Mating alters gene expression patterns in Drosophila melanogaster male heads

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Behavior is a complex process resulting from the integration of genetic and environmental information. <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>rely on multiple sensory modalities for reproductive success, and mating causes physiological changes in both sexes that affect reproductive output or behavior. Some of these effects are likely mediated by changes in gene expression. Courtship and mating alter female transcript profiles, but it is not known how mating affects male gene expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We used <it>Drosophila </it>genome arrays to identify changes in gene expression profiles that occur in mated male heads. Forty-seven genes differed between mated and control heads 2 hrs post mating. Many mating-responsive genes are highly expressed in non-neural head tissues, including an adipose tissue called the fat body. One fat body-enriched gene, <it>female-specific independent of transformer </it>(<it>fit</it>), is a downstream target of the somatic sex-determination hierarchy, a genetic pathway that regulates <it>Drosophila</it> reproductive behaviors as well as expression of some fat-expressed genes; three other mating-responsive loci are also downstream components of this pathway. Another mating-responsive gene expressed in fat, <it>Juvenile hormone esterase </it>(<it>Jhe</it>), is necessary for robust male courtship behavior and mating success.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study demonstrates that mating causes changes in male head gene expression profiles and supports an increasing body of work implicating adipose signaling in behavior modulation. Since several mating-induced genes are sex-determination hierarchy target genes, additional mating-responsive loci may be downstream components of this pathway as well.</p

The Libido, Scrotal Circumference, Sperm Quality, and Testosterone Levels of Matured Boer Bucks Supplemented with Selenium

A study was conducted to determine the effect of three levels of selenium (Se) supplementation on the libido, scrotal circumference, sperm quality, and testosterone levels in matured Boer bucks. The feeding trial was conducted at MARDI Bachok Station, Bachok, Kelantan, Malaysia, for over six months. A total of 18 matured Boer bucks aged two years with an initial body weight of 53.28±0.62 kg, and no experience of sexual activity was selected for the feeding trial. All animals were randomly divided into three dietary treatments based on a completely randomized design (CRD). Group A and B were supplemented with organic Se at doses of 0.18 mg/kg DM and 0.36 mg/kg DM, respectively, whereas group C acted as a control group (without Se supplementation). Their basal diet consisted of 60% formulated pellet and 40% Brachiaria dictyoneura grass. Daily feed offered (DM basis) was based on 3% of mean body weight. Libido, scrotal circumference, and sperm quality were measured every two months during the feeding trial. Testosterone levels were determined at the end of the feeding trial. The results indicated that the basal diet (control group) was deficient in Se, with the concentration of 0.004 mg/kg. Supplementation of 0.18 mg Se/kg DM only improved the libido and sperm quality (p&lt;0.05). Supplementation of 0.36 mg Se/kg DM significantly (p&lt;0.05) increased libido, sperm quality, and testosterone levels. It is summarized that supplementation of 0.36 mg Se/kg DM has the potential to improve the reproductive performance of bucks, although it occurred at the adult stage

Effect of two groups of scrotal circumference on the sexual performance and their correlation in Boer bucks

The study was conducted at the Goat Farm, Biotechnology Centre of DVSS Keningau, Sabah, to determine the effect of two groups of scrotal circumferences on sexual performance and the correlation between scrotal circumference and sexual performance in Boer bucks. Ten healthy Boer bucks aged 1.5 years with an average body weight of 61.15?1.87 kg were randomly selected. They were divided into two groups according to their scrotal circumference. The scrotal circumference between 25 to 28 cm was grouped as G-I (n=5), while G-II (n=5) consisted of the scrotal circumference between 29 to 32 cm. Bucks were fed with commercial pellets and Napier grass according to the farm's routine practice. Data on the scrotal circumference and sexual performance, including latency to the first mount, number of mounts, latency to the first ejaculation, refractory period, number of ejaculations, and mating efficiency, were collected every two weeks for five consecutive weeks. Results indicated that Boer bucks with a scrotal circumference between 29 to 32 cm improved their sexual performance; the number of mounts significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the number of ejaculations and mating efficiency significantly increased (P<0.05) compared to the Boer bucks with a scrotal circumference between 25 to 28 cm. A high correlation was reported between scrotal circumference and the number of mounts (r= ?0.476, P<0.01), while scrotal circumference correlated with mating efficiency (r = 0.323, P<0.05). In conclusion, scrotal circumference between 29 to 32 cm can influence the sexual performance of Boer bucks

The libido, scrotal circumference, sperm quality, and testosterone levels of matured boer ducks supplemented with selenium

A study was conducted to determine the effect of three levels of selenium (Se) supplementation on the libido, scrotal circumference, sperm quality, and testosterone levels in matured Boer bucks. The feeding trial was conducted at MARDI Bachok Station, Bachok, Kelantan, Malaysia, for over six months. A total of 18 matured Boer bucks aged two years with an initial body weight of 53.28±0.62 kg, and no experience of sexual activity was selected for the feeding trial. All animals were randomly divided into three dietary treatments based on a completely randomized design (CRD). Group A and B were supplemented with organic Se at doses of 0.18 mg/kg DM and 0.36 mg/kg DM, respectively, whereas group C acted as a control group (without Se supplementation). Their basal diet consisted of 60% formulated pellet and 40% Brachiaria dictyoneura grass. Daily feed offered (DM basis) was based on 3% of mean body weight. Libido, scrotal circumference, and sperm quality were measured every two months during the feeding trial. Testosterone levels were determined at the end of the feeding trial. The results indicated that the basal diet (control group) was deficient in Se, with the concentration of 0.004 mg/kg. Supplementation of 0.18 mg Se/kg DM only improved the libido and sperm quality (p<0.05). Supplementation of 0.36 mg Se/kg DM significantly (p<0.05) increased libido, sperm quality, and testosterone levels. It is summarized that supplementation of 0.36 mg Se/kg DM has the potential to improve the reproductive performance of bucks, although it occurred at the adult stage

Effect of Acacia mangium on broiler performance.

The influence of the supplementation of Acacia mangium on broiler performance was evaluated with a six weeks feeding study. A total of 108 day-old Cobb male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to three corn-soy bean based diets supplementes with 2% Acacia mangium, antibiotics (Salinomycin and Chlortetracycline) or no supplement (Negative Control). The inclusion of Acacia mangium significantly reduced final body weight, average daily feed intake, feed conversion, apparent dry matter digestibility but not average daily feed intake. It was postulated the poor performance of the birds fed Acacia mangium was due to the presence of anti-nutritive components