Integrated 3D view of postmating responses by the Drosophila melanogaster female reproductive tract, obtained by micro-computed tomography scanning.

ABSTRACT: Physiological changes in females during and after mating are triggered by seminal fluid components in conjunction with female-derived molecules. In insects, these changes include increased egg production, storage of sperm, and changes in muscle contraction within the reproductive tract (RT). Such postmating changes have been studied in dissected RT tissues, but understanding their coordination in vivo requires a holistic view of the tissues and their interrelationships. Here, we used high-resolution, multiscale micro-computed tomography (CT) scans to visualize and measure postmating changes in situ in the Drosophila female RT before, during, and after mating. These studies reveal previously unidentified dynamic changes in the conformation of the female RT that occur after mating. Our resul

SUBMITTER: Mattei AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4500220 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature