quality genomes now allows us to test how these proteins are evolving at fine taxonomic scales. Here, we use genomes from 264 species to chart the evolutionary history of Sex Peptide (SP), a potent regulator of female post-mating responses in Drosophila melanogaster. We infer that SP first evolved in the Drosophilinae subfamily and has since followed markedly different evolutionary trajectories in different lineages. Outside of the Sophophora-Lordiphosa, SP exists largely as a single-co

SUBMITTER: Hopkins BR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10801855 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature