Paper

Natural genetic variation in the pheromone production of C. elegans

Palomino, Diana C F, Stevens, Lewis, Pedro Reis Rodrigues, Andersen, Erik C, Aiden Ross Kolodziej, Schroeder, Frank C, Lee, Daehan, Tenjo, Francisco J, Panda, Oishika, Koury, Emily, Evans, Kathryn S, Fox, Bennett W

2022

Overview

From bacterial quorum sensing to human language, communication is essential for social interactions. Nematodes produce and sense pheromones to communicate among individuals and respond to environmental changes. These signals are encoded by different types and mixtures of ascarosides, whose modular structures further enhance the diversity of this nematode pheromone language. Interspecific and intraspecific differences in this ascaroside pheromone language have been described previously, but the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms underlying the variation remain largely unknown. Here, we analyzed natural variation in the production of 44 ascarosides across 95 wild ​Caenorhabditis elegans ​strains using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS). By cross-analyzing genomes and exo-metabolomes of wild strains, we discovered quantitative trait loci (QTL) that underlie the natural differences in pheromone bouquet composition. Fine mapping of the QTL further uncovered associations between mitochondrial metabolism and pheromone production. Our findings demonstrate how natural genetic variation in core metabolic pathways can affect the production of social signals.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.

• Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press,Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
• Subject: Chemical communication / Environmental changes / Evolutionary Biology / Gene mapping / Genetic diversity / High-performance liquid chromatography / Language / Mass spectroscopy / Metabolic pathways / Mitochondria / Molecular modelling / Pheromones / Quantitative trait loci / Quorum sensing / Social interactions / Strains (organisms)