Data from: Direct and indirect genetic effects of sex-specific mitonuclear epistasis on reproductive ageing

Mitochondria are involved in ageing and their function requires coordinated action of both mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Epistasis between the two genomes can influence lifespan but whether this also holds for reproductive senescence is unclear. Maternal inheritance of mitochondria predicts sex differences in the efficacy of selection on mitonuclear genotypes that should result in differences between females and males in mitochondrial genetic effects. Mitonuclear genotype of a focal individual may also indirectly affect trait expression in the mating partner. We tested these predictions in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, using introgression lines harbouring distinct mitonuclear genotypes. Our results reveal both direct and indirect sex-specific effects of mitonuclear epistasis on reproductive ageing. Females harbouring coadapted mitonuclear genotypes showed higher lifetime fecundity due to slower senescence relative to novel mitonuclear combinations. We found no evidence for mitonuclear coadaptation in males. Mitonuclear epistasis not only affected age-specific ejaculate weight, but also influenced male age-dependent indirect effects on traits expressed by their female partners (fecundity, egg size, longevity). These results demonstrate important consequences of sex-specific mitonuclear epistasis for both mating partners, consistent with a role for mitonuclear genetic constraints upon sex-specific adaptive evolution.线粒体（mitochondria）参与衰老进程，其功能的正常发挥依赖于线粒体基因组与核基因组的协同调控。二者之间的线粒体核基因上位性（mitonuclear epistasis）可影响个体寿命，但该效应是否同样作用于生殖衰老，目前尚不明确。线粒体的母系遗传预示着，针对线粒体核基因型的选择效率存在性别差异，这将导致雌性与雄性在线粒体遗传效应上产生分化。某一研究个体的线粒体核基因型，还可能间接影响其交配伴侣的性状表达。本研究以豆象（Callosobruchus maculatus）为实验对象，借助携带不同线粒体核基因型的导入系（introgression lines）对上述理论预测展开了验证。研究结果同时揭示了线粒体核基因上位性对生殖衰老的直接与间接性别特异性效应。相较于携带新型线粒体核组合的个体，拥有协同适配线粒体核基因型的雌性个体，其衰老速率更慢，终身繁殖力更高。我们未在雄性个体中检测到线粒体核协同适配的相关证据。线粒体核上位性不仅影响了年龄依赖性的射精重量，还改变了雄性随年龄增长对其雌性伴侣相关性状（繁殖力、卵大小、寿命）表达的间接效应。上述结果证实了性别特异性线粒体核上位性对交配双方均具有重要影响，与线粒体核遗传约束参与性别特异性适应性进化的理论预期相符。