RRC ID 46184
著者 Sakai N, Iwata R, Yokoi S, Butcher RA, Clardy J, Tomioka M, Iino Y.
タイトル A sexually conditioned switch of chemosensory behavior in C. elegans.
ジャーナル PLoS One
Abstract In sexually reproducing animals, mating is essential for transmitting genetic information to the next generation and therefore animals have evolved mechanisms for optimizing the chance of successful mate location. In the soil nematode C. elegans, males approach hermaphrodites via the ascaroside pheromones, recognize hermaphrodites when their tails contact the hermaphrodites' body, and eventually mate with them. These processes are mediated by sensory signals specialized for sexual communication, but other mechanisms may also be used to optimize mate location. Here we describe associative learning whereby males use sodium chloride as a cue for hermaphrodite location. Both males and hermaphrodites normally avoid sodium chloride after associative conditioning with salt and starvation. However, we found that males become attracted to sodium chloride after conditioning with salt and starvation if hermaphrodites are present during conditioning. For this conditioning, which we call sexual conditioning, hermaphrodites are detected by males through pheromonal signaling and additional cue(s). Sex transformation experiments suggest that neuronal sex of males is essential for sexual conditioning. Altogether, these results suggest that C. elegans males integrate environmental, internal and social signals to determine the optimal strategy for mate location.
巻・号 8(7)
ページ e68676
公開日 2013-1-1
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0068676
PII PONE-D-13-12774
PMID 23861933
PMC PMC3701651
MeSH Animals Association Learning / physiology Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology* Chemotaxis / physiology* Conditioning, Psychological / physiology* Cues Female Hermaphroditic Organisms / physiology* Male Pheromones / physiology Reproduction / physiology Sex Characteristics Sexual Behavior, Animal / physiology* Sodium Chloride / chemistry Sodium Chloride / pharmacology
IF 2.74
引用数 19
WOS 分野 CELL BIOLOGY
リソース情報
線虫 tm272