Abstract
Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) play vital roles for optimizing
reproductive success in diverse animals. Underlining their significance,
SFP production and transfer are highly plastic, e.g., depending on the
presence of rivals or mating status of partners. However, surprisingly
little is known about replenishing SFPs after mating. It is especially
relevant in multiple mating species, as they would continuously produce
and use SFPs throughout their reproductive life. Here we examined the
expression pattern of SFP genes after mating in the great pond snail,
Lymnaea stagnalis. Our results show that three out of the six SFP genes
investigated here were up-regulated after mating, indicating that L.
stagnalis replenishes seminal fluid in a protein-specific manner. In
addition, we suggest that SFP replenishment is plastic depending on the
mating history of female-acting snails. Our results shed light on
unexplored aspects of SFP replenishment, thereby expanding the
understanding of reproductive strategies in animals.