Data from: Adult dietary protein has age- and context-dependent effects on male post-copulatory performance

The highly-conserved effect of dietary protein restriction on life-span and ageing is observed in both sexes and across a vast range of taxa. This extension of life-span is frequently accompanied by a reduction in female fecundity and it has been hypothesised that individuals may reallocate resources away from reproduction and into somatic maintenance. However, effects of dietary protein restriction on male reproduction are less consistent, suggesting that these effects may depend on other environmental parameters. Using the neriid fly, Telostylinus angusticollis, we examined age-specific effects of adult dietary protein restriction on male post-copulatory reproductive performance (fecundity and offspring viability). To explore the context-dependence of these effects, we simultaneously manipulated male larval diet and adult mating history. We found that protein-restricted males sired less viable offspring at young ages, but offspring viability increased with paternal age and eventually exceeded that of fully-fed males. The number of eggs laid by females was not affected by male dietary protein, whereas egg hatching success was subject to a complex interaction of male adult diet, age, larval diet, and mating history. These findings suggest that effects of protein restriction on male reproduction are highly context-dependent, and cannot be explained by a simple reallocation of resources from reproduction to somatic maintenance. Rather, these effects appear to involve changes in the scheduling of male reproductive investment with age.膳食蛋白质限制对寿命与衰老的高度保守效应，在两性中及广泛类群中均有观测到。该寿命延长现象常伴随雌性繁殖力下降，有假说提出，生物体可将资源从繁殖过程重新分配至体细胞维持。然而，膳食蛋白质限制对雄性繁殖的效应一致性较差，提示此类效应可能依赖于其他环境参数。本研究以窄脚蝇科（neriid fly）物种Telostylinus angusticollis为实验材料，探究了成虫期膳食蛋白质限制对雄性交配后繁殖表现（繁殖力与后代存活力）的年龄特异性效应。为探究此类效应的情境依赖性，我们同时对雄性幼虫期膳食与成虫交配经历进行了调控。研究发现，蛋白质限制组雄性在年轻时期所产后代的存活力更低，但后代存活力随父本年龄上升而提升，最终超过充分喂食组雄性的后代存活力。雌性产卵数量不受雄性膳食蛋白质摄入的影响，而卵孵化成功率则受到雄性成虫膳食、年龄、幼虫期膳食及交配经历的复杂交互作用调控。上述结果表明，蛋白质限制对雄性繁殖的效应具有极强的情境依赖性，无法通过“资源从繁殖转向体细胞维持”这一简单机制解释。相反，此类效应似乎涉及雄性繁殖投入随年龄变化的时间调控模式改变。