Evolutionarily conserved behavioral plasticity enables context-dependent mating in C. elegans.

ABSTRACT: Behavioral plasticity helps humans and animals to achieve their goals by adapting their behaviors to different environments.^1,2 Although behavioral plasticity is ubiquitous, many innate species-specific behaviors, such as mating, are often assumed to be stereotyped and unaffected by plasticity or learning, especially in invertebrates. Here, we describe a novel case of behavioral plasticity in the nematode C. elegans. Under standard lab conditions (agar plates with bacterial food), the male performs parallel mating,^3,4,5 a largely two-dimensional behavioral strategy where his body and tail remain flat on the surface and slide alongside the partner's body from initial contact to copulation. But when place

SUBMITTER: Susoy V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10615801 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature