biostudies-literatureGoncalves JOffice of Research Infrastructure Programs, National Institutes of HealthHoward Hughes Medical InstituteNational Institutes of Health104082https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8968053biostudies-literatureUnknown25(4)Regulated metabolism is required for behaviors as adults age. To understand how lipid usage affects motor coordination, we studied male <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> copulation as a model of energy-intensive behavior. Copulation performance drops after 48 h of adulthood. We found that 12-24 h before behavioral decline, males prioritize exploring and copulation behavior over feeding, suggesting that catabolizing stored metabolites, such as lipids, occurs during this period. Because <i>fat-6/7</i>-encoded stearoyl-CoA desaturases are essential for converting the ingested fatty acids to lipid storage, we examined the copulation behavior and neural calcium transients of <i>fat-6</i>(<i>lf</i>)<i>; fat-7</i>(<i>lf</i>) mutants. In wild-type males, intestinal and epithelial <i>fat-6/7</i> expression increases during the first 48 h of adulthood. The <i>fat-6</i>(<i>lf</i>)<i>; fat-7</i>(<i>lf</i>) behavioral and metabolic defects indicate that in aging wild-type males, the increased expression of stearoyl-CoA desaturases in the epidermis may indirectly modulate the levels of EAG-family K⁺ channels in the reproductive cholinergic neurons and muscles.iScienceStearoyl-CoA desaturases sustain cholinergic excitation and copulatory robustness in metabolically aging <i>C. elegans</i>males.PMC8968053P40OD010440Goncalves JGarcia LRWan YfalseStearoyl-CoA desaturases sustain cholinergic excitation and copulatory robustness in metabolically aging <i>C. elegans</i>males.Regulated metabolism is required for behaviors as adults age. To understand how lipid usage affects motor coordination, we studied male <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> copulation as a model of energy-intensive behavior. Copulation performance drops after 48 h of adulthood. We found that 12-24 h before behavioral decline, males prioritize exploring and copulation behavior over feeding, suggesting that catabolizing stored metabolites, such as lipids, occurs during this period. Because <i>fat-6/7</i>-encoded stearoyl-CoA desaturases are essential for converting the ingested fatty acids to lipid storage, we examined the copulation behavior and neural calcium transients of <i>fat-6</i>(<i>lf</i>)<i>; fat-7</i>(<i>lf</i>) mutants. In wild-type males, intestinal and epithelial <i>fat-6/7</i> expression increases during the first 48 h of adulthood. The <i>fat-6</i>(<i>lf</i>)<i>; fat-7</i>(<i>lf</i>) behavioral and metabolic defects indicate that in aging wild-type males, the increased expression of stearoyl-CoA desaturases in the epidermis may indirectly modulate the levels of EAG-family K⁺ channels in the reproductive cholinergic neurons and muscles.2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Apr2025-04-27T01:11:16.177Z2025-04-06T18:08:00.998ZS-EPMC89680533537280210.1016/j.isci.2022.104082