Data from: Phenotypic plasticity in female mate choice behavior is mediated by an interaction of direct and indirect genetic effects in Drosophila melanogaster

Female mate choice is a complex decision-making process that involves many context-dependent factors. In Drosophila melanogaster, a model species for the study of sexual selection, indirect genetic effects (IGEs) of general social interactions can influence female mate choice behaviors, but the potential impacts of IGEs associated with mating experiences are poorly understood. Here, we examined whether the IGEs associated with a previous mating experience had an effect on subsequent female mate choice behaviors and quantified the degree of additive genetic variation associated with this effect. Females from 21 different genetic backgrounds were housed with males from one of two distinct genetic backgrounds for either a short (3 hr) or long (48 hr) exposure period and their subsequent mate choice behaviors were scored. We found that the genetic identity of a previous mate significantly influenced a female's subsequent interest in males and preference of males. Additionally, a hemiclonal analysis revealed significant additive genetic variation associated with experience-dependent mate choice behaviors, indicating a genotype-by-environment interaction for both of these parameters. We discuss the significance of these results with regard to the evolution of plasticity in female mate choice behaviors and the maintenance of variation in harmful male traits.

雌性配偶选择是一项复杂的决策过程，涉及诸多依赖于情境的影响因素。作为性选择研究的模式物种，黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）中，一般性社会互动的间接遗传效应（indirect genetic effects, IGEs）能够影响雌性配偶选择行为，但与交配经历相关的IGEs所带来的潜在影响仍未得到充分阐释。本研究旨在探究与过往交配经历相关的IGEs是否会对雌性后续的配偶选择行为产生影响，并量化了该效应所关联的加性遗传变异程度。我们将来自21种不同遗传背景的雌性果蝇，与两种不同遗传背景的雄性果蝇分别进行短时长（3小时）或长时长（48小时）的共饲养，随后对其配偶选择行为进行量化评分。研究结果显示，过往配偶的遗传身份会显著影响雌性后续对雄性的兴趣程度以及配偶偏好。此外，半克隆分析结果显示，与经历依赖性配偶选择行为相关的加性遗传变异显著存在，表明这两项指标均存在基因型-环境互作效应。我们还就本研究结果对雌性配偶选择行为可塑性的演化，以及有害雄性性状的变异维持机制的启示进行了讨论。