Patterning of sexually dimorphic neurogenesis in the caenorhabditis elegans ventral cord by Hox and TALE homeodomain transcription factors.

Background: Reproduction in animals requires development of distinct neurons in each sex. In C. elegans, most ventral cord neurons (VCNs) are present in both sexes, with the exception of six hermaphrodite-specific neurons (VCs) and nine pairs of male-specific neurons (CAs and CPs) that arise from analogous precursor cells.