Abstract
In order to gain further insight into the processes underlying rapid reproductive protein evolution, we have conducted a population genetic survey of 44 reproductive tract-expressed proteases, protease inhibitors, and targets of proteolysis in Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans. Our findings suggest that positive selection on this group of genes is temporally heterogeneous, with different patterns of selection inferred using tests sensitive at different time scales. Such variation in the strength and targets of selection through time may be expected under models of sexual conflict and/or host-pathogen interaction. Moreover, available functional information concerning the genes that show evidence of selection suggests that both sexual selection and immune processes have been important in the evolutionary history of this group of molecules.
Highlights
Comparative and population genetic studies have documented positive selection on reproductive tract proteins in a broad range of organisms, including invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants (Clark et al 2006; Panhuis et al 2006)
Male–female coevolution, sperm competition, and host–pathogen interactions are among the leading proposals (Civetta 2003; Clark et al 2006; Panhuis et al 2006; Chapman 2008; Turner and Hoekstra 2008), but it has proven difficult to distinguish between these potential mechanisms
An average of 13.7 and 12.5 alleles were sequenced for each locus in the D. melanogaster and D. simulans samples, respectively
Summary
Comparative and population genetic studies have documented positive selection on reproductive tract proteins in a broad range of organisms, including invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants (Clark et al 2006; Panhuis et al 2006). Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the phenomenon of rapid reproductive tract protein evolution in different taxa. These hypotheses include sperm competition, sexual conflict, host–pathogen interactions, avoidance of selfing, or avoidance of interspecific fertilization (reviewed in Nasrallah 2002; Swanson and Vacquier 2002; Takebayashi et al 2003; Clark et al 2006; Panhuis et al 2006; Turner and Hoekstra 2008). Proteolysis regulators include proteases as well as proteins that modulate protease activity, for example, protease inhibitors (PIs) and protease homologs (proteins that resemble proteases in sequence and structure but are thought to have regulatory noncatalytic functions; Ross et al 2003)
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