Molecular mechanisms undelying the evolution of mating receptivity

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02507
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 45040:Ecology and environment-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Matsuo Takashi 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 准教授 (70301223)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Drosophila prolongata / 交尾頻度 / 交尾受容性 / 再交尾抑制 / seminal peptides

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Female mating receptivity plays an important role in driving sexual selection together with the mechanisms producing variation in male traits. However, little is know for the former in contrast to the latter. In this study, taking the advantage of Drosophila prolongata as an excellent system to study mating systems, the mechanisms regulating female receptivity were explored. As a result, the acquisition of a new courtship behavior was shown to be the key evolutionary event that shifted the mating system from monandry to polyandry.

Free Research Field

昆虫生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

性選択を駆動する両輪として、選ばれる側のオスの形質の変異を生み出す仕組みと、選ぶ側のメスの交尾受容性を制御する仕組みが重要である。しかしながら、前者は比較的よくわかっているのに反して、後者についてはほとんど分かっていない。本研究の成果は、メスの交尾受容性に影響を与える様々な要因を見出しただけでなく、それらが引き起こす配偶システムの動的な進化過程についても明らかにした。