Linked Life Data

18291649

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/18291649

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-2-27
pubmed:abstractText
Spermicide (i.e., female-mediated sperm death) is an understudied but potentially widespread phenomenon that has important ramifications for the study of sexual conflict, postcopulatory sexual selection, and fertility [1, 2]. Males are predicted to evolve adaptations against spermicide, but few antispermicidal mechanisms have been definitively identified. One such adaptation may be the enigmatic infertile sperm morphs or "parasperm" produced by many species, which have been hypothesized to protect their fertile brother "eusperm" from spermicide [2, 3]. Here, we show that female Drosophila pseudoobscura reproductive tracts are spermicidal and that the survival of eusperm after exposure to the female tract is highest when males produce many parasperm. This study clarifies the adaptive significance of infertile sperm castes, which has remained elusive in Drosophila and other taxa despite much recent interest [2-8]. We suggest that spermicide and male countermeasures against it are more common than is appreciated currently and discuss how spermicide could drive the evolution of several key male traits, including sperm size and number.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
0960-9822
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
26
pubmed:volume
18
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
292-6
pubmed:dateRevised
2010-11-18
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
A sterile sperm caste protects brother fertile sperm from female-mediated death in Drosophila pseudoobscura.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.