![[Feedback]](/icons/banner/feedbackACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[For Subscribers]](/icons/banner/subscriberACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[Archive]](/icons/banner/archiveACT.gif){kind=icon}
![[Search]](/icons/banner/searchACT.gif){kind=icon}
|
|
|
|
|
||
A more recent version of this article appeared on September 1, 2005
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Submitted on February 4, 2005
Revised on May 11, 2005
Accepted on June 3, 2005
*Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom; Laboratory of Receptor Signaling, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB2 4AT, United Kingdom
Monitoring Editor: Martin Chalfie
Complex behavior requires the coordinated action of the nervous system and nonneuronal targets. Male mating in Caenorhabditis elegans consists of a series of defined behavioral steps that lead to the physiological outcomes required for successful impregnation. We demonstrate that signaling mediated by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) is required at several points during mating. Disruption of IP3 receptor (itr-1) function results in dramatic loss of male fertility, due to defects in turning behavior (during vulva location), spicule insertion and sperm transfer. To elucidate the signaling pathways responsible, we knocked down the six C. elegans genes encoding phospholipase C (PLC) family members. egl-8, which encodes PLC-
, functions in spicule insertion and sperm transfer. itr-1 and egl-8 are widely expressed in the male reproductive system. An itr-1 gain-of-function mutation rescues infertility caused by egl-8 RNA interference, indicating that egl-8 and itr-1 function together as central components of the signaling events controlling sperm transfer.
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Address correspondence to:
Howard A. Baylis (hab{at}mole.bio.cam.ac.uk)
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  K. Nehrke, J. Denton, and W. Mowrey Intestinal Ca2+ wave dynamics in freely moving C. elegans coordinate execution of a rhythmic motor program Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, January 1, 2008; 294(1): C333 - C344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Liu, K. Kim, C. Li, and M. M. Barr FMRFamide-Like Neuropeptides and Mechanosensory Touch Receptor Neurons Regulate Male Sexual Turning Behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans J. Neurosci., July 4, 2007; 27(27): 7174 - 7182. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. R. Garcia, B. LeBoeuf, and P. Koo Diversity in Mating Behavior of Hermaphroditic and Male-Female Caenorhabditis Nematodes Genetics, April 1, 2007; 175(4): 1761 - 1771. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. Liu, B. LeBoeuf, and L. R. Garcia G{alpha}q-Coupled Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors Enhance Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans Mating Behavior J. Neurosci., February 7, 2007; 27(6): 1411 - 1421. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Yook and J. Hodgkin Mos1 Mutagenesis Reveals a Diversity of Mechanisms Affecting Response of Caenorhabditis elegans to the Bacterial Pathogen Microbacterium nematophilum Genetics, February 1, 2007; 175(2): 681 - 697. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
