Intense sperm-mediated sexual conflict promotes reproductive isolation in Caenorhabditis nematodes.

ABSTRACT: Conflict between the sexes over reproductive interests can drive rapid evolution of reproductive traits and promote speciation. Here we show that inter-species mating between Caenorhabditis nematodes sterilizes maternal individuals. The principal effectors of male-induced harm are sperm cells, which induce sterility and shorten lifespan by displacing conspecific sperm, invading the ovary, and sometimes breaching the gonad to infiltrate other tissues. This sperm-mediated harm is pervasive across species, but idiosyncrasies in its magnitude implicate both independent histories of sexually antagonistic coevolution within species and differences in reproductive mode (self-fertilizing hermaphrodites versus females) in determining its severity. Consistent with this conclusion, in androdioecious

SUBMITTER: Ting JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4114750 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature