FUNCITIONS OF AN OVULATION STIMULATING SUBSTANCE PRODUCED IN THE EJACULATORY DUCT OF DROSOPHILA BIARMIPES MALES

• Published in: Genes & Genetic Systems Vol. 72; no. 6; p. 387
• Main Authors: SATO Kaori, AIGAKI Toshiro, FUYAMA Yoshiaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Genetics Society of Japan 1997
• ISSN: 1341-7568

Male flies of Drosophila biarmipes produce in their reproductive organs two different peptides with an ovulation inducing activity in females. One is produced in the accessory gland and has high similarity to the sex-peptide (SP) known in D. melanogaster and other species. Another peptide (ED-OSS) originates in the ejaculatory duct. Both the peptides are effective in inducing ovulation in a distantly related species, D. melanogaster. However, females of certain strains of D. biarmipes do not respond to ED-OSS. This strain difference was found to be controlled by a small number of autosomal genes. Amino acid sequences of the C-terminal region of these peptides show a remarkable similarity, though their N-terminal regions are entirely different. Genes coding for these peptides have an intron at the same position, indicating these genes have diverged by exon shuffling. Using the strain differences in the response to ED-OSS, we are investigating the functional difference between the two peptides. So far, we have noticed a subtle delay in the onset of ovulation after mating in females of a strain unresponsive to ED-OSS, suggesting that the two peptides may have different functions.