217W Poster - Population Genetics
Wednesday June 08, 9:15 PM - 10:00 PM

Authors:
Erin Voss; Michael W. Nachman

Affiliation: Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley

Keywords:
Molecular Evolution

Genes involved in reproduction and immunity often evolve rapidly, presumably because they underlie biotic interactions. For example, Drosophila accessory gland proteins are a classic case of rapid molecular evolution: male seminal proteins interact with aspects of the female reproductive tract during mating and display strong evidence of rapid evolution driven by sexual selection and conflict. Here, we investigate patterns of molecular evolution and gene expression evolution for genes expressed in three tissues of the male reproductive tract in the context of mating behavior for three species of mice in the genus Peromyscus. Postcopulatory sexual selection is mediated by mating behavior: males of promiscuous species face a set of challenges that are different from those in monogamous or polygynous taxa. Males of promiscuous species must take measures to ensure fertilization and exclude the sperm of rival males. We took a comparative approach and asked whether molecular evolution and gene expression patterns differ across species with different mating behaviors. We collected reproductively mature male Peromyscus californicus, Peromyscus boylii, and Peromyscus maniculatus from their native range in the California central coast. These species are monogamous, polygynous, and promiscuous, respectively. We used RNAseq to generate transcriptomes for the testis, the seminal vesicle, and the epididymis, and we describe 1) variation in gene expression and 2) rates and patterns of nonsynonymous changes in protein coding sequence within the context of mating behavior and across different tissues in the male reproductive tract.