Affiliation:
1. Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
2. Department of Statistics & Data Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
Abstract
Sex peptide (SP), a seminal fluid protein of
Drosophila melanogaster
males, has been described as driving a virgin-to-mated switch in females, through eliciting an array of responses including increased egg laying, activity, and food intake and a decreased remating rate. While it is known that SP achieves this, at least in part, by altering neuronal signaling in females, the genetic architecture and temporal dynamics of the female’s response to SP remain elusive. We used a high-resolution time series RNA-sequencing dataset of female heads at 10 time points within the first 24 h after mating to learn about the genetic architecture, at the gene and exon levels, of the female’s response to SP. We find that SP is not essential to trigger early aspects of a virgin-to-mated transcriptional switch, which includes changes in a metabolic gene regulatory network. However, SP is needed to maintain and diversify metabolic changes and to trigger changes in a neuronal gene regulatory network. We further find that SP alters rhythmic gene expression in females and suggests that SP’s disruption of the female’s circadian rhythm might be key to its widespread effects.
Funder
HHS | NIH | NICHD | National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research
HHS | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences
HHS | NIH | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
NSF | BFA | Division of Grants and Agreements
Publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Cited by
11 articles.
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