A Single-Neuron Chemosensory Switch Determines the Valence of a Sexually Dimorphic Sensory Behavior.
Curr Biol
; 28(6): 902-914.e5, 2018 03 19.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29526590
ABSTRACT
Biological sex, a fundamental dimension of internal state, can modulate neural circuits to generate behavioral variation. Understanding how and why circuits are tuned by sex can provide important insights into neural and behavioral plasticity. Here we find that sexually dimorphic behavioral responses to C. elegans ascaroside sex pheromones are implemented by the functional modulation of shared chemosensory circuitry. In particular, the sexual state of a single sensory neuron pair, ADF, determines the nature of an animal's behavioral response regardless of the sex of the rest of the body. Genetic feminization of ADF causes males to be repelled by, rather than attracted to, ascarosides, whereas masculinization of ADF has the opposite effect in hermaphrodites. When ADF is ablated, both sexes are weakly repelled by ascarosides. Genetic sex modulates ADF function by tuning chemosensation although ADF is functional in both sexes, it detects the ascaroside ascr#3 only in males, a consequence of cell-autonomous action of the master sexual regulator tra-1. This occurs in part through the conserved DM-domain gene mab-3, which promotes the male state of ADF. The sexual modulation of ADF has a key role in reproductive fitness, as feminization or ablation of ADF renders males unable to use ascarosides to locate mates. Our results reveal an economical mechanism in which sex-specific behavioral valence arises through the cell-autonomous regulation of a chemosensory switch by genetic sex, allowing a social cue with salience for both sexes to elicit navigational responses commensurate with the differing needs of each.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Células Receptoras Sensoriales
/
Aptitud Genética
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Curr Biol
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
Año:
2018
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos