The Drosophila melanogaster seminal fluid protein Acp62F is a protease inhibitor that is toxic upon ectopic expression.
Drosophila melanogaster seminal fluid proteins stimulate sperm storage and egg laying in the mated female but also cause a reduction in her life span. We report here that of eight Drosophila seminal fluid proteins (Acps) and one non-Acp tested, only Acp62F is toxic when ectopically expressed. Toxicity to preadult male or female Drosophila occurs upon one exposure, whereas multiple exposures are needed for toxicity to adult female flies. Of the Acp62F received by females during mating, approximately 10% enters the circulatory system while approximately 90% remains in the reproductive tract. We show that in the reproductive tract, Acp62F localizes to the lumen of the uterus and the female's sperm storage organs. Analysis of Acp62F's sequence, and biochemical assays, reveals that it encodes a trypsin inhibitor with sequence and structural similarities to extracellular serine protease inhibitors from the nematode Ascaris. In light of previous results demonstrating entry of Acp62F into the mated female's hemolymph, we propose that Acp62F is a candidate for a molecule to contribute to the Acp-dependent decrease in female life span. We propose that Acp62F's protease inhibitor activity exerts positive protective functions in the mated female's reproductive tract but that entry of a small amount of this protein into the female's hemolymph could contribute to the cost of mating.
Lung
Oliver
O
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Tram
Uyen
U
Finnerty
Casey M
CM
Eipper-Mains
Marcie A
MA
Kalb
John M
JM
Wolfner
Mariana F
MF
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001200:Ascaris / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D001665:Binding Sites; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology* / Q000633:toxicity; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006458:Hemolymph; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry*; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000633:toxicity; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017385:Sequence Homology
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; C453724:accessory gland peptide 62F, Drosophila