Abstract
Sexual activity (mating) negatively affects immune function in various insect species, in both sexes. In the experiments reported in this manuscript, we tested if hosts adapted to regular pathogen challenges are less susceptible to mating induced immune suppression, using experimentally evolved Drosophila melanogaster populations selected for increased post-infection survival when infected with a Gram-positive bacterium, Enterococcus faecalis. Mating increased susceptibility of females to bacterial pathogens, but in a pathogen specific manner. Mating-induced increase in susceptibility was also affected by host evolutionary history, with females from selected populations exhibiting similar post-infection survival irrespective of mating status, while females from control populations became more susceptible to bacterial infections after mating. Post-infection survival of males, irrespective of their evolutionary history, was not affected by their mating status. We therefore conclude that hosts evolved to better survive bacterial infections are also better at resisting mating-induced increase in susceptibility to infections in Drosophila melanogaster.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
Declaration of interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare.
Funding: The study was funded by intramural funding from IISER Mohali, India. AB was supported by Senior Research Fellowship for graduate students from CSIR, Govt. of India. AS was supported by Senior Research Fellowship for graduate students from University Grants Commission, Govt. of India. RBG was supported by Summer Research Fellowship Program for undergraduate students funded by JNCASR, Bangalore.