Originally published as Genetics Published Articles Ahead of Print on June 8, 2005.

Genetics, Vol. 171, 131-143, September 2005, Copyright © 2005
doi:10.1534/genetics.105.043844

Cross-Species Comparison of Drosophila Male Accessory Gland Protein Genes

* Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 and {dagger} Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021

2 Corresponding author: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 423 Biotechnology Bldg., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
E-mail: mfw5{at}cornell.edu

Drosophila melanogaster males transfer seminal fluid proteins along with sperm during mating. Among these proteins, ACPs (Accessory gland proteins) from the male's accessory gland induce behavioral, physiological, and life span reduction in mated females and mediate sperm storage and utilization. A previous evolutionary EST screen in D. simulans identified partial cDNAs for 57 new candidate ACPs. Here we report the annotation and confirmation of the corresponding Acp genes in D. melanogaster. Of 57 new candidate Acp genes previously reported in D. melanogaster, 34 conform to our more stringent criteria for encoding putative male accessory gland extracellular proteins, thus bringing the total number of ACPs identified to 52 (34 plus 18 previously identified). This comprehensive set of Acp genes allows us to dissect the patterns of evolutionary change in a suite of proteins from a single male-specific reproductive tissue. We used sequence-based analysis to examine codon bias, gene duplications, and levels of divergence (via dN/dS values and ortholog detection) of the 52 D. melanogaster ACPs in D. simulans, D. yakuba, and D. pseudoobscura. We show that 58% of the 52 D. melanogaster Acp genes are detectable in D. pseudoobscura. Sequence comparisons of ACPs shared and not shared between D. melanogaster and D. pseudoobscura show that there are separate classes undergoing distinctly dissimilar evolutionary dynamics.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J HeredHome page
M. F. Wolfner
Battle and Ballet: Molecular Interactions between the Sexes in Drosophila
J. Hered., July 1, 2009; 100(4): 399 - 410.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Genome ResHome page
G. D. Findlay, M. J. MacCoss, and W. J. Swanson
Proteomic discovery of previously unannotated, rapidly evolving seminal fluid genes in Drosophila
Genome Res., May 1, 2009; 19(5): 886 - 896.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Behav EcolHome page
M. Polak and L. W. Simmons
Secondary sexual trait size reveals competitive fertilization success in Drosophila bipectinata Duda
Behav. Ecol., April 13, 2009; (2009) arp056v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
GeneticsHome page
E. S. Kelleher and T. A. Markow
Duplication, Selection and Gene Conversion in a Drosophila mojavensis Female Reproductive Protein Family
Genetics, April 1, 2009; 181(4): 1451 - 1465.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
GeneticsHome page
F. C. Almeida and R. DeSalle
Orthology, Function and Evolution of Accessory Gland Proteins in the Drosophila repleta Group
Genetics, January 1, 2009; 181(1): 235 - 245.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Biol EvolHome page
S. A. Ramm, L. McDonald, J. L. Hurst, R. J. Beynon, and P. Stockley
Comparative Proteomics Reveals Evidence for Evolutionary Diversification of Rodent Seminal Fluid and Its Functional Significance in Sperm Competition
Mol. Biol. Evol., January 1, 2009; 26(1): 189 - 198.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Proc R Soc BHome page
J. A Andres, L. S Maroja, and R. G Harrison
Searching for candidate speciation genes using a proteomic approach: seminal proteins in field crickets
Proc R Soc B, September 7, 2008; 275(1646): 1975 - 1983.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
H. Dai, Y. Chen, S. Chen, Q. Mao, D. Kennedy, P. Landback, A. Eyre-Walker, W. Du, and M. Long
The evolution of courtship behaviors through the origination of a new gene in Drosophila
PNAS, May 27, 2008; 105(21): 7478 - 7483.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
GeneticsHome page
J. L. Mueller, J. R. Linklater, K. Ravi Ram, T. Chapman, and M. F. Wolfner
Targeted Gene Deletion and Phenotypic Analysis of the Drosophila melanogaster Seminal Fluid Protease Inhibitor Acp62F
Genetics, March 1, 2008; 178(3): 1605 - 1614.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Biol EvolHome page
A. Wong, M. C. Turchin, M. F. Wolfner, and C. F. Aquadro
Evidence for Positive Selection on Drosophila melanogaster Seminal Fluid Protease Homologs
Mol. Biol. Evol., March 1, 2008; 25(3): 497 - 506.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Biol EvolHome page
M. D. Dean, J. M. Good, and M. W. Nachman
Adaptive Evolution of Proteins Secreted during Sperm Maturation: An Analysis of the Mouse Epididymal Transcriptome
Mol. Biol. Evol., February 1, 2008; 25(2): 383 - 392.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
E. B. Dopman and D. L. Hartl
A portrait of copy-number polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster
PNAS, December 11, 2007; 104(50): 19920 - 19925.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
GeneticsHome page
W. Haerty, S. Jagadeeshan, R. J. Kulathinal, A. Wong, K. Ravi Ram, L. K. Sirot, L. Levesque, C. G. Artieri, M. F. Wolfner, A. Civetta, et al.
Evolution in the Fast Lane: Rapidly Evolving Sex-Related Genes in Drosophila
Genetics, November 1, 2007; 177(3): 1321 - 1335.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum Mol GenetHome page
T. L. Karr
Fruit flies and the sperm proteome
Hum. Mol. Genet., October 15, 2007; 16(R2): R124 - R133.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
T. Dottorini, L. Nicolaides, H. Ranson, D. W. Rogers, A. Crisanti, and F. Catteruccia
A genome-wide analysis in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes reveals 46 male accessory gland genes, possible modulators of female behavior
PNAS, October 9, 2007; 104(41): 16215 - 16220.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
GeneticsHome page
B. J. Wagstaff and D. J. Begun
Adaptive Evolution of Recently Duplicated Accessory Gland Protein Genes in Desert Drosophila
Genetics, October 1, 2007; 177(2): 1023 - 1030.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Integr. Comp. Biol.Home page
K. Ravi Ram and M. F. Wolfner
Seminal influences: Drosophila Acps and the molecular interplay between males and females during reproduction
Integr. Comp. Biol., September 1, 2007; 47(3): 427 - 445.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Biol EvolHome page
M. K. N. Lawniczak and D. J. Begun
Molecular population genetics of female-expressed mating-induced serine proteases in Drosophila melanogaster
Mol. Biol. Evol., September 1, 2007; 24(9): 1944 - 1951.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
GeneticsHome page
J. L. Mueller, J. L. Page, and M. F. Wolfner
An Ectopic Expression Screen Reveals the Protective and Toxic Effects of Drosophila Seminal Fluid Proteins
Genetics, February 1, 2007; 175(2): 777 - 783.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
K. Ravi Ram, L. K. Sirot, and M. F. Wolfner
Predicted seminal astacin-like protease is required for processing of reproductive proteins in Drosophila melanogaster
PNAS, December 5, 2006; 103(49): 18674 - 18679.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
A. Wong, S. N. Albright, and M. F. Wolfner
Evidence for structural constraint on ovulin, a rapidly evolving Drosophila melanogaster seminal protein
PNAS, December 5, 2006; 103(49): 18644 - 18649.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Biol EvolHome page
L. M. Turner and H. E. Hoekstra
Adaptive Evolution of Fertilization Proteins within a Genus: Variation in ZP2 and ZP3 in Deer Mice (Peromyscus)
Mol. Biol. Evol., September 1, 2006; 23(9): 1656 - 1669.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Biol EvolHome page
J. A. Andres, L. S. Maroja, S. M. Bogdanowicz, W. J. Swanson, and R. G. Harrison
Molecular Evolution of Seminal Proteins in Field Crickets
Mol. Biol. Evol., August 1, 2006; 23(8): 1574 - 1584.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
GeneticsHome page
D. J. Begun, H. A. Lindfors, M. E. Thompson, and A. K. Holloway
Recently Evolved Genes Identified From Drosophila yakuba and D. erecta Accessory Gland Expressed Sequence Tags
Genetics, March 1, 2006; 172(3): 1675 - 1681.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ReproductionHome page
N. L Clark, J. E Aagaard, and W. J Swanson
Evolution of reproductive proteins from animals and plants
Reproduction, January 1, 2006; 131(1): 11 - 22.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]