Aw. Olmstead et Ga. Leblanc, Temporal and quantitative changes in sexual reproductive cycling of the cladoceran Daphnia magna by a juvenile hormone analog, J EXP ZOOL, 290(2), 2001, pp. 148-155
Cyclic parthenogens, such as the cladoceran, Daphnia magna, utilize both as
exual (parthenogenetic) and sexual reproduction in order to maximize popula
tion fitness in variable environments. Parthenogenetic reproduction is the
default strategy among D. magna, while various environmental cues trigger c
ycles of sexual reproduction. Experiments were conducted with the juvenile
hormone analog methoprene to test the hypothesis that members of the insect
juvenile hormone/vertebrate retinoic acid family of transcription factors
are involved in the regulation of sexual reproduction in daphnids. Neither
methoprene, food reduction, or crowding independently stimulated entry into
the sexual reproductive phase of the daphnids. However, the combination of
food deprivation and crowding stimulated entry into the sexual reproductiv
e phase characterized by an initial high production of males and the subseq
uent intermittent production of haploid egg-containing ephippia. Exposure t
o 160 nM methoprene along with food deprivation and crowding caused a signi
ficant reduction in the percentage of males produced during the early phase
of the sexual cycle and significantly increased the percentage of males pr
oduced during the later stages of the cycle. Methoprene concentrations as l
ow as 6.4 nM significantly reduced the number of resting eggs produced and
proportionately increased the production of parthenogenetically-produced ne
onates. These experiments demonstrate that methoprene uncouples the coordin
ate production of males and resting eggs during the sexual reproductive per
iod of D. magna. Methoprene stimulates male offspring production and defers
their production to latter stages of the sexual reproductive period, while
inhibiting the production of resting eggs and promoting the continuance of
parthenogenetic reproduction. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.