Balancing selection shapes density-dependent foraging behaviour

Joshua S. Greene, Maximillian Brown, May Dobosiewicz, Itzel G. Ishida, Evan Z. Macosko, Xinxing Zhang, Rebecca A. Butcher, Devin J. Cline, Patrick T. McGrath and Cornelia I. Bargmann ()
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Joshua S. Greene: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University
Maximillian Brown: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University
May Dobosiewicz: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University
Itzel G. Ishida: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University
Evan Z. Macosko: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University
Xinxing Zhang: University of Florida
Rebecca A. Butcher: University of Florida
Devin J. Cline: School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology
Patrick T. McGrath: School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology
Cornelia I. Bargmann: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University

Nature, 2016, vol. 539, issue 7628, 254-258

Abstract: Abstract The optimal foraging strategy in a given environment depends on the number of competing individuals and their behavioural strategies. Little is known about the genes and neural circuits that integrate social information into foraging decisions. Here we show that ascaroside pheromones, small glycolipids that signal population density, suppress exploratory foraging in Caenorhabditis elegans, and that heritable variation in this behaviour generates alternative foraging strategies. We find that natural C. elegans isolates differ in their sensitivity to the potent ascaroside icas#9 (IC-asc-C5). A quantitative trait locus (QTL) regulating icas#9 sensitivity includes srx-43, a G-protein-coupled icas#9 receptor that acts in the ASI class of sensory neurons to suppress exploration. Two ancient haplotypes associated with this QTL confer competitive growth advantages that depend on ascaroside secretion, its detection by srx-43 and the distribution of food. These results suggest that balancing selection at the srx-43 locus generates alternative density-dependent behaviours, fulfilling a prediction of foraging game theory.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/nature19848

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