Sexual Differentiation of Brain and Behavior

Forger, Nancy G.; Vries, Geert J. De; Breedlove, S. Marc

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-397175-3.00047-8

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Several previous reviews on sexual differentiation of the mammalian brain and behavior are available (e.g., Forger et al, 2015; McCarthy et al, 2009). Here, we focus on neural sex differences for which the cellular or molecular mechanisms underlying the difference are known.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only males inherit a Y chromosome from the father, and the sex-determining region of the Y ( Sry ) gene, in cooperation with downstream genes, induces the initially “bipotential” embryonic gonads to develop into testes (Kashimada and Koopman, 2010; Koopman et al, 1991). The fetal testes begin secreting testosterone within days after they differentiate (approximately embryonic day (E) 14 in the mouse, E16 in the rat, and week 10 of gestation in humans) and a wealth of data indicates that this hormone, or a metabolite, is responsible for masculinization of the brain as well as the periphery (Forger et al, 2015; McCarthy, 2011). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cellular and molecular mechanisms of sexual differentiation in the mammalian nervous system

Forger

Strahan

Castillo‐Ruiz

2016

Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology

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Neuroscientists are likely to discover new sex differences in the coming years, spurred by the National Institutes of Health initiative to include both sexes in preclinical studies. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying sex differences in the mammalian nervous system, based primarily on work in rodents. Cellular mechanisms examined include neurogenesis, migration, the differentiation of neurochemical and morphological cell phenotype, and cell death. At the molecular level we discuss evolving roles for epigenetics, sex chromosome complement, the immune system, and newly identified cell signaling pathways. We review recent findings on the role of the environment, as well as genome-wide studies with some surprising results, causing us to rethink often-used models of sexual differentiation. We end by pointing to future directions, including an increased awareness of the important contributions of tissues outside of the nervous system to sexual differentiation of the brain.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of sexual differentiation in the mammalian nervous system

Forger

Strahan

Castillo‐Ruiz

2016

Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology

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Prenatal administration of letrozole reduces SDN and SCN volume and cell number independent of partner preference in the male rat

Olvera-Hernández

Tapia-Rodríguez

Swaab

et al. 2017

Physiology & Behavior

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Sex differences in the brain: a whole body perspective

2015

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Most writing on sexual differentiation of the mammalian brain (including our own) considers just two organs: the gonads and the brain. This perspective, which leaves out all other body parts, misleads us in several ways. First, there is accumulating evidence that all organs are sexually differentiated, and that sex differences in peripheral organs affect the brain. We demonstrate this by reviewing examples involving sex differences in muscles, adipose tissue, the liver, immune system, gut, kidneys, bladder, and placenta that affect the nervous system and behavior. The second consequence of ignoring other organs when considering neural sex differences is that we are likely to miss the fact that some brain sex differences develop to compensate for differences in the internal environment (i.e., because male and female brains operate in different bodies, sex differences are required to make output/function more similar in the two sexes). We also consider evidence that sex differences in sensory systems cause male and female brains to perceive different information about the world; the two sexes are also perceived by the world differently and therefore exposed to differences in experience via treatment by others. Although the topic of sex differences in the brain is often seen as much more emotionally charged than studies of sex differences in other organs, the dichotomy is largely false. By putting the brain firmly back in the body, sex differences in the brain are predictable and can be more completely understood.

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Sexual Differentiation of Brain and Behavior

Cited by 4 publications

References 408 publications

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of sexual differentiation in the mammalian nervous system

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of sexual differentiation in the mammalian nervous system

Prenatal administration of letrozole reduces SDN and SCN volume and cell number independent of partner preference in the male rat

Sex differences in the brain: a whole body perspective

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