Sources of behavioral variability in C. elegans: Sex differences, individuality, and internal states

Steven W. Flavell; Meital Oren-Suissa; Shay Stern

doi:10.1016/j.conb.2025.102984

Sources of behavioral variability in C. elegans: Sex differences, individuality, and internal states

Steven W. Flavell^*, Meital Oren-Suissa^*, Shay Stern^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Brain Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Animal behavior varies across different timescales. This includes rapid shifts in behavior as animals transition between states and long-term changes that develop throughout an organism's life. This review presents the contributions of sex differences, individuality, and internal states to behavioral variability in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. Sex is determined by chromosome composition, which directs neuronal development through gene regulation and experience to shape dimorphic behaviors. Genetically identical individuals within the same sex and reared in the same conditions still display distinctive, long-lasting behavioral traits that are controlled by neuromodulatory systems. At all life stages, internal states within the individual, shaped by external factors like food and stress, modulate behavior over minutes to hours. The interplay between these factors gives rise to rich behavioral diversity in C. elegans. These factors impact behavior in a sequential manner, as genetic sex, individuality, and internal states influence behavior over progressively finer timescales.

Original language	English
Article number	102984
Journal	Current Opinion in Neurobiology
Volume	91
Early online date	21 Feb 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2025.102984
Publication status	Published - Apr 2025

Funding

We thank members of the Stern, Flavell, and Oren-Suissa labs for critical comments on the manuscript. S.W.F. acknowledges funding from NIH (GM135413, NS131457, DC020484), NSF (1845663), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the McKnight Scholars Program, The Sagol Weizmann-MIT Bridge Program, The JPB Foundation, and The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. S.W.F. is an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. M.O.S. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council ERC-2019-STG 850784, ERC-2025-COG 101169837, Israel Science Foundation grant 961/21, Dr. Barry Sherman Institute for Medicinal Chemistry, Sagol Weizmann-MIT Bridge Program, and the Azrieli Foundation. MOS is the incumbent of the Jenna and Julia Birnbach Family Career Development Chair. S.S. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council ERC-2019-STG 851634, The Israel Science Foundation grant 3035/20, and the Malat Family Foundation.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Neuroscience

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title = "Sources of behavioral variability in C. elegans: Sex differences, individuality, and internal states",

abstract = "Animal behavior varies across different timescales. This includes rapid shifts in behavior as animals transition between states and long-term changes that develop throughout an organism's life. This review presents the contributions of sex differences, individuality, and internal states to behavioral variability in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. Sex is determined by chromosome composition, which directs neuronal development through gene regulation and experience to shape dimorphic behaviors. Genetically identical individuals within the same sex and reared in the same conditions still display distinctive, long-lasting behavioral traits that are controlled by neuromodulatory systems. At all life stages, internal states within the individual, shaped by external factors like food and stress, modulate behavior over minutes to hours. The interplay between these factors gives rise to rich behavioral diversity in C. elegans. These factors impact behavior in a sequential manner, as genetic sex, individuality, and internal states influence behavior over progressively finer timescales.",

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AB - Animal behavior varies across different timescales. This includes rapid shifts in behavior as animals transition between states and long-term changes that develop throughout an organism's life. This review presents the contributions of sex differences, individuality, and internal states to behavioral variability in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. Sex is determined by chromosome composition, which directs neuronal development through gene regulation and experience to shape dimorphic behaviors. Genetically identical individuals within the same sex and reared in the same conditions still display distinctive, long-lasting behavioral traits that are controlled by neuromodulatory systems. At all life stages, internal states within the individual, shaped by external factors like food and stress, modulate behavior over minutes to hours. The interplay between these factors gives rise to rich behavioral diversity in C. elegans. These factors impact behavior in a sequential manner, as genetic sex, individuality, and internal states influence behavior over progressively finer timescales.

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DO - 10.1016/j.conb.2025.102984

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Sources of behavioral variability in C. elegans: Sex differences, individuality, and internal states

Abstract

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