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Wright EC, Hostinar CE, Trainor BC. Anxious to see you: Neuroendocrine mechanisms of social vigilance and anxiety during adolescence. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:2516-2529. [PMID: 31782841 PMCID: PMC7255921 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social vigilance is a behavioral strategy commonly used in adverse or changing social environments. In animals, a combination of avoidance and vigilance allows an individual to evade potentially dangerous confrontations while monitoring the social environment to identify favorable changes. However, prolonged use of this behavioral strategy in humans is associated with increased risk of anxiety disorders, a major burden for human health. Elucidating the mechanisms of social vigilance in animals could provide important clues for new treatment strategies for social anxiety. Importantly, during adolescence the prevalence of social anxiety increases significantly. We hypothesize that many of the actions typically characterized as anxiety behaviors begin to emerge during this time as strategies for navigating more complex social structures. Here, we consider how the social environment and the pubertal transition shape neural circuits that modulate social vigilance, focusing on the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and prefrontal cortex. The emergence of gonadal hormone secretion during adolescence has important effects on the function and structure of these circuits, and may play a role in the emergence of a notable sex difference in anxiety rates across adolescence. However, the significance of these changes in the context of anxiety is still uncertain, as not enough studies are sufficiently powered to evaluate sex as a biological variable. We conclude that greater integration between human and animal models will aid the development of more effective strategies for treating social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Mohandass A, Krishnan V, Gribkova ED, Asuthkar S, Baskaran P, Nersesyan Y, Hussain Z, Wise LM, George RE, Stokes N, Alexander BM, Cohen AM, Pavlov EV, Llano DA, Zhu MX, Thyagarajan B, Zakharian E. TRPM8 as the rapid testosterone signaling receptor: Implications in the regulation of dimorphic sexual and social behaviors. FASEB J 2020; 34:10887-10906. [PMID: 32609392 PMCID: PMC7496617 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202000794r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone regulates dimorphic sexual behaviors in all vertebrates. However, the molecular mechanism underlying these behaviors remains unclear. Here, we report that a newly identified rapid testosterone signaling receptor, Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 8 (TRPM8), regulates dimorphic sexual and social behaviors in mice. We found that, along with higher steroid levels in the circulation, TRPM8-/- male mice exhibit increased mounting frequency indiscriminate of sex, delayed sexual satiety, and increased aggression compared to wild-type controls, while TRPM8-/- females display an increased olfaction-exploratory behavior. Furthermore, neuronal responses to acute testosterone application onto the amygdala were attenuated in TRPM8-/- males but remained unchanged in females. Moreover, activation of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area following mating was impaired in TRPM8-/- males. Together, these results demonstrate that TRPM8 regulates dimorphic sexual and social behaviors, and potentially constitutes a signalosome for mediation of sex-reward mechanism in males. Thus, deficiency of TRPM8 might lead to a delayed sexual satiety phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adithya Mohandass
- College of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Vivek Krishnan
- College of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Ekaterina D Gribkova
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Program and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Swapna Asuthkar
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA
| | - Padmamalini Baskaran
- College of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Yelena Nersesyan
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA
| | - Zahir Hussain
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Leslie M Wise
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA
| | - Robert E George
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA
| | - Nadarra Stokes
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA
| | | | - Alejandro M Cohen
- Biological Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Life Sciences Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Evgeny V Pavlov
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel A Llano
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Program and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Michael X Zhu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Baskaran Thyagarajan
- College of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Eleonora Zakharian
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA
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53
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Morishita M, Koiso R, Tsukahara S. Actions of Peripubertal Gonadal Steroids in the Formation of Sexually Dimorphic Brain Regions in Mice. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5821543. [PMID: 32303738 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The calbindin-sexually dimorphic nucleus (CALB-SDN) and calbindin-principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (CALB-BNSTp) show male-biased sex differences in calbindin neuron number. The ventral part of the BNSTp (BNSTpv) exhibits female-biased sex differences in noncalbindin neuron number. We previously reported that prepubertal gonadectomy disrupts the masculinization of the CALB-SDN and CALB-BNSTp and the feminization of the BNSTpv. This study aimed to determine the action mechanisms of testicular androgens on the masculinization of the CALB-SDN and CALB-BNSTp and whether ovarian estrogens are the hormones that have significant actions in the feminization of the BNSTpv. We performed immunohistochemical analyses of calbindin and NeuN, a neuron marker, in male mice orchidectomized on postnatal day 20 (PD20) and treated with cholesterol, testosterone, estradiol, or dihydrotestosterone during PD20-70, female mice ovariectomized on PD20 and treated with cholesterol or estradiol during PD20-70, and PD70 mice gonadectomized on PD56. Calbindin neurons number in the CALB-SDN and CALB-BNSTp in males treated with testosterone or dihydrotestosterone, but not estradiol, was significantly larger than that in cholesterol-treated males. Noncalbindin neuron number in the BNSTpv in estradiol-treated females was significantly larger than that in cholesterol-treated females. Gonadectomy on PD56 had no significant effect on neuron numbers. Additionally, an immunohistochemical analysis revealed the expression of androgen receptors in the CALB-SDN and CALB-BNSTp of PD30 males and estrogen receptors-α in the BNSTpv of PD30 females. These results suggest that peripubertal testicular androgens act to masculinize the CALB-SDN and CALB-BNSTp without aromatization, and peripubertal ovarian estrogens act to feminize the BNSTpv.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Morishita
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Ryoma Koiso
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
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Wohl M, Ishii K, Asahina K. Layered roles of fruitless isoforms in specification and function of male aggression-promoting neurons in Drosophila. eLife 2020; 9:e52702. [PMID: 32314957 PMCID: PMC7173971 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Inter-male aggressive behavior is a prominent sexually dimorphic behavior. Neural circuits that underlie aggressive behavior are therefore likely under the control of sex-determining genes. However, the neurogenetic mechanism that generates sex-specific aggressive behavior remains largely unknown. Here, we found that a neuronal class specified by one of the Drosophila sex determining genes, fruitless (fru), belongs to the neural circuit that generates male-type aggressive behavior. This neuronal class can promote aggressive behavior independent of another sex determining gene, doublesex (dsx), although dsx is involved in ensuring that aggressive behavior is performed only toward males. We also found that three fru isoforms with different DNA binding domains show a division of labor on male aggressive behaviors. A dominant role of fru in specifying sex-specific aggressive behavior may underscore a genetic mechanism that allows male-type aggressive behavior to evolve at least partially independently from courtship behavior, which is under different selective pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot Wohl
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of CaliforniaSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Kenichi Ishii
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of CaliforniaSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Kenta Asahina
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
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55
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Ishii K, Wohl M, DeSouza A, Asahina K. Sex-determining genes distinctly regulate courtship capability and target preference via sexually dimorphic neurons. eLife 2020; 9:e52701. [PMID: 32314964 PMCID: PMC7173972 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
For successful mating, a male animal must execute effective courtship behaviors toward a receptive target sex, which is female. Whether the courtship execution capability and upregulation of courtship toward females are specified through separable sex-determining genetic pathways remains uncharacterized. Here, we found that one of the two Drosophila sex-determining genes, doublesex (dsx), specifies a male-specific neuronal component that serves as an execution mechanism for courtship behavior, whereas fruitless (fru) is required for enhancement of courtship behavior toward females. The dsx-dependent courtship execution mechanism includes a specific subclass within a neuronal cluster that co-express dsx and fru. This cluster contains at least another subclass that is specified cooperatively by both dsx and fru. Although these neuronal populations can also promote aggressive behavior toward male flies, this capacity requires fru-dependent mechanisms. Our results uncover how sex-determining genes specify execution capability and female-specific enhancement of courtship behavior through separable yet cooperative neurogenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Ishii
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
| | - Margot Wohl
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Andre DeSouza
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
| | - Kenta Asahina
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San DiegoSan DiegoUnited States
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56
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Kammel LG, Correa SM. Selective sexual differentiation of neurone populations may contribute to sex-specific outputs of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. J Neuroendocrinol 2020; 32:e12801. [PMID: 31605642 PMCID: PMC6982598 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences among neurones in the ventrolateral region of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMHvl) allow for the display of a diversity of sex-typical behaviours and physiological responses, ranging from mating behaviour to metabolism. Here, we review recent studies that interrogate the relationship between sex-typical responses and changes in cellular phenotypes. We discuss technologies that increase the resolution of molecular profiling or targeting of cell populations, including single-cell transcriptional profiling and conditional viral genetic approaches to manipulate neurone survival or activity. Overall, emerging studies indicate that sex-typical functions of the VMH may be mediated by phenotypically distinct and sexually differentiated neurone populations within the VMHvl. Future studies in this and other brain regions could exploit cell-type-specific tools to reveal the cell populations and molecular mediators that modulate sex-typical responses. Furthermore, cell-type-specific analyses of the effects of sexually differentiating factors, including sex hormones, can test the hypothesis that distinct cell types within a single brain region vary with respect to sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura G Kammel
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, Integrative Physiology Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Stephanie M Correa
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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57
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Schuppe ER, Miles MC, Fuxjager MJ. Evolution of the androgen receptor: Perspectives from human health to dancing birds. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 499:110577. [PMID: 31525432 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Androgenic hormones orchestrate the development and activation of diverse reproductive phenotypes across vertebrates. Although extensive work investigates how selection for these traits modifies individual elements of this signaling system (e.g., hormone or androgen receptor [AR] levels), we know less about natural variation in the AR sequence across vertebrates. Our knowledge of AR sequence mutations is largely limited to work in human patients or cell-lines, providing a framework to contextualize single mutations at the expense of evolutionary timescale. Here we unite both perspectives in a review that explores the functional significance of AR on a domain-by-domain basis, using existing knowledge to highlight how and why each region might evolve. We then examine AR sequence variation on different timescales by examining sequence variation in clades originating in the Cambrian (vertebrates; >500 mya) and Cretaceous (birds; >65 mya). In each case, we characterize how the receptor has changed over time and discuss which regions are most likely to evolve in response to selection. Overall, domains that are required for androgenic signaling to function (e.g., DNA- and ligand-binding) tend to be conserved. Meanwhile, areas that interface with co-regulatory molecules can exhibit notable variation even between closely related species. We propose that accumulating mutations in regulatory regions is one way that AR structure might act as a substrate for selection to guide the evolution of reproductive traits. By synthesizing literature across disciplines and highlighting the evolutionary potential of specific AR regions, we hope to inspire new avenues of integrative research into endocrine system evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Schuppe
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Meredith C Miles
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Matthew J Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
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58
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Gegenhuber B, Tollkuhn J. Signatures of sex: Sex differences in gene expression in the vertebrate brain. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2020; 9:e348. [PMID: 31106965 PMCID: PMC6864223 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Women and men differ in disease prevalence, symptoms, and progression rates for many psychiatric and neurological disorders. As more preclinical studies include both sexes in experimental design, an increasing number of sex differences in physiology and behavior have been reported. In the brain, sex-typical behaviors are thought to result from sex-specific patterns of neural activity in response to the same sensory stimulus or context. These differential firing patterns likely arise as a consequence of underlying anatomic or molecular sex differences. Accordingly, gene expression in the brains of females and males has been extensively investigated, with the goal of identifying biological pathways that specify or modulate sex differences in brain function. However, there is surprisingly little consensus on sex-biased genes across studies and only a handful of robust candidates have been pursued in the follow-up experiments. Furthermore, it is not known how or when sex-biased gene expression originates, as few studies have been performed in the developing brain. Here we integrate molecular genetic and neural circuit perspectives to provide a conceptual framework of how sex differences in gene expression can arise in the brain. We detail mechanisms of gene regulation by steroid hormones, highlight landmark studies in rodents and humans, identify emerging themes, and offer recommendations for future research. This article is categorized under: Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: General Principles Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Regulatory Mechanisms Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Sex Determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Gegenhuber
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York
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59
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Jaggar M, Rea K, Spichak S, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. You've got male: Sex and the microbiota-gut-brain axis across the lifespan. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 56:100815. [PMID: 31805290 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sex is a critical factor in the diagnosis and development of a number of mental health disorders including autism, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, anorexia nervosa and others; likely due to differences in sex steroid hormones and genetics. Recent evidence suggests that sex can also influence the complexity and diversity of microbes that we harbour in our gut; and reciprocally that our gut microbes can directly and indirectly influence sex steroid hormones and central gene activation. There is a growing emphasis on the role of gastrointestinal microbiota in the maintenance of mental health and their role in the pathogenesis of disease. In this review, we introduce mechanisms by which gastrointestinal microbiota are thought to mediate positive health benefits along the gut-brain axis, we report how they may be modulated by sex, the role they play in sex steroid hormone regulation, and their sex-specific effects in various disorders relating to mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minal Jaggar
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Kieran Rea
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Simon Spichak
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Timothy G Dinan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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Astuti P, Airin CM, Sarmin S, Nururrozi A, Harimurti S. Effect of shell as natural testosterone boosters in Sprague Dawley rats. Vet World 2019; 12:1677-1681. [PMID: 31849431 PMCID: PMC6868249 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2019.1677-1681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of shell supplementation on the regulation of male reproduction in rats Materials and Methods: The zinc (Zn) level of shell from blood clam (Anadara granosa), green mussel (Perna viridis), and conch shell (Telescopium telescopium) was analyzed. The highest Zn content shell was fed to male Sprague Dawley rats for 0, 9, 30, and 50 days at the dose of either 0.09 mg/200 g BW or 0.18 mg/200 g BW. To determine the testosterone levels, blood was collected through the infraorbitalis sinus just before the rat was sacrificed. Testicular and brain were also collected for Cyp19 aromatase receptor analysis. Results: The Zn level in the shell of blood clam, green mussel, and conch shell 61.55 mg/kg, 2.78 mg/kg, and 3.93 mg/kg, respectively. The testosterone level of T1 group receiving 0.18 mg/200 g BW for 0, 9, 30, and 50 days was 1.42±0.59, 2.15±1.58, 2.98±2.53, and 8.11±2.03 ng/mL, respectively. The testosterone level of T2 group receiving 0.09 mg/200 g BW for 0, 9, 30, and 50 days was 2.50±0.32, 1.25±0.60, 3.87±3.27, and 3.54±0.23 ng/mL, respectively. The T3 group receiving Na-CMC showed the level of testosterone at days 0, 9, 30, and 50 days was 0.77±0.22, 1.99±1.65, 4.12±0.07, and 2.19±1.30 ng/mL, respectively. Finally, the T4 group receiving Zn showed testosterone levels at days 0, 9, 30, and 50 days was 0.51±0.58, 2.24±3.16, 4.58±1.97, and 2.89±0.20 ng/mL, respectively. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the T1 group compared to the other groups. However, the absence of expression of Cyp19 aromatase both in Leydig cells and the brain indicated no conversion of testosterone to estradiol. To add, this finding showed the potential use of the shell to boost the testosterone level in male rats. Conclusion: Shell acted as an aromatase blocker to boost the testosterone level in male rats. This also indicates its promising application in birds to manipulate the quality of song and feather.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pudji Astuti
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Claude Mona Airin
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Sarmin Sarmin
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Alfarisa Nururrozi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Sri Harimurti
- Department of Poultry Science, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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61
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Lee SLJ, Horsfield JA, Black MA, Rutherford K, Gemmell NJ. Identification of sex differences in zebrafish (Danio rerio) brains during early sexual differentiation and masculinization using 17α-methyltestoterone. Biol Reprod 2019; 99:446-460. [PMID: 29272338 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/iox175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual behavior in teleost fish is highly plastic. It can be attributed to the relatively few sex differences found in adult brain transcriptomes. Environmental and hormonal factors can influence sex-specific behavior. Androgen treatment stimulates behavioral masculinization. Sex dimorphic gene expression in developing teleost brains and the molecular basis for androgen-induced behavioral masculinization are poorly understood. In this study, juvenile zebrafish (Danio rerio) were treated with 100 ng/L of 17 alpha-methyltestosterone (MT) during sexual development from 20 days post fertilization to 40 days and 60 days post fertilization. We compared brain gene expression patterns in MT-treated zebrafish with control males and females using RNA-Seq to shed light on the dynamic changes in brain gene expression during sexual development and how androgens affect brain gene expression leading to behavior masculinization. We found modest differences in gene expression between juvenile male and female zebrafish brains. Brain aromatase (cyp19a1b), prostaglandin 3a synthase (ptges3a), and prostaglandin reductase 1 (ptgr1) were among the genes with sexually dimorphic expression patterns. MT treatment significantly altered gene expression relative to both male and female brains. Fewer differences were found among MT-treated brains and male brains compared to female brains, particularly at 60 dpf. MT treatment upregulated the expression of hydroxysteroid 11-beta dehydrogenase 2 (hsd11b2), deiodinase, iodothyronine, type II (dio2), and gonadotrophin releasing hormones (GnRH) 2 and 3 (gnrh2 and gnrh3) suggesting local synthesis of 11-ketotestosterone, triiodothyronine, and GnRHs in zebrafish brains which are influenced by androgens. Androgen, estrogen, prostaglandin, thyroid hormone, and GnRH signaling pathways likely interact to modulate teleost sexual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L J Lee
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Julia A Horsfield
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Michael A Black
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Kim Rutherford
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
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62
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Meng X, McGraw CM, Wang W, Jing J, Yeh SY, Wang L, Lopez J, Brown AM, Lin T, Chen W, Xue M, Sillitoe RV, Jiang X, Zoghbi HY. Neurexophilin4 is a selectively expressed α-neurexin ligand that modulates specific cerebellar synapses and motor functions. eLife 2019; 8:e46773. [PMID: 31524598 PMCID: PMC6763262 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurexophilins are secreted neuropeptide-like glycoproteins, and neurexophilin1 and neurexophilin3 are ligands for the presynaptic cell adhesion molecule α-neurexin. Neurexophilins are more selectively expressed in the brain than α-neurexins, however, which led us to ask whether neurexophilins modulate the function of α-neurexin in a context-specific manner. We characterized the expression and function of neurexophilin4 in mice and found it to be expressed in subsets of neurons responsible for feeding, emotion, balance, and movement. Deletion of Neurexophilin4 caused corresponding impairments, most notably in motor learning and coordination. We demonstrated that neurexophilin4 interacts with α-neurexin and GABAARs in the cerebellum. Loss of Neurexophilin4 impaired cerebellar Golgi-granule inhibitory neurotransmission and synapse number, providing a partial explanation for the motor learning and coordination deficits observed in the Neurexophilin4 null mice. Our data illustrate how selectively expressed Neurexophilin4, an α-neurexin ligand, regulates specific synapse function and modulates cerebellar motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangling Meng
- Department of NeuroscienceBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Christopher M McGraw
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Program in Developmental BiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Wei Wang
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Junzhan Jing
- Department of NeuroscienceBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Szu-Ying Yeh
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Program in Developmental BiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Li Wang
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Joanna Lopez
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Amanda M Brown
- Department of NeuroscienceBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Department of Pathology and ImmunologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Tao Lin
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Department of Pathology and ImmunologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Wu Chen
- Department of NeuroscienceBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- The Cain Foundation LaboratoriesJan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Mingshan Xue
- Department of NeuroscienceBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Program in Developmental BiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- The Cain Foundation LaboratoriesJan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of NeuroscienceBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Program in Developmental BiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Pathology and ImmunologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | - Xiaolong Jiang
- Department of NeuroscienceBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Department of NeuroscienceBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Program in Developmental BiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Human GeneticsBaylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
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Demartsev V, Kershenbaum A, Ilany A, Barocas A, Weissman Y, Koren L, Geffen E. Lifetime changes in vocal syntactic complexity of rock hyrax males are determined by social class. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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64
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Kumar S, Saini R, Jain R. Hand preference and intolerance of uncertainty: Atypical cerebral lateralization advantages lower intolerance of uncertainty. Laterality 2019; 25:22-42. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2019.1611843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
| | - Reena Saini
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
| | - Ranjeeta Jain
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
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65
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Almeida MM, Dias-Rocha CP, Reis-Gomes CF, Wang H, Atella GC, Cordeiro A, Pazos-Moura CC, Joss-Moore L, Trevenzoli IH. Maternal high-fat diet impairs leptin signaling and up-regulates type-1 cannabinoid receptor with sex-specific epigenetic changes in the hypothalamus of newborn rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 103:306-315. [PMID: 30776574 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Maternal nutritional imbalances trigger developmental adaptations involving early epigenetic mechanisms associated with adult chronic disease. Maternal high-fat (HF) diet promotes obesity and hypothalamic leptin resistance in male rat offspring at weaning and adulthood. Leptin resistance is associated with over activation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS mainly consists of endocannabinoids derived from n-6 fatty acids and cannabinoid receptors (CB1 coded by Cnr1 and CB2 coded by Cnr2). The CB1 activation in hypothalamus stimulates feeding and appetite for fat while CB2 activation seems to play an immunomodulatory role. We demonstrated that maternal HF diet increases hypothalamic CB1 in male offspring while increases CB2 in female offspring at birth, prior to obesity development. However, the molecular mechanisms behind these changes remain unexplored. We hypothesized that maternal HF diet would down-regulate leptin signaling and up-regulate Cnr1 mRNA levels in the hypothalamus of the offspring at birth, associated with sex-specific changes in epigenetic markers and sex steroid signaling. To test our hypothesis, we used progenitor female rats that received control diet (C, 9% fat) or isocaloric high-fat diet (HF, 28% fat) from 8 weeks before mating until delivery. Blood, hypothalamus and carcass from C and HF male and female offspring were collected for biochemical and molecular analyses at birth. Maternal HF diet down-regulated the transcriptional factor STAT3 in the hypothalamus of male and female offspring, but induced hypoleptinemia only in males and decreased phosphorylated STAT3 only in female offspring. Because leptin acts through STAT3 pathway to inhibit central ECS, our results suggest that leptin pathway impairment might contribute to increased levels of Crn1 mRNA in hypothalamus of both sex offspring. Besides, maternal HF diet increased the histone acetylation percentage of Cnr1 promoter in male offspring and increased the androgen receptor binding to the Cnr1 promoter, which can contribute to higher expression of Cnr1 in newborn HF offspring. Maternal HF diet increased plasma n6 to n3 fatty acid ratio in male offspring, which is an important risk factor to metabolic diseases and might indicate an over activation of endocannabinoid signaling. Thus, although maternal HF diet programs a similar phenotype in adult offspring of both sexes (obesity, hyperphagia and higher preference for fat), here we showed that molecular mechanisms involving leptin signaling, ECS, epigenetic markers and sex hormone signaling were modified prior to obesity development and can differ between newborn male and female offspring. These observations may provide molecular insights into sex-specific targets for anti-obesity therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana M Almeida
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Camilla P Dias-Rocha
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Clara F Reis-Gomes
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Haimei Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, UT, United States
| | - Georgia C Atella
- Leopoldo de Meis Medical Biochemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Aline Cordeiro
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carmen C Pazos-Moura
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Lisa Joss-Moore
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, UT, United States
| | - Isis H Trevenzoli
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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66
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Hammes SR, Levin ER. Impact of estrogens in males and androgens in females. J Clin Invest 2019; 129:1818-1826. [PMID: 31042159 DOI: 10.1172/jci125755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgens and estrogens are known to be critical regulators of mammalian physiology and development. While these two classes of steroids share similar structures (in general, estrogens are derived from androgens via the enzyme aromatase), they subserve markedly different functions via their specific receptors. In the past, estrogens such as estradiol were thought to be most important in the regulation of female biology, while androgens such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone were believed to primarily modulate development and physiology in males. However, the emergence of patients with deficiencies in androgen or estrogen hormone synthesis or actions, as well as the development of animal models that specifically target androgen- or estrogen-mediated signaling pathways, have revealed that estrogens and androgens regulate critical biological and pathological processes in both males and females. In fact, the concept of "male" and "female" hormones is an oversimplification of a complex developmental and biological network of steroid actions that directly impacts many organs. In this Review, we will discuss important roles of estrogens in males and androgens in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R Hammes
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Ellis R Levin
- Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry, UCI, Irvine, California, USA.,Division of Endocrinology, UCI and United States Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, California, USA
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67
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Swift-Gallant A. Individual differences in the biological basis of androphilia in mice and men. Horm Behav 2019; 111:23-30. [PMID: 30579744 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
For nearly 60 years since the seminal paper from W.C Young and colleagues (Phoenix et al., 1959), the principles of sexual differentiation of the brain and behavior have maintained that female-typical sexual behaviors (e.g., lordosis) and sexual preferences (e.g., attraction to males) are the result of low androgen levels during development, whereas higher androgen levels promote male-typical sexual behaviors (e.g., mounting and thrusting) and preferences (e.g., attraction to females). However, recent reports suggest that the relationship between androgens and male-typical behaviors is not always linear - when androgen signaling is increased in male rodents, via exogenous androgen exposure or androgen receptor overexpression, males continue to exhibit male-typical sexual behaviors, but their sexual preferences are altered such that their interest in same-sex partners is increased. Analogous to this rodent literature, recent findings indicate that high level androgen exposure may contribute to the sexual orientation of a subset of gay men who prefer insertive anal sex and report more male-typical gender traits, whereas gay men who prefer receptive anal sex, and who on average report more gender nonconformity, present with biomarkers suggestive of low androgen exposure. Together, the evidence indicates that for both mice and men there is an inverted-U curvilinear relationship between androgens and sexual preferences, such that low and high androgen exposure increases androphilic sexual attraction, whereas relative mid-range androgen exposure leads to gynephilic attraction. Future directions for studying how individual differences in biological development mediate sexual behavior and sexual preferences in both mice and humans are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlyn Swift-Gallant
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, 293 Farm Lane, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada.
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68
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Fritz WF, Sena LS, Becker SE, Katz LS. Differential effects of androgens, estrogens and socio-sexual context on sexual behaviors in the castrated male goat. Horm Behav 2019; 109:10-17. [PMID: 30708030 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The behavioral and endocrine activation of sexual behaviors exhibited by male goats, especially self-enurination (SE), is poorly understood. In the first experiment, to assess the influence of socio-sexual context on SE in bucks, the effects of distance from does, the presence of estrous versus non-estrous does and the presence of another buck on SE and courtship frequencies of intact male goats (bucks; n = 12) were tested using a unique behavior test apparatus. For experiments 2 and 3, to test the relative contributions of sex steroid hormones and socio-sexual context on SE, castrated male goats (wethers; n = 20) were randomly divided into five groups and injected for seven weeks with one of the following: 25 mg testosterone propionate (T), 25 mg dihydrotestosterone propionate (DHT), 100 μg estradiol benzoate (E), 100 μg E and 25 mg DHT (E + DHT), or oil (CON). The effects of these treatments on frequency of SE and courtship were assessed using the behavior test apparatus (social scenarios) adapted from the findings in experiment 1. In one scenario, a wether could observe (from 4.6 m) a buck and estrous female (doe) together in a wire mesh holding pen. In a different scenario, the wether could observe (from the same distance) a buck that could only court the estrous doe through a wire mesh barrier. Finally, to observe the effects of steroid treatment on mounting and ejaculation frequencies, in addition to SE and courtship, each wether was placed in a pen with an estrous doe for 10 min. After a five-week, treatment-washout period, wethers were randomly assigned to different treatment groups and retested. In experiment 1, bucks that were distanced from females displayed more SEs than those with fence-line contact, while those with fence-line contact displayed more bouts of courtship (P < 0.05). In experiments 2 and 3, courtship frequencies displayed in all three scenarios were greater than CON only for groups exposed to estrogen directly or via aromatization (T, E + DHT, E; P < 0.05). Frequencies of SE exhibited during behavior tests in which the wether was watching were greater than CON only for androgen-treated groups (T, E + DHT, DHT; P < 0.05). In contrast, when the wether was free to interact with the female, only the DHT group displayed SE at a higher frequency than CON (P < 0.05). Treatment had no effect on mount frequencies in this test scenario, however ejaculation frequencies were highest for T and E + DHT (P < 0.05). These studies suggest that the courtship behaviors of the male goat are estrogen-dependent. However, SE appears to be activated by androgens. It was also demonstrated that social context contributes as much to behavior expression as steroid treatment, as in social scenario 2 some sexual behaviors were displayed in similar frequencies across groups, despite differing sex steroid treatments.
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69
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Sex differences and the neurobiology of affective disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:111-128. [PMID: 30061743 PMCID: PMC6235863 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0148-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Observations of the disproportionate incidence of depression in women compared with men have long preceded the recent explosion of interest in sex differences. Nonetheless, the source and implications of this epidemiologic sex difference remain unclear, as does the practical significance of the multitude of sex differences that have been reported in brain structure and function. In this article, we attempt to provide a framework for thinking about how sex and reproductive hormones (particularly estradiol as an example) might contribute to affective illness. After briefly reviewing some observed sex differences in depression, we discuss how sex might alter brain function through hormonal effects (both organizational (programmed) and activational (acute)), sex chromosome effects, and the interaction of sex with the environment. We next review sex differences in the brain at the structural, cellular, and network levels. We then focus on how sex and reproductive hormones regulate systems implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, including neuroplasticity, genetic and neural networks, the stress axis, and immune function. Finally, we suggest several models that might explain a sex-dependent differential regulation of affect and susceptibility to affective illness. As a disclaimer, the studies cited in this review are not intended to be comprehensive but rather serve as examples of the multitude of levels at which sex and reproductive hormones regulate brain structure and function. As such and despite our current ignorance regarding both the ontogeny of affective illness and the impact of sex on that ontogeny, sex differences may provide a lens through which we may better view the mechanisms underlying affective regulation and dysfunction.
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70
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Rosinger ZJ, Jacobskind JS, Bulanchuk N, Malone M, Fico D, Justice NJ, Zuloaga DG. Characterization and gonadal hormone regulation of a sexually dimorphic corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 cell group. J Comp Neurol 2018; 527:1056-1069. [PMID: 30499109 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor binds with high affinity to CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) and is implicated in stress-related mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Using a validated CRFR1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter mouse, our laboratory recently discovered a nucleus of CRFR1 expressing cells that is prominent in the female rostral anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV/PeN), but largely absent in males. This sex difference is present in the early postnatal period and remains dimorphic into adulthood. The present investigation sought to characterize the chemical composition and gonadal hormone regulation of these sexually dimorphic CRFR1 cells using immunohistochemical procedures. We report that CRFR1-GFP-ir cells within the female AVPV/PeN are largely distinct from other dimorphic cell populations (kisspeptin, tyrosine hydroxylase). However, CRFR1-GFP-ir cells within the AVPV/PeN highly co-express estrogen receptor alpha as well as glucocorticoid receptor. A single injection of testosterone propionate or estradiol benzoate on the day of birth completely eliminates the AVPV/PeN sex difference, whereas adult gonadectomy has no effect on CRFR1-GFP cell number. These results indicate that the AVPV/PeN CRFR1 is regulated by perinatal but not adult gonadal hormones. Finally, female AVPV/PeN CRFR1-GFP-ir cells are activated following an acute 30-min restraint stress, as assessed by co-localization of CRFR1-GFP cells with phosphorylated (p) CREB. CRFR1-GFP/pCREB cells were largely absent in the male AVPV/PeN. Together, these data indicate a stress and gonadal hormone responsive nucleus that is unique to females and may contribute to sex-specific stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicole Bulanchuk
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, New York
| | - Margaret Malone
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, New York
| | - Danielle Fico
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, New York
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, New York
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71
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Moffitt JR, Bambah-Mukku D, Eichhorn SW, Vaughn E, Shekhar K, Perez JD, Rubinstein ND, Hao J, Regev A, Dulac C, Zhuang X. Molecular, spatial, and functional single-cell profiling of the hypothalamic preoptic region. Science 2018; 362:eaau5324. [PMID: 30385464 PMCID: PMC6482113 DOI: 10.1126/science.aau5324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 607] [Impact Index Per Article: 101.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamus controls essential social behaviors and homeostatic functions. However, the cellular architecture of hypothalamic nuclei-including the molecular identity, spatial organization, and function of distinct cell types-is poorly understood. Here, we developed an imaging-based in situ cell-type identification and mapping method and combined it with single-cell RNA-sequencing to create a molecularly annotated and spatially resolved cell atlas of the mouse hypothalamic preoptic region. We profiled ~1 million cells, identified ~70 neuronal populations characterized by distinct neuromodulatory signatures and spatial organizations, and defined specific neuronal populations activated during social behaviors in male and female mice, providing a high-resolution framework for mechanistic investigation of behavior circuits. The approach described opens a new avenue for the construction of cell atlases in diverse tissues and organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey R Moffitt
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Dhananjay Bambah-Mukku
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Stephen W Eichhorn
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Eric Vaughn
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Karthik Shekhar
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Julio D Perez
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Nimrod D Rubinstein
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Junjie Hao
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Biology, Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Catherine Dulac
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Xiaowei Zhuang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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72
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Ishii KK, Touhara K. Neural circuits regulating sexual behaviors via the olfactory system in mice. Neurosci Res 2018; 140:59-76. [PMID: 30389572 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2018.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Reproduction is essential for any animal species. Reproductive behaviors, or sexual behaviors, are largely shaped by external sensory cues exchanged during sexual interaction. In many animals, including rodents, olfactory cues play a critical role in regulating sexual behavior. What exactly these olfactory cues are and how they impact animal behavior have been a central question in the field. Over the past few decades, many studies have dedicated to identifying an active compound that elicits sexual behavior from crude olfactory components. The identified substance has served as a tool to dissect the sensory processing mechanisms in the olfactory systems. In addition, recent advances in genetic engineering, and optics and microscopic techniques have greatly expanded our knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying the control of sexual behavior in mice. This review summarizes our current knowledge about how sexual behaviors are controlled by olfactory cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro K Ishii
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Kazushige Touhara
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; ERATO Touhara Chemosensory Signal Project, JST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
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73
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The Neural Mechanisms of Sexually Dimorphic Aggressive Behaviors. Trends Genet 2018; 34:755-776. [PMID: 30173869 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is a fundamental social behavior that is essential for competing for resources and protecting oneself and families in both males and females. As a result of natural selection, aggression is often displayed differentially between the sexes, typically at a higher level in males than females. Here, we highlight the behavioral differences between male and female aggression in rodents. We further outline the aggression circuits in males and females, and compare their differences at each circuit node. Lastly, we summarize our current understanding regarding the generation of sexually dimorphic aggression circuits during development and their maintenance during adulthood. In both cases, gonadal steroid hormones appear to play crucial roles in differentiating the circuits by impacting on the survival, morphology, and intrinsic properties of relevant cells. Many other factors, such as environment and experience, may also contribute to sex differences in aggression and remain to be investigated in future studies.
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74
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Ureña-Torres PA, Vervloet M, Mazzaferro S, Oury F, Brandenburg V, Bover J, Cavalier E, Cohen-Solal M, Covic A, Drüeke TB, Hindié E, Evenepoel P, Frazão J, Goldsmith D, Kazama JJ, Cozzolino M, Massy ZA. Novel insights into parathyroid hormone: report of The Parathyroid Day in Chronic Kidney Disease. Clin Kidney J 2018; 12:269-280. [PMID: 30976408 PMCID: PMC6452197 DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfy061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often associated with a mineral and bone disorder globally described as CKD-Mineral and Bone Disease (MBD), including renal osteodystrophy, the latter ranging from high bone turnover, as in case of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), to low bone turnover. The present article summarizes the important subjects that were covered during ‘The Parathyroid Day in Chronic Kidney Disease’ CME course organized in Paris in September 2017. It includes the latest insights on parathyroid gland growth, parathyroid hormone (PTH) synthesis, secretion and regulation by the calcium-sensing receptor, vitamin D receptor and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23)–Klotho axis, as well as on parathyroid glands imaging. The skeletal action of PTH in early CKD stages to the steadily increasing activation of the often downregulated PTH receptor type 1 has been critically reviewed, emphasizing that therapeutic strategies to decrease PTH levels at these stages might not be recommended. The effects of PTH on the central nervous system, in particular cognitive functions, and on the cardiovascular system are revised, and the reliability and exchangeability of second- and third-generation PTH immunoassays discussed. The article also reviews the different circulating biomarkers used for the diagnosis and monitoring of CKD-MBD, including PTH and alkaline phosphatases isoforms. Moreover, it presents an update on the control of SHPT by vitamin D compounds, old and new calcimimetics, and parathyroidectomy. Finally, it covers the latest insights on the persistence and de novo occurrence of SHPT in renal transplant recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo A Ureña-Torres
- Ramsay-Générale de Santé, Clinique du Landy, Department of Nephrology and Dialysis and Department of Renal Physiology, Necker Hospital, University of Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Marc Vervloet
- Department of Nephrology and Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences (ACS), VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sandro Mazzaferro
- Department of Cardiovascular Respiratory Nephrologic Anaesthetic and Geriatric Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Franck Oury
- INEM, Centre de Mdecine Moléculaire Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes, Sorbonne, Paris Cité Bâtiment Leriche, France
| | - Vincent Brandenburg
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraße, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jordi Bover
- Department of Nephrology, Fundació Puigvert, IIB Sant Pau, RedinRen, C. Cartagena, Catalonia, 340-350 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Etienne Cavalier
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Liège, CHU Sart-Tilman, Liège, Belgium
| | - Martine Cohen-Solal
- INSERM U1132 & USPC Paris-Diderot, Department of Rheumatology, Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France
| | - Adrian Covic
- Department of Nephrology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Gr. T. Popa", Iasi, Romania
| | - Tilman B Drüeke
- Inserm Unit 1018, CESP, Team 5, Paul Brousse Hospital, Villejuif/Paris, France
| | - Elif Hindié
- Nuclear Medicine, University of Bordeaux, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Pessac, France
| | - Pieter Evenepoel
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Dienst nefrologie, Universitair Ziekenhuis Gasthuisberg, Herestraat, Leuven, Belgium
| | - João Frazão
- Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,INEB-National Institute of Biomedical Engineer, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Nephrology, São João Hospital Center, Porto, Portugal.,School of Medicine of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Junichiro James Kazama
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima 960-1247, Japan
| | - Mario Cozzolino
- Renal Division, San Paolo Hospital, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ziad A Massy
- Division of Nephrology, Ambroise Paré University Medical Center, APHP, University of Paris Ouest (UVSQ), Boulogne Billancourt/Paris, France
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75
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Jardí F, Laurent MR, Dubois V, Kim N, Khalil R, Decallonne B, Vanderschueren D, Claessens F. Androgen and estrogen actions on male physical activity: a story beyond muscle. J Endocrinol 2018; 238:R31-R52. [PMID: 29743340 DOI: 10.1530/joe-18-0125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Physical inactivity is a pandemic that contributes to several chronic diseases and poses a significant burden on health care systems worldwide. The search for effective strategies to combat sedentary behavior has led to an intensification of the research efforts to unravel the biological substrate controlling activity. A wide body of preclinical evidence makes a strong case for sex steroids regulating physical activity in both genders, albeit the mechanisms implicated remain unclear. The beneficial effects of androgens on muscle as well as on other peripheral functions might play a role in favoring adaptation to exercise. Alternatively or in addition, sex steroids could act on specific brain circuitries to boost physical activity. This review critically discusses the evidence supporting a role for androgens and estrogens stimulating male physical activity, with special emphasis on the possible role of peripheral and/or central mechanisms. Finally, the potential translation of these findings to humans is briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferran Jardí
- Clinical and Experimental EndocrinologyDepartment of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michaël R Laurent
- Molecular Endocrinology LaboratoryDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Gerontology and GeriatricsDepartment of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Vanessa Dubois
- Molecular Endocrinology LaboratoryDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nari Kim
- Clinical and Experimental EndocrinologyDepartment of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rougin Khalil
- Clinical and Experimental EndocrinologyDepartment of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Brigitte Decallonne
- Clinical and Experimental EndocrinologyDepartment of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dirk Vanderschueren
- Clinical and Experimental EndocrinologyDepartment of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frank Claessens
- Molecular Endocrinology LaboratoryDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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76
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Harada N. Role of androgens in energy metabolism affecting on body composition, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and longevity: lessons from a meta-analysis and rodent studies. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2018; 82:1667-1682. [PMID: 29957125 DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2018.1490172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone is a sex hormone produced by testicular Leydig cells in males. Blood testosterone concentrations increase at three time-periods in male life-fetal, neonatal (which can be separated into newborn and infant periods), and pubertal stages. After peaking in the early 20s, the blood bioactive testosterone level declines by 1-2% each year. It is increasingly apparent that a low testosterone level impairs general physical and mental health in men. Here, this review summarizes recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses of epidemiological studies in males (including cross-sectional, longitudinal, and androgen deprivation studies, and randomized controlled testosterone replacement trials) in relation to testosterone and obesity, body composition, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and longevity. Furthermore, underlying mechanisms are discussed using data from rodent studies involving castration or androgen receptor knockout. This review provides an update understanding of the role of testosterone in energy metabolism. Abbreviations AR: androgen receptor; CV: cardiovascular; FDA: US Food and Drug Administration; HFD: high-fat diet; KO: knockout; MetS: metabolic syndrome; RCT: randomized controlled trial; SHBG: sex hormone binding globulin; SRMA: systematic review and meta-analysis; TRT: testosterone replacement therapy; T2DM:type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Harada
- a Division of Applied Life Sciences , Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University , Sakai , Osaka , Japan
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77
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Manoli DS, Tollkuhn J. Gene regulatory mechanisms underlying sex differences in brain development and psychiatric disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1420:26-45. [PMID: 29363776 PMCID: PMC5991992 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The sexual differentiation of the mammalian nervous system requires the precise coordination of the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression in diverse cell types. Sex hormones act at multiple developmental time points to specify sex-typical differentiation during embryonic and early development and to coordinate subsequent responses to gonadal hormones later in life by establishing sex-typical patterns of epigenetic modifications across the genome. Thus, mutations associated with neuropsychiatric conditions may result in sexually dimorphic symptoms by acting on different neural substrates or chromatin landscapes in males and females. Finally, as stress hormone signaling may directly alter the molecular machinery that interacts with sex hormone receptors to regulate gene expression, the contribution of chronic stress to the pathogenesis or presentation of mental illness may be additionally different between the sexes. Here, we review the mechanisms that contribute to sexual differentiation in the mammalian nervous system and consider some of the implications of these processes for sex differences in neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devanand S. Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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78
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Mhaouty-Kodja S. Role of the androgen receptor in the central nervous system. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018; 465:103-112. [PMID: 28826929 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The involvement of gonadal androgens in functions of the central nervous system was suggested for the first time about half a century ago. Since then, the number of functions attributed to androgens has steadily increased, ranging from regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and reproductive behaviors to modulation of cognition, anxiety and other non-reproductive functions. This review focuses on the implication of the neural androgen receptor in these androgen-sensitive functions and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakina Mhaouty-Kodja
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 7 Quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France.
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79
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McCarthy MM, Herold K, Stockman SL. Fast, furious and enduring: Sensitive versus critical periods in sexual differentiation of the brain. Physiol Behav 2018; 187:13-19. [PMID: 29101011 PMCID: PMC5844806 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Understanding critical periods in brain development and how they impact adult functioning is a primary goal of neuroscience. The sexual differentiation of the brain is a unique critical period in that it is initiated by endogenous production of a critical signaling molecule in only one sex, testosterone in fetal males. Females, by contrast, do not produce testosterone but are highly responsive to it and remain sensitive to its masculinizing effects well past the close of the critical period in males. Compared to other well characterized critical periods, such as those for the visual system or barrel cortex, the masculinization of the brain is telescoped into a few short days and initiated prenatally. The slightly longer and postnatal sensitive period in females provides a valuable tool for understanding this challenging but fundamental developmental process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore ST, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States.
| | - Kevin Herold
- Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore ST, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Sara L Stockman
- Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore ST, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
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80
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Immonen E, Hämäläinen A, Schuett W, Tarka M. Evolution of sex-specific pace-of-life syndromes: genetic architecture and physiological mechanisms. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:60. [PMID: 29576676 PMCID: PMC5856903 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2462-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in life history, physiology, and behavior are nearly ubiquitous across taxa, owing to sex-specific selection that arises from different reproductive strategies of the sexes. The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis predicts that most variation in such traits among individuals, populations, and species falls along a slow-fast pace-of-life continuum. As a result of their different reproductive roles and environment, the sexes also commonly differ in pace-of-life, with important consequences for the evolution of POLS. Here, we outline mechanisms for how males and females can evolve differences in POLS traits and in how such traits can covary differently despite constraints resulting from a shared genome. We review the current knowledge of the genetic basis of POLS traits and suggest candidate genes and pathways for future studies. Pleiotropic effects may govern many of the genetic correlations, but little is still known about the mechanisms involved in trade-offs between current and future reproduction and their integration with behavioral variation. We highlight the importance of metabolic and hormonal pathways in mediating sex differences in POLS traits; however, there is still a shortage of studies that test for sex specificity in molecular effects and their evolutionary causes. Considering whether and how sexual dimorphism evolves in POLS traits provides a more holistic framework to understand how behavioral variation is integrated with life histories and physiology, and we call for studies that focus on examining the sex-specific genetic architecture of this integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Immonen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, SE-75 236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anni Hämäläinen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- Zoological Institute, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maja Tarka
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
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81
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Monks DA, Swift-Gallant A. Non-neural androgen receptors affect sexual differentiation of brain and behaviour. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30. [PMID: 28590577 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Although gonadal testosterone is the principal endocrine factor that promotes masculine traits in mammals, the development of a male phenotype requires local production of both androgenic and oestrogenic signals within target tissues. Much of our knowledge concerning androgenic components of testosterone signalling in sexual differentiation comes from studies of androgen receptor (Ar) loss of function mutants. Here, we review these studies of loss of Ar function and of AR overexpression either globally or selectively in the nervous system of mice. Global and neural mutations affect socio-sexual behaviour and the neuroanatomy of these mice in a sexually differentiated manner. Some masculine traits are affected by both global and neural mutation, indicative of neural mediation, whereas other masculine traits are affected only by global mutation, indicative of an obligatory non-neural androgen target. These results support a model in which multiple sites of androgen action coordinate to produce masculine phenotypes. Furthermore, AR overexpression does not always have a phenotype opposite to that of loss of Ar function mutants, indicative of a nonlinear relationship between androgen dose and masculine phenotype in some cases. Potential mechanisms of Ar gene function in non-neural targets in producing masculine phenotypes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Cells and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - A Swift-Gallant
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
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82
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Testosterone boosts physical activity in male mice via dopaminergic pathways. Sci Rep 2018; 8:957. [PMID: 29343749 PMCID: PMC5772634 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-19104-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Low testosterone (T) in men, especially its free fraction, has been associated with loss of energy. In accordance, orchidectomy (ORX) in rodents results in decreased physical activity. Still, the mechanisms through which T stimulates activity remain mostly obscure. Here, we studied voluntary wheel running behavior in three different mouse models of androgen deficiency: ORX, androgen receptor (AR) knock-out (ARKO) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)-transgenic mice, a novel mouse model of “low free T”. Our results clearly show a fast and dramatic action of T stimulating wheel running, which is not explained by its action on muscle, as evidenced by neuromuscular studies and in a muscle-specific conditional ARKO mouse model. The action of T occurs via its free fraction, as shown by the results in SHBG-transgenic mice, and it implies both androgenic and estrogenic pathways. Both gene expression and functional studies indicate that T modulates the in vivo sensitivity to dopamine (DA) agonists. Furthermore, the restoration of wheel running by T is inhibited by treatment with DA antagonists. These findings reveal that the free fraction of T, both via AR and indirectly through aromatization into estrogens, stimulates physical activity behavior in male mice by acting on central DA pathways.
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83
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Kanaya M, Morishita M, Tsukahara S. Temporal Expression Patterns of Genes Related to Sex Steroid Action in Sexually Dimorphic Nuclei During Puberty. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:213. [PMID: 29770127 PMCID: PMC5940742 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex steroids play a major role in sexually dimorphic brain development during not only the perinatal period but also the pubertal period. We previously showed that, in male mice, the estrogen receptor-α (Esr1) and aromatase (Cyp19a1) genes are essential to the sexually dimorphic formation of the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTp), but the estrogen receptor-β (Esr2) gene is not necessary. We also showed that the androgen receptor (Ar) gene is essential to the sexually dimorphic formation of the BNSTp. These genes are expressed in the AVPV and BNSTp of perinatal mice. However, it remains unknown whether these genes are expressed in the AVPV and BNSTp during puberty, and whether the expression, if any, differs by sex, age, and brain region. Here, we dissected the AVPV and BNSTp from Nissl-stained brain sections of male and female mice on postnatal day (PD) 20 (prepuberty), PD30 (puberty onset in females), PD40 (puberty onset in males), and PD60 (young adult) using a laser microdissection system. We then examined the mRNA levels of Esr1, Esr2, Cyp19a1, and Ar in these brain regions. In the AVPV, Esr1 mRNA levels were greater in females than males during PD20-60. Esr2 and Ar mRNA expressions did not differ between sexes. Ar mRNA levels were higher at PD30 than PD20. Cyp19a1 mRNA was not detected in the AVPV at PD20-60. In the BNSTp, Esr1 and Esr2 mRNA levels were higher in females than in males during PD20-60, although the mRNA levels of Cyp19a1 and Ar did not differ between sexes. Additionally, we revealed that orchiectomy at PD20 induced a failure of normal formation of the male BNSTp and testosterone replacement in the prepubertal period rescued the effect of orchiectomy at PD20. Taken together, it is suggested that pubertal testosterone transported to the AVPV is not converted to estradiol there and does not act via ESR1 and ESR2. By contrast, the formation of the male BNSTp may be affected by testicular testosterone during puberty via AR and/or via ESR1 after conversion to estradiol by CYP19A1.
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84
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Abi Ghanem C, Degerny C, Hussain R, Liere P, Pianos A, Tourpin S, Habert R, Macklin WB, Schumacher M, Ghoumari AM. Long-lasting masculinizing effects of postnatal androgens on myelin governed by the brain androgen receptor. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007049. [PMID: 29107990 PMCID: PMC5690690 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The oligodendrocyte density is greater and myelin sheaths are thicker in the adult male mouse brain when compared with females. Here, we show that these sex differences emerge during the first 10 postnatal days, precisely at a stage when a late wave of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells arises and starts differentiating. Androgen levels, analyzed by gas chromatography/tandem-mass spectrometry, were higher in males than in females during this period. Treating male pups with flutamide, an androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, or female pups with 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT), revealed the importance of postnatal androgens in masculinizing myelin and their persistent effect into adulthood. A key role of the brain AR in establishing the sexual phenotype of myelin was demonstrated by its conditional deletion. Our results uncover a new persistent effect of postnatal AR signaling, with implications for neurodevelopmental disorders and sex differences in multiple sclerosis. Sex differences in brain structure are of great scientific and medical interest because the incidence and progress of many neurological and psychiatric disorders differ between males and females. They affect neural networks and also the myelin sheaths that insulate and protect axons and thus allow the rapid conduction of electrical impulses. In the central nervous system, myelin is formed by a particular type of cells named oligodendrocytes. In the male mouse brain, the density of oligodendrocytes is greater and myelin sheaths are thicker when compared with females. We show that these sex differences in myelin result from the long-lasting actions of androgens in males during their first 10 postnatal days. Importantly, the postnatal masculinizing effects of androgens involve brain androgen receptors as shown by the use of pharmacological and genetic tools. These findings are important for understanding sex-related differences in the susceptibility and progression of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. They also reveal a so far unknown role of androgen receptor signaling in sexual differentiation of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charly Abi Ghanem
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Cindy Degerny
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Rashad Hussain
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - Philippe Liere
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Antoine Pianos
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Sophie Tourpin
- U566 Inserm, CEA, Universities Paris-Diderot and Paris-Sud, Fontenay aux Roses, France
| | - René Habert
- U566 Inserm, CEA, Universities Paris-Diderot and Paris-Sud, Fontenay aux Roses, France
| | - Wendy B. Macklin
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Michael Schumacher
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- * E-mail: (AMG); (MS)
| | - Abdel M. Ghoumari
- U1195 Inserm and Universities Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay, 80 rue du Général Leclerc, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- * E-mail: (AMG); (MS)
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85
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Arambula SE, Jima D, Patisaul HB. Prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure alters the transcriptome of the neonate rat amygdala in a sex-specific manner: a CLARITY-BPA consortium study. Neurotoxicology 2017; 65:207-220. [PMID: 29097150 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely recognized endocrine disruptor prevalent in many household items. Because experimental and epidemiological data suggest links between prenatal BPA exposure and altered affective behaviors in children, even at levels below the current US FDA No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of 5mg/kg body weight (bw)/day, there is concern that early life exposure may alter neurodevelopment. The current study was conducted as part of the CLARITY-BPA (Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on BPA Toxicity) program and examined the full amygdalar transcriptome on postnatal day (PND) 1, with the hypothesis that prenatal BPA exposure would alter the expression of genes and pathways fundamental to sex-specific affective behaviors. NCTR Sprague-Dawley dams were gavaged from gestational day 6 until parturition with BPA (2.5, 25, 250, 2500, or 25000μg/kg bw/day), a reference estrogen (0.05 or 0.5μg ethinyl estradiol (EE2)/kg bw/day), or vehicle. PND 1 amygdalae were microdissected and gene expression was assessed with qRT-PCR (all exposure groups) and RNAseq (vehicle, 25 and 250μg BPA, and 0.5μg EE2 groups only). Our results demonstrate that that prenatal BPA exposure can disrupt the transcriptome of the neonate amygdala, at doses below the FDA NOAEL, in a sex-specific manner and indicate that the female amygdala may be more sensitive to BPA exposure during fetal development. We also provide additional evidence that developmental BPA exposure can interfere with estrogen, oxytocin, and vasopressin signaling pathways in the developing brain and alter signaling pathways critical for synaptic organization and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheryl E Arambula
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Dereje Jima
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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86
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Takayama KI. The biological and clinical advances of androgen receptor function in age-related diseases and cancer [Review]. Endocr J 2017; 64:933-946. [PMID: 28824023 DOI: 10.1507/endocrj.ej17-0328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hormonal alterations with aging contribute to the pathogenesis of several diseases. Androgens mediate their effects predominantly through binding to the androgen receptor (AR), a member of the ligand-dependent nuclear receptor superfamily. By androgen treatment, AR is recruited to specific genomic loci dependent on tissue specific pioneer factors to regulate target gene expression. Recent studies have revealed the epigenetic modulation by AR-associated histone modifiers and the roles of non-coding RNAs in AR signaling. Androgens are male sex hormone to induce differentiation of the male reproductive system required for the establishment of adult sexual function. As shown by several reports using AR knockout mouse models, androgens also have anabolic functions in several tissues such as bone, muscle and central nervous systems. Notably, AR has a central role in prostate cancer progression. Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men. Androgen-deprivation therapy for cancer patients and decline of serum androgen with aging promote several diseases associated with aging and quality of life of older men such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia and dementia. Thus, androgen replacement therapy for treating late onset hypogonadism (LOH) or new epigenetic regulators have the potential to overcome the symptoms caused by the low androgen, although adverse effects for cardiovascular diseases have been reported. Given the increasing longevity and consequent rise of age-related diseases and prostate cancer patients, a more understanding of the AR actions in male health remains a high research priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken-Ichi Takayama
- Department of Functional Biogerontology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Japan
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87
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Picut CA, Ziejewski MK, Stanislaus D. Comparative Aspects of Pre- and Postnatal Development of the Male Reproductive System. Birth Defects Res 2017; 110:190-227. [PMID: 29063715 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
This review describes pre- and postnatal development of the male reproductive system in humans and laboratory animals, and highlights species differences in the timing and control of hormonal and morphologic events. Major differences are that the fetal testis is dependent on gonadotropins in humans, but is independent of such in rats; humans have an extended postnatal quiescent period, whereas rats exhibit no quiescence; and events such as secretion by the prostate and seminal vesicles, testicular descent, and the appearance of spermatogonia are all prenatal events in humans, but are postnatal events in rats. Major differences in the timing of the developmental sequence between rats and humans include: gonocyte transformation period (rat: postnatal day 0-9; human: includes gestational week 22 to 9 months of age); masculinization programming window (rat: gestational day 15.5-17.5; human: gestational week 9-14); and mini-puberty (rat: 0-6 hr after birth; human: 3-6 months of age). Endocrine disruptors can cause unique lesions in the prenatal and early postnatal testis; therefore, it is important to consider the differences in the timing of the developmental sequence when designing preclinical studies as identification of windows of sensitivity for endocrine disruption or toxicants will aid in interpretation of results and provide clues to a mode of action. Birth Defects Research 110:190-227, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Picut
- Charles River Laboratories, Pathology Associates, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Mary K Ziejewski
- GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
| | - D Stanislaus
- GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
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88
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Morford J, Mauvais-Jarvis F. Sex differences in the effects of androgens acting in the central nervous system on metabolism. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2017. [PMID: 28179813 PMCID: PMC5286727 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2016.18.4/fmauvais] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
One of the most sexually dimorphic aspects of metabolic regulation is the bidirectional modulation of glucose and energy homeostasis by testosterone in males and females. Testosterone deficiency predisposes men to metabolic dysfunction, with excess adiposity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes, whereas androgen excess predisposes women to insulin resistance, adiposity, and type 2 diabetes. This review discusses how testosterone acts in the central nervous system, and especially the hypothalamus, to promote metabolic homeostasis or dysfunction in a sexually dimorphic manner. We compare the organizational actions of testosterone, which program the hypothalamic control of metabolic homeostasis during development, and the activational actions of testosterone, which affect metabolic function after puberty. We also discuss how the metabolic effect of testosterone is centrally mediated via the androgen receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Morford
- Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Franck Mauvais-Jarvis
- Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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89
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Coome LA, Swift-Gallant A, Ramzan F, Melhuish Beaupre L, Brkic T, Monks DA. Neural androgen receptor overexpression affects cell number in the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus. J Neuroendocrinol 2017; 29. [PMID: 28833628 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) is a sexually dimorphic neuromuscular system in which the masculinisation of cell number is assumed to depend on the action of perinatal androgen in non-neural targets, whereas the masculinisation of cell size is assumed to depend primarily on the action of adult androgen on SNB cells themselves. To test these hypotheses, we characterised the SNB of Cre/loxP transgenic mice that overexpress androgen receptor (AR) throughout the body (CMV-AR) or in neural tissue only (Nestin-AR). Additionally, we examined the effects of androgen manipulation in male mutants and wild-type (WT) controls. We reproduced the expected sex differences in both motoneurone number and size, as well as the expected adult androgen dependence of SNB size. We found effects of genotype such that both Nestin-AR and CMV-AR have more SNB motoneurones than WT littermates and also that CMV-AR females have larger SNB motoneurones than Nes-AR or WT females. These results raise the possibility that AR can act in neurones and/or glia to rescue SNB motoneurones, as well as on non-neural AR to increase SNB cell size.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Coome
- Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - A Swift-Gallant
- Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - F Ramzan
- Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | | | - T Brkic
- Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - D A Monks
- Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Cells and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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90
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Wu MV, Tollkuhn J. Estrogen receptor alpha is required in GABAergic, but not glutamatergic, neurons to masculinize behavior. Horm Behav 2017; 95:3-12. [PMID: 28734725 PMCID: PMC7011612 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Masculinization of the altricial rodent brain is driven by estrogen signaling during a perinatal critical period. Genetic deletion of estrogen receptor alpha (Esr1/ERα) results in altered hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis signaling and a dramatic reduction of male sexual and territorial behaviors. However, the role of ERα in masculinizing distinct classes of neurons remains unexplored. We deleted ERα in excitatory or inhibitory neurons using either a Vglut2 or Vgat driver and assessed male behaviors. We find that Vglut2-Cre;Esr1lox/lox mutant males lack ERα in the ventrolateral region of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) and posterior ventral portion of the medial amygdala (MePV). These mutants recapitulate the increased serum testosterone levels seen with constitutive ERα deletion, but have none of the behavioral deficits. In contrast, Vgat-Cre;Esr1lox/lox males with substantial ERα deletion in inhibitory neurons, including those of the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTpr), posterior dorsal MeA (MePD), and medial preoptic area (MPOA) have normal testosterone levels, but display alterations in mating and territorial behaviors. These mutants also show dysmasculinized expression of androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor beta (Esr2). Our results demonstrate that ERα masculinizes GABAergic neurons that gate the display of male-typical behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody V Wu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Jessica Tollkuhn
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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91
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Hay-Schmidt A, Finkielman OTE, Jensen BAH, Høgsbro CF, Bak Holm J, Johansen KH, Jensen TK, Andrade AM, Swan SH, Bornehag CG, Brunak S, Jegou B, Kristiansen K, Kristensen DM. Prenatal exposure to paracetamol/acetaminophen and precursor aniline impairs masculinisation of male brain and behaviour. Reproduction 2017; 154:145-152. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-17-0165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Paracetamol/acetaminophen (N-Acetyl-p-Aminophenol; APAP) is the preferred analgesic for pain relief and fever during pregnancy. It has therefore caused concern that several studies have reported that prenatal exposure to APAP results in developmental alterations in both the reproductive tract and the brain. Genitals and nervous system of male mammals are actively masculinised during foetal development and early postnatal life by the combined actions of prostaglandins and androgens, resulting in the male-typical reproductive behaviour seen in adulthood. Both androgens and prostaglandins are known to be inhibited by APAP. Through intrauterine exposure experiments in C57BL/6 mice, we found that exposure to APAP decreased neuronal number in the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) of the preoptic area (POA) in the anterior hypothalamus of male adult offspring. Likewise, exposure to the environmental pollutant and precursor of APAP, aniline, resulted in a similar reduction. Decrease in neuronal number in the SDN-POA is associated with reductions in male sexual behaviour. Consistent with the changes, male mice exposed in uteri to APAP exhibited changes in urinary marking behaviour as adults and had a less aggressive territorial display towards intruders of the same gender. Additionally, exposed males had reduced intromissions and ejaculations during mating with females in oestrus. Together, these data suggest that prenatal exposure to APAP may impair male sexual behaviour in adulthood by disrupting the sexual neurobehavioral programming. These findings add to the growing body of evidence suggesting the need to limit the widespread exposure and use of APAP by pregnant women.
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92
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Male and Female Mice Lacking Neuroligin-3 Modify the Behavior of Their Wild-Type Littermates. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0145-17. [PMID: 28795135 PMCID: PMC5548363 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0145-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In most mammals, including humans, the postnatal acquisition of normal social and nonsocial behavior critically depends on interactions with peers. Here we explore the possibility that mixed-group housing of mice carrying a deletion of Nlgn3, a gene associated with autism spectrum disorders, and their wild-type littermates induces changes in each other’s behavior. We have found that, when raised together, male Nlgn3 knockout mice and their wild-type littermates displayed deficits in sociability. Moreover, social submission in adult male Nlgn3 knockout mice correlated with an increase in their anxiety. Re-expression of Nlgn3 in parvalbumin-expressing cells in transgenic animals rescued their social behavior and alleviated the phenotype of their wild-type littermates, further indicating that the social behavior of Nlgn3 knockout mice has a direct and measurable impact on wild-type animals’ behavior. Finally, we showed that, unlike male mice, female mice lacking Nlgn3 were insensitive to their peers’ behavior but modified the social behavior of their littermates. Altogether, our findings show that the environment is a critical factor in the development of behavioral phenotypes in transgenic and wild-type mice. In addition, these results reveal that the social environment has a sexually dimorphic effect on the behavior of mice lacking Nlgn3, being more influential in males than females.
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93
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Tosetti V, Sassone J, Ferri ALM, Taiana M, Bedini G, Nava S, Brenna G, Di Resta C, Pareyson D, Di Giulio AM, Carelli S, Parati EA, Gorio A. Transcriptional role of androgen receptor in the expression of long non-coding RNA Sox2OT in neurogenesis. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180579. [PMID: 28704421 PMCID: PMC5507538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex architecture of adult brain derives from tightly regulated migration and differentiation of precursor cells generated during embryonic neurogenesis. Changes at transcriptional level of genes that regulate migration and differentiation may lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. Androgen receptor (AR) is a transcription factor that is already expressed during early embryonic days. However, AR role in the regulation of gene expression at early embryonic stage is yet to be determinate. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Sox2 overlapping transcript (Sox2OT) plays a crucial role in gene expression control during development but its transcriptional regulation is still to be clearly defined. Here, using Bicalutamide in order to pharmacologically inactivated AR, we investigated whether AR participates in the regulation of the transcription of the lncRNASox2OTat early embryonic stage. We identified a new DNA binding region upstream of Sox2 locus containing three androgen response elements (ARE), and found that AR binds such a sequence in embryonic neural stem cells and in mouse embryonic brain. Our data suggest that through this binding, AR can promote the RNA polymerase II dependent transcription of Sox2OT. Our findings also suggest that AR participates in embryonic neurogenesis through transcriptional control of the long non-coding RNA Sox2OT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Tosetti
- Department of Cerebrovascular Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Jenny Sassone
- Vita-Salute University and San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Division of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna L. M. Ferri
- Department of Cerebrovascular Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Michela Taiana
- Clinic of Central and Peripheral Degenerative Neuropathies Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Gloria Bedini
- Department of Cerebrovascular Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Nava
- Cell Therapy Production Unit, Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology, Cerebrovascular Unit, and Unit of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Greta Brenna
- Biostatistician Service Clinical Research—Scientific Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Di Resta
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Pareyson
- Neurological Rare Diseases of Adulthood Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Di Giulio
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric Clinical Research Center Fondazione Romeo e Enrica Invernizzi, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stephana Carelli
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Eugenio A. Parati
- Department of Cerebrovascular Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Alfredo Gorio
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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94
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Swift-Gallant A, Monks DA. Androgenic mechanisms of sexual differentiation of the nervous system and behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 46:32-45. [PMID: 28455096 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Testicular androgens are the major endocrine factor promoting masculine phenotypes in vertebrates, but androgen signaling is complex and operates via multiple signaling pathways and sites of action. Recently, selective androgen receptor mutants have been engineered to study androgenic mechanisms of sexual differentiation of the nervous system and behavior. The focus of these studies has been to evaluate androgenic mechanisms within the nervous system by manipulating androgen receptor conditionally in neural tissues. Here we review both the effects of neural loss of AR function as well as the effects of neural overexpression of AR in relation to global AR mutants. Although some studies have conformed to our expectations, others have proved challenging to assumptions underlying the dominant hypotheses. Notably, these studies have called into question both the primacy of direct, neural mechanisms and also the linearity of the relationship between androgenic dose and sexual differentiation of brain and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Swift-Gallant
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd. N., Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - D A Monks
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Department of Cells and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd. N., Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada.
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95
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Yong L, Thet Z, Zhu Y. Genetic editing of the androgen receptor contributes to impaired male courtship behavior in zebrafish. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:3017-3021. [PMID: 28620015 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.161596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Elucidating the genes that contribute to behavioral variation has become an important endeavor in behavioral studies. While advances in genomics have narrowed down the list of candidate genes, functional validation of them has lagged behind, partly because of challenges associated with rapid gene manipulations. Consequently, few studies have demonstrated causal genetic changes linked to behaviors. The 'gene editing revolution' has offered unprecedented opportunities to investigate candidate genes responsible for critical behaviors. Here, we edited the androgen receptor gene (AR), which is associated with male reproductive behavior in zebrafish, using TAL effector nucleases (TALENs), and tested whether modifications at the AR impacted courtship during mating trials. We reveal that males lacking AR courted females significantly less, showing reduced levels of stereotypic behaviors. Consistent with previous studies, disrupting androgen mechanisms can lead to behavioral changes with potential fitness consequences. Our study highlights the possibility of genetically altering a reproductive behavior, further solidifying the link between genotype and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lengxob Yong
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Zayer Thet
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Yong Zhu
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
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96
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Rousseaud A, Moriceau S, Ramos-Brossier M, Oury F. Bone-brain crosstalk and potential associated diseases. Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig 2017; 28:69-83. [PMID: 27626767 DOI: 10.1515/hmbci-2016-0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Reciprocal relationships between organs are essential to maintain whole body homeostasis. An exciting interplay between two apparently unrelated organs, the bone and the brain, has emerged recently. Indeed, it is now well established that the brain is a powerful regulator of skeletal homeostasis via a complex network of numerous players and pathways. In turn, bone via a bone-derived molecule, osteocalcin, appears as an important factor influencing the central nervous system by regulating brain development and several cognitive functions. In this paper we will discuss this complex and intimate relationship, as well as several pathologic conditions that may reinforce their potential interdependence.
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97
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Lischinsky JE, Sokolowski K, Li P, Esumi S, Kamal Y, Goodrich M, Oboti L, Hammond TR, Krishnamoorthy M, Feldman D, Huntsman M, Liu J, Corbin JG. Embryonic transcription factor expression in mice predicts medial amygdala neuronal identity and sex-specific responses to innate behavioral cues. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28244870 PMCID: PMC5384829 DOI: 10.7554/elife.21012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial subnucleus of the amygdala (MeA) plays a central role in processing sensory cues required for innate behaviors. However, whether there is a link between developmental programs and the emergence of inborn behaviors remains unknown. Our previous studies revealed that the telencephalic preoptic area (POA) embryonic niche is a novel source of MeA destined progenitors. Here, we show that the POA is comprised of distinct progenitor pools complementarily marked by the transcription factors Dbx1 and Foxp2. As determined by molecular and electrophysiological criteria this embryonic parcellation predicts postnatal MeA inhibitory neuronal subtype identity. We further find that Dbx1-derived and Foxp2+ cells in the MeA are differentially activated in response to innate behavioral cues in a sex-specific manner. Thus, developmental transcription factor expression is predictive of MeA neuronal identity and sex-specific neuronal responses, providing a potential developmental logic for how innate behaviors could be processed by different MeA neuronal subtypes. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.21012.001 Within the brain, a set of interconnected structures called the limbic system is involved in emotion, motivation and memory. This system – and in particular a structure called the medial amygdala – also contributes to behavioral drives that help an animal to survive and reproduce. These include the drive to avoid predators, to defend territory, and to find a mate. Such behaviors are thought to be inborn or innate. This means that animals display them instinctively whenever specific triggers are present, without the need to learn them beforehand. However, just as a computer must be programmed to perform specific tasks, these innate behavioral responses must also be programmed into the brain. Given that animals do not learn these behaviors, Lischinsky et al. reasoned that specific events during the development of the brain must provide the animal’s brain with the necessary instructions. To test this idea, they studied how the development of the medial amygdala in mouse embryos may give rise to differences in innate mating behavior seen between male and female mice. The medial amygdala contains many subtypes of neurons, which show different responses to sex hormones such as estrogen and androgen. Lischinsky et al. show that two sets of cells give rise to some of the different neurons of the adult medial amygdala. One set of these precursor cells makes a protein called Dbx1 and the other makes a protein called Foxp2. These two sets of precursors generate medial amygdala neurons with different arrays of sex hormone receptors in male and female mice. Moreover, while the two sets of medial amygdala neurons are activated during aggressive encounters, they show different patterns of activation in male and female animals during mating. These findings suggest that the development of Dbx1-derived and Foxp2+ neurons in the medial amygdala helps program innate reproductive and aggressive behaviors into the brain. The new findings also provide insights into why these behaviors differ in male and female mice. The next challenge is to identify the inputs and outputs of these two distinct subpopulations of medial amygdala neurons. This should make it possible to work out exactly how these populations of cells control innate behaviors in male and female animals. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.21012.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta E Lischinsky
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington DC, United States.,Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Katie Sokolowski
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Peijun Li
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Shigeyuki Esumi
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.,Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto-University, Kumamoto City, Japan
| | - Yasmin Kamal
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Meredith Goodrich
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Livio Oboti
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Timothy R Hammond
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Meera Krishnamoorthy
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Daniel Feldman
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Molly Huntsman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Judy Liu
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Joshua G Corbin
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
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98
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Zettergren A, Karlsson S, Studer E, Sarvimäki A, Kettunen P, Thorsell A, Sihlbom C, Westberg L. Proteomic analyses of limbic regions in neonatal male, female and androgen receptor knockout mice. BMC Neurosci 2017; 18:9. [PMID: 28056817 PMCID: PMC5217640 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-016-0332-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is well-established that organizational effects of sex steroids during early development are fundamental for sex-typical displays of, for example, mating and aggressive behaviors in rodents and other species. Male and female brains are known to differ with respect to neuronal morphology in particular regions of the brain, including the number and size of neurons, and the density and length of dendrites in nuclei of hypothalamus and amygdala. The aim of the present study was to use global proteomics to identify proteins differentially expressed in hypothalamus/amygdala during early development (postnatal day 8) of male, female and conditional androgen receptor knockout (ARNesDel) male mice, lacking androgen receptors specifically in the brain. Furthermore, verification of selected sexually dimorphic proteins was performed using targeted proteomics. Results Our proteomic approach, iTRAQ, allowed us to investigate expression differences in the 2998 most abundantly expressed proteins in our dissected tissues. Approximately 170 proteins differed between the sexes, and 38 proteins between ARNesDel and control males (p < 0.05). In line with previous explorative studies of sexually dimorphic gene expression we mainly detected subtle protein expression differences (fold changes <1.3). The protein MARCKS (myristoylated alanine rich C kinase substrate), having the largest fold change of the proteins selected from the iTRAQ analyses and of known importance for synaptic transmission and dendritic branching, was confirmed by targeted proteomics as differentially expressed between the sexes. Conclusions Overall, our results provide solid evidence that a large number of proteins show sex differences in their brain expression and could potentially be involved in brain sexual differentiation. Furthermore, our finding of a sexually dimorphic expression of MARCKS in the brain during development warrants further investigation on the involvement in sexual differentiation of this protein. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12868-016-0332-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Zettergren
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, POB 431, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Sara Karlsson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, POB 431, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Erik Studer
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, POB 431, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Anna Sarvimäki
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, POB 431, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Petronella Kettunen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden.,Department of Neuropathology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Annika Thorsell
- The Proteomics Core Facility, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Carina Sihlbom
- The Proteomics Core Facility, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Lars Westberg
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, POB 431, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden.
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99
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Animal Models in Sexual Medicine: The Need and Importance of Studying Sexual Motivation. Sex Med Rev 2017; 5:5-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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100
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Ferrer I, Garcia-Esparcia P, Carmona M, Carro E, Aronica E, Kovacs GG, Grison A, Gustincich S. Olfactory Receptors in Non-Chemosensory Organs: The Nervous System in Health and Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:163. [PMID: 27458372 PMCID: PMC4932117 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory receptors (ORs) and down-stream functional signaling molecules adenylyl cyclase 3 (AC3), olfactory G protein α subunit (Gαolf), OR transporters receptor transporter proteins 1 and 2 (RTP1 and RTP2), receptor expression enhancing protein 1 (REEP1), and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are expressed in neurons of the human and murine central nervous system (CNS). In vitro studies have shown that these receptors react to external stimuli and therefore are equipped to be functional. However, ORs are not directly related to the detection of odors. Several molecules delivered from the blood, cerebrospinal fluid, neighboring local neurons and glial cells, distant cells through the extracellular space, and the cells’ own self-regulating internal homeostasis can be postulated as possible ligands. Moreover, a single neuron outside the olfactory epithelium expresses more than one receptor, and the mechanism of transcriptional regulation may be different in olfactory epithelia and brain neurons. OR gene expression is altered in several neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) subtypes MM1 and VV2 with disease-, region- and subtype-specific patterns. Altered gene expression is also observed in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia with a major but not total influence of chlorpromazine treatment. Preliminary parallel observations have also shown the presence of taste receptors (TASRs), mainly of the bitter taste family, in the mammalian brain, whose function is not related to taste. TASRs in brain are also abnormally regulated in neurodegenerative diseases. These seminal observations point to the need for further studies on ORs and TASRs chemoreceptors in the mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidro Ferrer
- Institute of Neuropathology, Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat, University of BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain; Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de LlobregatBarcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Garcia-Esparcia
- Institute of Neuropathology, Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat, University of BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain; Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de LlobregatBarcelona, Spain
| | - Margarita Carmona
- Institute of Neuropathology, Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat, University of BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain; Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de LlobregatBarcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Carro
- Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain; Neuroscience Group, Research Institute HospitalMadrid, Spain
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Department of Neuropathology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Alice Grison
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Area of Neuroscience Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefano Gustincich
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Area of Neuroscience Trieste, Italy
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