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Lazzarini G, Gatta A, Miragliotta V, Vaglini F, Viaggi C, Pirone A. Glial cells are affected more than interneurons by the loss of Engrailed 2 gene in the mouse cerebellum. J Anat 2024; 244:667-675. [PMID: 38009365 PMCID: PMC10941518 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Glial cells play a pivotal role in the inflammatory processes, which are common features of several neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Their major role in modulating neuroinflammation underscores their significance in these conditions. Engrailed-2 knockout mice (En2-/- ) are considered a valuable model for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to their distinctive neuroanatomical and behavioral traits. Given the higher prevalence of ASD in males, our objective was to investigate glial and interneuron alterations in the cerebellum of En2-/- mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice in both sexes. We employed immunohistochemical analysis to assess cell density for all cell types studied and analyzed the area (A) and shape factor (SF) of microglia cell bodies. Our findings revealed the following: (a) In WT mice, the density of microglia and astrocytes was higher in females than in males, while interneuron density was lower in females. Notably, in En2-mutant mice, these differences between males and females were not present. (b) In both male and female En2-/- mice, astrocyte density exceeded that in WT mice, with microglia density being greater only in females. (c) In WT females, microglia cell bodies exhibited a larger area and a lower shape factor compared to WT males. Remarkably, the En2 mutation did not appear to influence these sex-related differences. (d) In both male and female En2-/- mice, we observed a consistent pattern: microglia cell bodies displayed a larger area and a smaller shape factor. Given the ongoing debate surrounding the roles of glia and sex-related factors in ASD, our observations provide valuable insights into understanding how an ASD-associated gene En2 affects specific cell types in the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Francesca Vaglini
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical TechnologiesUniversity of PisaPisaItaly
| | - Cristina Viaggi
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical TechnologiesUniversity of PisaPisaItaly
| | - Andrea Pirone
- Department of Veterinary SciencesUniversity of PisaPisaItaly
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2
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Guma E, Beauchamp A, Liu S, Levitis E, Ellegood J, Pham L, Mars RB, Raznahan A, Lerch JP. Comparative neuroimaging of sex differences in human and mouse brain anatomy. eLife 2024; 13:RP92200. [PMID: 38488854 PMCID: PMC10942785 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In vivo neuroimaging studies have established several reproducible volumetric sex differences in the human brain, but the causes of such differences are hard to parse. While mouse models are useful for understanding the cellular and mechanistic bases of sex-specific brain development, there have been no attempts to formally compare human and mouse neuroanatomical sex differences to ascertain how well they translate. Addressing this question would shed critical light on the use of the mouse as a translational model for sex differences in the human brain and provide insights into the degree to which sex differences in brain volume are conserved across mammals. Here, we use structural magnetic resonance imaging to conduct the first comparative neuroimaging study of sex-specific neuroanatomy of the human and mouse brain. In line with previous findings, we observe that in humans, males have significantly larger and more variable total brain volume; these sex differences are not mirrored in mice. After controlling for total brain volume, we observe modest cross-species congruence in the volumetric effect size of sex across 60 homologous regions (r=0.30). This cross-species congruence is greater in the cortex (r=0.33) than non-cortex (r=0.16). By incorporating regional measures of gene expression in both species, we reveal that cortical regions with greater cross-species congruence in volumetric sex differences also show greater cross-species congruence in the expression profile of 2835 homologous genes. This phenomenon differentiates primary sensory regions with high congruence of sex effects and gene expression from limbic cortices where congruence in both these features was weaker between species. These findings help identify aspects of sex-biased brain anatomy present in mice that are retained, lost, or inverted in humans. More broadly, our work provides an empirical basis for targeting mechanistic studies of sex-specific brain development in mice to brain regions that best echo sex-specific brain development in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Guma
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Antoine Beauchamp
- Mouse Imaging CentreTorontoCanada
- The Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Elizabeth Levitis
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging CentreTorontoCanada
- The Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
| | - Linh Pham
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical 15 Neurosciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Rogier B Mars
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical 15 Neurosciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging CentreTorontoCanada
- The Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical 15 Neurosciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
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3
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Joel D, Smith CJ, Veenema AH. Beyond the binary: Characterizing the relationships between sex and neuropeptide receptor binding density measures in the rat brain. Horm Behav 2024; 159:105471. [PMID: 38128247 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences exist in numerous parameters of the brain. Yet, sex-related factors are part of a large set of variables that interact to affect many aspects of brain structure and function. This raises questions regarding how to interpret findings of sex differences at the level of single brain measures and the brain as a whole. In the present study, we reanalyzed two datasets consisting of measures of oxytocin, vasopressin V1a, and mu opioid receptor binding densities in multiple brain regions in rats. At the level of single brain measures, we found that sex differences were rarely dimorphic and were largely persistent across estrous stage and parental status but not across age or context. At the level of aggregates of brain measures showing sex differences, we tested whether individual brains are 'mosaics' of female-typical and male-typical measures or are internally consistent, having either only female-typical or only male-typical measures. We found mosaicism for measures showing overlap between females and males. Mosaicism was higher a) with a larger number of measures, b) with smaller effect sizes of the sex difference in these measures, and c) in rats with more diverse life experiences. Together, these results highlight the limitations of the binary framework for interpreting sex effects on the brain and suggest two complementary pathways to studying the contribution of sex to brain function: (1) focusing on measures showing dimorphic and persistent sex differences and (2) exploring the relations between specific brain mosaics and specific endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphna Joel
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
| | - Caroline J Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.
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4
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Roggenbuck EC, Hall EA, Hanson IB, Roby AA, Zhang KK, Alkatib KA, Carter JA, Clewner JE, Gelfius AL, Gong S, Gordon FR, Iseler JN, Kotapati S, Li M, Maysun A, McCormick EO, Rastogi G, Sengupta S, Uzoma CU, Wolkov MA, Clowney EJ. Let's talk about sex: Mechanisms of neural sexual differentiation in Bilateria. WIREs Mech Dis 2024; 16:e1636. [PMID: 38185860 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, sexed gonads have evolved that facilitate release of sperm versus eggs, and bilaterian animals purposefully combine their gametes via mating behaviors. Distinct neural circuits have evolved that control these physically different mating events for animals producing eggs from ovaries versus sperm from testis. In this review, we will describe the developmental mechanisms that sexually differentiate neural circuits across three major clades of bilaterian animals-Ecdysozoa, Deuterosomia, and Lophotrochozoa. While many of the mechanisms inducing somatic and neuronal sex differentiation across these diverse organisms are clade-specific rather than evolutionarily conserved, we develop a common framework for considering the developmental logic of these events and the types of neuronal differences that produce sex-differentiated behaviors. This article is categorized under: Congenital Diseases > Stem Cells and Development Neurological Diseases > Stem Cells and Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C Roggenbuck
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Elijah A Hall
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Isabel B Hanson
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Alyssa A Roby
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Katherine K Zhang
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kyle A Alkatib
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Joseph A Carter
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jarred E Clewner
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Anna L Gelfius
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Shiyuan Gong
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Finley R Gordon
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jolene N Iseler
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Samhita Kotapati
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Marilyn Li
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Areeba Maysun
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Elise O McCormick
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Geetanjali Rastogi
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Srijani Sengupta
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Chantal U Uzoma
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Madison A Wolkov
- MCDB 464 - Cellular Diversity: Sex Differentiation of the Brain, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - E Josephine Clowney
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute Affiliate, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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5
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Guma E, Beauchamp A, Liu S, Levitis E, Ellegood J, Pham L, Mars RB, Raznahan A, Lerch JP. Comparative neuroimaging of sex differences in human and mouse brain anatomy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.23.554334. [PMID: 37662398 PMCID: PMC10473765 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.23.554334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
In vivo neuroimaging studies have established several reproducible volumetric sex differences in the human brain, but the causes of such differences are hard to parse. While mouse models are useful for understanding the cellular and mechanistic bases of sex-biased brain development in mammals, there have been no attempts to formally compare mouse and human sex differences across the whole brain to ascertain how well they translate. Addressing this question would shed critical light on use of the mouse as a translational model for sex differences in the human brain and provide insights into the degree to which sex differences in brain volume are conserved across mammals. Here, we use cross-species structural magnetic resonance imaging to carry out the first comparative neuroimaging study of sex-biased neuroanatomical organization of the human and mouse brain. In line with previous findings, we observe that in humans, males have significantly larger and more variable total brain volume; these sex differences are not mirrored in mice. After controlling for total brain volume, we observe modest cross-species congruence in the volumetric effect size of sex across 60 homologous brain regions (r=0.30; e.g.: M>F amygdala, hippocampus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and hypothalamus and F>M anterior cingulate, somatosensory, and primary auditory cortices). This cross-species congruence is greater in the cortex (r=0.33) than non-cortex (r=0.16). By incorporating regional measures of gene expression in both species, we reveal that cortical regions with greater cross-species congruence in volumetric sex differences also show greater cross-species congruence in the expression profile of 2835 homologous genes. This phenomenon differentiates primary sensory regions with high congruence of sex effects and gene expression from limbic cortices where congruence in both these features was weaker between species. These findings help identify aspects of sex-biased brain anatomy present in mice that are retained, lost, or inverted in humans. More broadly, our work provides an empirical basis for targeting mechanistic studies of sex-biased brain development in mice to brain regions that best echo sex-biased brain development in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Guma
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Antoine Beauchamp
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth Levitis
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Linh Pham
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Rogier B Mars
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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6
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Jovanovic P, Pool AH, Morones N, Wang Y, Novinbakht E, Keshishian N, Jang K, Oka Y, Riera CE. A sex-specific thermogenic neurocircuit induced by predator smell recruiting cholecystokinin neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4937. [PMID: 37582805 PMCID: PMC10427624 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40484-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Olfactory cues are vital for prey animals like rodents to perceive and evade predators. Stress-induced hyperthermia, via brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis, boosts physical performance and facilitates escape. However, many aspects of this response, including thermogenic control and sex-specific effects, remain enigmatic. Our study unveils that the predator odor trimethylthiazoline (TMT) elicits BAT thermogenesis, suppresses feeding, and drives glucocorticoid release in female mice. Chemogenetic stimulation of olfactory bulb (OB) mitral cells recapitulates the thermogenic output of this response and associated stress hormone corticosterone release in female mice. Neuronal projections from OB to medial amygdala (MeA) and dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) exhibit female-specific cFos activity toward odors. Cell sorting and single-cell RNA-sequencing of DMH identify cholecystokinin (CCK)-expressing neurons as recipients of predator odor cues. Chemogenetic manipulation and neuronal silencing of DMHCCK neurons further implicate these neurons in the propagation of predator odor-associated thermogenesis and food intake suppression, highlighting their role in female stress-induced hyperthermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Predrag Jovanovic
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Allan-Hermann Pool
- Department of Neuroscience, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Nancy Morones
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Yidan Wang
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Edward Novinbakht
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Nareg Keshishian
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Jang
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Yuki Oka
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Celine E Riera
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.
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7
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Guerra DP, Wang W, Souza KA, Moscarello JM. A sex-specific role for the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in proactive defensive behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023:10.1038/s41386-023-01581-9. [PMID: 37142666 PMCID: PMC10267121 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01581-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a forebrain region implicated in aversive responses to uncertain threat. Much of the work on the role of BNST in defensive behavior has used Pavlovian paradigms in which the subject reacts to aversive stimuli delivered in a pattern determined entirely by the experimenter. Here, we explore the contribution of BNST to a task in which subjects learn a proactive response that prevents the delivery of an aversive outcome. To this end, male and female rats were trained to shuttle during a tone to avoid shock in a standard two-way signaled active avoidance paradigm. Chemogenetic inhibition (hM4Di) of BNST attenuated the expression of the avoidance response in male but not female rats. Inactivation of the neighboring medial septum in males produced no effect on avoidance, demonstrating that our effect was specific to BNST. A follow up study comparing hM4Di inhibition to hM3Dq activation of BNST in males replicated the effect of inhibition and demonstrated that activation of BNST extended the period of tone-evoked shuttling. These data support the novel conclusion that BNST mediates two-way avoidance behavior in male rats and suggest the intriguing possibility that the systems underlying proactive defensive behavior are sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P Guerra
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Karienn A Souza
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience (TAMIN), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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8
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Brewton HW, Robinson SL, Thiele TE. Astrocyte expression in the extended amygdala of C57BL/6J mice is sex-dependently affected by chronic intermittent and binge-like ethanol exposure. Alcohol 2023; 108:55-64. [PMID: 36539069 PMCID: PMC10033386 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Excessive ethanol drinking is a major problem within the United States, causing alterations in brain plasticity and neurocognitive function. Astrocytes are glial cells that regulate neurosynaptic plasticity, modulate neurochemicals, and monitor other homeostatic roles. Astrocytes have been found to play a part in modulating excessive ethanol consumption. The basolateral amygdala (BLA), central amygdala (CeA), and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) are brain regions that process stress, anxiety, and reward; they are also implicated in modulating ethanol intake. Little is understood, however, about how astrocyte expression in each region is modulated by chronic and binge-like ethanol drinking patterns. In the present report, we utilized two separate animal models of excessive drinking: chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) and "Drinking-in-the-dark" (DID). Following these paradigms, animal brains were processed through immunohistochemistry (IHC) and stained for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Collected data illustrated a sex-dependent relationship between ethanol intake and GFAP immunoreactivity (IR) in the BLA and BNST, but not in the CeA. Specifically, CIE and DID ethanol drinking resulted in blunted GFAP-IR (specifically via GFAP-positive cell count) in the BLA and BNST, particularly in males. These findings may implicate sex-dependent ethanol-induced changes in BLA and BNST astrocytes, providing a potential therapeutic target for anxiety and stress disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honoreé W Brewton
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, United States
| | - Stacey L Robinson
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, United States; The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3270, United States
| | - Todd E Thiele
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, United States; The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3270, United States.
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9
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Halladay LR, Herron SM. Lasting impact of postnatal maternal separation on the developing BNST: Lifelong socioemotional consequences. Neuropharmacology 2023; 225:109404. [PMID: 36572178 PMCID: PMC9926961 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nearly one percent of children in the US experience childhood neglect or abuse, which can incite lifelong emotional and behavioral disorders. Many studies investigating the neural underpinnings of maleffects inflicted by early life stress have largely focused on dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Newer veins of evidence suggest that exposure to early life stressors can interrupt neural development in extrahypothalamic areas as well, including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). One widely used approach in this area is rodent maternal separation (MS), which typically consists of separating pups from the dam for extended periods of time, over several days during the first weeks of postnatal life - a time when pups are highly dependent on maternal care for survival. MS has been shown to incite myriad lasting effects not limited to increased anxiety-like behavior, hyper-responsiveness to stressors, and social behavior deficits. The behavioral effects of MS are widespread and thus unlikely to be limited to hypothalamic mechanisms. Recent work has highlighted the BNST as a critical arbiter of some of the consequences of MS, especially socioemotional behavioral deficits. The BNST is a well-documented modulator of anxiety, reward, and social behavior by way of its connections with hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic systems. Moreover, during the postnatal period when MS is typically administered, the BNST undergoes critical neural developmental events. This review highlights evidence that MS interferes with neural development to permanently alter BNST circuitry, which may account for a variety of behavioral deficits seen following early life stress. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, Anxiety and PTSD'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay R Halladay
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA.
| | - Steven M Herron
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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10
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Sex differences in fear responses: Neural circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109298. [PMID: 36328063 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Women have increased vulnerability to PTSD and anxiety disorders compared to men. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders is critical for identifying risk factors and developing appropriate sex-specific interventions. Despite the clear clinical relevance of an examination of sex differences in fear responses, the vast majority of pre-clinical research on fear learning and memory formation has exclusively used male animals. This review highlights sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning, fear extinction and fear generalization with a focus on the neural circuits underlying these behaviors in rodents. There are mixed reports of behavioral sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning paradigms, which can depend upon the behavioral indices of fear. However, there is greater evidence of differential activation of the hippocampus, amygdalar nuclei and the prefrontal cortical regions in male and female rodents during context and cued fear conditioning. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a sexually dimorphic structure, is of particular interest as it differentially contributes to fear responses in males and females. In addition, while the influence of the estrous cycle on different phases of fear conditioning is delineated, the clearest modulatory effect of estrogen is on fear extinction processes. Examining the variability in neural responses and behavior in both sexes should increase our understanding of how that variability contributes to the neurobiology of affective disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, anxiety and PTSD'.
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11
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Walker DM, Zhou X, Cunningham AM, Ramakrishnan A, Cates HM, Lardner CK, Peña CJ, Bagot RC, Issler O, Van der Zee Y, Lipschultz AP, Godino A, Browne CJ, Hodes GE, Parise EM, Torres-Berrio A, Kennedy PJ, Shen L, Zhang B, Nestler EJ. Crystallin Mu in Medial Amygdala Mediates the Effect of Social Experience on Cocaine Seeking in Males but Not in Females. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:895-906. [PMID: 36182529 PMCID: PMC9828478 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social experiences influence susceptibility to substance use disorder. The adolescent period is associated with the development of social reward and is exceptionally sensitive to disruptions to reward-associated behaviors by social experiences. Social isolation (SI) during adolescence alters anxiety- and reward-related behaviors in adult males, but little is known about females. The medial amygdala (meA) is a likely candidate for the modulation of social influence on drug reward because it regulates social reward, develops during adolescence, and is sensitive to social stress. However, little is known regarding how the meA responds to drugs of abuse. METHODS We used adolescent SI coupled with RNA sequencing to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying meA regulation of social influence on reward. RESULTS We show that SI in adolescence, a well-established preclinical model for addiction susceptibility, enhances preference for cocaine in male but not in female mice and alters cocaine-induced protein and transcriptional profiles within the adult meA particularly in males. To determine whether transcriptional mechanisms within the meA are important for these behavioral effects, we manipulated Crym expression, a sex-specific key driver gene identified through differential gene expression and coexpression network analyses, specifically in meA neurons. Overexpression of Crym, but not another key driver that did not meet our sex-specific criteria, recapitulated the behavioral and transcriptional effects of adolescent SI. CONCLUSIONS These results show that the meA is essential for modulating the sex-specific effects of social experience on drug reward and establish Crym as a critical mediator of sex-specific behavioral and transcriptional plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deena M Walker
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Xianxiao Zhou
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Ashley M Cunningham
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Hannah M Cates
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Casey K Lardner
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Catherine J Peña
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Rosemary C Bagot
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Orna Issler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Yentl Van der Zee
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Andrew P Lipschultz
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Caleb J Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Georgia E Hodes
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Angelica Torres-Berrio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Pamela J Kennedy
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
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12
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Borrego MB, Chan AE, Ozburn AR. Regulation of alcohol drinking by ventral striatum and extended amygdala circuitry. Neuropharmacology 2022; 212:109074. [PMID: 35487273 PMCID: PMC9677601 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is a complex psychiatric disorder that can be modeled in rodents using a number of drinking paradigms. Drinking-in-the-dark (DID) is widely used to model the binge/intoxication stage of addiction, and chronic intermittent ethanol vapor procedures (CIE) are used to induce dependence and model withdrawal/negative affect induced escalation of drinking. We discuss experiments showing the ventral striatum (vStr) and extended amygdala (EA) are engaged in response to ethanol in rodents through c-Fos/Fos immunoreactivity studies. We also discuss experiments in rodents that span a wide variety of techniques where the function of vStr and EA structures are changed following DID or CIE, and the role of neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems studies in these ethanol-related outcomes. We note where signaling systems converge across regions and paradigms and where there are still gaps in the literature. Dynorphin/κ-opioid receptor (KOR) signaling, as well as corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)/CRF receptor signaling were found to be important regulators of drinking behaviors across brain regions and drinking paradigms. Future research will require that females and a variety of rodent strains are used in preclinical experiments in order to strengthen the generalizability of findings and improve the likelihood of success for testing potential therapeutics in human laboratory studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa B Borrego
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Amy E Chan
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Angela R Ozburn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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13
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Gegenhuber B, Wu MV, Bronstein R, Tollkuhn J. Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors underlies brain sex differences. Nature 2022; 606:153-159. [PMID: 35508660 PMCID: PMC9159952 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04686-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oestradiol establishes neural sex differences in many vertebrates1-3 and modulates mood, behaviour and energy balance in adulthood4-8. In the canonical pathway, oestradiol exerts its effects through the transcription factor oestrogen receptor-α (ERα)9. Although ERα has been extensively characterized in breast cancer, the neuronal targets of ERα, and their involvement in brain sex differences, remain largely unknown. Here we generate a comprehensive map of genomic ERα-binding sites in a sexually dimorphic neural circuit that mediates social behaviours. We conclude that ERα orchestrates sexual differentiation of the mouse brain through two mechanisms: establishing two male-biased neuron types and activating a sustained male-biased gene expression program. Collectively, our findings reveal that sex differences in gene expression are defined by hormonal activation of neuronal steroid receptors. The molecular targets we identify may underlie the effects of oestradiol on brain development, behaviour and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Gegenhuber
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - M V Wu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - R Bronstein
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - J Tollkuhn
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
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14
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Zeng N, Cutts EJ, Lopez CB, Kaur S, Duran M, Virkus SA, Hardaway JA. Anatomical and Functional Characterization of Central Amygdala Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Expressing Neurons. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:724030. [PMID: 35002645 PMCID: PMC8739476 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.724030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors (GLP-1Rs) are highly expressed in the brain and are responsible for mediating the acute anorexigenic actions of widely prescribed GLP-1R agonists. Neurobiological efforts to localize the hypophagic effects of GLP-1R agonists in the brain have mainly focused on the hypothalamus and hindbrain. In this study, we performed a deep anatomical and neurophysiological characterization of GLP-1Rs in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). At an mRNA level, we found that Glp1r is diffusely coexpressed in known CeA subpopulations like protein kinase c δ (Prkcd), somatostatin (Sst), or tachykinin2 (Tac2). At a cellular level, we used Glp1r-Cre mice and viral Cre-dependent tracing to map the anatomical positions of GLP-1R cells across the rostral-caudal axis of the CeA and in CeA subdivisions. We found that Glp1rCeA cells are highly enriched in the medial subdivision of the CeA (CeM). Using whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology, we found that Glp1rCeA neurons are characterized by the presence of Ih-like currents and resemble a low threshold bursting neuronal subtype in response to hyperpolarizing and depolarizing current injections. We observed sex differences in the magnitude of Ih-like currents and membrane capacitance. At rest, we observed that nearly half of Glp1rCeA neurons are spontaneously active. We observed that active and inactive neurons display significant differences in excitability even when normalized to an identical holding potential. Our data are the first to deeply characterize the pattern of Glp1r in the CeA and study the neurophysiological characteristics of CeA neurons expressing Glp1r. Future studies leveraging these data will be important to understanding the impact of GLP-1R agonists on feeding and motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningxiang Zeng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Elam J Cutts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Christian B Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Simran Kaur
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Miguel Duran
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Sonja A Virkus
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - J Andrew Hardaway
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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15
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Hagiwara H, Sakimura K, Abe M, Itoi K, Kamiya Y, Akema T, Funabashi T. Sex differences in pain-induced modulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the dorsolateral part of the stria terminalis in mice. Brain Res 2021; 1773:147688. [PMID: 34644526 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We earlier reported female-biased, sex-specific involvement of the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dl BST) in the formalin-induced pain response in rats. The present study investigated pain effects on mice behaviors. Because the dl BST is densely populated with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons, we examined sex differences in these parameters for the dl BST CRH neurons in male and female mice of a mouse line for which the CRH gene promoter (corticotropin-releasing factor [CRF]-Venus ΔNeo) controls the expression of the modified yellow fluorescent protein (Venus). Approximately 92% of Venus-positive cells in the dl BST were also CRH mRNA-positive, irrespective of sex. Therefore, the cells identified using Venus fluorescence were regarded as CRH neurons. A female-biased sex difference was observed in pain-induced behaviors during the interphase (5-15 min after formalin injection) but not during the later phase (phase 2, 15-60 min) in wild-type mice. In CRF-Venus ΔNeo mice, a female-biased difference was observed in either the earlier phase (phase 1, 0-5 min) or the interphase, but not in phase 2. Patch-clamp recordings taken using an acute BST slice obtained from a CRF-Venus ΔNeo mouse after formalin injection showed miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs). Remarkably, the mEPSCs frequency was higher in the Venus-expressing cells of formalin-injected female mice than in vehicle-treated female mice. Male mice showed no increase in mEPSC frequency by formalin injection. Formalin injection had no effect on mEPSC or mIPSC amplitudes in either sex. Pain-induced changes in mEPSC frequency in putative CRH neurons were phase-dependent. Results show that excitatory synaptic inputs to BST CRH neurons are temporally enhanced along with behavioral sex differences in pain response, suggesting that pain signals alter the BST CRH neurons excitability in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroko Hagiwara
- Department of Physiology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-8511, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Manabu Abe
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Keiichi Itoi
- Laboratory of Information Biology, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3-09 Aramaki-aza Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Kamiya
- Division of Anesthesiology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 950-8510, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Akema
- Department of Physiology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-8511, Japan
| | - Toshiya Funabashi
- Department of Physiology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki 216-8511, Japan.
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16
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Cara AL, Henson EL, Beekly BG, Elias CF. Distribution of androgen receptor mRNA in the prepubertal male and female mouse brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2021; 33:e13063. [PMID: 34866263 PMCID: PMC8711114 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Androgens are steroid hormones that play a critical role in brain development and sexual maturation by acting upon both androgen receptors (AR) and estrogen receptors (ERα/β) after aromatization. The contribution of estrogens from aromatized androgens in brain development and the central regulation of metabolism, reproduction, and behavior is well defined, but the role of androgens acting on AR has been unappreciated. Here, we map the sex specific expression of Ar in the adult and developing mouse brain. Postnatal days (PND) 12 and 21 were used to target a critical window of prepubertal development. Consistent with previous literature in adults, sex-specific differences in Ar expression were most profound in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), medial amygdala (MEA) and medial preoptic area (MPO). Ar expression was also high in these areas at PND 12 and 21 in both sexes. In addition, we describe extra-hypothalamic and extra-limbic areas that show moderate, consistent and similar Ar expression in both sexes at both prepubertal time points. Briefly, Ar expression was observed in olfactory areas of the cerebral cortex, the hippocampus, several thalamic nuclei, and cranial nerve nuclei involved in autonomic sensory and motor function. To further characterize forebrain populations of Ar expressing neurons and determine whether they also coexpress estrogen receptors, we examined expression of Ar, Esr1 and Esr2 in prepubertal mice in selected nuclei. We found populations of neurons in the BST, MEA and MPO that coexpress Ar, but not Esr1 or Esr2, whereas others express a combination of the three receptors. Our findings indicate that various brain areas express Ar during prepubertal development and may play an important role in female neuronal development and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra L. Cara
- Department of Molecular & Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Emily L. Henson
- Department of Molecular & Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | | | - Carol F. Elias
- Department of Molecular & Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
- Neuroscience Graduate ProgramUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
- Department of Obstetrics and GynaecologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
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17
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Posterodorsal Medial Amygdala Regulation of Female Social Behavior: GABA versus Glutamate Projections. J Neurosci 2021; 41:8790-8800. [PMID: 34470806 PMCID: PMC8528505 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1103-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors, including reproductive behaviors, often display sexual dimorphism. Lordosis, the measure of female sexual receptivity, is one of the most apparent sexually dimorphic reproductive behaviors. Lordosis is regulated by estrogen and progesterone (P4) acting within a hypothalamic-limbic circuit, consisting of the arcuate, medial preoptic, and ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus. Social cues are integrated into the circuit through the amygdala. The posterodorsal part of the medial amygdala (MeApd) is involved in sexually dimorphic social and reproductive behaviors, and sends projections to hypothalamic neuroendocrine regions. GABA from the MeApd appears to facilitate social behaviors, while glutamate may play the opposite role. To test these hypotheses, adult female vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT)-Cre and vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGluT2)-Cre mice were transfected with halorhodopsin (eNpHR)-expressing or channelrhodopsin-expressing adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), respectively, in the MeApd. The lordosis quotient (LQ) was measured following either photoinhibition of VGAT or photoexcitation of VGluT2 neurons, and brains were assessed for c-Fos immunohistochemistry (IHC). Photoinhibition of VGAT neurons in the MeApd decreased LQ, and decreased c-Fos expression within VGAT neurons, within the MeApd as a whole, and within the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial nucleus (VMHvl). Photoexcitation of VGluT2 neurons did not affect LQ, but did increase time spent self-grooming, and increased c-Fos expression within VGluT2 neurons in the MeApd. Neither condition altered c-Fos expression in the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) or the arcuate nucleus (ARH). These data support a role for MeApd GABA in the facilitation of lordosis. Glutamate from the MeApd does not appear to be directly involved in the lordosis circuit, but appears to direct behavior away from social interactions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Lordosis, the measure of female sexual receptivity, is a sexually dimorphic behavior regulated within a hypothalamic-limbic circuit. Social cues are integrated through the amygdala, and the posterodorsal part of the medial amygdala (MeApd) is involved in sexually dimorphic social and reproductive behaviors. Photoinhibition of GABAergic neurons in the MeApd inhibited lordosis, while photoactivation of glutamate neurons had no effect on lordosis, but increased self-grooming. These data support a role for MeApd GABA in the facilitation of social behaviors and MeApd glutamate projections in anti-social interactions.
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18
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Kelly AM, Seifert AW. Distribution of Vasopressin and Oxytocin Neurons in the Basal Forebrain and Midbrain of Spiny Mice (Acomys cahirinus). Neuroscience 2021; 468:16-28. [PMID: 34102266 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The nonapeptides vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) are present in some form in most vertebrates. VP and OT play critical roles in modulating physiology and are well-studied for their influences on a variety of social behaviors, ranging from affiliation to aggression. Their anatomical distributions have been mapped for numerous species across taxa, demonstrating relatively strong evolutionary conservation in distributions throughout the basal forebrain and midbrain. Here we examined the distribution of VP-immunoreactive (-ir) and OT-ir neurons in a gregarious, cooperatively breeding rodent species, the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus), for which nonapeptide mapping does not yet exist. Immunohistochemical techniques revealed VP-ir and OT-ir neuronal populations throughout the hypothalamus and amygdala of males and females that are consistent with those of other rodents. However, a novel population of OT-ir neurons was observed in the median preoptic nucleus of both sexes, located dorsally to the anterior commissure. Furthermore, we found widespread sex differences in OT neuronal populations, with males having significantly more OT-ir neurons than females. However, we observed a sex difference in only one VP cell group - that of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), a VP neuronal population that exhibits a phylogenetically widespread sexual dimorphism. These findings provide mapping distributions of VP and OT neurons in Acomys cahirinus. Spiny mice lend themselves to the study of mammalian cooperation and sociality, and the nonapeptide neuronal mapping presented here can serve as a basic foundation for the study of nonapeptide-mediated behavior in a group of highly social rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Ashley W Seifert
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, 675 Rose Street, Lexington KY 40508, USA
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19
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Ponomareva OY, Ressler KJ. Genomic factors underlying sex differences in trauma-related disorders. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100330. [PMID: 33997155 PMCID: PMC8102626 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a devastating illness with treatment that is effective in only approximately half of the population. This limited rate of response highlights the necessity for research into underlying individual biological mechanisms that mediate development and progression of this disease, allowing for identification of patient-specific treatments. PTSD has clear sex differences in both risk and symptom patterns. Thus, one approach is to characterize trauma-related changes between men and women who exhibit differences in treatment efficacy and response to trauma. Recent technological advances in sequencing have identified several genomic loci and transcriptional changes that are associated with post-trauma symptomatology. However, although the diagnosis of PTSD is more prevalent in women, the genetic factors underlying sex differences remain poorly understood. Here, we review recent work that highlights current understanding and limitations in the field of sex differences in PTSD and related symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Y Ponomareva
- Neuropsychiatry Translational Research Fellowship Program, Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.,McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
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20
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Urien L, Stein N, Ryckman A, Bell L, Bauer EP. Extended amygdala circuits are differentially activated by context fear conditioning in male and female rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 180:107401. [PMID: 33581315 PMCID: PMC8076097 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
As the incidence of anxiety disorders is more prevalent in females, comparing the neural underpinnings of anxiety in males and females is imperative. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) contributes to long-lasting, anxiety-like states including the expression of context fear conditioning. Currently, there is conflicting evidence as to which nuclei of the BNST contribute to these behaviors. The anterolateral portion of the BNST (BNST-AL) located dorsal to the anterior commissure and lateral to the stria terminalis sends robust projections to the central nucleus of the amygdala (CE). Here we asked whether the BNST-AL is active during the expression of context fear conditioning in both male and female rats. At the cellular level, the expression of context fear produced upregulation of the immediate-early gene ARC in the BNST-AL as well as an upregulation of ARC specifically in neurons projecting to the CE, as labeled by the retrograde tracer Fluorogold infused into the CE. However, this pattern of ARC expression was observed in male rats only. Excitotoxic lesions of the BNST reduced context fear expression in both sexes, suggesting that a different set of BNST subnuclei may be recruited by the expression of fear and anxiety-like behaviors in females. Overall, our data highlight the involvement of the BNST-AL in fear expression in males, and suggest that subnuclei of the BNST may be functionally different in male and female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Urien
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Nicole Stein
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Abigail Ryckman
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Lindsey Bell
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Elizabeth P Bauer
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States.
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21
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Maita I, Bazer A, Blackford JU, Samuels BA. Functional anatomy of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis-hypothalamus neural circuitry: Implications for valence surveillance, addiction, feeding, and social behaviors. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 179:403-418. [PMID: 34225978 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819975-6.00026-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a medial basal forebrain structure that modulates the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The heterogeneous subnuclei of the BNST integrate inputs from mood and reward-related areas and send direct inhibitory projections to the hypothalamus. The connections between the BNST and hypothalamus are conserved across species, promote activation of the HPA axis, and can increase avoidance of aversive environments, which is historically associated with anxiety behaviors. However, BNST-hypothalamus circuitry is also implicated in motivated behaviors, drug seeking, feeding, and sexual behavior. These complex and diverse roles, as well its sexual dimorphism, indicate that the BNST-hypothalamus circuitry is an essential component of the neural circuitry that may underlie various psychiatric diseases, ranging from anorexia to anxiety to addiction. The following review is a cross-species exploration of BNST-hypothalamus circuitry. First, we describe the BNST subnuclei, microcircuitry and complex reciprocal connections with the hypothalamus. We will then discuss the behavioral functions of BNST-hypothalamus circuitry, including valence surveillance, addiction, feeding, and social behavior. Finally, we will address sex differences in morphology and function of the BNST and hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Maita
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Allyson Bazer
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Jennifer Urbano Blackford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States; Research Health Scientist, Tennessee Valley HealthCare System, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, United States
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22
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Tong WH, Abdulai-Saiku S, Vyas A. Medial Amygdala Arginine Vasopressin Neurons Regulate Innate Aversion to Cat Odors in Male Mice. Neuroendocrinology 2021; 111:505-520. [PMID: 32447337 DOI: 10.1159/000508862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Aversion to environmental cues of predators is an integral part of defensive behaviors in many prey animals. It enhances their survival and probability of future reproduction. At the same time, animals cannot be maximally defended because imperatives of defense usually trade-off with behaviors required for sexual reproduction like display of dominance and production of sexual pheromones. Here, we approach this trade-off through the lens of arginine vasopressin (AVP) neurons within the posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) of mice. This neuronal population is known to be involved in sexual behaviors like approach to sexually salient cues. We show that chemogenetic partial ablation of this neuronal population increases aversion to predator odors. Moreover, overexpression of AVP within this population is sufficient to reduce aversion to predator odors. The loss of fear of the predator odor occurs in parallel with increased recruitment of AVP neurons within the MePD. These observations suggest that AVP neurons in the medial aspect of the extended amygdala are a proximate locus for the reduction in innate fear during life stages dominated by reproductive efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Han Tong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Samira Abdulai-Saiku
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ajai Vyas
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore,
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23
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Hammack SE, Braas KM, May V. Chemoarchitecture of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis: Neurophenotypic diversity and function. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 179:385-402. [PMID: 34225977 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819975-6.00025-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a compact but neurophenotypically complex structure in the ventral forebrain that is structurally and functionally linked to other limbic structures, including the amygdala nuclear complex, hypothalamic nuclei, hippocampus, and related midbrain structures, to participate in a wide range of functions, especially emotion, emotional learning, stress-related responses, and sexual behaviors. From a variety of sensory inputs, the BNST acts as a node for signal integration and coordination for information relay to downstream central neuroendocrine and autonomic centers for appropriate homeostatic physiological and behavioral responses. In contrast to the role of the amygdala in fear, the BNST has gained wide interest from work suggesting that it has main roles in mediating sustained responses to diffuse, unpredictable and/or long-duration threats that are typically associated with anxiety-related responses. Further, some BNST subregions are highly sexually dimorphic which appear contributory to the differential stress and social interactive behaviors, including reproductive responses, between males and females. Notably, maladaptive BNST neuroplasticity and function have been implicated in chronic pain, depression, anxiety-related abnormalities, and other psychopathologies including posttraumatic stress disorders. The BNST circuits are predominantly GABAergic-the glutaminergic neurons represent a minor population-but the complexity of the system results from an overlay of diverse neuropeptide coexpression in these neurons. More than a dozen neuropeptides may be differentially coexpressed in BNST neurons, and from variable G protein-coupled receptor signaling, may inhibit or activate downstream circuit activities. The mechanisms and roles of these peptides in modulating intrinsic BNST neurocircuit signaling and BNST long-distance target cell projections are still not well understood. Nevertheless, an understanding of some of the principal players may allow assembly of the circuit interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayamwong E Hammack
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Karen M Braas
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Victor May
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, United States.
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24
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X-chromosome regulation and sex differences in brain anatomy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:28-47. [PMID: 33171144 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Humans show reproducible sex-differences in cognition and psychopathology that may be contributed to by influences of gonadal sex-steroids and/or sex-chromosomes on regional brain development. Gonadal sex-steroids are well known to play a major role in sexual differentiation of the vertebrate brain, but far less is known regarding the role of sex-chromosomes. Our review focuses on this latter issue by bridging together two literatures that have to date been largely disconnected. We first consider "bottom-up" genetic and molecular studies focused on sex-chromosome gene content and regulation. This literature nominates specific sex-chromosome genes that could drive developmental sex-differences by virtue of their sex-biased expression and their functions within the brain. We then consider the complementary "top down" view, from magnetic resonance imaging studies that map sex- and sex chromosome effects on regional brain anatomy, and link these maps to regional gene-expression within the brain. By connecting these top-down and bottom-up approaches, we emphasize the potential role of X-linked genes in driving sex-biased brain development and outline key goals for future work in this field.
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25
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Abstract
Gonadal hormones contribute to the sexual differentiation of brain and behavior throughout the lifespan, from initial neural patterning to "activation" of adult circuits. Sexual behavior is an ideal system in which to investigate the mechanisms underlying hormonal activation of neural circuits. Sexual behavior is a hormonally regulated, innate social behavior found across species. Although both sexes seek out and engage in sexual behavior, the specific actions involved in mating are sexually dimorphic. Thus, the neural circuits mediating sexual motivation and behavior in males and females are overlapping yet distinct. Furthermore, sexual behavior is strongly dependent on circulating gonadal hormones in both sexes. There has been significant recent progress on elucidating how gonadal hormones modulate physiological properties within sexual behavior circuits with consequences for behavior. Therefore, in this mini-review we review the neural circuits of male and female sexual motivation and behavior, from initial sensory detection of pheromones to the extended amygdala and on to medial hypothalamic nuclei and reward systems. We also discuss how gonadal hormones impact the physiology and functioning of each node within these circuits. By better understanding the myriad of ways in which gonadal hormones impact sexual behavior circuits, we can gain a richer and more complete appreciation for the neural substrates of complex behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly J Jennings
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Luis de Lecea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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26
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Keever MR, Zhang P, Bolt CR, Antonson AM, Rymut HE, Caputo MP, Houser AK, Hernandez AG, Southey BR, Rund LA, Johnson RW, Rodriguez-Zas SL. Lasting and Sex-Dependent Impact of Maternal Immune Activation on Molecular Pathways of the Amygdala. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:774. [PMID: 32848554 PMCID: PMC7431923 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The prolonged and sex-dependent impact of maternal immune activation (MIA) during gestation on the molecular pathways of the amygdala, a brain region that influences social, emotional, and other behaviors, is only partially understood. To address this gap, we investigated the effects of viral-elicited MIA during gestation on the amygdala transcriptome of pigs, a species of high molecular and developmental homology to humans. Gene expression levels were measured using RNA-Seq on the amygdala for 3-week-old female and male offspring from MIA and control groups. Among the 403 genes that exhibited significant MIA effect, a prevalence of differentially expressed genes annotated to the neuroactive ligand-receptor pathway, glutamatergic functions, neuropeptide systems, and cilium morphogenesis were uncovered. Genes in these categories included corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 2, glutamate metabotropic receptor 4, glycoprotein hormones, alpha polypeptide, parathyroid hormone 1 receptor, vasointestinal peptide receptor 2, neurotensin, proenkephalin, and gastrin-releasing peptide. These categories and genes have been associated with the MIA-related human neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Gene network reconstruction highlighted differential vulnerability to MIA effects between sexes. Our results advance the understanding necessary for the development of multifactorial therapies targeting immune modulation and neurochemical dysfunction that can ameliorate the effects of MIA on offspring behavior later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa R Keever
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Pan Zhang
- Illinois Informatics Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Courtni R Bolt
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Adrienne M Antonson
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Haley E Rymut
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Megan P Caputo
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Alexandra K Houser
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Alvaro G Hernandez
- High-throughput Sequencing and Genotyping Unit, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Bruce R Southey
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Laurie A Rund
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Rodney W Johnson
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Sandra L Rodriguez-Zas
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.,Illinois Informatics Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.,Department of Statistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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27
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Tsukahara S, Morishita M. Sexually Dimorphic Formation of the Preoptic Area and the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis by Neuroestrogens. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:797. [PMID: 32848568 PMCID: PMC7403479 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Testicular androgens during the perinatal period play an important role in the sexual differentiation of the brain of rodents. Testicular androgens transported into the brain act via androgen receptors or are the substrate of aromatase, which synthesizes neuroestrogens that act via estrogen receptors. The latter that occurs in the perinatal period significantly contributes to the sexual differentiation of the brain. The preoptic area (POA) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) are sexually dimorphic brain regions that are involved in the regulation of sex-specific social behaviors and the reproductive neuroendocrine system. Here, we discuss how neuroestrogens of testicular origin act in the perinatal period to organize the sexually dimorphic structures of the POA and BNST. Accumulating data from rodent studies suggest that neuroestrogens induce the sex differences in glial and immune cells, which play an important role in the sexually dimorphic formation of the dendritic synapse patterning in the POA, and induce the sex differences in the cell number of specific neuronal cell groups in the POA and BNST, which may be established by controlling the number of cells dying by apoptosis or the phenotypic organization of living cells. Testicular androgens in the peripubertal period also contribute to the sexual differentiation of the POA and BNST, and thus their aromatization to estrogens may be unnecessary. Additionally, we discuss the notion that testicular androgens that do not aromatize to estrogens can also induce significant effects on the sexually dimorphic formation of the POA and BNST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Masahiro Morishita
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
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28
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NMDA receptors in the CeA and BNST differentially regulate fear conditioning to predictable and unpredictable threats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 174:107281. [PMID: 32721480 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Considerable work demonstrates that Pavlovian fear conditioning depends on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent plasticity within the amygdala. In addition, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) has also been implicated in fear conditioning, particularly in the expression of fear to poor predictors of threat. We recently found that the expression of backward (BW) fear conditioning, in which an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) follows a footshock unconditioned stimulus (US), requires the BNST; the expression of forward (FW) fear conditioning was not disrupted by BNST inactivation. However, whether NMDA receptors within the BNST contribute to the acquisition of fear conditioning is unknown. Moreover, the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), which has extensive connections with the BNST, is critically involved in FW conditioning, however whether it participates in BW conditioning has not been explored. Here we test the specific hypothesis that the CeA and the BNST mediate the acquisition of FW and BW fear conditioning, respectively. Adult female and male rats were randomly assigned to receive bilateral infusions of the NMDA receptor antagonist, D,L-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV), into the CeA or BNST prior to FW or BW fear conditioning. We found that intra-CeA APV impaired the acquisition of both FW and BW conditioning, whereas intra-BNST APV produced selective deficits in BW conditioning. Moreover, APV in the BNST significantly reduced contextual freezing, whereas CeA NMDA receptor antagonism impeded early but not long-lasting contextual fear. Collectively, these data reveal that CeA and BNST NMDA receptors have unique roles in fear conditioning.
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29
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Integrative structural, functional, and transcriptomic analyses of sex-biased brain organization in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:18788-18798. [PMID: 32690678 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1919091117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans display reproducible sex differences in cognition and behavior, which may partly reflect intrinsic sex differences in regional brain organization. However, the consistency, causes and consequences of sex differences in the human brain are poorly characterized and hotly debated. In contrast, recent studies in mice-a major model organism for studying neurobiological sex differences-have established: 1) highly consistent sex biases in regional gray matter volume (GMV) involving the cortex and classical subcortical foci, 2) a preponderance of regional GMV sex differences in brain circuits for social and reproductive behavior, and 3) a spatial coupling between regional GMV sex biases and brain expression of sex chromosome genes in adulthood. Here, we directly test translatability of rodent findings to humans. First, using two independent structural-neuroimaging datasets (n > 2,000), we find that the spatial map of sex-biased GMV in humans is highly reproducible (r > 0.8 within and across cohorts). Relative GMV is female biased in prefrontal and superior parietal cortices, and male biased in ventral occipitotemporal, and distributed subcortical regions. Second, through systematic comparison with functional neuroimaging meta-analyses, we establish a statistically significant concentration of human GMV sex differences within brain regions that subserve face processing. Finally, by imaging-transcriptomic analyses, we show that GMV sex differences in human adulthood are specifically and significantly coupled to regional expression of sex-chromosome (vs. autosomal) genes and enriched for distinct cell-type signatures. These findings establish conserved aspects of sex-biased brain development in humans and mice, and shed light on the consistency, candidate causes, and potential functional corollaries of sex-biased brain anatomy in humans.
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30
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Sagoshi S, Maejima S, Morishita M, Takenawa S, Otubo A, Takanami K, Sakamoto T, Sakamoto H, Tsukahara S, Ogawa S. Detection and Characterization of Estrogen Receptor Beta Expression in the Brain with Newly Developed Transgenic Mice. Neuroscience 2020; 438:182-197. [PMID: 32387645 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.04.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Two types of nuclear estrogen receptors, ERα and ERβ, have been shown to be differentially involved in the regulation of various types of behaviors. Due to a lack of tools for identifying ERβ expression, detailed anatomical distribution and neurochemical characteristics of ERβ expressing cells and cellular co-expression with ERα remain unclear. We have generated transgenic mice ERβ-RFPtg, in which RFP was inserted downstream of ERβ BAC promotor. We verified RFP signals as ERβ by confirming: (1) high ERβ mRNA levels in RFP-expressing cells collected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting; and (2) co-localization of ERβ mRNA and RFP proteins in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Strong ERβ-RFP signals were found in the PVN, medial preoptic area (MPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial amygdala (MeA), and dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). In the MPOA and MeA, three types of cell populations were identified; those expressing both ERα and ERβ, and those expressing exclusively either ERα or ERβ. The majority of PVN and DRN cells expressed only ERβ-RFP. Further, ERβ-RFP positive cells co-expressed oxytocin in the PVN, and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 and progesterone receptors in the DRN. In the MeA, some ERβ-RFP positive cells co-expressed oxytocin receptors. These findings collectively suggest that ERβ-RFPtg mice can be a powerful tool for future studies on ERβ function in the estrogenic regulation of social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Sagoshi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Sho Maejima
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Masahiro Morishita
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Satoshi Takenawa
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Akito Otubo
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Keiko Takanami
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Sakamoto
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Sakamoto
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Sonoko Ogawa
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
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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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32
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Goerzen D, Fowler C, Devenyi GA, Germann J, Madularu D, Chakravarty MM, Near J. An MRI-Derived Neuroanatomical Atlas of the Fischer 344 Rat Brain. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6952. [PMID: 32332821 PMCID: PMC7181609 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports the development of a high-resolution 3-D MRI atlas of the Fischer 344 adult rat brain. The atlas is a 60 μm isotropic image volume composed of 256 coronal slices with 71 manually delineated structures and substructures. The atlas was developed using Pydpiper image registration pipeline to create an average brain image of 41 four-month-old male and female Fischer 344 rats. Slices in the average brain image were then manually segmented, individually and bilaterally, on the basis of image contrast in conjunction with Paxinos and Watson's (2007) stereotaxic rat brain atlas. Summary statistics (mean and standard deviation of regional volumes) are reported for each brain region across the sample used to generate the atlas, and a statistical comparison of a chosen subset of regional brain volumes between male and female rats is presented. On average, the coefficient of variation of regional brain volumes across all rats in our sample was 4%, with no individual brain region having a coefficient of variation greater than 13%. A full description of methods used, as well as the atlas, the template that the atlas was derived from, and a masking file, can be found on Zenodo at www.zenodo.org/record/3700210. To our knowledge, this is the first MRI atlas created using Fischer 344 rats and will thus provide an appropriate neuroanatomical model for researchers working with this strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Goerzen
- Department of Neuroscience, McGill University, H3A 0G4, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Caitlin Fowler
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, H3A 0G4, Montreal, Canada
| | - Gabriel A Devenyi
- Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, H4H 1R3, Verdun, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, H3A 0G4, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jurgen Germann
- Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, H4H 1R3, Verdun, Canada
| | - Dan Madularu
- Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, H4H 1R3, Verdun, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, H3A 0G4, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Translational Neuroimaging, Northeastern University, 02115, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, H3A 0G4, Montreal, Canada
- Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, H4H 1R3, Verdun, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, H3A 0G4, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jamie Near
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, H3A 0G4, Montreal, Canada
- Centre d'Imagerie Cérébrale, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, H4H 1R3, Verdun, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, H3A 0G4, Montreal, Canada
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The Role of Olfactory Genes in the Expression of Rodent Paternal Care Behavior. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11030292. [PMID: 32164379 PMCID: PMC7140856 DOI: 10.3390/genes11030292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is the dominant sensory modality in rodents, and is crucial for regulating social behaviors, including parental care. Paternal care is rare in rodents, but can have significant consequences for offspring fitness, suggesting a need to understand the factors that regulate its expression. Pup-related odor cues are critical for the onset and maintenance of paternal care. Here, I consider the role of olfaction in the expression of paternal care in rodents. The medial preoptic area shares neural projections with the olfactory and accessory olfactory bulbs, which are responsible for the interpretation of olfactory cues detected by the main olfactory and vomeronasal systems. The olfactory, trace amine, membrane-spanning 4-pass A, vomeronasal 1, vomeronasal 2 and formyl peptide receptors are all involved in olfactory detection. I highlight the roles that 10 olfactory genes play in the expression of direct paternal care behaviors, acknowledging that this list is not exhaustive. Many of these genes modulate parental aggression towards intruders, and facilitate the recognition and discrimination of pups in general. Much of our understanding comes from studies on non-naturally paternal laboratory rodents. Future studies should explore what role these genes play in the regulation and expression of paternal care in naturally biparental species.
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Ogawa S, Ramadasan PN, Anthonysamy R, Parhar IS. Sexual Dimorphic Distribution of Hypothalamic Tachykinin1 Cells and Their Innervations to GnRH Neurons in the Zebrafish. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:534343. [PMID: 33763023 PMCID: PMC7982876 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.534343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA), encoded by TAC1/Tac1 gene are members of the tachykinin family, which exert their neuromodulatory roles in vertebrate reproduction. In mammals, SP and NKA have been shown to regulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion via kisspeptin neurons. On the other hand, the role of SP/NKA in the regulation of reproduction in non-mammalian vertebrates is not well known. In the present study, we first localized expression of tac1 mRNA in the brain of male and female zebrafish, Danio rerio. Next, using an antibody against zebrafish tachykinin1 (Tac1), we examined the neural association of SP/NKA neural processes with GnRH3 neurons, and with kisspeptin (kiss2) neurons, in the brains of male and female zebrafish. In situ hybridization showed an apparent male-dominant tac1 expression in the ventral telencephalic area, the anterior and posterior parts of the parvocellular preoptic nucleus, and the suprachiasmatic nucleus. On the other hand, there was female-dominant tac1 expression in the ventral periventricular hypothalamus. Confocal images of double-labeled zebrafish Tac1 and GnRH3 showed associations between Tac1-immunoreactive processes and GnRH3 neurons in the ventral telencephalic area. In contrast, there was no apparent proximity of Tac1 processes to kiss2 mRNA-expressing neurons in the hypothalamus. Lastly, to elucidate possible direct action of SP/NKA on GnRH3 or Kiss2 neurons, expression of SP/NKA receptor, tacr1a mRNA was examined in regions containing GnRH3 or Kiss2 neurons by in situ hybridization. Expression of tacr1a mRNA was seen in several brain regions including the olfactory bulb, preoptic area and hypothalamus, where GnRH3 and Kiss2 cells are present. These results suggest that unlike in mammals, Tac1 may be involved in male reproductive functions via direct action on GnRH3 neurons but independent of kisspeptin in the zebrafish.
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Abstract
Estrogens are critical in driving sex-typical social behaviours that are ethologically relevant in mammals. This is due to both production of local estrogens and signaling by these ligands, particularly in an interconnected set of nuclei called the social behavioural network (SBN). The SBN is a sexually dimorphic network studied predominantly in rodents that is thought to underlie the display of social behaviour in mammals. Signalling by the predominant endogenous estrogen, 17β-estradiol, can be either via the classical genomic or non-classical rapid pathway. In the classical genomic pathway, 17β-estradiol binds the intracellular estrogen receptors (ER) α and β which act as ligand-dependent transcription factors to regulate transcription. In the non-genomic pathway, 17β-estradiol binds a putative plasma membrane ER (mER) such as GPR30/GPER1 to rapidly signal via kinases or calcium flux. Though GPER1's role in sexual dimorphism has been explored to a greater extent in cardiovascular physiology, less is known about its role in the brain. In the last decade, activation of GPER1 has been shown to be important for lordosis and social cognition in females. In this review we will focus on several mechanisms that may contribute to sexually dimorphic behaviors including the colocalization of these estrogen receptors in the SBN, interplay between the signaling pathways activated by these different estrogen receptors, and the role of these receptors in development and the maintenance of the SBN, all of which remain underexplored.
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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: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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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Zancan M, Moura DJ, Morás AM, Steffens L, de Moura AC, Giovenardi M, Rasia-Filho AA. Neurotrophic factors in the posterodorsal medial amygdala of male and cycling female rats. Brain Res Bull 2019; 155:92-101. [PMID: 31812781 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) has a high concentration of receptors for gonadal hormones, is a sexually dimorphic region and dynamically controls the reproductive behavior of both males and females. Neurotrophic factors can promote dendritic spine remodeling and change synaptic input strength in a region-specific manner. Here, we analyzed the gene and protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1), polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) and Ephrin-A4 in the MePD of adult males and females in diestrus, proestrus and estrus using real-time qPCR and fluorescent immunohistochemistry. The first approach showed their amplification except for Igf1 and the latter revealed that BDNF, IGF-1, PSA-NCAM and Ephrin-A4 are expressed in the MePD of the adult rats. Protein expression of these neurotrophic factors showed no differences between groups. However, proestrus females displayed a higher number of labelled puncta than males for BDNF expression and diestrus females for IGF-1 expression. In conjunction, results indicate that IGF-1 might be released rather than synthetized in the MePD, and the expression of specific neurotrophic factors varies specifically during proestrus. The dynamic modulation of BDNF and IGF-1 during this cyclic phase is coincident with synaptic changes and spine density remodeling in the MePD, the disinhibition of gonadotrophin secretion for ovulation and the display of sexual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Zancan
- Federal University of Health Sciences/DCBS-Physiology, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul/Graduate Program in Neurosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Dinara J Moura
- Federal University of Health Sciences/Graduate Program in Biosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ana Moira Morás
- Federal University of Health Sciences/Graduate Program in Biosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Luiza Steffens
- Federal University of Health Sciences/Graduate Program in Biosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina de Moura
- Federal University of Health Sciences/ Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Márcia Giovenardi
- Federal University of Health Sciences/ Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Federal University of Health Sciences/DCBS-Physiology, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul/Graduate Program in Neurosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Federal University of Health Sciences/Graduate Program in Biosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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Cherry JA, Baum MJ. Sex differences in main olfactory system pathways involved in psychosexual function. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12618. [PMID: 31634411 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
We summarize literature from animal and human studies assessing sex differences in the ability of the main olfactory system to detect and process sex-specific olfactory signals ("pheromones") that control the expression of psychosexual functions in males and females. A case is made in non primate mammals for an obligatory role of pheromonal signaling via the main olfactory system (in addition to the vomeronasal-accessory olfactory system) in mate recognition and sexual arousal, with male-specific as well as female-specific pheromones subserving these functions in the opposite sex. Although the case for an obligatory role of pheromones in mate recognition and mating among old world primates, including humans, is weaker, we review the current literature assessing the role of putative human pheromones (eg, AND, EST, "copulin"), detected by the main olfactory system, in promoting mate choice and mating in men and women. Based on animal studies, we hypothesize that sexually dimorphic effects of putative human pheromones are mediated via main olfactory inputs to the medial amygdala which, in turn, transmits olfactory information to sites in the hypothalamus that regulate reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Cherry
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michael J Baum
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
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The Effects of Acute Neonatal Pain on Expression of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone and Juvenile Anxiety in a Rodent Model. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0162-19.2019. [PMID: 31601633 PMCID: PMC6860982 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0162-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may be subjected to numerous painful procedures without analgesics. One necessary, though acutely painful, procedure is the use of heel lances to monitor blood composition. The current study examined the acute effects of neonatal pain on maternal behavior as well as amygdalar and hypothalamic activation, and the long-term effects of neonatal pain on later-life anxiety-like behavior, using a rodent model. Neonatal manipulations consisted of either painful needle pricks or non-painful tactile stimulation in subjects’ left plantar paw surface which occurred four times daily during the first week of life [postnatal day (PND)1–PND7]. Additionally, maternal behaviors in manipulated litters were compared against undisturbed litters via scoring of videotaped interactions to examine the long-term effects of pain on dam-pup interactions. Select subjects underwent neonatal brain collection (PND6) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) for corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and the immediate early gene c-fos. Other subjects were raised to juvenile age (PND24 and PND25) and underwent innate anxiety testing utilizing an elevated plus maze (EPM) protocol. FISH indicated that neonatal pain influenced amygdalar CRH and c-fos expression, predominately in males. No significant increase in c-fos or CRH expression was observed in the hypothalamus. Additionally, neonatal pain altered anxiety behaviors independent of sex, with neonatal pain subjects showing the highest frequency of exploratory behavior. Neonatal manipulations did not alter maternal behaviors. Overall, neonatal pain drives CRH expression and produces behavioral changes in anxiety that persist until the juvenile stage.
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Carzoli KL, Sharfman NM, Lerner MR, Miller MC, Holmgren EB, Wills TA. Regulation of NMDA Receptor Plasticity in the BNST Following Adolescent Alcohol Exposure. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:440. [PMID: 31636539 PMCID: PMC6787153 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Persistent alterations in synaptic plasticity and neurotransmission are thought to underlie the heightened risk of adolescent-onset drinkers to develop alcohol use disorders in adulthood. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a compelling region to study the consequences of early alcohol, as it is innervated by cortical structures which undergo continued maturation during adolescence and is critically involved in stress and negative affect-associated relapse. In adult mice, chronic ethanol induces long-term changes in GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors (NMDARs) of the BNST. It remains unclear, however, whether the adolescent BNST is susceptible to such persistent alcohol-induced modifications and, if so, whether they are preserved into adulthood. We therefore examined the short- and long-term consequences of adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure (AIE) on NMDAR transmission and plasticity in the BNST of male and female mice. Whole-cell voltage clamp recordings revealed greater glutamatergic tone in the BNST of AIE-treated males and females relative to air-controls. This change, which corresponded to an increase in presynaptic glutamate release, resulted in altered postsynaptic NMDAR metaplasticity and enhanced GluN2B transmission in males but not females. Only AIE-treated males displayed upregulated GluN2B expression (determined by western blot analysis). While these changes did not persist into adulthood under basal conditions, exposing adult males (but not females) to acute restraint stress reinstated AIE-induced alterations in NMDAR metaplasticity and GluN2B function. These data demonstrate that adolescent alcohol exposure specifically modifies NMDARs in the male BNST, that the plastic changes to NMDARs are long-lasting, and that they can be engaged by stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn L. Carzoli
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Nathan M. Sharfman
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Mollie R. Lerner
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Miriam C. Miller
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Eleanor B. Holmgren
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Tiffany A. Wills
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States
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41
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Hull EM, Dominguez JM. Neuroendocrine Regulation of Male Sexual Behavior. Compr Physiol 2019; 9:1383-1410. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c180018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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42
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Neuroscience and Sex/Gender: Looking Back and Forward. J Neurosci 2019; 40:37-43. [PMID: 31488609 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0750-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phoenix et al. (1959) reported that treating pregnant guinea pigs with testosterone had enduring effects on the sex-related behavior of their female offspring. Since then, similar enduring effects of early testosterone exposure have been found in other species, including humans, and for other behaviors that show average sex differences. In humans, the affected outcomes include gender identity, sexual orientation, and children's sex-typical play behavior. The evidence linking early testosterone exposure to sex-typed play is particularly robust, and sex-typed play is also influenced by many other factors, including socialization by parents and peers and self-socialization, based on cognitive understanding of gender. In addition to influencing behavior, testosterone and hormones produced from testosterone affect mammalian brain structure. Studies using human autopsy material have found some sex differences in the human brain similar to those seen in other species, and have reported that some brain sex differences correlate with sexual orientation or gender identity, although the causes of these brain/behavior relationships are unclear. Studies that have imaged the living human brain have found only a small number of sex differences, and these differences are generally small in magnitude. In addition, they have not been linked to robust psychological or behavioral sex differences. Future research might benefit from improved imaging technology, and attention to other brain characteristics. In addition, it might usefully explore how different types of factors, such as early testosterone exposure and parental socialization, work together in the developmental system that produces sex/gender differences in human brain and behavior.
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Keiser AA, Wood MA. Examining the contribution of histone modification to sex differences in learning and memory. Learn Mem 2019; 26:318-331. [PMID: 31416905 PMCID: PMC6699407 DOI: 10.1101/lm.048850.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The epigenome serves as a signal integration platform that encodes information from experience and environment that adds tremendous complexity to the regulation of transcription required for memory, beyond the directions encoded in the genome. To date, our understanding of how epigenetic mechanisms integrate information to regulate gene expression required for memory is primarily obtained from male derived data despite sex-specific life experiences and sex differences in consolidation and retrieval of memory, and in the molecular mechanisms that mediate these processes. In this review, we examine the contribution of chromatin modification to learning and memory in both sexes. We provide examples of how exposure to a number of internal and external factors influence the epigenome in sex-similar and sex-specific ways that may ultimately impact transcription required for memory processes. We also pose a number of key open questions and identify areas requiring further investigation as we seek to understand how histone modifying mechanisms shape memory in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Keiser
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Marcelo A Wood
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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Fish AM, Nadig A, Seidlitz J, Reardon PK, Mankiw C, McDermott CL, Blumenthal JD, Clasen LS, Lalonde F, Lerch JP, Chakravarty MM, Shinohara RT, Raznahan A. Sex-biased trajectories of amygdalo-hippocampal morphology change over human development. Neuroimage 2019; 204:116122. [PMID: 31470127 PMCID: PMC7485527 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala and hippocampus are two adjacent allocortical structures implicated in sex-biased and developmentally-emergent psychopathology. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of amygdalo-hippocampal development remain poorly understood in healthy humans. The current study defined trajectories of volume and shape change for the amygdala and hippocampus by applying a multi-atlas segmentation pipeline (MAGeT-Brain) and semi-parametric mixed-effects spline modeling to 1,529 longitudinally-acquired structural MRI brain scans from a large, single-center cohort of 792 youth (403 males, 389 females) between the ages of 5 and 25 years old. We found that amygdala and hippocampus volumes both follow curvilinear and sexually dimorphic growth trajectories. These sex-biases were particularly striking in the amygdala: males showed a significantly later and slower adolescent deceleration in volume expansion (at age 20 years) than females (age 13 years). Shape analysis localized significant hot-spots of sex-biased anatomical development in sub-regional territories overlying rostral and caudal extremes of the CA1/2 in the hippocampus, and the centromedial nuclear group of the amygdala. In both sexes, principal components analysis revealed close integration of amygdala and hippocampus shape change along two main topographically-organized axes – low vs. high areal expansion, and early vs. late growth deceleration. These results (i) bring greater resolution to our spatiotemporal understanding of amygdalo-hippocampal development in healthy males and females, and (ii) uncover focal sex-differences in the structural maturation of the brain components that may contribute to differences in behavior and psychopathology that emerge during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari M Fish
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ajay Nadig
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Paul K Reardon
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Catherine Mankiw
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Cassidy L McDermott
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jonathan D Blumenthal
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Liv S Clasen
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Francois Lalonde
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A OG4; Departments of Psychiatry and Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A OG4, Canada
| | - Russell T Shinohara
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Worley NB, Dumais KM, Yuan JC, Newman LE, Alonso AG, Gillespie TC, Hobbs NJ, Breedlove SM, Jordan CL, Bredewold R, Veenema AH. Oestrogen and androgen receptor activation contribute to the masculinisation of oxytocin receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12760. [PMID: 31233647 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) often regulates social behaviours in sex-specific ways, and this may be a result of sex differences in the brain OT system. Adult male rats show higher OT receptor (OTR) binding in the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (pBNST) than adult female rats. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms that lead to this sex difference. First, we found that male rats have higher OTR mRNA expression in the pBNST than females at postnatal day (P) 35 and P60, which demonstrates the presence of the sex difference in OTR binding density at message level. Second, the sex difference in OTR binding density in the pBNST was absent at P0 and P3, but was present by P5. Third, systemic administration of the oestrogen receptor (ER) antagonist fulvestrant at P0 and P1 dose-dependently reduced OTR binding density in the pBNST of 5-week-old male rats, but did not eliminate the sex difference in OTR binding density. Fourth, pBNST-OTR binding density was lower in androgen receptor (AR) deficient genetic male rats compared to wild-type males, but higher compared to wild-type females. Finally, systemic administration of the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid at P0 and P1 did not alter pBNST-OTR binding density in 5-week-old male and female rats. Interestingly, neonatal ER antagonism, AR deficiency, and neonatal valproic acid treatment each eliminated the sex difference in pBNST size. Overall, we demonstrate a role for neonatal ER and AR activation in setting up the sex difference in OTR binding density in the pBNST, which may underlie sexual differentiation of the pBNST and social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas B Worley
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Kelly M Dumais
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Jingting C Yuan
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Laura E Newman
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Andrea G Alonso
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Tessa C Gillespie
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas J Hobbs
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - S Marc Breedlove
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Cynthia L Jordan
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Remco Bredewold
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Lenschow C, Brecht M. Physiological and Anatomical Outputs of Rat Genital Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:1472-1486. [PMID: 29373631 PMCID: PMC6093453 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Rat somatosensory genital cortex contains a large sexually monomorphic representation of the penis in males and the clitoris in females. Genital cortex microstimulation-evoked movements of legs, trunk and genitals, which showed sex-specific differences related to mating behaviors and included thrusting in males and lordosis-like movements in females. Erections/tumescence of penis or clitoris could not be evoked, however. Anterograde tracer injections into penis/clitoris cortex revealed eleven corticocortical and 10 subcortical projection targets, which were qualitatively similar in both sexes. Corticocortical genital-cortex-projections innervated about 3% of the cortical surface and most were analog to other somatosensory projections targeting motor cortex, secondary somatosensory cortex, parietal cortex and perirhinal cortex. Corticocortical projections that differed from other parts of somatosensory cortex targeted male scrotum cortex, female vulva cortex, the somatosensory–ear–auditory-cortex-region and the caudal parietal area. Aligning cytoarchitectonic borders with motor topography, sensory genital responses and corticocortical projections identified a candidate region for genital motor cortex. Most subcortical genital-cortex-projections were analog to other thalamic, tectal or pontine projections of somatosensory cortex. Genital-cortex-specific subcortical projections targeted amygdala and nucleus submedius and accumbens. Microstimulation-effects and projections support a sexual function of genital cortex and suggest that genital cortex is a major hub of sexual sensorimotor processing in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Lenschow
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany.,Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Avenida Brasília, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Michael Brecht
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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47
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Welch JD, Kozareva V, Ferreira A, Vanderburg C, Martin C, Macosko EZ. Single-Cell Multi-omic Integration Compares and Contrasts Features of Brain Cell Identity. Cell 2019; 177:1873-1887.e17. [PMID: 31178122 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 586] [Impact Index Per Article: 117.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Defining cell types requires integrating diverse single-cell measurements from multiple experiments and biological contexts. To flexibly model single-cell datasets, we developed LIGER, an algorithm that delineates shared and dataset-specific features of cell identity. We applied it to four diverse and challenging analyses of human and mouse brain cells. First, we defined region-specific and sexually dimorphic gene expression in the mouse bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Second, we analyzed expression in the human substantia nigra, comparing cell states in specific donors and relating cell types to those in the mouse. Third, we integrated in situ and single-cell expression data to spatially locate fine subtypes of cells present in the mouse frontal cortex. Finally, we jointly defined mouse cortical cell types using single-cell RNA-seq and DNA methylation profiles, revealing putative mechanisms of cell-type-specific epigenomic regulation. Integrative analyses using LIGER promise to accelerate investigations of cell-type definition, gene regulation, and disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Welch
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, 450 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Velina Kozareva
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, 450 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ashley Ferreira
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, 450 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Charles Vanderburg
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, 450 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Carly Martin
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, 450 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, 450 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, USA.
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Hofmann D, Straube T. Resting-state fMRI effective connectivity between the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala nuclei. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:2723-2735. [PMID: 30829454 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and the laterobasal nucleus (LB), centromedial nucleus (CM), and superficial nucleus (SF) of the amygdala form an interconnected dynamical system, whose combined activity mediates a variety of behavioral and autonomic responses in reaction to homeostatic challenges. Although previous research provided deeper insight into the structural and functional connections between these nuclei, studies investigating their resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) connectivity were solely based on undirected connectivity measures. Here, we used high-quality data of 391 subjects from the Human Connectome Project to estimate the effective connectivity (EC) between the BNST, the LB, CM, and SF through spectral dynamic causal modeling, the relation of the EC estimates with age and sex as well as their stability over time. Our results reveal a time-stable asymmetric EC structure with positive EC between all amygdala nuclei, which strongly inhibited the BNST while the BNST exerted positive influence onto all amygdala nuclei. Simulation of the impulse response of the estimated system showed that this EC structure shapes partially antagonistic (out of phase) activity flow between the BNST and amygdala nuclei. Moreover, the BNST-LB and BNST-CM EC parameters were less negative in males. In conclusion, our data points toward partially separated information processing between BNST and amygdala nuclei in the resting-state.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Hofmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
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Tong WH, Abdulai-Saiku S, Vyas A. Testosterone Reduces Fear and Causes Drastic Hypomethylation of Arginine Vasopressin Promoter in Medial Extended Amygdala of Male Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:33. [PMID: 30863290 PMCID: PMC6399424 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Testosterone reduces anxiety-like behaviors in rodents and increases exploration of anxiogenic parts of the environment. Effects of testosterone on innate defensive behaviors remain understudied. Here, we demonstrate that exogenous testosterone reduces aversion to cat odor in male mice. This is reflected as increased exploration of area containing cat urine when castrated male mice are supplied with exogenous testosterone. We also report that exogenous testosterone leads to DNA hypomethylation of arginine vasopressin (AVP) promoter in posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) and medial bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST). Our observations suggest that testosterone acting on AVP system within extended medial amygdala might regulate defensive behaviors in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Han Tong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Samira Abdulai-Saiku
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ajai Vyas
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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50
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Prefrontal-Bed Nucleus Circuit Modulation of a Passive Coping Response Set. J Neurosci 2018; 39:1405-1419. [PMID: 30573644 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1421-18.2018] [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: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the challenges facing neuroscience entails localization of circuits and mechanisms accounting for how multiple features of stress responses are organized to promote survival during adverse experiences. The rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is generally regarded as a key site for cognitive and affective information processing, and the anteroventral bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (avBST) integrates homeostatic information from a variety of sources, including the mPFC. Thus, we proposed that the mPFC is capable of generating multiple features (endocrine, behavioral) of adaptive responses via its influence over the avBST. To address this possibility, we first optogenetically inhibited input to avBST from the rostral prelimbic cortical region of mPFC and observed concurrent increases in immobility and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) output in male rats during tail suspension, whereas photostimulation of this pathway decreased immobility during the same challenge. Anatomical tracing experiments confirmed projections from the rostral prelimbic subfield to separate populations of avBST neurons, and from these to HPA effector neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, and to aspects of the midbrain periaqueductal gray that coordinate passive defensive behaviors. Finally, stimulation and inhibition of the prelimbic-avBST pathway, respectively, decreased and increased passive coping in the shock-probe defensive burying test, without having any direct effect on active coping (burying) behavior. These results define a new neural substrate in the coordination of a response set that involves the gating of passive, rather than active, coping behaviors while restraining neuroendocrine activation to optimize adaptation during threat exposure.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The circuits and mechanisms accounting for how multiple features of responses are organized to promote adaptation have yet to be elucidated. Our report identifies a prefrontal-bed nucleus pathway that organizes a response set capable of gating passive coping behaviors while concurrently restraining neuroendocrine activation during exposure to inescapable stressors. These data provide insight into the central organization of how multiple features of responses are integrated to promote adaptation during adverse experiences, and how disruption in one neural pathway may underlie a broad array of maladaptive responses in stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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