Direct glia-to-neuron transdifferentiation gives rise to a pair of male-specific neurons that ensure nimble male mating
| Autor: | Rachel C. Bonnington, David H. Hall, Sophie P.R. Gilbert, Laura Molina-García, David Elliott, Byunghyuk Kim, Michele Sammut, Arantza Barrios, Steven J. Cook, Carla Lloret-Fernández, Jack M O'Shea, Scott W. Emmons, Richard J. Poole |
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| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Nervous system transdifferentiation glia proprioception Cell Communication Animals Genetically Modified Sexual Behavior Animal 0302 clinical medicine Copulation Biology (General) Mating Caenorhabditis elegans Neurons Sex Characteristics 0303 health sciences biology Reproduction General Neuroscience Transdifferentiation General Medicine medicine.anatomical_structure C. elegans Medicine Female RNA Interference Neuroglia Research Article Sensory Receptor Cells QH301-705.5 Science Cell fate determination General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology 03 medical and health sciences medicine Animals Cell Lineage Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins 030304 developmental biology General Immunology and Microbiology biology.organism_classification sexual dimorphism Cell Transdifferentiation Cholinergic Calcium reproductive behaviour Neuron Neuroscience Developmental biology 030217 neurology & neurosurgery Developmental Biology |
| Zdroj: | eLife eLife, Vol 9 (2020) |
| ISSN: | 2050-084X |
| Popis: | Sexually dimorphic behaviours require underlying differences in the nervous system between males and females. The extent to which nervous systems are sexually dimorphic and the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate these differences are only beginning to be understood. We reveal here a novel mechanism by which male-specific neurons are generated inCaenorhabditis elegansthrough the direct transdifferentiation of sex-shared glial cells. This glia-to-neuron cell fate switch occurs during male sexual maturation under the cell-autonomous control of the sex-determination pathway. We show that the neurons generated are cholinergic, peptidergic, and ciliated putative proprioceptors which integrate into male-specific circuits for copulation. These neurons ensure coordinated backward movement along the mate’s body during mating. One step of the mating sequence regulated by these neurons is an alternative readjustment movement performed when intromission becomes difficult to achieve. Our findings reveal programmed transdifferentiation as a developmental mechanism underlying flexibility in innate behaviour. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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