title: Mating dynamics in a nematode with three sexes and its evolutionary implications.
abstract: Nematodes have diverse reproductive strategies, which make them ideal subjects for comparative studies to address how mating systems evolve. Here we present the sex ratios and mating dynamics of the free-living nematode Rhabditis sp. SB347, in which males, females and hermaphrodites co-exist. The three sexes are produced by both selfing and outcrossing, and females tend to appear early in a mother's progeny. Males prefer mating with females over hermaphrodites, which our results suggest is related to the female-specific production of the sex pheromones ascr#1 and ascr#9. We discuss the parallels between this system and that of parasitic nematodes that exhibit alternation between uniparental and biparental reproduction.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Biology, Arlington, USA.
authors.forename: Jyotiska
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.affiliation: Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Neelanjan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bose
authors.affiliation: University of Warwick, School of Life Sciences, Coventry, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tandonnet
authors.affiliation: University of Warwick, School of Life Sciences, Coventry, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: University of Warwick, School of Life Sciences, Coventry, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Giusy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zuco
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Biology, Arlington, USA.
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kache
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Biology, Arlington, USA.
authors.forename: Manish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parihar
authors.affiliation: Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Stephan H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: von Reuss
authors.affiliation: Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Biology, Arlington, USA.|University of Warwick, School of Life Sciences, Coventry, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pires-daSilva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D052586:Mating Preference, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D017172:Rhabditoidea / Q000502:physiology*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000378:metabolism; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012724:Sex Attractants