Proteins, Transcripts, and Genetic Architecture of Seminal Fluid and Sperm in the Mosquito Aedes aegypti.

The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti,, transmits several viruses causative of serious diseases, including dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Some proposed efforts to control this vector involve manipulating reproduction to suppress wild populations or to replace them with disease-resistant mosquitoes. The design of such strategies requires an intimate knowledge of reproductive processes, yet our basic understanding of reproductive genetics in this vector remains largely incomplete. To accelerate future investigations, we have comprehensively catalogued sperm and seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) transferred to females in the ejaculate using tandem mass spectrometry. By excluding female-derived proteins using an isotopic labeling approach, we identified 870 sperm proteins and 280 SFPs. Functional composition analysis revealed parallels with known aspects of sperm biology and SFP function in other insects. To corroborate our proteome characterization, we also generated transcriptomes for testes and the male accessory glands-the primary contributors to Ae. aegypti, sperm and seminal fluid, respectively. Differential gene expression of accessory glands from virgin and mated males suggests that transcripts encoding proteins involved in protein translation are upregulated post-mating. Several SFP transcripts were also modulated after mating, but >90% remained unchanged. Finally, a significant enrichment of SFPs was observed on chromosome 1, which harbors the male sex determining locus in this species. Our study provides a comprehensive proteomic and transcriptomic characterization of ejaculate production and composition and thus provides a foundation for future investigations of Ae. aegypti, reproductive biology, from functional analysis of individual proteins to broader examination of reproductive processes.

Degner EC ，Ahmed-Braimah YH ，Borziak K ，Wolfner MF ，Harrington LC ，Dorus S ... -  《-》

Identity and transfer of male reproductive gland proteins of the dengue vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti: potential tools for control of female feeding and reproduction.

Sirot LK ，Poulson RL ，McKenna MC ，Girnary H ，Wolfner MF ，Harrington LC ... -  《-》

Towards a semen proteome of the dengue vector mosquito: protein identification and potential functions.

Sirot LK ，Hardstone MC ，Helinski ME ，Ribeiro JM ，Kimura M ，Deewatthanawong P ，Wolfner MF ，Harrington LC ... -  《PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases》

Mating-Induced Transcriptome Changes in the Reproductive Tract of Female Aedes aegypti.

Alfonso-Parra C ，Ahmed-Braimah YH ，Degner EC ，Avila FW ，Villarreal SM ，Pleiss JA ，Wolfner MF ，Harrington LC ... -  《PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases》

Male sexual history influences female fertility and re-mating incidence in the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of several arboviruses that impact human health including the dengue, Zika, and yellow fever viruses. The potential of Ae. aegypti females to transmit viruses is enhanced by mating-induced behavioral and physiological changes that increase female host-seeking behaviors, blood-feeding frequency and longevity. The mating-induced changes are due to female receipt of male seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) during copulation. SFPs also inhibit female re-mating-re-mating incidence is significantly reduced in the initial hours after mating and nearly absent after 24 h. Males, however, are not limited in the number of females they can inseminate and are able to mate with multiple females in succession. As successive mating depletes SFPs, we examined parameters of fertility and re-mating incidence in females after mating with recently mated males. Males of two Ae. aegypti strains (Colombian and Thai) were mated five consecutive times and fecundity, resulting larvae and hatch percentage in each female of the mating sequence was assessed. In both strains, we found that males can mate three times in succession without impacting fertility in their mates. However, significant declines in fecundity, resulting larvae, and hatch percentage were observed after a third mating. Male size influenced female fecundity and fertility as mates of small males showed further reductions compared to mates of big males after mating consecutively. Seven days after the consecutive mating assays, the re-mating rate of females mated fifth in succession was significantly increased (Colombian strain: 33%; Thai strain: 48%) compared to females mated first (0% in both strains). Re-mating incidence was further increased in small, Thai strain males where 82% of fifth mated females re-mated compared to 0% of first mated females. Finally, we show that regardless of male size, mates of experimental males were similarly fertile to mates of control males when mated for a sixth time 48 h after the consecutive mating assays, showing that males recover fertility after 2 d. Our results show that male sexual history influences fertility and re-mating incidence of Ae. aegypti females.

Felipe Ramírez-Sánchez L ，Camargo C ，Avila FW 《-》