Acp36DE is required for uterine conformational changes in mated Drosophila females.

ABSTRACT: In a multitude of animals with internal fertilization, including insects and mammals, sperm are stored within a female's reproductive tract after mating. Defects in the process of sperm storage drastically reduce reproductive success. In Drosophila males, "Acp" seminal proteins alter female postmating physiology and behavior, and are necessary for several aspects of sperm storage. For example, Acps cause a series of conformational changes in the mated female's reproductive tract that occur during and immediately after mating. These conformational changes have been hypothesized to aid both in the movement of sperm within the female and in the subsequent storage of those sperm. We used RNAi to systematically knock down several Acps involved in sperm storage to determine whether they played a

SUBMITTER: Avila FW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2747198 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature