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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
An Introduction to Parasitic Wasps of Drosophila and the Antiparasite Immune Response
Published on: May 7, 2012
Mating induces an immune response and developmental switch in the Drosophila oviduct
Anat Kapelnikov1, Einat Zelinger, Yuval Gottlieb
1Department of Entomology, Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Abstract:
Mating triggers physiological and behavioral changes in females. To understand how females effect these changes, we used microarray, proteomic, and comparative analyses to characterize gene expression in oviducts of mated and unmated Drosophila females. The transition from non-egg laying to egg laying elicits a distinct molecular profile in the oviduct. Immune-related transcripts and proteins involved in muscle and polarized epithelial function increase, whereas cell growth and differentiation-related genes are down-regulated. Our combined results indicate that mating triggers molecular and biochemical changes that mediate progression from a "poised" state to a mature, functional stage.
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