Sigma virus and male reproductive success in Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT: The risk of disease transmission can affect female mating rate, and thus sexual conflict. Furthermore, the interests of a sexually transmitted organism may align or diverge with those of either sex, potentially making the disease agent a third participant in the sexual arms race. In Drosophila melanogaster, where sexual conflict over female mating rate is well established, we investigated how a common, non-lethal virus (sigma virus) might affect this conflict. We gave uninfected females the opportunity to copulate twice in no-choice trials: either with two uninfected males, or with one male infected with sigma virus followed by an uninfected male. We assessed whether females respond behaviorally to male infection, determined whether male infection affects either female or male repro

SUBMITTER: Rittschof CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5017152 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature