Seminal Fluid Protein Acp29AB Shifts Egg-Laying Timing in <i>Drosophila</i> Without Detectable Effects on Female Fitness.

ABSTRACT: Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) can alter female physiology and behavior, with consequences that may align with or oppose female interests. Many SFPs are known to shape aspects of the female post-mating response, yet evidence for direct effects on female fitness is scarce. In Drosophila melanogaster, the SFP Acp29AB is firmly linked to sperm defense (P1) and sperm storage, but its impacts on females are poorly understood. Using a GAL4-UAS RNAi system with perfectly matched genetic backgrounds, we manipulated Acp29AB gene expression either ubiquitously or specifically in the male accessory gland and then asked how knockdown alters male sperm competition and, in female mates, oviposition dynamics and competitive fitness. Both knockdowns impaired sperm defense, consistent with pas

SUBMITTER: Kincaid S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12700768 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature