The effects of the sex chromosomes on the inheritance of species-specific traits of the copulatory organ shape in Drosophila virilis and Drosophila lummei

Abstract

The shape of the male genitalia in many taxa is the most rapidly evolving morphological structure, often driving reproductive isolation, and is therefore widely used in systematics as a key character to distinguish between sibling species. However, only a few studies have used the genital arch of the male copulatory organ as a model to study the genetic basis of species-specific differences in the Drosophila copulatory system. Moreover, almost nothing is known about the effects of the sex chromosomes on the shape of the male mating organ. In our study, we used a set of crosses between D. virilis and D. lummei and applied the methods of quantitative genetics to assess the variability of the shape of the male copulatory organ and the effects of the sex chromosomes and autosomes on its variance. Our results showed that the male genital shape depends on the species composition of the sex chromosomes and autosomes. Epistatic interactions of the sex chromosomes with autosomes and the species origin of the Y-chromosome in a male in interspecific crosses also influenced the expression of species-specific traits in the shape of the male copulatory system. Overall, the effects of sex chromosomes were comparable to the effects of autosomes despite the great differences in gene numbers between them. It may be reasonably considered that sexual selection for specific genes associated with the shape of the male mating organ prevents the demasculinization of the X chromosome.

Seasonal Dynamics of Fruit Flies (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Natural Parks of Moscow City, Russia

“…Recent studies have investigated the seasonal fluctuations and species diversity of drosophilids in semi-natural biotopes such as vineyards [51] and fruit orchards [52,53]. Surprisingly, the drosophilid species richness was significantly higher in Moscow natural parks (33 species) compared to semi-natural biotopes in France and Turkey, which are located in a warmer climate (17,11, and 13 species, respectively).…”

“…Fifteen drosophilid species (D. obscura (11,103), D. testacea (3903), D. phalerata (3680), D. melanogaster (1768), S. rufifrons (940), D. histrio (821), D. repleta (786), D. kuntzei (619), D. transversa (552), D. subsilvestris (471), P. semivirgo (324), D. immigrans (309), L. quinquemaculata (271), D. busckii (228), and M. poecilogastra (201)) were found in quantities exceeding 100 individuals collectively over the three years, making them the most common species. Notably, D. obscura, D. phalerata, and D. testacea were classified as mass species, with a combined total number exceeding 1000 individuals per year (Table 2).…”

“…Drosophilidae, commonly known as fruit flies, are renowned as model organisms in various biological fields [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Certain drosophilid species have adapted well to urban environments, displaying a synanthropic lifestyle and spreading alongside humans.…”

The Effect of Chromosomes on Courtship Behavior in Sibling Species of the Drosophila virilis Group

“…For instance, a study investigating the contribution of sex chromosomes and autosomes to the species-specific shape of the copulatory apparatus in D. virilis and D. lummei males revealed a disproportionately higher contribution of the X chromosome to the variability of shape traits (partial eta-squared) than expected [51].…”