Mate searching in Caenorhabditis elegans:: A genetic model for sex drive in a simple invertebrate
Mate searching in Caenorhabditis elegans:: A genetic model for sex drive in a simple invertebrate
复制标题
DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.1746-04.2004
复制
发表时间：
2004-08-25
影响因子：
5.3
通讯作者：
Emmons, SW
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lipton, J;Kleemann, G;Emmons, SW
许多动物的行为都受到调控，以实现生存和繁殖所必需的目标。人们对潜在的动机或驱动力状态知之甚少，这些状态被认为是调节这种目标导向行为的媒介。在这里，我们描述了秀丽线虫雄性的一种寻找配偶的行为，类似于脊椎动物的动机行为。成年雄性线虫如果与交配伙伴隔离开来，就会离开食物来源，在环境中四处游荡，显然是为了寻找配偶。当交配伙伴出现在食物来源时，雄性不会四处游荡，而是与它们呆在一起。对于线虫和另外两个被研究的雄性/两性物种来说，这种行为是性二态的；对于这些物种来说，两性动物离开食物的速度比雄性慢得多。相比之下，在被研究的三个雌雄物种中，雄鸟和雌鸟都离开了食物，其中两个物种的频率相似，这表明行为二形性和两性行为的进化是协调的。我们使用一种定量的行为分析来表明线虫的雄性寻找受到来自两性的信号和指示营养和生殖状态的生理信号的调节。我们确定了5-羟色胺、胰岛素和性别决定途径中的基因，这些基因会影响寻找配偶的速度。这些基因可能与生理和生殖调节机制有关。我们的结果将线虫确立为一种具有简单神经系统的模型遗传动物，在该系统中，导致动机行为的神经路径可能会被基因解剖。
Much of animal behavior is regulated to accomplish goals necessary for survival and reproduction. Little is known about the underlying motivational or drive states that are postulated to mediate such goal-directed behaviors. Here, we describe a mate-searching behavior of the Caenorhabditis elegans male that resembles the motivated behaviors of vertebrates. Adult C. elegans males, if isolated from mating partners, will leave the area of a food source and wander about their environment in an apparent search for a mate. When mating partners are present on the food source, males do not wander but remain with them. This behavior is sexually dimorphic for C. elegans and two additional male/hermaphrodite species studied; for these species, hermaphrodites leave food significantly slower than males. In contrast, for three male - female species examined, both males and females left food, in two cases with similar frequency, suggesting coordinate evolution of behavioral dimorphism with hermaphroditism. We use a quantitative behavioral assay to show that C. elegans male mate searching is regulated by signals from hermaphrodites and by physiological signals indicating nutritional and reproductive status. We identify genes in the serotonin, insulin, and sex determination pathways that affect the rate of mate searching. These genes may contribute to physiological and reproductive regulatory mechanisms. Our results establish C. elegans as a model genetic animal with a simple nervous system in which neural pathways leading to a motivated behavior may be genetically dissected.