title: Sexual conflict over remating interval is modulated by thesex peptidepathway.
abstract: Sexual conflict, in which the evolutionary interests of males and females diverge, shapes the evolution of reproductive systems across diverse taxa. Here, we used the fruit fly to study sexual conflict in natural, three-way interactions comprising a female, her current and previous mates. We manipulated the potential for sexual conflict by usingsex peptide receptor(SPR) null females and by varying remating from 3 to 48 h, a period during which natural rematings frequently occur.SPR-lacking females do not respond to sex peptide (SP) transferred during mating and maintain virgin levels of high receptivity and low fecundity. In the absence of SPR, there was a convergence of fitness interests, with all individuals gaining highest productivity at 5 h remating. This suggests that the expression of sexual conflict was reduced. We observed an unexpected second male-specific advantage to early remating, resulting from an increase in the efficiency of second male sperm use. This early window of opportunity for exploitation by second males depended on the presence ofSPRThe results suggest that the SP pathway can modulate the expression of sexual conflict in this system, and show how variation in the selective forces that shape conflict and cooperation can be maintained.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: Damian T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: Naomi V E
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boone
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Muenster, Huefferstr. 1, 48149 Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0691-6779
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fricke
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK tracey.chapman@uea.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2401-8120
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chapman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000502:physiology*; D018000:Receptors, Peptide / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D018000:Receptors, Peptide; C056736:SP protein, Drosophila; C526291:sex peptide receptor, Drosophila
keywords: Drosophila melanogaster; sexual conflict; sexual selection; sperm competition