Male-derived transcripts isolated from the mated female reproductive tract in Drosophila melanogaster

In species with internal fertilization, sperm, and seminal fluid are transferred from male to female during mating. While both sperm and seminal fluid contain various types of molecules, including RNA, the role of most of these molecules in the coordination of fertilization or in other possible functions is poorly understood. In Drosophila, exosomes from the accessory gland, which produces seminal fluid, are transferred to females, but their potential cargoes have not been described. Moreover, while the RNA composition of sperm has been described in several mammalian species, little work on this problem has occurred in Drosophila. Here we use single nucleotide polymorphism differences between males and females from a set of highly inbred lines of D. melanogaster, and transcriptome data from the female reproductive tract, sperm, testis, and accessory gland, to investigate the potential origin, male vs female, RNA molecules isolated from 3 female reproductive tract organs, the seminal receptacle and spermatheca, which store sperm, and the parovaria, which does not. We find that mated females carry male-derived transcripts from many genes, including those that are markers of the accessory gland and known seminal fluid proteins. Our observations also support the idea that intact sperm transcripts can be isolated from the female sperm storage organs.

Automated summary

In species with internal fertilization, sperm and seminal fluid are transferred from male to female during mating. The role of most molecules in fertilization coordination or other functions is not well understood. In Drosophila, exosomes from the accessory gland are transferred to females, but their cargoes have not been described. The study finds that mated females carry male-derived transcripts from many genes, including those that are markers of the accessory gland and known seminal fluid proteins. The observations also support the isolation of intact sperm transcripts from female sperm storage organs.