Copulatory behaviour and coagulum formation in the female reproductive tract of the Australian hopping mouse, Notomys alexis

Hopping mice were examined to study two interrelated questions: (1) when groups of adults of both sexes are kept together in one cage in the laboratory is there evidence that the females copulate with only one male, and (2) is a copulatory plug formed in the female tract after ejaculation? The findings indicate that a female will sometimes lock with more than one male in the group during an oestrous period induced by administration of exogenous gonadotrophins, and that a small 'plug' of soft material forms post coitum in the more caudal parts of the female tract. Individuals of this species, therefore, do not appear to be strictly monogamous, at least in this artificial laboratory situation. Although a coagulum is formed, this is quite different from the typical hard copulatory plug that occurs in common laboratory murids; it may possibly reduce sperm backflow from the lower region of the female reproductive tract.     

Male and female effects on sperm precedence in the giant sperm species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila bifurca</Emphasis>

Sperm competition is expected to be a driving force in sexual selection. In internally fertilized organisms, it occurs when ejaculates from more than one male are present simultaneously within the female’s reproductive tract. It has been suggested that greater sperm size may improve the competitive ability of sperm, but studies provide contradictory results depending on the species. More recently, the role of females in the evolution of sperm morphology has been pointed out. We investigate here the male and female effects that influence sperm precedence in the giant sperm species, Drosophila bifurca Patterson & Wheeler. Females were mated with two successive males, and the paternity outcomes for both males were analyzed after determining sperm transfer and storage. We found very high values of last male sperm precedence, suggesting a strong interaction between rival sperm. However, the data also indicate high frequencies of removal of the sperm of the first male from the female reproductive tract prior to any interaction with the second male. This implies that successful paternity depends mainly on successful sperm storage. Knowing what happens to the sperm within females appears to be a prerequisite for disentangling post-copulatory sexual interactions between males and females.     

Incidence and outcome of symptomatic urinary tract infection in children.

The incidence of symptomatic urinary tract infection in 2879 children aged under 15 years was studied over 18 months in a single general practice. Infection was diagnosed if bacterial counts in three consecutive samples exceeded 100,000/ml. The incidence of urinary tract infection was 1.7 per 1000 boys at risk per year and 3.1 per 1000 girls. These values are lower than those of comparable studies, possibly because of the stricter diagnostic criterion used in the study. Urinary pus cell counts were also carried out and sometimes found to be misleading. Of the 14 children found to have an infection, three had a radiological abnormality. Five of the children had a recurrence of infection within the first two years, and one an asymptomatic bacteriuria seven years after diagnosis. Only six out of 34 children presenting with dysuria had infected urine, and an association was discovered between abacterial dysuria (or the urethral syndrome) in the remainder and a concurrent upper respiratory tract infection. All children should undergo radiological investigation after their first confirmed infection. Diagnosis and management could be improved by providing all general practitioners with a semiquantitative method of urine culture such as the dip slide.     

Evidence for intersexual chemical mimicry in a dioecious plant

The dioecious Mediterranean fig, Ficus carica, displays a unique phenology in which males sometimes bloom synchronously with females (in summer), and sometimes not (in spring). Ficus carica is engaged in an obligatory mutualism with a specific pollinating wasp, which reproduces only within figs, localising them by their specific scents. We show that scents emitted by male figs show seasonal variation within individual trees. Scents of summer male figs resemble those of the co-flowering females, and are different from those of the same male trees in spring, when female figs are absent. These differences hold even if only compounds electrophysiologically active for pollinators are considered. The similar scents of summer males and females may explain why the rewardless females are still pollinated. These results offer a tractable model for future studies of intersexual chemical mimicry in mutualistic pollination interactions.     

Infection of semen-producing organs by HIV and role in virus dissemination

Despite semen being the main vector of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dissemination worldwide, the origin of the virus in this bodily fluid remains unknown. Of particular significance is the persistence of virus release in the semen of a subset of HIV-infected men under antiretroviral therapy, who otherwise show an undetectable blood viral load. It is therefore considered critical to identify the sources of virus shedding in semen for the more efficient control of HIV transmission. Our recent findings indicate HIV infection of several semen-producing organs, including the testis (which represents a pharmacological sanctuary for several antiretroviral drugs). This reinforces phylogenetic observations suggesting that the free viral particles and infected cells contaminating semen are produced within the male genital tract. The fact that HIV replicates within the male genital organs raises several questions: Is one or several of the male genital tract organs responsible for the persistence of HIV in semen despite efficient antiviral therapies? What is the nature of HIV interactions with spermatozoa and testicular germ cells? Recent results established that semen from HIV negative men modifies HIV infectivity: does the seminal fluid from HIV+ men enhance or inhibit the efficiency of HIV sexual transmission?     

Determinants of sperm precedence in a noctuid moth Heliothis virescens: a role for male age

1. Females of the noctuid moth Heliothis virescens F. mate more than once. Thus, sperm from two or more males normally compete for fertilisations within the female reproductive tract. The eggs are typically fertilised by sperm from only one male, either the female's last mate or an earlier mate. Twice‐mated females store only one ejaculate's worth of fertilising sperm (eupyrene) but nearly two ejaculates' worth of a nonfertilising sperm morph (apyrene), which is thought to play a role in sperm competition. 2. The mechanism of sperm use in H. virescens was investigated by examining factors that vary with paternity, which was assigned based on allozyme variation. The factors included male and female body masses and ages, male genital characters, the size of the sperm package, and the number of sperm stored by the female. 3. One male typically gained sperm precedence; this was nearly twice as likely to be the second male as it was to be the first. Two factors were found to vary significantly with paternity: female mass and male age. The second male to mate was more likely to gain sperm precedence if the female was larger and if the male was older than the female's first mate. 4. The significance of male age and female mass to several hypothetical models of the mechanism of sperm use is discussed.     

Spermatozoa production in male <Emphasis Type="Italic">Varroa destructor</Emphasis> and its impact on reproduction in worker brood of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera</Emphasis>

Reproduction in Varroa destructor exclusively takes place within the sealed honey bee brood cell and is, therefore, limited by the duration of the postcapping period. Oogenesis, ontogenetic development and mating must be optimized to ensure the production of as many mated daughter mites as possible. One adult male mite has to mate with up to five sister mites and transfer 30–40 spermatozoa to each female. We analyzed the production and transfer of male spermatozoa during a reproductive cycle by counting all spermatozoa in the genital tracts of the male and daughter mites in 80 worker brood cells at defined times after cell capping. We could show that spermatozoa production in male mites is an ongoing process throughout their adult lifetime starting after the adult molt. The spermatozoa are transferred to the females in an early non-capacitated stage and require further maturation within the female’s genital tract. Our study points out that a Varroa male has at any time in the brood cell enough spermatozoa to inseminate all daughter mites but does not waste energy in producing a big surplus. In total one male produced, on average, 125 spermatozoa during a reproductive cycle in worker brood which is sufficient for successful matings with at least three daughter mites. Spermiogenesis in Varroa males represents therefore a further adaptation to the limited time available for reproduction.     

Seminal proteins but not sperm induce morphological changes in the Drosophila melanogaster female reproductive tract during sperm storage

In most insects, sperm transferred by the male to the female during mating are stored within the female reproductive tract for subsequent use in fertilization. In Drosophila melanogaster, male accessory gland proteins (Acps) within the seminal fluid are required for efficient accumulation of sperm in the female's sperm storage organs. To determine the events within the female reproductive tract that occur during sperm storage, and the role that Acps and sperm play in these events, we identified morphological changes that take place during sperm storage in females mated to wild-type, Acp-deficient or sperm-deficient males. A reproducible set of morphological changes occurs in a wild-type mating. These were categorized into 10 stereotypic stages. Sperm are not needed for progression through these stages in females, but receipt of Acps is essential for progression beyond the first few stages of morphological change. Furthermore, females that received small quantities of Acps reached slightly later stages than females that received no Acps. Our results suggest that timely morphological changes in the female reproductive tract, possibly muscular in nature, may be needed for successful sperm storage, and that Acps from the male are needed in order for these changes to occur.     

Fertility differences among male rabbits determined by heterospermic insemination of fluorochrome-labeled spermatozoa

Spermatozoa from different bucks were stained with different fluorochromes, mixed, and inseminated heterospermically. By altering the interval between insemination and luteinizing hormone injection, spermatozoa were allowed to reside in the female tract approximately 5, 10, or 15 h prior to ovulation. The number of functional spermatozoa, from each male of a pair used, that was transported to the site of fertilization was estimated by counting total number of differently stained spermatozoa that surrounded or fertilized each oocyte. Spermatozoa from split ejaculates within a male competed against each other equally, indicating that the staining procedure did not affect fertilization or functional spermatozoal transport rates. Three pairs of males with high initial semen quality (greater than 80% motility) differed in fertility primarily due to functional spermatozoal transport. Spermatozoal survival in the female tract and capacitation time played a role in differences in male fertility when heterospermic insemination occurred at variable times relative to ovulation. Differences in fertilization not accounted for by spermatozoal transport ratio raised the possibility that rate of egg penetration due to acrosomal enzyme differences may be important in determining male fertility. Therefore, total acrosin, hyaluronidase, and arylsulfatase activity in spermatozoa from specific bucks used in fertilization experiments were determined. Although there were trends favoring high fertility when enzyme content was higher, the difference was significant only for arylsulfatase in one buck.     

Precopulatory stabbing, hypodermic injections and unilateral copulations in a hermaphroditic sea slug

Reciprocity constitutes the prevalent mating mechanism among simultaneous hermaphrodites. Yet, when copulations in the female role confer fitness costs through male manipulation, it becomes advantageous sometimes to mate unilaterally in the male role only. In the sea slug Siphopteron quadrispinosum, acting males stab their partner with a bipartite penis, which not only hypodermically injects prostate fluids, but also apparently mechanically enforces unilateral male matings. Despite a pronounced male mating drive in both partners, unilaterality ensued when one slug stabbed more rapidly than its partner. The acting male may thus avoid the costs inflicted by traumatic injections and penial spines. While future studies need to elucidate the net fitness consequences of stabbing, our behavioural evidence is in line with the hypothesis that mating in S. quadrispinosum represents conflicting rather than complementary mating interests between mates.     

The genetic mating system and tests for cuckoldry in a pipefish species in which males fertilize eggs and brood offspring externally

Highly variable microsatellite loci were used to study the mating system of Nerophis ophidion, a species of pipefish in which pregnant males carry embryos on the outside of their body rather than in an enclosed brood pouch. Despite this mode of external fertilization and brooding, otherwise rare in the family Syngnathidae, the genotypes of all embryos proved to be consistent with paternity by the tending male, thus indicating that cuckoldry by sneaker males is rare or nonexistent in this species. N. ophidion is a phylogenetic outlier within the Syngnathidae and its reproductive morphology is thought to be close to the presumed ancestral condition for pipefishes and seahorses. Thus, our genetic results suggest that the evolutionary elaboration of the enclosed brood pouch elsewhere in the family was probably not in response to selection pressures on pregnant males to avoid fertilization thievery. With regard to maternity assignments, our genotypic data are consistent with behavioural observations indicating that females sometimes mate with more than one male during a breeding episode, and that each male carries eggs from a single female. Thus, the polyandrous genetic mating system in this species parallels the social mating system, and both are consistent with a more intense sexual selection operating on females, and the elaboration of secondary sexual characters in that gender.     

Further acoustic diversity in Hawaiian forests: two new species of Hawaiian cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Trigonidiinae: Laupala)

The genus Laupala is endemic to the rain forested islands of the Hawaiian archipelago. In his 1994 study Otte described 35 Laupala species, each restricted to a single island, and sometimes a single volcano. All Laupala species produce male calling songs consisting of slow trills. Two new species described here, one from the Koolau Mountains of Oahu and another from Kipahulu Valley of East Maui, produce the fastest and one of the slowest pulse rates, respectively, in the genus. Both species are found with sympatric congeners. The discovery of these species increases the acoustic diversity locally (within their respective communities), within their respective islands, and across the archipelago. This enhances the opportunity for the investigation of signal interference and character displacement in a relatively youthful assemblage of closely related species of crickets.     

Mating system and reproductive success in eastern Pacific harbour seals

Harbour seals sometimes breed along inland travel corridors where females become clustered in space and time and males establish underwater acoustic display territories similar to terrestrial arenas known as resource-based leks. Under these conditions, we predicted that higher levels of polygyny would be observed than has been previously reported for this species mating in open coast environments without travel corridors. Reproductive success (RS) of 70 males was measured using 20 microsatellite DNA loci and likelihood-based paternity analysis of 136 offspring collected over 3 years. Most males were assigned either zero or one paternity with 80% confidence. The greatest number of pups assigned to one male in a season was two. Variance in RS was higher for males than females (which are biologically limited to one offspring per year) indicating low to mild polygyny. In addition, distributions of relatedness values among pups within year classes did not differ significantly from a simulated distribution with R = 0, indicating that half-siblings were uncommon. Overall, polygyny levels were low relative to terrestrial pinniped mating systems and similar to observations from a harbour seal population along an open coast. Due to large confidence intervals associated with our results, we cannot rule out the hypothesis that a travel corridor might increase the degree of polygyny skew relative to that observed in open coast environments. Habitat appeared to influence male strategies as the most successful males in open coast environments patrolled offshore, while the most successful male in this study defended a territory along the travel corridor.     

Stabilizing effects of interruptions on trinucleotide repeat expansions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In most trinucleotide repeat (TNR) diseases, the primary factor determining the likelihood of expansions is the length of the TNR. In some diseases, however, stable alleles contain one to three base pair substitutions that interrupt the TNR tract. The unexpected stability of these alleles compared to the frequent expansions of perfect TNRs suggested that interruptions somehow block expansions and that expansions occur only upon loss of at least one interruption. The work in this study uses a yeast genetic assay to examine the mechanism of stabilization conferred by two interruptions of a 25-repeat tract. Expansion rates are reduced up to 90-fold compared to an uninterrupted allele. Stabilization is greatest when the interruption is replicated early on the lagging strand, relative to the rest of the TNR. Although expansions are infrequent, they are often polar, gaining new DNA within the largest available stretch of perfect repeats. Surprisingly, interruptions are always retained and sometimes even duplicated, suggesting that expansion in yeast cells can proceed without loss of the interruption. These findings support a stabilization model in which interruptions contribute in cis to reduce hairpin formation during TNR replication and thus inhibit expansion rates.     

Identification and characterization of Wfdc gene expression in the male reproductive tract of the rat

WFDC (Whey Acidic Protein Four Disulfide Core)-containing proteins have been reported in many species, yet they remain uncharacterized in the rat. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of four rat Wfdc genes, Wfdc6a, Wfdc8, Wfdc11 and Wfdc16. Their expression profile in a variety of tissues including the male reproductive tract is analyzed. Wfdc8, Wfdc11 and Wfdc16 expression is confined to the epididymis, while Wfdc6a is expressed widely. Since gene expression in the male reproductive tract is largely androgen-dependent, Wfdc expression was analyzed in the developing (20-60-day-old) and castrated rats. Their expression pattern in developing rats does not correlate with changes in testosterone. Wfdc genes are, however, down-regulated in castrated adult rats, indicating that their dependence on androgens for expression is more pronounced in the adult than in the developing rat. To test the anti-microbial potential of WFDC8, a recombinant WFDC8 C-terminal protein was produced, which exhibited potent anti-bacterial activity against Eschericia coli. Induction of anti-microbial genes is one of the responses during infections in many organ systems. To determine if WFDCs form the components of male reproductive tract innate immunity, Wfdc8 expression pattern was observed in rats challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). For the first time we report the induction of Wfdc8 gene expression in LPS-treated rats, indicating their contributions to the innate immune functions of the male reproductive tract.     

Morphological examination of epididymal epithelium in the mule (E. hinnus) in comparison with parental species (E. asinus and E. caballus).

Following previous studies about the ultrastructure of male genital tract in parental species, a comparative study of epididymis of one of the possible hybrids, the mule, has been undertaken. Apart from small differences, general features of epididymal epithelium in the mule are similar to those of parental species. However, extension of our studies from the donkey to the horse to the hybrid permits a deeper insight into the morphology of this tract of excurrent duct. In the meantime, it is possible to evidence some features, sometimes shared with other species if taken separately, which in the whole characterize the epididymis in Equidae: the presence in principal cells of intranuclear inclusions and peculiar small granules in the basal cytoplasmic edge; the organization of groups of cells, likely to be principal ones, in such a way as to constitute intraepithelial crypts; a cumbersome presence of lipofuscinic matter all along the epithelium. Another interesting observation in the presence in the mule epididymis of well recognizable macrophages. All these data are discussed in comparison with parental species and with other species described in literature. Beyond any other consideration, it can be outlined that the complex morphology of the epithelium lining ductus epididymis in the mule is unaffected by the absence of spermatozoa, which are normally the target of the manifold functions of the epithelium itself.     

泌尿生殖道非淋菌性感染的病原学以及耐药性分析

目的：探究泌尿生殖道非淋茵性感染的病原学以及耐药性,指导临床合理用药。方法：对我院2006年3月．2011年12月确诊的2136例非淋菌性泌尿生殖道感染患者进行标本采集,对病原体及其耐药性进行检测分析。结果：淋茵感染泌尿生殖道病原茵主要为CT及支原体,男性患者CT感染率高于女性患者,女性患者支原体感染率高于男性患者,此外,念珠茵、滴虫及其他难以检出细菌亦属于致病病原茵的一种;在12种抗生素中,多西环素、米诺环素及交沙霉素敏感率较高,均〉80％,罗红霉素、红霉素及环丙沙星敏感度较低,均〈20％。结论：非淋茵感染泌尿生殖道病原菌主要为CT及支原体,男性患者CT感染率高于女性患者,女性患者支原体感染率高于男性患者,病原茵对多西环素、米诺环素及交沙霉素耐药性较低,但不同地域病原茵耐药性亦存在差异,应按照实际情况进行耐药性检测,指导临床合理用药。     

Multiple Mating Increases Fecundity, Fertility and Relative Clutch Mass in the Female Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)

Females across many taxa may mate with several males or mate more than once with the same male within one reproductive event. Although many researchers have discussed the effects of multiple mating on reproductive success of females, few studies have attempted to disentangle whether the reproductive success of females differs with respect to whether females mate with multiple males or mate more than once with one male. In this study, we hypothesized that female leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) increase aspects of their reproductive success, such as fecundity, fertility and relative clutch mass, by mating more than once within one reproductive event, either by mating repeatedly with the same male or multiply mating with different males. We controlled for the potentially confounding variables of mating frequency and mate number by allowing females to mate once with one male, twice with the same male, or twice with two different males. We found that females that mated with more than one male laid more clutches, exhibited increased egg fertility and invested more in clutches relative to females that mated only once with one male, whereas females that mated twice to the same male were intermediate for these variables. Thus, reproductive success is higher among female leopard geckos that mated with more than one male compared to female leopard geckos that mated only once.     

Functions and social consequences of infant–adult male interaction in a captive group of lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

The functions and social consequences of infant-adult male interaction in a captive group of lowland gorillas were evaluated. The two males repeatedly attempted to interact with the infant, the infant sometimes attempted to interact with the males, and the mother usually interrupted interactions between male and infant. Infant-directed actions by the two males frequently showed their interest in the infant and infrequently showed care giving toward her; their other infant-directed actions occurred near the time of excitement or of playful actions between adults. Male-directed actions by the infant frequently showed its interest in one male and infrequently showed care seeking from him. All infant-adult male interactions but one occurred in the less stimulating of the gorillas' two enclosures. Boredom and the mother's frequent thwarting of contact between a male and infant are suggested as influences on the males' interest in the infant. The data suggest that availability of interesting objects alleviated the boredom of captivity for males and thus dissuaded them from seeking stimulation which sometimes resulted in harmful behaviors toward the infant.     

Copulatory behavior and fertility of male house musk shrews (Suncus murinus) paired with one, two and four females each.

In order to improve the productivity of house musk shrews, we investigated whether a male could impregnate more than one female within 24 h. Eighteen males and 40 females aged one year were used in this experiment. The mating systems were as follows: one male was paired with one female, one male was paired with two females, and one male was paired with four females. In the fertility rate, six out of 6, 4 of 12 and 4 of 20 females became pregnant and gave birth under three systems, respectively. In the copulatory behavior, numbers of intromissions and ejaculations were more in the 1:1 mating group as compared with the 1:2 and 1:4 groups. We conclude that it is possible for a male to impregnate about one female within 24 h.