Protein and carbohydrate intake influence sperm number and fertility in male cockroaches, but not sperm viability

It is commonly assumed that because males produce many, tiny sperm, they are cheap to produce. Recent work, however, suggests that sperm production is not cost-free. If sperm are costly to produce, sperm number and/or viability should be influenced by diet, and this has been documented in numerous s...

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Published inProceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Vol. 282; no. 1802; p. 20142144
Main Authors Bunning, Harriet, Rapkin, James, Belcher, Laurence, Archer, C. Ruth, Jensen, Kim, Hunt, John
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England The Royal Society 07.03.2015
Subjects
Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Animals
Blattellidae - physiology
Cost Of Sperm Production
Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage
Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage
Ejaculate
Fertility
Food Preferences
Male
Nauphoeta cinerea
Nutritional Geometry
Sperm Count
Spermatozoa - physiology
nutritional geometry
cost of sperm production
Nauphoeta cinerea
ejaculate
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Summary:It is commonly assumed that because males produce many, tiny sperm, they are cheap to produce. Recent work, however, suggests that sperm production is not cost-free. If sperm are costly to produce, sperm number and/or viability should be influenced by diet, and this has been documented in numerous species. Yet few studies have examined the exact nutrients responsible for mediating these effects. Here, we quantify the effects of protein (P) and carbohydrate (C) intake on sperm number and viability in the cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea, as well as the consequences for male fertility. We found the intake of P and C influenced sperm number, being maximized at a high intake of diets with a P : C ratio of 1 : 2, but not sperm viability. The nutritional landscapes for male fertility and sperm number were closely aligned, suggesting that sperm number is the major determinant of male fertility in N. cinerea. Under dietary choice, males regulate nutrient intake at a P : C ratio of 1 : 4.95, which is midway between the ratios needed to maximize sperm production and pre-copulatory attractiveness in this species. This raises the possibility that males regulate nutrient intake to balance the trade-off between pre- and post-copulatory traits in this species.
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ISSN:0962-8452
1471-2954
DOI:10.1098/rspb.2014.2144