Hybrid males do not perform well: sperm properties across the hybrid zone of house mouse

0357694 - ÚBO 2011 CZ eng A - Abstrakt
Albrechtová, Jana - Albrecht, Tomáš - Macholán, Miloš - Rudolfsen, G. - Piálek, Jaroslav
Hybrid males do not perform well: sperm properties across the hybrid zone of house mouse.
Zoologické dny Brno 2011: sborník abstraktů z konference 17.-18. února 2011. Brno: Ústav biologie obratlovců AVČR, 2011 - (Bryja, J.; Řehák, Z.; Zukal, J.). s. 21-22. ISBN 978-80-87189-09-2.
[Zoologické dny. 17.02.2011-18.02.2011, Brno]
Výzkumný záměr: CEZ:AV0Z60930519; CEZ:AV0Z50450515
Klíčová slova: hybrid zone * house mouse
Kód oboru RIV: EG - Zoologie
http://zoo.ivb.cz/doc/sborniky/sbornik_2011.pdf

Hybrid zones (HZ) where sperm competition between males and hybridization of closely related species occurs represent natural laboratories allowing complex studies on speciation processes. In mammals, hybrid males are prone to sterility and/or the occurrence of other reproductive dysfunctions, such as poor ejaculate quality. House mice of Mus musculus musculus (Mmm) and Mus musculus domesticus (Mmd) form a narrow HZ maintained via selection against hybrids that crosses Europe from Denmark to Bulgaria. Although previous studies have shown that spermatozoa of Mmm and Mmd may differ in general competitive abilities, there is no study demonstrating the outcome of natural hybridization on sperm properties across HZ. Using 133 males collected at the Czech Republic-Germany transect crossing HZ, we evaluated how hybridization affected sperm quality and numbers, traits potentially associated with male fertilization success. Firstly, we found differences in sperm morphology and sperm velocity between pure subspecies and their hybrids under natural conditions. Further, hybrid males had less sperm and lower proportion of motile sperm than males of parental species. We discuss potential role of genetic background (level of hybridization) in affecting sperm properties and hence hybrid male fitness in this promiscuous system.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0195895