Pheromone-based communication influences the production of somatic extracellular vesicles in C. elegans

• Published in: Nature communications 2024-03, Vol.15 (1), p.2715-19, Article 2715
• Main Authors: Szczepańska, Agata, Olek, Katarzyna, Kołodziejska, Klaudia, Yu, Jingfang, Ibrahim, Abdulrahman Tudu, Adamkiewicz, Laura, Schroeder, Frank C., Pokrzywa, Wojciech, Turek, Michał
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 14/19; 14/63; 38/91; 42/35; 631/136/334/1582/712; 631/378/2624; 631/378/3919; 631/80/313; 64/11; Animals; Biological activity; Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - genetics; Cell interactions; Cellular communication; Chemical communication; Environmental factors; Extracellular Vesicles; G protein-coupled receptors; Hermaphrodites; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Male; multidisciplinary; Nervous system; Neurons; Neurons - physiology; Neuropeptides; Offspring; Pheromones; Resource management; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sensory neurons; Social behavior; Vesicles
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47016-x

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are integral to numerous biological processes, yet it is unclear how environmental factors or interactions among individuals within a population affect EV-regulated systems. In Caenorhabditis elegans , the evolutionarily conserved large EVs, known as exophers, are part of a maternal somatic tissue resource management system. Consequently, the offspring of individuals exhibiting active exopher biogenesis (exophergenesis) develop faster. Our research focuses on unraveling the complex inter-tissue and social dynamics that govern exophergenesis. We found that ascr#10, the primary male pheromone, enhances exopher production in hermaphrodites, mediated by the G-protein-coupled receptor STR-173 in ASK sensory neurons. In contrast, pheromone produced by other hermaphrodites, ascr#3, diminishes exophergenesis within the population. This process is regulated via the neuropeptides FLP-8 and FLP-21, which originate from the URX and AQR/PQR/URX neurons, respectively. Our results reveal a regulatory network that controls the production of somatic EV by the nervous system in response to social signals. Extracellular vesicles are fundamental in cellular communication. Here, authors show how C. elegans pheromones regulate vesicle production, showcasing the impact of social behaviors on cellular mechanisms.