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Morishita M, Kobayashi K, Mitsuzuka M, Takagi R, Ono K, Momma R, Tsuneoka Y, Horio S, Tsukahara S. Two-Step Actions of Testicular Androgens in the Organization of a Male-Specific Neural Pathway from the Medial Preoptic Area to the Ventral Tegmental Area for Modulating Sexually Motivated Behavior. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7322-7336. [PMID: 37722849 PMCID: PMC10621776 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0361-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The medial preoptic area (MPOA) is a sexually dimorphic region of the brain that regulates social behaviors. The sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) of the MPOA has been studied to understand sexual dimorphism, although the anatomy and physiology of the SDN is not fully understood. Here, we characterized SDN neurons that contribute to sexual dimorphism and investigated the mechanisms underlying the emergence of such neurons and their roles in social behaviors. A target-specific neuroanatomical study using transgenic mice expressing Cre recombinase under the control of Calb1, a gene expressed abundantly in the SDN, revealed that SDN neurons are divided into two subpopulations, GABA neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), where they link to the dopamine system (CalbVTA neurons), and GABA neurons that extend axons in the MPOA or project to neighboring regions (CalbnonVTA neurons). CalbVTA neurons were abundant in males, but were scarce or absent in females. There was no difference in the number of CalbnonVTA neurons between sexes. Additionally, we found that emergence of CalbVTA neurons requires two testicular androgen actions that occur first in the postnatal period and second in the peripubertal period. Chemogenetic analyses of CalbVTA neurons indicated a role in modulating sexual motivation in males. Knockdown of Calb1 in the MPOA reduced the intromission required for males to complete copulation. These findings provide strong evidence that a male-specific neural pathway from the MPOA to the VTA is organized by the two-step actions of testicular androgens for the modulation of sexually motivated behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The MPOA is a sexually dimorphic region of the brain that regulates social behaviors, although its sexual dimorphism is not fully understood. Here, we describe a population of MPOA neurons that contribute to the sexual dimorphism. These neurons only exist in masculinized brains, and they project their axons to the ventral tegmental area, where they link to the dopamine system. Emergence of such neurons requires two testicular androgen actions that occur first in the postnatal period and second in the peripubertal period. These MPOA neurons endow masculinized brains with a neural pathway from the MPOA to the ventral tegmental area and modulate sexually motivated behavior in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Morishita
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Kaito Kobayashi
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Moeri Mitsuzuka
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Ryo Takagi
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Kota Ono
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Rami Momma
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Yousuke Tsuneoka
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo 43-8540, Japan
| | - Shuhei Horio
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
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Fukumitsu K, Kuroda KO. Behavioral and histochemical characterization of sexually dimorphic responses to acute social isolation and reunion in mice. Neurosci Res 2023:S0168-0102(23)00071-8. [PMID: 37030575 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
In many mammalian species, females exhibit higher sociability and gregariousness than males, presumably due to the benefit of group living for maternal care. We have previously reported that adult female mice exhibit contact-seeking behaviors upon acute social isolation via amylin-calcitonin receptor (Calcr) signaling in the medial preoptic area (MPOA). In this study, we examined the sex differences in the behavioral responses to acute social isolation and reunion, and the levels of amylin and Calcr expression in the MPOA. We found that male mice exhibited significantly less contact-seeking upon social isolation. Upon reunion, male mice contacted each other to a similar extent as females, but their interactions were more aggressive and less affiliative compared with females. While Calcr-expressing neurons were activated during social contacts in males as in females, the amylin and Calcr expression were significantly lower in males than in females. Together with our previous findings, these findings suggested that the lower expression of both amylin and Calcr may explain the lower contact-seeking and social affiliation of male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kansai Fukumitsu
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama 351-0198 Japan.
| | - Kumi O Kuroda
- Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama 351-0198 Japan.
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Morishita M, Kamada A, Tsukahara S. Neuronal activation of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area in female and male rats during copulation and its sex differences. Neurosci Lett 2021; 755:135915. [PMID: 33905774 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135915] [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: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The medial preoptic area, which plays an essential role in the control of sexual behavior in rats, contains a sexually dimorphic nucleus that consists of neurons expressing calbindin-D28 K (Calb) that is referred to as the CALB-SDN. The CALB-SDN is larger and contains more Calb neurons in males than in females. The physiological functions of the CALB-SDN are not fully understood; however, CALB-SDN neurons are activated during sexual behavior in males, suggesting that the male CALB-SDN is involved in regulation of sexual behavior. However, no information exists about the physiological functions of the female CALB-SDN. In the present study, we performed an immunohistochemical analysis of c-Fos, a neuronal activity marker, in the CALB-SDN of female and male rats that had copulated with conspecifics of the opposite sex to determine whether neurons of the female CALB-SDN are activated during copulation and whether the neuronal activity of the CALB-SDN differs between sexes. The numbers of c-Fos-immunoreactive cells with or without Calb-immunoreactivity (c-Fos+/Calb+ and c-Fos+/Calb- cells) were greater in the CALB-SDN of rats that had copulated than in rats that had not copulated in each sex. Although the number of Calb+ cells in the CALB-SDN was smaller in females than in males, the increase in the number of c-Fos+/Calb+ cells in the female CALB-SDN with copulation was comparable to that in the male CALB-SDN with copulation. The increase in the number of c-Fos+/Calb- cells in the CALB-SDN with copulation was more prominent in males than in females. These results suggest that CALB-SDN neurons are activated during copulation in both sexes. The patterns of neuronal activation in the CALB-SDN during copulation may differ between sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Morishita
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570, Japan
| | - Arisa Kamada
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, 338-8570, 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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Sano K, Matsukami H, Suzuki G, Htike NTT, Morishita M, Win-Shwe TT, Hashimoto S, Kawashima T, Isobe T, Nakayama SF, Tsukahara S, Maekawa F. Estrogenic action by tris(2,6-dimethylphenyl) phosphate impairs the development of female reproductive functions. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 138:105662. [PMID: 32203809 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Developmental exposure to environmental chemicals with estrogen-like activity is suspected to permanently impair women's health. In this study, a mouse model was used to evaluate whether tris(2,6-dimethylphenyl) phosphate (TDMPP), a chemical with a putative estrogen-like action, impairs sexual differentiation of the brain. Either TDMPP and 17β-estradiol (E2) as positive controls or sesame oil as a negative control were administered subcutaneously to dams from gestational day (GD) 14 to parturition, and to pups from postnatal day (PND) 0 to 9. Precocious puberty, irregular estrous cycles, and a lowered lordosis response were found in the TDMPP- and E2-treated groups. A certain amount of TDMPP and its metabolites in the perinatal brain and the masculinization of sexual dimorphic nuclei in the hypothalamus of female mice after treatment were also detected. The experimental evidence demonstrates that TDMPP directly enters the fetal and neonatal brain, thereby inducing changes of sex-related brain structures and impairing female reproductive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiro Sano
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | | | - Go Suzuki
- Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, NIES, Japan
| | | | | | - Tin-Tin Win-Shwe
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | | | | | - Tomohiko Isobe
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | - Shoji F Nakayama
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Maekawa
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan.
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Uchida K, Otsuka H, Morishita M, Tsukahara S, Sato T, Sakimura K, Itoi K. Female-biased sexual dimorphism of corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Biol Sex Differ 2019; 10:6. [PMID: 30691514 PMCID: PMC6350317 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-019-0221-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) contains the highest density of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-producing neurons in the brain. CRF-immunoreactive neurons show a female-biased sexual dimorphism in the dorsolateral BNST in the rat. Since CRF neurons cannot be immunostained clearly with available CRF antibodies in the mouse, we used a mouse line, in which modified yellow fluorescent protein (Venus) was inserted to the CRF gene, and the Neo cassette was removed, to examine the morphological characteristics of CRF neurons in the dorsolateral BNST. Developmental changes of CRF neurons were examined from postnatal stages to adulthood. Gonadectomy (GDX) was carried out in adult male and female mice to examine the effects of sex steroids on the number of CRF neurons in the dorsolateral BNST. Methods The number of Venus-expressing neurons, stained by immunofluorescence, was compared between male and female mice over the course of development. GDX was carried out in adult mice. Immunohistochemistry, in combination with Nissl staining, was carried out, and the effects of sex or gonadal steroids were examined by estimating the number of Venus-expressing neurons, as well as the total number of neurons or glial cells, in each BNST subnucleus, using a stereological method. Results Most Venus-expressing neurons co-expressed Crf mRNA in the dorsolateral BNST. They constitute a group of neurons without calbindin immunoreactivity, which makes a contrast to the principal nucleus of the BNST that is characterized by calbindin immunostaining. In the dorsolateral BNST, the number of Venus-expressing neurons increased across developmental stages until adulthood. Sexual difference in the number of Venus-expressing neurons was not evident by postnatal day 5. In adulthood, however, there was a significant female predominance in the number of Venus expressing neurons in two subnuclei of the dorsolateral BNST, i.e., the oval nucleus of the BNST (ovBNST) and the anterolateral BNST (alBNST). The number of Venus-expressing neurons was smaller significantly in ovariectomized females compared with proestrous females in either ovBNST or alBNST, and greater significantly in orchiectomized males compared with gonadally intact males in ovBNST. The total number of neurons was also greater significantly in females than in males in ovBNST and alBNST, but it was not affected by GDX. Conclusion Venus-expressing CRF neurons showed female-biased sexual dimorphism in ovBNST and alBNST of the mouse. Expression of Venus in these subnuclei was controlled by gonadal steroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuya Uchida
- Laboratory of Information Biology, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai City, Japan.
| | - Hiroko Otsuka
- Laboratory of Information Biology, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai City, Japan
| | - Masahiro Morishita
- Department of Regulation Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama City, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Department of Regulation Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama City, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Sato
- Laboratory of Information Biology, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai City, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
| | - Keiichi Itoi
- Laboratory of Information Biology, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai City, Japan.
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7
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Tsuneoka Y. Molecular neuroanatomy of the mouse medial preoptic area with reference to parental behavior. Anat Sci Int 2018; 94:39-52. [DOI: 10.1007/s12565-018-0468-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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8
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Ogawa S, Tsukahara S, Choleris E, Vasudevan N. Estrogenic regulation of social behavior and sexually dimorphic brain formation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 110:46-59. [PMID: 30392880 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
It has long been known that the estrogen, 17β-estradiol (17β-E), plays a central role for female reproductive physiology and behavior. Numerous studies have established the neurochemical and molecular basis of estrogenic induction of female sexual behavior, i.e., lordosis, in animal models. In addition, 17β-E also regulates male-type sexual and aggressive behavior. In males, testosterone secreted from the testes is irreversibly aromatized to 17β-E in the brain. We discuss the contribution of two nuclear receptor isoforms, estrogen receptor (ER)α and ERβ to the estrogenic regulation of sexually dimorphic brain formation and sex-typical expression of these social behaviors. Furthermore, 17β-E is a key player for social behaviors such as social investigation, preference, recognition and memory as well as anxiety-related behaviors in social contexts. Recent studies also demonstrated that not only nuclear receptor-mediated genomic signaling but also membrane receptor-mediated non-genomic actions of 17β-E may underlie the regulation of these behaviors. Finally, we will discuss how rapidly developing research tools and ideas allow us to investigate estrogenic action by emphasizing behavioral neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonoko Ogawa
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, 305-8577, Japan.
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Nandini Vasudevan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, WhiteKnights Campus, Reading, RG6 6AS, United Kingdom
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Ikeda MZ, Krentzel AA, Oliver TJ, Scarpa GB, Remage-Healey L. Clustered organization and region-specific identities of estrogen-producing neurons in the forebrain of Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata). J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:3636-3652. [PMID: 28758205 PMCID: PMC6035364 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
A fast, neuromodulatory role for estrogen signaling has been reported in many regions of the vertebrate brain. Regional differences in the cellular distribution of aromatase (estrogen synthase) in several species suggest that mechanisms for neuroestrogen signaling differ between and even within brain regions. A more comprehensive understanding of neuroestrogen signaling depends on characterizing the cellular identities of neurons that express aromatase. Calcium-binding proteins such as parvalbumin and calbindin are molecular markers for interneuron subtypes, and are co-expressed with aromatase in human temporal cortex. Songbirds like the zebra finch have become important models to understand the brain synthesis of steroids like estrogens and the implications for neurobiology and behavior. Here, we investigated the regional differences in cytoarchitecture and cellular identities of aromatase-expressing neurons in the auditory and sensorimotor forebrain of zebra finches. Aromatase was co-expressed with parvalbumin in the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) and HVC shelf (proper name) but not in the caudolateral nidopallium (NCL) or hippocampus. By contrast, calbindin was not co-expressed with aromatase in any region investigated. Notably, aromatase-expressing neurons were found in dense somato-somatic clusters, suggesting a coordinated release of local neuroestrogens from clustered neurons. Aromatase clusters were also more abundant and tightly packed in the NCM of males as compared to females. Overall, this study provides new insights into neuroestrogen regulation at the network level, and extends previous findings from human cortex by identifying a subset of aromatase neurons as putative inhibitory interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maaya Z Ikeda
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Amanda A Krentzel
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Tessa J Oliver
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Garrett B Scarpa
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
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10
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Tsuneoka Y, Yoshida S, Takase K, Oda S, Kuroda M, Funato H. Neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in gonadal steroid receptor-expressing cells in medial preoptic area subregions of the male mouse. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9809. [PMID: 28852050 PMCID: PMC5575033 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10213-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Testosterone is involved in male sexual, parental and aggressive behaviors through the androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor (ER) α expressed in the brain. Although several studies have demonstrated that ERα and AR in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) are required for exhibiting sexual and aggressive behaviors of male mice, the molecular characteristics of ERα- and AR-expressing cells in the mouse MPOA are largely unknown. Here, we performed in situ hybridization for neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, combined with immunohistochemistry for ERα and AR to quantitate and characterize gonadal steroid receptor-expressing cells in the MPOA subregions of male mice. Prodynorphin, preproenkephalin (Penk), cocaine- and amphetamine-related transcript, neurotensin, galanin, tachykinin (Tac)1, Tac2 and thyrotropin releasing hormone (Trh) have distinct expression patterns in the MPOA subregions. Gad67-expressing cells were the most dominant neuronal subtype among the ERα- and AR-expressing cells throughout the MPOA. The percentage of ERα- and AR-immunoreactivities varied depending on the neuronal subtype. A substantial proportion of the neurotensin-, galanin-, Tac2- and Penk-expressing cells in the MPOA were positive for ERα and AR, whereas the vast majority of the Trh-expressing cells were negative. These results suggest that testosterone exerts differential effects depending on both the neuronal subtypes and MPOA subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousuke Tsuneoka
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8540, Japan
| | - Sachine Yoshida
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8540, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Kenkichi Takase
- Laboratory of Psychology, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Satoko Oda
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8540, Japan
| | - Masaru Kuroda
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8540, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Funato
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, 143-8540, Japan.
- International Institutes for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.
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Tsuneoka Y, Tsukahara S, Yoshida S, Takase K, Oda S, Kuroda M, Funato H. Moxd1 Is a Marker for Sexual Dimorphism in the Medial Preoptic Area, Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis and Medial Amygdala. Front Neuroanat 2017; 11:26. [PMID: 28396628 PMCID: PMC5366752 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2017.00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain shows various sex differences in its structures. Various mammalian species exhibit sex differences in the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) and parts of the extended amygdala such as the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTpr) and posterodorsal part of the medial amygdala (MePD). The SDN-POA and BNSTpr are male-biased sexually dimorphic nuclei, and characterized by the expression of calbindin D-28K (calbindin 1). However, calbindin-immunoreactive cells are not restricted to the SDN-POA, but widely distributed outside of the SDN-POA. To find genes that are more specific to sexually dimorphic nuclei, we selected candidate genes by searching the Allen brain atlas and examined the detailed expressions of the candidate genes using in situ hybridization. We found that the strong expression of monooxygenase DBH-like 1 (Moxd1) was restricted to the SDN-POA, BNSTpr and MePD. The numbers of Moxd1-positive cells in the SDN-POA, BNSTpr and MePD in male mice were larger than those in female mice. Most of the Moxd1-positive cells in the SDN-POA and BNSTpr expressed calbindin. Neonatal castration of male mice reduced the number of Moxd1-positive cells in the SDN-POA, whereas gonadectomy in adulthood did not change the expression of the Moxd1 gene in the SDN-POA in both sexes. These results suggest that the Moxd1 gene is a suitable marker for sexual dimorphic nuclei in the POA, BNST and amygdala, which enables us to manipulate sexually dimorphic neurons to examine their roles in sex-biased physiology and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousuke Tsuneoka
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University Saitama, Japan
| | - Sachine Yoshida
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho UniversityTokyo, Japan; Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology AgencySaitama, Japan
| | - Kenkichi Takase
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho UniversityTokyo, Japan; Laboratory of Psychology, Jichi Medical UniversityTochigi, Japan
| | - Satoko Oda
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaru Kuroda
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Funato
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Toho UniversityTokyo, Japan; International Institutes for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of TsukubaIbaraki, Japan
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