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Repeatability of sperm size in outbred and inbred Scathophaga stercoraria (Diptera: Scathophagidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2012

G. Bernasconi ,
P.I. Ward  and
B. Hellriegel
G. Bernasconi*
Affiliation:
Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
P.I. Ward
Affiliation:
Zoological Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
B. Hellriegel
Affiliation:
Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: giorgina.bernasconi@unil.ch).
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Abstract

Variability in male gametic traits can depend on several genetic and environmental factors such as developmental instability as a consequence of inbreeding, developmental noise during spermatogenesis, or age- or condition-dependent changes in allocation to sperm cells. Variation in sperm size is particularly evident in species that produce more than one sperm morph but also occurs among males in sperm-monomorphic species. Both discrete and continuous sperm size variation have been implicated in male fertilization success when the sperm of several males directly compete for fertilization of the same set of ova. In this study, we investigated among-male variation in sperm length in field-collected, outbred male Scathophaga stercoraria (L.) flies, as well as in flies from the same natural population that had been subjected to 15 and 16 generations of inbreeding under laboratory conditions. Among-male variation in sperm length was significant and repeatable over subsequent matings in both inbred and outbred flies. We conclude that sperm length can be used as an individual male marker in sperm competition studies and that significant repeatability of sperm length supports heritability for this trait.

Résumé

La variation dans les caractéristiques des gamètes peut dépendre de plusieurs facteurs génétiques et environnementaux, tels que l'instabilité du développement causée par la consanguinité, les perturbations (bruit) dans le développement durant la spermatogenèse et les changements reliés à l'âge ou à la condition dans l'allocation des ressources aux cellules spermatiques. La variation dans la taille des spermatozoïdes est particulièrement évidente chez les espèces qui produisent plus d'un morphe de spermatozoïdes, mais elle est présente aussi chez les mâles à sperme monomorphe. Des variations, tant discrètes que continues, dans la taille des spermatozoïdes ont été invoquées pour expliquer le succès de la fécondation lorsque plusieurs mâles sont en compétition pour féconder la même masse d'oeufs. Dans notre étude, nous avons déterminé la variation d'un mâle à l'autre de la longueur des spermatozoïdes chez des mouches mâles Scathophaga stercoraria (L.) non consanguines et récoltées en nature, ainsi que chez des mouches provenant de la même population naturelle, mais élevées en laboratoire dans des conditions de consanguinité pendant 15 et 16 générations. La variation de la longueur des spermatozoïdes chez les mâles est significative et c'est un caractère qui se retrouve lors des accouplements subséquents, tant chez les mouches consanguines que non consanguines. La longueur des spermatozoïdes peut donc servir de marqueur mâle individuel lors des études de compétition spermatique et le fait que la longueur des spermatozoïdes se retrouve dans les générations suivantes est un indice qui appuie l'hypothèse qu'il s'agit d'une caractéristique héritable.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 139 , Issue 2 , April 2007 , pp. 228 - 234
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2007

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