Objective
The grey short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) is a small American marsupial of the family Didelphidae. Didelphids are the only mammals known to have both specialized sperm storage crypts in the oviducts and paired sperm. Paired sperm have a distinct motility advantage over single sperm and are efficiently transported in the female reproductive tract. In captivity females will mate with more than one male during oestrus. Evidence of mixed paternity litters is yet to be established and the presence of paired sperm and sperm storage crypts may represent a novel adaptation in mammals to post-copulatory competition that warrants further investigation. The aim of this study is to investigate the mating system of M. domestica and the role of the storage cry pts in sperm competition and cryptic female choice.
Females will be naturally mated with two males in sequence to test for the effect of:
(i) male size,
(ii) mating order,
(iii) time of mating relative to ovulation, on paternity success of the offspring. In addition, females will be artificially inseminated with different ratios of mixed sperm from two males and paternity success determined.
Sperm will be deposited (i) vaginally and (ii) directly into the uteri, to determine if the lower tract plays a selective role in sperm migration. Finally, the time and pattern of sperm colonization and the heterospermic composition of the storage crypts will be examined by histology, and a combination of laser capture micro-dissection and DNA microsatellite genotyping of encrypted sperm. This study will give an insight into the mating system of Monodelphis domestica. New tools will be developed in this species including electroejaculation and heterospermic artificial insemination (as a bioassay for reduced fertility). This project will advance the independent career of the applicant, establish new collaborations, and further the competitiveness of Europe through research into this increasingly important comparative model.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine gynaecology reproductive medicine
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy
- natural sciences biological sciences histology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-7
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
IIF - Marie Curie actions-Incoming International Fellowships
Coordinator
GLASGOW
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.