the function of copulatory plugs in caenorhabditis remanei hints for female benefits交配栓的作用在秀丽隠remanei暗示女性的好处.pdf

Timmermeyer et al. Frontiers in Zoology 2010, 7:28 /content/7/1/28 RESEARCH Open Access The function of copulatory plugs in Caenorhabditis remanei: hints for female benefits * Nadine Timmermeyer , Tobias Gerlach, Christian Guempel, Johanna Knoche, Jens F Pfann, Daniel Schliessmann, Nico K Michiels Abstract Background: Mating plugs that males place onto the female genital tract are generally assumed to prevent remating with other males. Mating plugs are usually explained as a consequence of male-male competition in multiply mating species. Here, we investigated whether mating plugs also have collateral effects on female fitness. These effects are negative when plugging reduces female mating rate below an optimum. However, plugging may also be positive when plugging prevents excessive forced mating and keeps mating rate closer to a females’ optimum. Here, we studied these consequences in the gonochoristic nematode Caenorhabditis remanei. We employed a new CO2-sedation technique to interrupt matings before or after the production of a plug. We then measured mating rate, attractiveness and offspring number. Results: The presence of a mating plug did not affect mating rate or attractiveness to roving males. Instead, females with mating plugs produced more offspring than females without copulatory plugs. Conclusions: Our experiment suggests that plugging might have evolved under male-male competition but represents a poor protection against competing males in our experiment. Even if plugging does not reduce mating rate, our results indicate that females may benefit from being plugged in a different sense than remating prevention. Background advantages of mating plugs for males are assumed to The limitation of ma