Effects of seminal fluid protein Acp29AB on post-mating changes in female Drosophila melanogaster. S.N. Albright , M.F. Wolfner. Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

   Acp29AB is a seminal fluid protein that is transferred to females during mating. It contains a predicted C-type lectin carbohydrate recognition domain suggesting that Acp29AB might bind to sperm or to other cell surfaces. Acp29AB appears to be rapidly evolving (1). Acp29AB alleles correlate with parameters of sperm competition suggesting that this Acp might play a role in "defense" against sperm displacement (2).
   In order to directly determine the role of Acp29AB in the post-mating changes of mated females, we isolated two mutations in Acp29AB from a collection of viable, EMS-induced mutant lines from Charles Zuker's lab (3). One mutant line has a frameshift mutation that alters Acp29AB's predicted carbohydrate-binding domain. Both mutants were tested for their ability to cause post-mating changes in their mates. These mutant lines of Acp29AB do not appear to affect post-mating changes in progeny production, receptivity to re-mating, and storage of sperm by mated females. The mutant lines are presently being tested for their phenotypes in egg laying and in sperm competition assays.
   1. Aguade, M. (1999) Genetics 152, 543-551.
   2. Clark, A.G. et al. (1995) Genetics 139, 189-201.
   3. Tsunoda, S. et al. (1997) Nature 388, 243-249.