Evolution and adaptations of the seminal proteome in an insect with traumatic insemination

Garlovsky, Martin

Evolution and adaptations of the seminal proteome in an insect with traumatic insemination

Type of the data datacite.resourceTypeGeneral	Dataset
Total size of the dataset datacite.size	13128515
Author dc.contributor.author	Garlovsky, Martin
Upload date dc.date.accessioned	2026-04-14T09:37:52Z
Publication date dc.date.available	2026-04-14T09:37:52Z
Publication date dc.date.issued	2026-04-14
Abstract of the dataset dc.description.abstract	The protein composition of sperm and seminal fluid are key to male fitness. However, we currently lack an understanding of the factors that shape seminal proteome composition. The common bedbug (Cimex lectularius) mates by traumatic insemination, subjecting the ejaculate to a unique selective environment as sperm traverse the female genital and paragenital system. We provide the first high-throughput proteomic characterisation of the sperm and seminal fluid proteome in a hemimetabolous insect and the first in-depth proteomic characterisation of the male bedbug reproductive system. Our analysis revealed conserved and unique features of the sperm and seminal fluid proteome with possible links to features of sperm behaviour linked to traumatic insemination. The sperm proteome showed elevated rates of molecular evolution, unlike most other studied species. Conversely, the sperm proteome also contained many conserved proteins. Notably, we found an expansion of Sperm-leucylaminopeptidases (S-Laps) in bedbugs and other hemimetabolous insects, suggesting the origin of S-Laps is perhaps even more ancient than previously thought. Using in silico protein-ligand binding predictions, we show that S-Laps have likely retained catalytic activity. Our results provide a list of candidate proteins involved in reproduction and a useful resource for future studies of this expanding global pest.
Public reference to this page dc.identifier.uri	https://opara.zih.tu-dresden.de/handle/123456789/2178
Public reference to this page dc.identifier.uri	https://doi.org/10.25532/OPARA-1157
Publisher dc.publisher	Technische Universität Dresden
Licence dc.rights	Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International	en
URI of the licence text dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Specification of the discipline(s) dc.subject.classification	2
Title of the dataset dc.title	Evolution and adaptations of the seminal proteome in an insect with traumatic insemination
Funding Acknowledgement opara.project.fundingAcknowledgement	This work was funded by DFG grants to Oliver Otti 521/4-1 and Klaus Reinhardt 1666/4-1. We are grateful for high-performance computing at the NHR Center of TU Dresden, jointly supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the state governments participating in the NHR (www.nhr-verein.de/unsere-partner).