Abstract
Sex differences in behaviour extend to cognitive-like processes such as learning, but the underlying dimorphisms in neural circuit development and organization that generate these behavioural differences are largely unknown. Here we define at the single-cell level - from development, through neural circuit connectivity, to function - the neural basis of a sex-specific learning in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that sexual conditioning, a form of associative learning, requires a pair of male-specific interneurons whose progenitors are fully differentiated glia. These neurons are generated during sexual maturation and incorporated into pre-exisiting sex-shared circuits to couple chemotactic responses to reproductive priorities. Our findings reveal a general role for glia as neural progenitors across metazoan taxa and demonstrate that the addition of sex-specific neuron types to brain circuits during sexual maturation is an important mechanism for the generation of sexually dimorphic plasticity in learning.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 385-390 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Nature |
Volume | 526 |
Issue number | 7573 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 14 2015 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General