biostudies-literatureChen DSMann Award, Cornell UniversityNICHD NIH HHSHHS | NIH | Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)Israel Science Foundation (ISF)HHS | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)NIH HHSNIGMS NIH HHSe2512096122https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12403100biostudies-literatureUnknown122(34)Paired structures often have similar forms and functions, but the processes underlying their formation can differ. They may originate from a common source or from parallel sources, or arise from distinct precursors that follow separate developmental pathways, ultimately converging on comparable structures and roles. When asymmetries emerge and persist through development, members of the pair can specialize in ways that might increase fitness. Here, we report that the <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> female's pair of spermathecae, which appear similar and have the common role of sperm storage, derive from different developmental compartments defined by expression of lineage-tracing markers corresponding, respectively, to the key patterning genes <i>engrailed</i> and <i>wingless</i>. We furtheProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaAsymmetric development and function of paired sperm-storage organs in &lt;i&gt;Drosophila melanogaster&lt;/i&gt;.PMC12403100R01 HD059060R35 GM148344R37 HD038921R37HD0389212024ISF-2041/17R35GM148344P40 OD018537R01HD059060Thomalla JMMarrero KBuehner NAWolfner MFHafezi YSanchez-Lopez JASiegal MLHeifetz YLevi YWang SClark AGChen DSBelenky MApel IfalseAsymmetric development and function of paired sperm-storage organs in &lt;i&gt;Drosophila melanogaster&lt;/i&gt;.Paired structures often have similar forms and functions, but the processes underlying their formation can differ. They may originate from a common source or from parallel sources, or arise from distinct precursors that follow separate developmental pathways, ultimately converging on comparable structures and roles. When asymmetries emerge and persist through development, members of the pair can specialize in ways that might increase fitness. Here, we report that the <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> female's pair of spermathecae, which appear similar and have the common role of sperm storage, derive from different developmental compartments defined by expression of lineage-tracing markers corresponding, respectively, to the key patterning genes <i>engrailed</i> and <i>wingless</i>. We furthe2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Aug2026-07-16T06:45:05.495Z2026-07-09T10:41:29.863ZS-EPMC124031004082802810.1073/pnas.2512096122