The function of copulatory plugs in Caenorhabditis remanei: hints for female benefits

Timmermeyer, Nadine; Gerlach, Tobias; Guempel, Christian; Knoche, Johanna; Pfann, Jens F; Schliessmann, Daniel; Michiels, Nico K.

doi:10.1186/1742-9994-7-28

Cited by 39 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Under these conditions, the generation time is approximately 4 days. Populations were maintained on agar with OP50 Escherichia coli as described in [33], with a higher agar concentration as in [34].…”

Section: Materials and Methods (A) Model Organismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female, but not male, nematodes evolve under experimental sexual coevolution

et al. 2014

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Coevolution between the sexes is often considered to be male-driven: the male genome is constantly scanned by selection for traits that increase relative male fertilization success. Whenever these traits are harmful to females, the female genome is scanned for resistance traits. The resulting antagonistic coevolution between the sexes is analogous to Red Queen dynamics, where adaptation and counteradaptation keep each other in check. However, the underlying assumption that male trait evolution precedes female trait counteradaptation has received few empirical tests. Using the gonochoristic nematode Caenorhabditis remanei, we now show that 20 generations of relaxed versus increased sexual selection pressure lead to female, but not to male, trait evolution, questioning the generality of a male-driven process.

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Section: Materials and Methods (A) Model Organismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female, but not male, nematodes evolve under experimental sexual coevolution

et al. 2014

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“…Mating plugs also occur in mammals, nematodes and in many arthropod groups, such as spiders, wasps, and flies (Gillies 1956, Thornhill and Alcock 1983, Timmermeyer et al 2010, Uhl et al 2010, Hirt et al 2017). However, only in those of the ditrysian Lepidoptera, a group to which all butterflies belong, can the plug be potentially permanent because it does not impede oviposition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of the occurrence and diversity of the sphragis in butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea)

Carvalho

Orr

Kawahara

2017

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Males of many butterfly species secrete long-lasting mating plugs to prevent their mates from copulating with other males, thus ensuring their sperm will fertilize all future eggs laid. Certain species have further developed a greatly enlarged, often spectacular, externalized plug, termed a sphragis. This distinctive structure results from complex adaptations in both male and female genitalia and is qualitatively distinct from the amorphous, internal mating plugs of other species. Intermediate conditions between internal plug and external sphragis are rare. The term sphragis has often been misunderstood in recent years, hence we provide a formal definition based on accepted usage throughout most of the last century. Despite it being a highly apparent trait, neither the incidence nor diversity of the sphragis has been systematically documented. We record a sphragis or related structure in 273 butterfly species, representing 72 species of Papilionidae in 13 genera, and 201 species of Nymphalidae in 9 genera. These figures represent respectively, 13% of Papilionidae, 3% of Nymphalidae, and 1% of known butterfly species. A well-formed sphragis evolved independently in at least five butterfly subfamilies, with a rudimentary structure also occurring in an additional subfamily. The sphragis is probably the plesiomorphic condition in groups such as Parnassius (Papilionidae: Parnassiinae) and many Acraeini (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae). Some butterflies, such as those belonging to the Parnassius simo group, have apparently lost the structure secondarily. The material cost of producing the sphragis is considerable. It is typically offset by production of a smaller spermatophore, thus reducing the amount of male-derived nutrients donated to the female during mating for use in oogenesis and/or somatic maintenance. The sphragis potentially represents one of the clearest examples of mate conflict known. Investigating its biology should yield testable hypotheses to further our understanding of the selective processes at play in an ‘arms race’ between the sexes. This paper provides an overview, which will inform future study.

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“…The mating behaviors of gonochoristic Caenorhabditis nematodes are less studied than their hermaphroditic relatives 8 , 10 , 12 . But they have been shown to be promiscuous with their sexual partners and display many similar copulatory sensory and motor steps with their more intensely studied hermaphroditic cousin, Caenorhabditis elegans .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

VirginCaenorhabditis remaneifemales are attracted to a coital pheromone released by con-specific copulating males

Markert

García

2013

Worm

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The gonochoristic soil nematode Caenorhabditis remanei strictly requires copulation for species propagation. Males of this species are sexually promiscuous with females of other species; therefore, we asked in this study whether virgin C. remanei females display evidence of mate choice. We digitally recorded and measured the locomotor behaviors of one or more virgin females in the presence of a single male on a 5 mm diameter mating lawn. We observed that initially only the male modifies his locomotor trajectory to another animal on the mating lawn; the virgin females showed no locomotor bias toward the mate-searching male. However, once a male started to copulate, females in the vicinity altered their movement trajectories toward the copulating couple. Newly inseminated females are refractive to the coital signal, but partially regain their attraction to copulating males after 24 h. We found only copulating males with an intact gonad can attract females, and that the coital signal can be broadcasted at least 1.5 mm through the air. Unlike males, which are also attracted to hetero-specific females, virgin C. remanei females will only crawl toward a copulating con-specific male. We suggest that Caenorhabditis females use the coital signal as a pheromone to identify a vigorous male of their own species.

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The function of copulatory plugs in Caenorhabditis remanei: hints for female benefits

Cited by 39 publications

References 35 publications

Female, but not male, nematodes evolve under experimental sexual coevolution

Female, but not male, nematodes evolve under experimental sexual coevolution

A review of the occurrence and diversity of the sphragis in butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea)

VirginCaenorhabditis remaneifemales are attracted to a coital pheromone released by con-specific copulating males

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