C. elegans Males Integrate Food Signals and Biological Sex to Modulate State-Dependent Chemosensation and Behavioral Prioritization.

ABSTRACT: Dynamic integration of internal and external cues is essential for flexible, adaptive behavior. In C. elegans, biological sex and feeding state regulate expression of the food-associated chemoreceptor odr-10, contributing to plasticity in food detection and the decision between feeding and exploration. In adult hermaphrodites, odr-10 expression is high, but in well-fed adult males, odr-10 expression is low, promoting exploratory mate-searching behavior. Food-deprivation transiently activates male odr-10 expression, heightening food sensitivity and reducing food leaving. Here, we identify a neuroendocrine feedback loop that sex-specifically regulates odr-10 in response to food deprivation. In well-fed males, insulin-like (insulin/IGF-1 signaling [IIS]) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-

SUBMITTER: Wexler LR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7375905 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature