The molecular magic of mating
Professor of entomology Luciano Matzkin examines samples under a microscope in his lab. Matzkin's recent study reveals how female flies produce male-derived, female-translated proteins after mating, providing new insights into the molecular interactions of reproduction.
A University of Arizona-led study of reproductive biology suggests that the act of mating can cause bodily changes at a molecular level.
During mating, males transfer a blueprint copy of some of their genes, known as messenger ribonucleic acid or mRNA, to females. But whether females can translate and use this blueprint within their own bodies has long been a mystery, until U of A researcher Luciano Matzkin studied the reproductive tissues of female flies. His study, published in the journal iScience, uncovered that females do indeed create their own male-derived, female-translated proteins, or mdFTPs, after mating.
"Flies have a great system to study because they allow us to extrapolate findings to more diverse organisms, and in this case, we were interested in the interactions that occur in reproduction," said Matzkin, a professor in the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences. "Ultimately, the same forces that shape the reproductive systems in insects have shaped the reproductive systems in vertebrates and mammals."
To investigate if females can translate male-transferred mRNA, Matzkin, who is also a part of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a member of the U of A BIO5 Institute, developed a special technique called VESPA – Variant Enabled SILAC Proteomic Analysis – that allowed researchers to profile the proteins present in certain tissues in females. Through this method, Matzkin was able to identify 67 individual mdFTPs within the female. By removing specific genes in the flies, the team also showed that male-derived proteins play critical roles in post-mating processes, contributing to sexual selection and conflict.
"In some cases, these proteins affect female behavior. There's a very well-studied protein called sex peptide that passes from the male to the female and reduces her desire to copulate again," Matzkin said. "So, then the female takes longer to copulate, which makes his sperm more successful because there's nobody else to compete with."
Which specific tissues female-translated proteins become a part of remains to be uncovered. However, Matzkin's research marks a significant advancement in scientists' understanding of molecular interactions after mating, offering new insights into the role of intimacy beyond just reproduction.
Since mRNA in seminal fluid is present across many species, including humans, these findings could have far-reaching implications for reproductive biology, Matzkin said.
