Abstract
Tails of fertilizing spermatozoa persist throughout embryogenesis in Drosophila species and can be observed within the midguts of larvae after hatching. Throughout development, sperm proteins slowly diffuse or are stripped from the giant sperm tail residing within the embryo's anterior end. The shape and position of the sperm within the embryo are regulated such that, during organ formation, the unused portion of the sperm is enveloped by the developing midgut. This persistent, paternally derived structure is composed of the sperm's mitochondrial derivatives and appears to be defaecated by the larva soon after hatching. These complex sperm-egg interactions may represent mechanisms to avoid intragenomic conflict by ensuring strictly maternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 821-826 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
| Volume | 265 |
| Issue number | 1398 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 7 1998 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Development
- Drosophila
- Fertilization
- Intragenomic conflict
- Sperm
- mtDNA
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
- General Immunology and Microbiology
- General Environmental Science
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences