ascr#10 and ascr#3 have different effects on the <i>C</i>. <i>elegans</i> reproductive system.

<p>(A) Sperm guidance in heat-stressed hermaphrodites on plates with individual ascarosides and ascaroside cocktails. Sperm guidance on plates with male cocktail (<i>P</i> = 3.1 x 10⁻³, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test Bonferonni corrected for four comparisons) and ascr#10 (<i>P</i> = 4.3 x 10⁻³, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test Bonferonni corrected for four comparisons) were significantly different from control. Red lines mark the median values. Means are: control = 1.1, male cocktail = 3.2, hermaphrodite cocktail = 1.2, ascr#10 = 2.8, and ascr#3 = 1.3. (B) Representative photographs of heat-stressed hermaphrodites during recovery. Hermaphrodites were monitored during recovery for the clearance of large concretions formed in the uterus during heat stress. Worms were examined at 48, 72, and 96 hours of recovery–that is, the time corresponding to when most of recovery occurs (See <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1005729#pgen.1005729.s008" target="_blank">S8 Fig</a>). Worms on plates with ascr#10 were significantly worse at clearing large concretions from the uterus (<i>P</i> = 8.7 x 10⁻³, binomial test Bonferroni corrected for two comparisons). In both (A) and (B) individual ascarosides were at 10 fmol. Male and hermaphrodite ascaroside cocktails were as in <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1005729#pgen.1005729.g002" target="_blank">Fig 2</a> (1.92 fmol ascr#3 + 7.2 fmol ascr#10 and 6.0 fmol ascr#3 + 1.68 fmol ascr#10, respectively). See <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1005729#pgen.1005729.s014" target="_blank">S2 Table</a> for numbers of independent trials and number of worms tested in each trial.