Cholinergic synaptic transmission is significantly higher in males than in hermaphrodites. (A) Representative images of body posture during sinusoidal movement in hermaphrodites (Herm.) and males. Scale bar, 150 μm. (B) Color plot showing the waves of curvature propagating along the body of a representative hermaphrodite (Herm., top) and a male (Male, bottom). (C) Scatter plot showing the body-bend curvature in hermaphrodites (Herm.) and males (Male). (D) Locomotion behavior analysis of a single adult hermaphrodite (Herm.) and a male (Male). The averaged and individual crawling locomotion velocities were plotted. (E) Body bends (Thrashes) in the liquid culture of hermaphrodites (Herm.) and males (Male). (F) Time course analysis of 1.4 mM aldicarb-induced paralysis in hermaphrodites (Herm.) and males (Male). (G–I) Endogenous acetylcholine transmission was assessed by recording mEPSCs from body-wall muscles of wild-type adult hermaphrodites (Herm.) and males (Male). Representative mEPSC traces (G), the mean mEPSC frequencies (H), and the mean mEPSC amplitudes (I) are shown. (J–L) Endogenous GABA transmission was assessed by recording mIPSCs from body-wall muscles of wild-type adult hermaphrodites (Herm.) and males (Male). Representative mIPSC traces (J), the mean mIPSC frequency (K), and the mean mIPSC amplitude (L) are shown. In C–E, H, I, K, and L, data are presented as mean values ± SEM. Ns represent the number of animals tested. Two-tailed and unpaired Student’s t test. In F, for each of the group, n = 3 biologically independent samples; each sample contains ≥25 animals. Data are presented as mean values ± SEM. Two-way ANOVA comparing all of the time points. *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001, n.s. not significant.