Seminal fluid protein

A photo of Heliconius erato, a species of butterfly
Heliconius erato, or the red postman, was among the first species of butterfly to have its seminal fluid proteome studied.[1]

Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) or accessory gland proteins (Acps) are one of the non-sperm components of semen. In many animals with internal fertilization, males transfer a complex cocktail of proteins in their semen to females during copulation. These seminal fluid proteins often have diverse, potent effects on female post-mating phenotypes.[2] SFPs are produced by the male accessory glands.

Seminal fluid proteins frequently show evidence of elevated evolutionary rates and are often cited as an example of sexual conflict.[2]

  1. ^ Walters, J. R.; Harrison, R. G. (2010-04-07). "Combined EST and Proteomic Analysis Identifies Rapidly Evolving Seminal Fluid Proteins in Heliconius Butterflies". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 27 (9): 2000–2013. doi:10.1093/molbev/msq092. ISSN 0737-4038. PMID 20375075.
  2. ^ a b Sirot, Laura K.; Wong, Alex; Chapman, Tracey; Wolfner, Mariana F. (2014-12-11). "Sexual Conflict and Seminal Fluid Proteins: A Dynamic Landscape of Sexual Interactions". Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. 7 (2): a017533. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a017533. ISSN 1943-0264. PMC 4315932. PMID 25502515.