Natural variation in the Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying circuit modulates an intergenerational fitness trade-off.

ABSTRACT: Evolutionary transitions from egg laying (oviparity) to live birth (viviparity) are common across various taxa. Many species also exhibit genetic variation in egg-laying mode or display an intermediate mode with laid eggs containing embryos at various stages of development. Understanding the mechanistic basis and fitness consequences of such variation remains experimentally challenging. Here, we report highly variable intra-uterine egg retention across 316 Caenorhabditis elegans wild strains, some exhibiting strong retention, followed by internal hatching. We identify multiple evolutionary origins of such phenotypic extremes and pinpoint underlying candidate loci. Behavioral analysis and genetic manipulation indicates that this variation arises from genetic differences in the neurom

SUBMITTER: Mignerot L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10987095 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature