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Grissom NM, Glewwe N, Chen C, Giglio E. Sex mechanisms as nonbinary influences on cognitive diversity. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105544. [PMID: 38643533 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Essentially all neuropsychiatric diagnoses show some degree of sex and/or gender differences in their etiology, diagnosis, or prognosis. As a result, the roles of sex-related variables in behavior and cognition are of strong interest to many, with several lines of research showing effects on executive functions and value-based decision making in particular. These findings are often framed within a sex binary, with behavior of females described as less optimal than male "defaults"-- a framing that pits males and females against each other and deemphasizes the enormous overlap in fundamental neural mechanisms across sexes. Here, we propose an alternative framework in which sex-related factors encompass just one subset of many sources of valuable diversity in cognition. First, we review literature establishing multidimensional, nonbinary impacts of factors related to sex chromosomes and endocrine mechanisms on cognition, focusing on value- based decision-making tasks. Next, we present two suggestions for nonbinary interpretations and analyses of sex-related data that can be implemented by behavioral neuroscientists without devoting laboratory resources to delving into mechanisms underlying sex differences. We recommend (1) shifting interpretations of behavior away from performance metrics and towards strategy assessments to avoid the fallacy that the performance of one sex is worse than another; and (2) asking how much variance sex explains in measures and whether any differences are mosaic rather than binary, to avoid assuming that sex differences in separate measures are inextricably correlated. Nonbinary frameworks in research on cognition will allow neuroscience to represent the full spectrum of brains and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola M Grissom
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America.
| | - Nic Glewwe
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Cathy Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Erin Giglio
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America
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Maier MC, McInerney MRA, Graves JAM, Charchar FJ. Noncoding Genes on Sex Chromosomes and Their Function in Sex Determination, Dosage Compensation, Male Traits, and Diseases. Sex Dev 2021; 15:432-440. [PMID: 34794153 DOI: 10.1159/000519622] [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: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian Y chromosome has evolved in many species into a specialized chromosome that contributes to sex development among other male phenotypes. This function is well studied in terms of protein-coding genes. Less is known about the noncoding genome on the Y chromosome and its contribution to both sex development and other traits. Once considered junk genetic material, noncoding RNAs are now known to contribute to the regulation of gene expression and to play an important role in refining cellular functions. The prime examples are noncoding genes on the X chromosome, which mitigate the differential dosage of genes on sex chromosomes. Here, we discuss the evolution of noncoding RNAs on the Y chromosome and the emerging evidence of how micro, long, and circular noncoding RNAs transcribed from the Y chromosome contribute to sex differentiation. We briefly touch on emerging evidence that these noncoding RNAs also contribute to some other important clinical phenotypes in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Maier
- Health Innovation & Transformation Centre, Federation University, Mt Helen, Victoria, Australia.,School of Science, Psychology and Sport, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
| | - Molly-Rose A McInerney
- Health Innovation & Transformation Centre, Federation University, Mt Helen, Victoria, Australia.,School of Science, Psychology and Sport, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Fadi J Charchar
- Health Innovation & Transformation Centre, Federation University, Mt Helen, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Perry CJ, Campbell EJ, Drummond KD, Lum JS, Kim JH. Sex differences in the neurochemistry of frontal cortex: Impact of early life stress. J Neurochem 2020; 157:963-981. [PMID: 33025572 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic events during early life have been linked with later life psychopathology. To understand this risk factor, researchers have studied the effects of prenatal and postnatal early life stress on neurochemical changes. Here we review the rodent literature on sex differences and sex-specific impact of early life stress on frontal cortex neurochemistry. This region is implicated in regulating motivation and emotion, which are often disrupted in psychological disorders. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) in particular is one of the last brain regions to develop, and there are sex differences in the rate of this development. To draw direct comparisons between sexes, our review of the literature was restricted to studies where the effects of prenatal or postnatal stress had been described in male and female littermates. This literature included research describing glutamate, γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), corticosteroids, monoamines, and cannabinoids. We found that sex-dependent effects of stress are mediated by the age at which stress is experienced, age at test, and type of stress endured. More research is required, particularly into the effects of adolescent stress on male and female littermates. We hope that a greater understanding of sex-specific susceptibilities in response to stress across development will help to uncover risk factors for psychological disorders in vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Perry
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Katherine D Drummond
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Jeremy S Lum
- Neuropharmacology and Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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Shay DA, Welly RJ, Givan SA, Bivens N, Kanaley J, Marshall BL, Lubahn DB, Rosenfeld CS, Vieira-Potter VJ. Changes in nucleus accumbens gene expression accompany sex-specific suppression of spontaneous physical activity in aromatase knockout mice. Horm Behav 2020; 121:104719. [PMID: 32081742 PMCID: PMC7387966 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Aromatase catalyzes conversion of testosterone to estradiol and is expressed in a variety of tissues, including the brain. Suppression of aromatase adversely affects metabolism and physical activity behavior, but mechanisms remain uncertain. The hypothesis tested herein was that whole body aromatase deletion would cause gene expression changes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain regulating motivated behaviors such as physical activity, which is suppressed with loss of estradiol. Metabolic and behavioral assessments were performed in male and female wild-type (WT) and aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice. NAc-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified with RNAseq, and associations between the measured phenotypic traits were determined. Female ArKO mice had greater percent body fat, reduced spontaneous physical activity (SPA), consumed less energy, and had lower relative resting energy expenditure (REE) than WT females. Such differences were not observed in ArKO males. However, in both sexes, a top DEG was Pts, a gene encoding an enzyme necessary for catecholamine (e.g., dopamine) biosynthesis. In comparing male and female WT mice, top DEGs were related to sexual development/fertility, immune regulation, obesity, dopamine signaling, and circadian regulation. SPA correlated strongly with Per3, a gene regulating circadian function, thermoregulation, and metabolism (r = -0.64, P = .002), which also correlated with adiposity (r = 0.54, P = .01). In conclusion, aromatase ablation leads to gene expression changes in NAc, which may in turn result in reduced SPA and related metabolic abnormalities. These findings may have significance to post-menopausal women and those treated with an aromatase inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dusti A Shay
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA
| | - Rebecca J Welly
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA
| | - Scott A Givan
- Informatics Research Core Facility, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA
| | - Nathan Bivens
- DNA Core Facility, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA
| | - Jill Kanaley
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA
| | - Brittney L Marshall
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA; Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA
| | - Dennis B Lubahn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Department of Child Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Cheryl S Rosenfeld
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA; Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA; Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA; MU Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA
| | - Victoria J Vieira-Potter
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, MO, USA.
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