Tetracycline-exposed Drosophila melanogaster males produce fewer offspring but a relative excess of sons

A large diversity of species possesses endosymbionts; these endosymbionts can exhibit mutualistic, parasitic, and commensal relationships with their hosts. Previous work has consistently revealed that depleting endosymbiont titer with antibiotic treatment can significantly alter host fitness and function, particularly with respect to reproductive phenotypes. Although these findings are often interpreted as resulting from the breakdown of highly coevolved symbioses, it is possible that antibiotic treatment itself rather than endosymbiont removal contributes to the observed perturbations in reproductive phenotypes. Here, we investigate the effect of tetracycline treatment on sex ratio and male reproductive fitness using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. Our results indicate that tetracycline-treated males produce a relative excess of sons. We also find that tetracycline treatment reduces the number of progeny produced by treated males but not treated females. These findings are i...