Wired on Steroids: Sexual Differentiation of the Brain and Its Role in the Expression of Sexual Partner Preferences

Alexander, Brenda M.; Skinner, Donal C.; Roselli, Charles E.

doi:10.3389/fendo.2011.00042

Cited by 16 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 149 publications

(162 reference statements)

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“…Exposure to gonadal steroids such as oestrogen and testosterone during critical developmental windows not only determines sexually dimorphic structural differences, but also influences sex-specific behaviours in many species including humans [ 79 ]. Oestrogen and testosterone are essential for physiological neuroendocrine processes and behaviours necessary for sexual maturation and successful copulation.…”

Section: Gonadal Steroidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intrinsic links among sex, emotion, and reproduction

Yang

Comninos

Dhillo

2018

Cell. Mol. Life Sci.

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Species survival is dependent on successful reproduction. This begins with a desire to mate, followed by selection of a partner, copulation and in monogamous mammals including humans, requires emotions and behaviours necessary to maintain partner bonds for the benefit of rearing young. Hormones are integral to all of these stages and not only mediate physiological and endocrine processes involved in reproduction, but also act as neuromodulators within limbic brain centres to facilitate the expression of innate emotions and behaviours required for reproduction. A significant body of work is unravelling the roles of several key hormones in the modulation of mood states and sexual behaviours; however, a full understanding of the integration of these intrinsic links among sexual and emotional brain circuits still eludes us. This review summarises the evidence to date and postulates future directions to identify potential psycho-neuroendocrine frameworks linking sexual and emotional brain processes with reproduction.

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Section: Gonadal Steroidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intrinsic links among sex, emotion, and reproduction

Yang

Comninos

Dhillo

2018

Cell. Mol. Life Sci.

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“…In mating preference tests, males of all three of these species typically prefer females. However, about 25% of rams prefer to mount other rams instead of ewes [Alexander et al 2011], and this preference is linked to smaller volume of the SDN-POA [Roselli et al 2004]. In rats [Houtsmuller et al 1994] and ferrets [Paredes and Baum 1995], the hormonal milieu during development of the SDN-POA affects sexual partner preference as well such that rats treated with an aromatase inhibitor pre- and neonatally or ferrets with neonatal medial preoptic area (mPOA) lesions exhibited a preference for males over females.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Dimorphism in the Brain of the Monogamous California Mouse (Peromyscus californicus)

Campi

Jameson

Trainor³

2013

Brain Behav Evol

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Sex differences in behavior and morphology are usually assumed to be stronger in polygynous species compared to monogamous species. A few brain structures have been identified as sexually dimorphic in polygynous rodent species, but it is less clear whether these differences persist in monogamous species. California mice are among the 5% or less of mammals that are considered to be monogamous and as such provide an ideal model to examine sexual dimorphism in neuroanatomy. In the present study we compared the volume of hypothalamic- and limbic-associated regions in female and male California mice for sexual dimorphism. We also used tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry to compare the number of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in female and male California mice. Additionally, tract tracing was used to accurately delineate the boundaries of the VTA. The total volume of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA), the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and the posterodorsal medial amygdala (MEA) was larger in males compared to females. In the SDN-POA we found that the magnitude of sex differences in the California mouse were intermediate between the large differences observed in promiscuous meadow voles and rats and the absence of significant differences in monogamous prairie voles. However, the magnitude of sex differences in MEA and the BNST were comparable to polygynous species. No sex differences were observed in the volume of the whole brain, the VTA, the nucleus accumbens or the number of TH-ir neurons in the VTA. These data show that despite a monogamous social organization, sexual dimorphisms that have been reported in polygynous rodents extend to California mice. Our data suggest that sex differences in brain structures such as the SDN-POA persist across species with different social organizations and may be an evolutionarily conserved characteristic of mammalian brains.

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“…Reproductive behaviors are considered to be stereotypic action patterns that ensure optimal execution and reproductive success with minimal energy investment (Alcock ). Correspondingly, those stereotypical actions are controlled by hard‐wired brain circuits and determined prenatally under the control of sex steroids (Alexander et al ; Choi et al ). In rodents, reproductive behaviors are activated in response to external sensory stimuli, such as sex‐specific pheromones, without the need for previous learning (Beny & Kimchi ; Halpern & Martinez‐Marcos ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Conditioned odor aversion induces social anxiety towards females in wild‐type and TrpC2 knockout male mice

Beny

Kimchi

2016

Genes Brain and Behavior

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Female-emitted pheromonal inputs possess an intrinsic rewarding value for conspecific males, promoting approach and investigation of the potential mating partner. In mice these inputs are detected mainly by the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). We investigated the role of VNO-mediated inputs in experience-dependent plasticity of reproductive responses. We applied a sex-specific conditioned odor aversion (COA) paradigm on adult, wild-type (WT) male mice and on male mice impaired in VNO-mediated signal transduction (TrpC2 ). We found that WT males, which underwent COA to female-soiled bedding, lost their innate preference to female odors and presented lower motivation to approach a sexually receptive female. COA also abolished the testosterone surge normally seen following exposure to female odors. Moreover, the conditioned males displayed impairments in copulatory behaviors, which lasted for several weeks. Surprisingly, these males also exhibited phobic behaviors towards receptive females, including freezing and fleeing responses. In contrast, WT males which underwent COA specifically to male pheromones showed no change in olfactory preference and only a marginally significant elevation in intermale aggression. Finally, we show that TrpC2 males were able to acquire aversion to female-soiled bedding and presented similar behavioral alterations following COA in their responses to female cues. Our results demonstrate that the intrinsic rewarding value of female pheromones can be overridden through associative olfactory learning, which occurs independently of VNO inputs, probably through MOE signaling.

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Wired on Steroids: Sexual Differentiation of the Brain and Its Role in the Expression of Sexual Partner Preferences

Cited by 16 publications

References 149 publications

Intrinsic links among sex, emotion, and reproduction

Intrinsic links among sex, emotion, and reproduction

Sexual Dimorphism in the Brain of the Monogamous California Mouse (Peromyscus californicus)

Conditioned odor aversion induces social anxiety towards females in wild‐type and TrpC2 knockout male mice

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