Sperm Swimming Velocity Predicts Competitive Fertilization Success in the Green Swordtail Xiphophorus helleri

Gasparini, Clelia; Simmons, Leigh W.; Beveridge, Maxine; Evans, Jonathan P.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012146

Cited by 118 publications

(113 citation statements)

References 45 publications

(55 reference statements)

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“…Sperm velocity is an important determinant of sperm competition success in several external and internal fertilizers [30,31,60,61] and in our guppy population [62], and it is influenced by its interaction with female OF [26,63]. We first demonstrated that the guppy OF positively affects sperm velocity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Cryptic female preference for genetically unrelated males is mediated by ovarian fluid in the guppy

2011

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As inbreeding is costly, it has been suggested that polyandry may evolve as a means to reduce the negative fitness consequences of mating with genetically related males. While several studies provide support for this hypothesis, evidence of pure post-copulatory mechanisms capable of biasing paternity towards genetically unrelated males is still lacking; yet these are necessary to support inbreeding avoidance models of polyandry evolution. Here we showed, by artificially inseminating a group of female guppies with an equal number of sperm from related (full-sib) and unrelated males, that sperm competition success of the former was 10 per cent lower, on average, than that of the unrelated male. The paternity bias towards unrelated males was not due to differential embryo survival, as the size of the brood produced by control females, which were artificially inseminated with the sperm of a single male, was not influenced by their relatedness with the male. Finally, we collected ovarian fluid (OF) from virgin females. Using computer-assisted sperm analysis, we found that sperm velocity, a predictor of sperm competition success in the guppy, was significantly lower when measured in a solution containing the OF from a sister as compared with that from an unrelated female. Our results suggest that sperm -OF interaction mediates sperm competition bias towards unrelated mates and highlight the role of post-copulatory mechanisms in reducing the cost of mating with relatives in polyandrous females.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Cryptic female preference for genetically unrelated males is mediated by ovarian fluid in the guppy

2011

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“…One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used 186 to analyze data with normal distribution. Significant differences were detected using theusing the statistical package SPSS version 19 …”

Section: Statistical Analysis 183mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm motility parameters and spermatozoa morphometric characterization in marine species: A study of swimmer and sessile species

et al. 2014

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ElsevierGallego Albiach, V.; Pérez Igualada, LM.; Asturiano Nemesio, JF.; Yoshida, M. (2014). Sperm motility parameters and spermatozoa morphometric characterization in marine species: a study of swimmer and sessile species. Theriogenology. 82 (5) Abstract 32The biodiversity of marine ecosystems is diverse and a high number of species coexist 33 side by side. However, despite the fact that most of these species share a common 34 fertilization strategy, a high variability in terms of the size, shape and motion of 35 spermatozoa can be found. In this study, we have analysed both the sperm motion 36 parameters and the spermatozoa morphometric features of two swimmer (pufferfish and 37European eel) and two sessile (sea urchin and ascidian) marine species. 38The most important differences in the sperm motion parameters were registered in the 39 swimming-time period. Sessile species sperm displayed notably higher values than 40 swimmer species sperm. In addition, the sperm motilities and velocities of the swimmer 41 species decreased sharply once the sperm was activated, whereas the sessile species 42 were able to maintain their initial values for a long time. These results are linked 43 directly to the species-specific lifestyles. While sessile organisms, which demonstrate 44 limited or no movement, need sperm with a capacity to swim for long distances in order 45 to find the oocytes, swimmer organisms can move towards the female and release 46 gametes near it, and therefore the spermatozoa does not need to be able to swim for 47 such a long time period. 48At the same time, sperm morphology is related to sperm motion parameters and in this 49 study an in depth morphometric analysis of ascidian, sea urchin and pufferfish 50 spermatozoa, using CASA software, has been carried out for the first time. A huge 51 variability in shapes, sizes, and structures of the studied species was found using 52 electron microscopy. 53 54

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“…Because the first spermatozoon to reach the ovum is more likely to engage in fertilisation (Cummins & Yanagimachi 1982), faster swimming speed is regarded as an adaptive trait. Sperm swimming velocity has been shown to be an important determinant of fertilisation success under both competitive (Birkhead et al 1999, Gage et al 2004, Gasparini et al 2010) and non-competitive scenarios , Levitan 2000, Malo et al 2005.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm competition differentially affects swimming velocity and size of spermatozoa from closely related muroid rodents: head first

Montoto¹,

Sánchez²,

Tourmente³

et al. 2011

Reproduction

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Sperm competition favours an increase in sperm swimming velocity that maximises the chances that sperm will reach the ova before rival sperm and fertilise. Comparative studies have shown that the increase in sperm swimming speed is associated with an increase in total sperm size. However, it is not known which are the first evolutionary steps that lead to increases in sperm swimming velocity. Using a group of closely related muroid rodents that differ in levels of sperm competition, we here test the hypothesis that subtle changes in sperm design may represent early evolutionary changes that could make sperm swim faster. Our findings show that as sperm competition increases so does sperm swimming speed. Sperm swimming velocity is associated with the size of all sperm components. However, levels of sperm competition are only related to an increase in sperm head area. Such increase is a consequence of an increase in the length of the sperm head, and also of the presence of an apical hook in some of the species studied. These findings suggest that the presence of a hook may modify the sperm head in such a way that would help sperm swim faster and may also be advantageous if sperm with larger heads are better able to attach to the epithelial cells lining the lower isthmus of the oviduct where sperm remain quiescent before the final race to reach the site of fertilisation.

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Sperm Swimming Velocity Predicts Competitive Fertilization Success in the Green Swordtail Xiphophorus helleri

Cited by 118 publications

References 45 publications

Cryptic female preference for genetically unrelated males is mediated by ovarian fluid in the guppy

Cryptic female preference for genetically unrelated males is mediated by ovarian fluid in the guppy

Sperm motility parameters and spermatozoa morphometric characterization in marine species: A study of swimmer and sessile species

Sperm competition differentially affects swimming velocity and size of spermatozoa from closely related muroid rodents: head first

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