biostudies-literatureRamos CDLouisiana State UniversityW. M. Keck FoundationNational Institutes of HealthNIGMS NIH HHSjeb244282https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9250795biostudies-literatureUnknown225(12)Sex-specific differences in animal behavior commonly reflect unique reproductive interests. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, hermaphrodites can reproduce without a mate and thus prioritize feeding to satisfy the high energetic costs of reproduction. However, males, which must mate to reproduce, sacrifice feeding to prioritize mate-searching behavior. Here, we demonstrate that these behavioral differences influence sexual dimorphism at the organelle level; young males raised on a rich food source show constitutive induction of gut tubular lysosomes, a non-canonical lysosome morphology that forms in the gut of hermaphrodites when food is limited or as animals age. We found that constitutive induction of gut tubular lysosomes in males results from self-imposed dietary restriction throuThe Journal of experimental biologyReproductive tradeoffs govern sexually dimorphic tubular lysosome induction in Caenorhabditis elegans.PMC9250795R35 GM138116R35GM138116Ramos CDJohnson AEBohnert KAfalseReproductive tradeoffs govern sexually dimorphic tubular lysosome induction in Caenorhabditis elegans.Sex-specific differences in animal behavior commonly reflect unique reproductive interests. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, hermaphrodites can reproduce without a mate and thus prioritize feeding to satisfy the high energetic costs of reproduction. However, males, which must mate to reproduce, sacrifice feeding to prioritize mate-searching behavior. Here, we demonstrate that these behavioral differences influence sexual dimorphism at the organelle level; young males raised on a rich food source show constitutive induction of gut tubular lysosomes, a non-canonical lysosome morphology that forms in the gut of hermaphrodites when food is limited or as animals age. We found that constitutive induction of gut tubular lysosomes in males results from self-imposed dietary restriction throu2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Jun2025-04-05T14:46:59.765Z2025-04-05T14:46:59.765ZS-EPMC92507953562096410.1242/jeb.244282