| Female Drosophila melanogaster are known to mate with multiple males and store their sperm simultaneously, resulting in post-copulatory selection through sperm competition and female choice. The male's sperm competitive ability is largely determined by his genotype through the coding of accessory gland proteins (Acps) which are transferred to the female during mating. Males can be rank ordered based on their reproductive fitness, but this ignores any interactions Acps may have with the female genotype. By using males from 2nd and 3rd chromosome extraction lines mated with two females of different genetic backgrounds we demonstrate that Acps do interact with the female's genotype, influencing the reproductive fitness of both sexes. We identify three cases where SNPs interact with the female's genetic background and two cases of synergistic pleiotropy. These results help us understand the complex genetic mechanisms influencing reproductive fitness and the maintenance of natural variation in complex quantitative traits. |
