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Pre-copulatory reproductive behaviours are preserved in Drosophila melanogaster infected with bacteria

View ORCID ProfileSaloni Rose, View ORCID ProfileEsteban J. Beckwith, Charlotte Burmester, View ORCID ProfileRobin C. May, View ORCID ProfileMarc S. Dionne, View ORCID ProfileCarolina Rezaval
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.15.460306
Saloni Rose
1School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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Esteban J. Beckwith
2MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection and Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
3Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), UBA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Charlotte Burmester
1School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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Robin C. May
1School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
4Institute of Microbiology & Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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Marc S. Dionne
2MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection and Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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Carolina Rezaval
1School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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  • For correspondence: c.rezaval@bham.ac.uk
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Abstract

Reproduction and immunity are crucial traits that determine an animal’s fitness. Terminal investment hypothesis predicts that reproductive investment should increase in the face of a mortality risk caused by infection. However, due to competitive allocation of energetic resources, individuals fighting infections are expected to decrease reproductive efforts. While there is evidence for both hypotheses, the factors that determine the choice between these strategies are poorly understood. Here, we assess the impact of bacterial infection on pre-copulatory behaviours in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We found that male flies infected with six different bacteria, including pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains, show no significant differences in courtship intensity and mating success. Similarly, bacterial infections did not affect sexual receptivity in female flies. Our data suggest that pre-copulatory reproductive behaviours remain preserved in infected animals, despite the huge metabolic cost of infection.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
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Posted September 17, 2021.
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Pre-copulatory reproductive behaviours are preserved in Drosophila melanogaster infected with bacteria
Saloni Rose, Esteban J. Beckwith, Charlotte Burmester, Robin C. May, Marc S. Dionne, Carolina Rezaval
bioRxiv 2021.09.15.460306; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.15.460306
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Pre-copulatory reproductive behaviours are preserved in Drosophila melanogaster infected with bacteria
Saloni Rose, Esteban J. Beckwith, Charlotte Burmester, Robin C. May, Marc S. Dionne, Carolina Rezaval
bioRxiv 2021.09.15.460306; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.15.460306

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