Gender-specific social behaviors in C. elegans

线虫以一种特定性别的方式感知并对其他个体的存在做出反应：雄性被两性人吸引，但两性人相互回避。线虫相当于雌性线虫，是一种自交的两性人，也可以与雄性交配。雌雄同体的吸引和回避是由雌雄同体释放到环境中的因子引起的。两性都接触到相同的社会信号，男性和两性的神经系统非常相似，但他们的反应却截然不同。这个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有的行为。线虫是一种非常适合于行为研究的动物模型，因为基因技术很发达，神经系统特征很好(神经元的数量和类型因个体而异)，而且它们的线路--它们是如何连接到电路的--是已知的。该项目将使用基因技术来识别和表征对性别特定行为重要的分子，并使用激光显微手术来识别对性别特定行为重要的神经元。这个项目的最终目标之一是测试这些神经活动如何产生行为的模型。线虫的神经系统非常简单，应该可以对行为进行重新编程。例如，两性人可以表达雄性的关键行为基因，使两性人被其他两性人吸引。该项目将对本科生进行遗传学和神经生物学方面的培训，并为他们理解基本原理提供实践基础。此外，这项研究将使博士后研究员建立一个新的科学调查领域，并培养他成为独立的研究员。这些研究的结果将在开放获取的期刊上发表，并由国际和平研究所通过社区和大学报告向公众公布。

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.