Gender-specific social behaviors in C. elegans

秀丽隐杆线虫以一种特定性别的方式感知和回应其他个体的存在：雄性被雌雄同体所吸引，但雌雄同体会互相避开。 相当于雌性的线虫是一种自体受精的雌雄同体，也可以与雄性交配。雄性吸引力和雌雄同体回避是由雌雄同体释放到环境中的因素引起的。 两性都接触到相同的社会信号，男性和雌雄同体的神经系统非常相似，但他们的反应却截然相反。该项目的目标是了解分子和神经细胞（神经元）如何产生这些性别特异性行为。线虫是一种非常适合行为研究的动物模型，因为遗传技术非常发达，神经系统特征明确（神经元的数量和类型在个体之间没有显着差异），并且它们的接线（它们如何连接到电路中）是已知的。 该项目将利用遗传技术来识别和表征对性别特异性行为重要的分子，并利用激光显微外科手术来识别对性别特异性行为重要的神经元。该项目的最终目标之一是测试这些模型，了解神经活动如何产生行为。线虫的神经系统非常简单，应该可以重新编程行为。 例如，可以让雌雄同体表达雄性的关键行为基因，使雌雄同体被其他雌雄同体吸引。该项目将培训遗传学和神经生物学方面的本科生，并为他们提供理解基本原理的实践基础。 此外，这项研究将使博士后研究员能够建立一个新的科学研究领域，并训练他成为独立的研究者。这些研究的结果将通过在开放获取期刊上发表的方式提供，并由 PI 通过社区和大学演示向公众展示。

C. elegans worms sense and respond to the presence of other individuals in a gender-specific manner: males are attracted to hermaphrodites, but hermaphrodites avoid one another. The C. elegans equivalent of a female is a self-fertilizing hermaphrodite that can also mate with a male. Male-attraction and hermaphrodite-avoidance are elicited by factors released into the environment by hermaphrodites. Both sexes are exposed to the same social signals, and the nervous systems of males and hermaphrodites are highly similar, yet their responses are diametrical. The goal of this project is to understand how molecules and nerve cells (neurons) generate these gender-specific behaviors. C. elegans is an animal model well suited for studies of behavior because genetic techniques are well-developed, the nervous system is well-characterized (the number and type of neurons do not vary significantly from individual to individual), and their wiring-how they are connected into circuits-is known. This project will use genetic techniques to identify and characterize molecules important for gender-specific behaviors, and laser microsurgery to identify neurons important for gender-specific behaviors. One of the eventual goals of this project is to test these models for how neural activity generates behavior. The C. elegans nervous system is simple enough that it should be possible to reprogram behavior. For example, hermaphrodites could be made to express the key behavioral genes of males, making the hermaphrodites attracted to other hermaphrodites. The project will train undergraduate students in genetics and neurobiology, and give them a practical basis for understanding fundamental principles. Additionally, this research will allow a postdoctoral fellow to establish a new area of scientific investigation and train him to become and independent investigator. The results from these studies will be made available by publication in open-access journals and presented to the public by the PI through community and university presentations.