Roles of female and male genotype in post-mating responses in Drosophila melanogaster

Purpose: Mating induces a multitude of changes in female behavior, physiology and gene expression. Interactions between female and male genotype lead to variation in post-mating phenotypes and reproductive success. So far, few female molecules responsible for these interactions have been identified.Methods: We used Drosophila melanogaster from five geographically dispersed populations to investigate such female x male genotypic interactions at the female transcriptomic and phenotypic levels.Methods: Females from each line were singly-mated to males from the same five lines, for a total of 25 combinations. To assess whether female x male genotypic interactions affect the female post-mating transcriptome, next-generation RNA sequencing was performed on virgin and mated females at 5 to 6 hours post-mating.Results: Seventy-seven genes showed strong variation in mating-induced expression changes in a female x male genotype-dependent manner. These genes were enriched for immune response and odorant-binding functions, and for expression exclusively in the head.Conclusions: The transcriptional variation found in specific functional classes of genes might be a read-out of female x male compatibility at a molecular level. Understanding the roles these genes play in the female post-mating response will be crucial to better understand the evolution of post-mating responses and related conflicts between the sexes.