Abstract
Selenoproteins serve in anti-oxidant and cellular redox functions in almost all organisms. A recent study characterized a selenoprotein F-like (SPF-L) in the brown plant hopper’s (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, male accessory glands (MAGs), raised the question of whether the SPF-L is associated with female fecundity. In this study, SPF-L mRNA was found to be enriched in the internal reproductive organ (IRO) of virgin males, also expressed relatively stably in virgin males and females, and dietary dsSPF-L-treatments led to reduced MAG protein and Arginine content. Knockdown of NlSPF-L in unmated males did not influence juvenile hormone (JH) III and ecdysteroid titers, however, dsSPF-L-treated mated males had increased JH III titer, and reduced ecdysteroid titer compared to controls. After mating with dsSPF-L-treated males, female partners had reduced fat body and ovary soluble proteins and JH III tier and vitellogenin (Vg) mRNA levels, but no alterations in ecdysteroid titer, body weight or longevity. The experimental females had prolonged pre-oviposition periods and they laid fewer eggs, which suffered reduced hatching rates and population growth index (PGI). Such mating also led to impaired IRO development in males and females, which was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining. We infer that SPF-L affects reproductive success of males and their partners.
Highlights
A great diversity of reproductive strategies have evolved in sexual organisms
Phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequences indicates that selenoproteins from the species listed in Figure 2 clustered reasonably close together
Silencing the gene with a dietary dsRNA construct led to reduced MAGP and reduced Arg in unmated males and influenced juvenile hormone (JH) III and ecdysteroid titers in mated males
Summary
A great diversity of reproductive strategies have evolved in sexual organisms. Aside from sperm transfer, male seminal fluids have a role in post-copulatory reproductive success because they are involved in the fertilization processes and sexual selection in animals (Poinani, 2006). The seminal fluids, secreted mainly by accessory glands, contribute to the formation of a mating plug that prevents re-mating or sperm efflux. In some species, it leads to rejecting subsequent males and facilitating feeding, ovulation, egg production and longevity (Simmons, 2001; Ravi Ram and Wolfner, 2007; Avila et al, 2011; Clifton et al, 2014). Some proteins responsible for these events have been identified from the accessory glands of Drosophila melanogaster (Ravi Ram and Wolfner, 2007, 2009)
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