Sex differences in molecular neuroscience: from fruit flies to humans

Jazin, Elena; Cahill, Larry

doi:10.1038/nrn2754

Cited by 213 publications

(159 citation statements)

References 117 publications

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“…Sexually dimorphic patterns of performance have been shown for a range of cognitive domains (Jazin and Cahill, 2010), including memory (Lewin et al, 2001;Canli et al, 2002;McDevitt E. A et al, 2014). Although the exact mechanisms for these differences are unknown, several potential differences have been found in brain structure (reviewed in Andreano and Cahill 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of sex and menstrual phase on memory formation during a nap

Sattari

McDevitt

Panas

et al. 2017

Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

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Memory formation can be influenced by sleep and sex hormones in both men and women, and by the menstrual cycle in women. Though many studies have shown that sleep benefits the consolidation of memories, it is not clear whether this effect differs between men and women in general or according to menstrual phase in women. The present study investigated the effect of sex and menstrual cycle on memory consolidation of face-name associations (FNA) following a daytime nap. Recognition memory was tested using a face-name paired associates task with a polysomnographic nap between morning and evening testing. Seventeen healthy women (age: 20.75 (1.98) years) were studied at two time points of their menstrual cycles, defined from self-report and separated by 2 weeks (perimenses: -5 days to + 6 days from the start of menses, and non-perimenses: outside of the perimenses phase) and compared with eighteen healthy men (age: 22.01 (2.91) years). Regardless of menstrual phase, women had better pre-nap performance than men. Further, menstrual phase affected post-nap memory consolidation, with women showing greater forgetting in their perimenses phase compared with their nonperimenses phase, and men. Interestingly, post-nap performance correlated with electrophysiological events during sleep (slow oscillations, spindles, and temporal coupling between the two), however, these correlations differed according to menstrual phase and sex.Men's performance improvement was associated with the temporal coupling of spindles and slow oscillations (i.e., spindle/SO coincidence) as well as spindles. Women, however, showed an association with slow oscillations during non-perimenses, whereas when they were in their perimenses phase of their cycle, women appeared to show an association only with sleep spindle events for consolidation. These findings add to the growing literature demonstrating sex and menstrual phase effects on memory formation during sleep. THE EFFECT OF SEX AND MENSTRUAL CYCLE ON MEMORY 3

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of sex and menstrual phase on memory formation during a nap

Sattari

McDevitt

Panas

et al. 2017

Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

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“…Evidence from animal studies indicates that expression may show sexual dimorphism and may be modulated by as yet unidentified genes on the X-or Y-chromosomes (46). Studies in mouse knockouts of the AVP receptor 1a have demonstrated that anxiety-like behavior reported in males, but assumed to be present in both males and females, is in fact sex-specific (47). Possible mechanisms underlying this sexual dimorphism have not been clarified and could relate to either genetic or sex-steroidal regulation.…”

Section: Vasopressinmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Influences on Social Cognition

Skuse

Gallagher

2011

Pediatric Research

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Human social behavior develops under the influence of genetic, environmental, and cultural factors. Social cognition comprises our ability to understand and respond appropriately to other people's social approaches or responses. The concept embraces self-knowledge and theory of mind, or the ability to think about emotions and behavior from the perspective of another person. The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are now known to play an important role, affecting individual differences in parenting behavior, social recognition, and affiliative behaviors. The processes of social cognition are also supported by reward circuitry, underpinned by the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system. Reward processes build social relationships, in parenting and pair-bonding, and influence social interactions that require trust, or display altruism. The impact of emotional regulation upon social behavior, including mood and anxiety, is also mediated through the serotonergic system. Variation in activity of serotonergic networks in the brain influences emotional responsivity, including subjective feelings, physiological responses, emotional expressions, and the tendency to become engaged in action as a consequence of a feeling state. Genetic variation in the receptors associated with OT, AVP, dopamine, and serotonin has been intensively studied in humans and animal models. Recent findings are building an increasingly coherent picture of regulatory mechanisms. (Pediatr Res 69: 85R-91R, 2011) W e, as humans, usually possess the ability to rapidly process social information about the thoughts and actions of other people and to interact in complex ways with them. Social cognition comprises a set of skills that enable us to understand thoughts and intentions that may differ from our own experiences or predispositions. As we develop through early childhood, we are increasingly capable of taking another person's perspective, and we develop self-knowledge. We can accurately predict how another person might behave in the future, from our social perceptions and experiences. We become capable of learning what motivates other people in their social interactions, even if these do not directly involve us. All these skills map onto schemas that are encoded in an associative network in memory and is orchestrated to ensure normal, skilled social adaptation (1).The process by which we acquire social cognitive competence evolves with development and is modified in response to the environment. To begin with, infants cannot easily differentiate between themselves and other people, but they rapidly become aware that their actions have an impact on the physical and social world around them. In due course, they develop social understanding, language, and imitation. Eventually, most of us acquire the ability to "read the mind" of others. By this, we mean that it becomes possible for us to understand why other people behave the way they do and to respond appropriately to them in social situations. If we have not acquired this ability...

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“…These studies suggest that the methylation process contributes to the development of sexual dimorphism. However, there is still limited knowledge of the interplay between sex-biased DNA methylation and sexbiased gene expression [23]. In general, at least in vertebrates, high levels of DNA methylation in the promoter regions, are linked with lower levels of gene transcription [24].…”

Section: Accepted M Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interestingly, in these methylation-expression associated genes, the DMCs were located either in gene body (5 of these 13 genes) or intergenic regions (8 of 13 genes) but not in promoter (Supplementary Table S2 Finally, methylation is only one of several factors that regulate differential expression and thus the relationship between methylation and expression can be complex and hard to disentangle [23]. In line with this last point, we found more differentially expressed genes than differentially methylated between the sexes.…”

Section: Only a Small Subset Of Differentially Methylated Genes Corrementioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences in DNA methylation and expression in zebrafish brain: a test of an extended ‘male sex drive’ hypothesis

Chatterjee

Lagisz

Rodger

et al. 2016

Gene

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Sex differences in DNA methylation and expression in zebrafish brain: a test of an extended 'male sex drive ' hypothesis, Gene (2016' hypothesis, Gene ( ), doi: 10.1016' hypothesis, Gene ( /j.gene.2016 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 3 ABSTRACTThe sex drive hypothesis predicts that stronger selection on male traits has resulted in masculinization of the genome. Here we test whether such masculinizing effects can be detected at the level of the transcriptome and methylome in the adult zebrafish brain.Although methylation is globally similar, we identified 914 specific differentially methylated CpGs (DMCs) between males and females (435 were hypermethylated and 479 were hypomethylated in males compared to females). These DMCs were prevalent in gene body, intergenic regions and CpG island shores. We also discovered 15 distinct CpG clusters with striking sex-specific DNA methylation differences. In contrast, at transcriptome level, more female-biased genes than male-biased genes were expressed, giving little support for the male sex drive hypothesis.Our study provides genome-wide methylome and transcriptome assessment and sheds light on sex-specific epigenetic patterns and in zebrafish for the first time.

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Sex differences in molecular neuroscience: from fruit flies to humans

Cited by 213 publications

References 117 publications

The effect of sex and menstrual phase on memory formation during a nap

The effect of sex and menstrual phase on memory formation during a nap

Genetic Influences on Social Cognition

Sex differences in DNA methylation and expression in zebrafish brain: a test of an extended ‘male sex drive’ hypothesis

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