Abstract
Male copulation is a complex behavior that requires coordinated communication between the nervous system and the peripheral reproductive organs involved in mating. In hermaphroditic animals, such as the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis, this complexity increases since the animal can behave both as male and female. The performance of the sexual role as a male is coordinated via a neuronal communication regulated by many peptidergic neurons, clustered in the cerebral and pedal ganglia and dispersed in the pleural and parietal ganglia. By combining single-cell matrix-assisted laser mass spectrometry with retrograde staining and electrophysiology, we analyzed neuropeptide expression of single neurons of the right parietal ganglion and their axonal projections into the penial nerve. Based on the neuropeptide profile of these neurons, we were able to reconstruct a chemical map of the right parietal ganglion revealing a striking correlation with the earlier electrophysiological and neuroanatomical studies. Neurons can be divided into two main groups: (i) neurons that express heptapeptides and (ii) neurons that do not. The neuronal projection of the different neurons into the penial nerve reveals a pattern where (spontaneous) activity is related to branching pattern. This heterogeneity in both neurochemical anatomy and branching pattern of the parietal neurons reflects the complexity of the peptidergic neurotransmission involved in the regulation of male mating behavior in this simultaneous hermaphrodite.
Highlights
To ensure reproductive success, animals developed various strategies that guide them in choosing a partner, with the best genetic material, to mate with
To establish the chemical identity of the dispersed neurons in the right parietal ganglion, neurons sending their axons to the penial nerve were first retrogradely stained to visualize them and make them accessible for MALDI-TOF-MS analysis
Using a multidisciplinary approach combining the analytical power of MALDI-TOF-MS with neuronal labeling, we partially analyzed the peptide content of the right parietal neurons regulating male mating and identified some of the prominent peaks as the heptapeptides
Summary
Animals developed various strategies that guide them in choosing a partner, with the best genetic material, to mate with. This screening process, known as sexual selection, can take place pre- or postcopulatory in any mating species (Parker 1970; Koene 2012). In general, shows a complex sequence of events accurately coordinated through specific neuronal networks that allow a precise chemical communication between neurons and their targets To achieve this complex interaction, neurons use different signaling molecules, e.g., neuropeptides which play a crucial role in the regulation and modulation of many characteristics of reproductive behaviors in animals (Dornan and Malsbury 1989; El Filali et al 2006; Koene 2010). The neural communication elevates its complexity, since the brain controls male and female behaviors within a single individual, while switching from one sexual role to the other
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
