Project description:We compare RNA expression and polymorphism patterns between C. rubella and its outcrossing progenitor C. grandiflora. There is a clear shift in the expression of genes associated with flowering phenotypes; a similar shift is seen in the related genus Arabidopsis, where self-fertilization evolved about 1 million years ago. This is a two group comparison of gene expression between the self-compatible Capsella Rubella and out-crossing Capsella Grandiflora mixed stage flowerbuds. Leaf expression is also provided as an annotation reference dataset.
Project description:We compare RNA expression and polymorphism patterns between C. rubella and its outcrossing progenitor C. grandiflora. There is a clear shift in the expression of genes associated with flowering phenotypes; a similar shift is seen in the related genus Arabidopsis, where self-fertilization evolved about 1 million years ago.
Project description:In Drosophila melanogaster, mating radically transforms female physiology and behavior. Post-mating responses include an increase in the oviposition rate, a reduction in female receptivity, and an activation of the immune system . The fitness consequences of mating are similarly dramatic – females must mate once in order to produce fertile eggs, but additional matings have a clear negative effect. Previously, microarrays have been used to examine gene expression of females differing in their reproductive status with the aim of identifying genes influenced by mating. However, since only virgin and single mated females were compared, transcriptional changes associated with reproduction (under natural selection) and the effects of male-induced harm (under sexually antagonistic selection) cannot be disentangled. We partitioned these fundamentally different effects by instead examining the expression profiles of virgin, single mated and double mated females. We found substantial effects relating to reproduction and further effects that are only attributable to a second mating. Immune response genes dominate this male-induced harm effect indicating that the cost of mating may be due partly to this system's activation. We propose that both sexually antagonistic and natural selection have been important in the evolution of the innate immunity genes, thereby contributing to the sexual dimorphismand rapid evolution at these loci. Keywords: Female response to mating
Project description:By combining an experimental evolution approach with genomic techniques, we investigated the effects of seminal fluid on female gene expression. In our study, we experimentally manipulated the mating system in replicate populations of D. melanogaster, by removing post-copulatory sexual selection, with the aim of testing differences in short term post-mating reaction of females evolved under different mating strategies. We show that monogamous females suffer decreased fecundity, regardless of the type of male they were mated with, and that their post-mating gene expression profiles differ significantly from promiscuous females, involving 1141 transcripts (9% of the genes tested). These transcripts are active in several tissues, mainly ovaries, neural tissues, midgut and spermathecae, and are involved in metabolic processes, reproduction and signaling pathways. Our results provide a list of candidate genes responsible for the decrease in female fecundity in the absence of post-copulatory sexual selection, and demonstrate how the female post-mating response can evolve under different mating systems over relatively short time frames.
Project description:By combining an experimental evolution approach with genomic techniques, we investigated the effects of seminal fluid on female gene expression. In our study, we experimentally manipulated the mating system in replicate populations of D. melanogaster, by removing post-copulatory sexual selection, with the aim of testing differences in short term post-mating reaction of females evolved under different mating strategies. We show that monogamous females suffer decreased fecundity, regardless of the type of male they were mated with, and that their post-mating gene expression profiles differ significantly from promiscuous females, involving 1141 transcripts (9% of the genes tested). These transcripts are active in several tissues, mainly ovaries, neural tissues, midgut and spermathecae, and are involved in metabolic processes, reproduction and signaling pathways. Our results provide a list of candidate genes responsible for the decrease in female fecundity in the absence of post-copulatory sexual selection, and demonstrate how the female post-mating response can evolve under different mating systems over relatively short time frames.
Project description:By combining an experimental evolution approach with genomic techniques, we investigated the effects of seminal fluid on female gene expression. In our study, we experimentally manipulated the mating system in replicate populations of D. melanogaster, by removing post-copulatory sexual selection, with the aim of testing differences in short term post-mating reaction of females evolved under different mating strategies. We show that monogamous females suffer decreased fecundity, regardless of the type of male they were mated with, and that their post-mating gene expression profiles differ significantly from promiscuous females, involving 1141 transcripts (9% of the genes tested). These transcripts are active in several tissues, mainly ovaries, neural tissues, midgut and spermathecae, and are involved in metabolic processes, reproduction and signaling pathways. Our results provide a list of candidate genes responsible for the decrease in female fecundity in the absence of post-copulatory sexual selection, and demonstrate how the female post-mating response can evolve under different mating systems over relatively short time frames. From a LHM base population, we created 8 replicate populations and maintained them under experimental evolution: 4 populations were allowed to mate only once every generation (monogamy), and the other 4 were kept under the standard mating protocol (promiscuous). After 46 generation, we crossed males and females within the same population and with individuals of the opposite treatment. Mated female flies were frozen 6 h after mating and RNA extracted. Two biological replicates per cross per population (2x2x8=32 samples).
Project description:By combining an experimental evolution approach with genomic techniques, we investigated the effects of seminal fluid on female gene expression. In our study, we experimentally manipulated the mating system in replicate populations of D. melanogaster, by removing post-copulatory sexual selection, with the aim of testing differences in short term post-mating reaction of females evolved under different mating strategies. We show that monogamous females suffer decreased fecundity, regardless of the type of male they were mated with, and that their post-mating gene expression profiles differ significantly from promiscuous females, involving 1141 transcripts (9% of the genes tested). These transcripts are active in several tissues, mainly ovaries, neural tissues, midgut and spermathecae, and are involved in metabolic processes, reproduction and signaling pathways. Our results provide a list of candidate genes responsible for the decrease in female fecundity in the absence of post-copulatory sexual selection, and demonstrate how the female post-mating response can evolve under different mating systems over relatively short time frames. From an LHM base population, we created 8 replicate populations and maintained them under experimental evolution: 4 populations were allowed to mate only once every generation (monogamy), and the other 4 were kept under the standard mating protocol (promiscuous). After 46 generations, we crossed males and females within the same population and with individuals of the opposite treatment. Mated female flies were frozen 6 h after mating and RNA extracted. Two biological replicates per cross per population (2x2x8=32 samples).