Male-derived copulatory plugs enhance implantation success in female Mus musculus.

ABSTRACT: Among a wide diversity of sexually reproducing species, male ejaculates coagulate to form what has been termed a copulatory plug. A number of functions have been attributed to copulatory plugs, including the inhibition of female remating and the promotion of ejaculate movement. Here we demonstrate that copulatory plugs also influence the likelihood of implantation, which occurs roughly 4 days after copulation in mice. Using a bead transfer method to control for differences in ejaculate retention and fertilization rates, we show that implantation rates significantly drop among females mated to genetically engineered males incapable of forming plugs (because they lack functional transglutaminase 4, the main enzyme responsible for its formation). Surprisingly, this result does not correlate w

SUBMITTER: Lough-Stevens M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7962766 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature