Novel female reproductive organ differentiates postmating transcriptional response to insemination versus arrival of sperm in bedbugs

Garlovsky, Martin

Novel female reproductive organ differentiates postmating transcriptional response to insemination versus arrival of sperm in bedbugs

Type of the data datacite.resourceTypeGeneral	Dataset
Total size of the dataset datacite.size	13014724
Author dc.contributor.author	Garlovsky, Martin
Upload date dc.date.accessioned	2026-03-17T16:04:14Z
Publication date dc.date.available	2026-03-17T16:04:14Z
Publication date dc.date.issued	2026-03-17
Abstract of the dataset dc.description.abstract	Following the evolution of internal fertilisation, the female reproductive tract became the site of reproductive interactions. However, our understanding of the evolution of female reproductive tract function, including postmating responses critical for reproductive success, are taxonomically limited. Traumatic insemination in the common bedbug (Cimex lectularius) presents an unusual scenario under which postmating responses unfold. Bedbugs have evolved a novel organ, the mesospermalege, that is the site of initial ejaculate × female interactions. As the female reproductive tract does not take receipt of the ejaculate until several hours after mating, bedbugs provide a unique opportunity to explore the evolution of a novel reproductive organ that decouples postmating female responses involved in mating and transfer of the ejaculate from sperm storage, ovulation, and oviposition. Here we show that the mesospermalege has a gene expression profile consistent with functions of ejaculate processing and immune response normally found in the lower reproductive tract of other insect species. In parallel, the postmating response in the lower female reproductive tract is delayed, coinciding with movement of sperm through the female, clearly showing that the postmating response has evolved in response to sperm receipt rather than being an innate function of the tissue. Notably, we also found expression of male seminal fluid genes in the mesospermalege, indicating that intersexual molecular dynamics influence the evolution of reproductive tissues. Our results provide insights into the evolution of novel reproductive traits and female postmating physiology in a global pest with an unusual reproductive biology.
Public reference to this page dc.identifier.uri	https://opara.zih.tu-dresden.de/handle/123456789/2139
Public reference to this page dc.identifier.uri	https://doi.org/10.25532/OPARA-1133
Publisher dc.publisher	Technische Universität Dresden
Licence dc.rights	Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International	en
URI of the licence text dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Specification of the discipline(s) dc.subject.classification	2
Title of the dataset dc.title	Novel female reproductive organ differentiates postmating transcriptional response to insemination versus arrival of sperm in bedbugs
Funding Acknowledgement opara.project.fundingAcknowledgement	This project was funded by a TU Dresden Graduate Academy grant awarded to MDG, funded by the BMFTR and the Free State of Saxony under the Excellence Strategy of Federal Government and the Länder. CEMG was supported by a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (PRFB-2208973). The NHR Centre of TU Dresden is jointly supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space of Germany and the state governments participating in the NHR (www.nhr-verein.de/unsere-partner).