Sperm function is required for suppressing locomotor activity of C. elegans hermaphrodites

Abstract

Sex differences in sex-shared behavior are common across various species. During mating, males transfer sperm and seminal fluid to females, which can affect female behavior. Sperm can be stored in the female reproductive tract for extended periods of time and used to fertilize eggs. However, the role of either sperm or embryo production in regulating female behavior is poorly understood. In the androdioecious nematode C. elegans, hermaphrodites produce both oocytes and sperm, enabling them to self-fertilize or mate with males. Hermaphrodites exhibit less locomotor activity compared to males, indicating sex difference in behavioral regulation. In this study, mutants defective in the sperm production and function were examined to investigate the role of sperm function in the regulation of locomotor behavior. Infertile hermaphrodites exhibited increased locomotor activity, which was suppressed after mating with fertile males. The results suggest that sperm, seminal fluid, or the presence of embryos are detected by hermaphrodites, leading to a reduction in locomotor activity. Additionally, females of closely related gonochoristic species, C. remanei and C. brenneri, exhibited reduced locomotor activity after mating. The regulation of locomotion by sperm function may be an adaptive mechanism that enables hermaphrodites lacking sperm or embryo to search for mates and allow females to cease their search for mates after mating.