ArticleNature communications2026
Efficient pheromone navigation via antagonistic detectors in Caenorhabditis elegans male.
Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Efficient pheromone navigation via antagonistic detectors in Caenorhabditis elegans male.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Cyclohexyl acetate functions like a volatile sex pheromone mimic in Caenorhabditis nematodes.BMC biology · 2026Article
- O-acyltransferase genes involved in the production of volatile sex pheromones inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- Article
- Single-nucleus neuronal transcriptional profiling of male C. elegans uncovers regulators of sex-specific and sex-shared behaviors.Cell reports · 2025Article
- GelDrop Array High-Throughput Screening in Nematodes.microPublication biology · 2025Article
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8 authors.
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Abstract
Chemotaxis to a moving potential mate that emits a volatile sex pheromone poses a navigation challenge requiring rapid, precise responses to maximize reproductive success. Volatile chemicals form gradients that differ from soluble compounds, potentially making navigation based on comparisons between spatially separated sensors unreliable for small-bodied animals. Here we show that, rather than a simple spatial comparison, Caenorhabditis elegans males employ an antagonistic strategy, comparing inputs from sex-shared head (AWA) and male-specific tail (PHD) sensory neurons with distinct response properties. Despite sharing a receptor, SRD-1, these detectors play different roles: AWAs promote forward movement and acceleration, while PHDs induce reversals and deceleration. In rising pheromone gradients, AWA activity dominates; in falling gradients, AWA inactivates, allowing PHD to correct trajectories. AWAs are essential for mate-searching, while PHDs are crucial for complex tasks. A minimal computational model reproduces these behaviors and infers how head-tail signals are combined. Thus, a sexually dimorphic, antagonistic sensory system enables adaptive navigation in dynamic environments.
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