Sex-specific developmental gene expression atlas unveils dimorphic gene networks in C. elegans

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; p. 4273
• Main Authors: Haque, Rizwanul, Kurien, Sonu Peedikayil, Setty, Hagar, Salzberg, Yehuda, Stelzer, Gil, Litvak, Einav, Gingold, Hila, Rechavi, Oded, Oren-Suissa, Meital
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.05.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 13/31; 14; 14/19; 14/34; 14/63; 38; 38/39; 38/47; 38/77; 38/88; 38/90; 38/91; 42; 45; 631/208/514/1949; 631/378/1804/1805; 631/378/2571/1696; 64; 64/11; Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans - growth & development; Caenorhabditis elegans - metabolism; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - metabolism; Female; G protein-coupled receptors; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Gene families; Gene Regulatory Networks; Genes; Genetic diversity; Hermaphrodites; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insulin; Male; Males; multidisciplinary; Nervous system; Neuropeptides; Neuropeptides - genetics; Neuropeptides - metabolism; Peptides; Phenotypic variations; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sensory neurons; Sensory Receptor Cells - metabolism; Sex Characteristics; Sexual behavior; Sexual dimorphism; Transcription factors; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48369-z

Sex-specific traits and behaviors emerge during development by the acquisition of unique properties in the nervous system of each sex. However, the genetic events responsible for introducing these sex-specific features remain poorly understood. In this study, we create a comprehensive gene expression atlas of pure populations of hermaphrodites and males of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans across development. We discover numerous differentially expressed genes, including neuronal gene families like transcription factors, neuropeptides, and G protein-coupled receptors. We identify INS-39, an insulin-like peptide, as a prominent male-biased gene expressed specifically in ciliated sensory neurons. We show that INS-39 serves as an early-stage male marker, facilitating the effective isolation of males in high-throughput experiments. Through complex and sex-specific regulation, ins-39 plays pleiotropic sexually dimorphic roles in various behaviors, while also playing a shared, dimorphic role in early life stress. This study offers a comparative sexual and developmental gene expression database for C. elegans . Furthermore, it highlights conserved genes that may underlie the sexually dimorphic manifestation of different human diseases. Genetic sex introduces variation in phenotypic traits in sexually reproducing organisms. Here, the authors report a developmental gene expression atlas for C. elegans males and hermaphrodites, highlighting the key role of the insulin-like peptide INS-39 in male development and suggesting genetic underpinnings of sexual dimorphism.