RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Sex-specific topology of the nociceptive circuit shapes dimorphic behavior in C. elegans JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2021.12.14.472335 DO 10.1101/2021.12.14.472335 A1 Vladyslava Pechuk A1 Yehuda Salzberg A1 Gal Goldman A1 Aditi H. Chaubey A1 R. Aaron Bola A1 Jonathon R. Hoffman A1 Morgan L. Endreson A1 Renee M. Miller A1 Noah J. Reger A1 Douglas S. Portman A1 Denise M. Ferkey A1 Elad Schneidman A1 Meital Oren-Suissa YR 2021 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/12/15/2021.12.14.472335.abstract AB How sexually dimorphic behavior is encoded in the nervous system is poorly understood. Here, we characterize the dimorphic nociceptive behavior in C. elegans and study the underlying circuits, which are composed of the same neurons but are wired differently. We show that while sensory transduction is similar in the two sexes, the downstream network topology markedly shapes behavior. We fit a network model that replicates the observed dimorphic behavior in response to external stimuli, and use it to predict simple network rewirings that would switch the behavior between the sexes. We then show experimentally that these subtle synaptic rewirings indeed flip behavior. Strikingly, when presented with aversive cues, rewired males were compromised in finding mating partners, suggesting that network topologies that enable efficient avoidance of noxious cues have a reproductive “cost”. Our results present a deconstruction of the design of a neural circuit that controls sexual behavior, and how to reprogram it.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.