Positive selection and the molecular evolution of a gene of male reproduction, Acp26Aa of Drosophila

The gene for a male ejaculatory protein, Acp26Aa, in four sibling species of the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup has previously been shown to have a nonsynonymous rate (Ka) of nucleotide substitution that is indistinguishable from the synonymous rate (Ks). By examining this gene in two other species of this subgroup, we found that Ka is generally large and can sometimes be more than twice as large as Ks. This suggests that positive selection may be operating at this locus of male reproduction.