Single-nucleus neuronal transcriptional profiling of male C. elegans uncovers regulators of sex-specific and sex-shared behaviors.

ABSTRACT: Sexual differentiation of the nervous system drives profound neurobiological and behavioral differences between the sexes across various organisms, including Caenorhabditis elegans. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we profiled and compared adult male and hermaphrodite C. elegans neurons, generating an atlas of adult male-specific and sex-shared neurons. We expanded the molecular map of male-specific neurons and identified highly dimorphic expression of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), neuropeptides, and ion channels. Our data demonstrate sex-shared neurons exhibit substantial heterogeneity between the sexes, while sex-specific neurons repurpose conserved molecular pathways to regulate dimorphic behaviors. We show that the PHD neurons display remarkable similarity to sex-shared AWA

SUBMITTER: Morillo KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12908727 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature