The effects of male social environment on sperm phenotype and genome integrity

Silva, Willian T. A. F., Sáez Espinosa, Paula, Torijo Boix, Stéphanie, Romero, Alejandro, Devaux, Caroline, Durieux, Mathilde, Gómez Torres, María José and Immler, Simone (2019) The effects of male social environment on sperm phenotype and genome integrity. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 32 (6). pp. 535-544. ISSN 1010-061X

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Abstract

Sperm function and quality are primary determinants of male reproductive performance and hence fitness. The presence of rival males has been shown to affect ejaculate and sperm traits in a wide range of taxa. However, male physiological conditions may not only affect sperm phenotypic traits but also their genetic and epigenetic signatures, affecting the fitness of the resulting offspring. We investigated the effects of male-male competition on sperm quality using TUNEL assays and geometric morphometrics in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. We found that the sperm produced by males exposed to high male-male competition had smaller heads but larger midpiece and flagellum than sperm produced by males under low competition. Head and flagella also appeared less sensitive to the osmotic stress induced by activation with water. In addition, more sperm showed signals of DNA damage in ejaculates of males under high competition. These findings suggest that the presence of a rival male may have positive effects on phenotypic traits but negative effects on DNA integrity. Overall, males facing the presence of rival males may produce faster swimming and more competitive sperm but this may come at a cost for the next generation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Organisms and the Environment Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	06 Mar 2019 10:30
Last Modified:	09 Oct 2024 13:34
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/70122
DOI:	10.1111/jeb.13435

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