Sexual conflict drives male manipulation of female postmating responses in Drosophila melanogaster
Abstract
In species with males and females, reproduction requires contributions from both sexes and therefore some degree of cooperation. At the same time, antagonistic interactions can evolve because of the differing goals of males and females. We aligned the interests of the sexes in the naturally promiscuous fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster by enforcing randomized monogamy for more than 150 generations. Males repeatedly evolved to manipulate females less, a pattern visible in both the timing of female reproductive effort and gene expression changes after mating. Male investment in expression of genes encoding seminal fluid proteins, which shape the female postmating response, declined concurrently. Our results confirm the presence of sexually antagonistic selection on postcopulatory interactions that can be reversed by monogamy.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- April 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1821386116
- Bibcode:
- 2019PNAS..116.8437H