Estrogen receptors in the medial amygdala inhibit the expression of male prosocial behavior.
Estrogen receptors in the medial amygdala inhibit the expression of male prosocial behavior.
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DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.1928-08.2008
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发表时间：
2008-10-08
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Papademetriou E
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Cushing BS;Perry A;Musatov S;Ogawa S;Papademetriou E
使用雌激素受体α（ERα）敲除小鼠的研究表明，ERα使男性行为男性化。最近的ERα和男性亲社会行为的研究表明，ERα在调节社会行为的大脑区域（包括内侧杏仁核（MeA））的表达与男性亲社会行为的表达之间存在负相关关系。这些研究导致了一种假设，即低水平的ERα是“允许”高水平的男性亲社会行为表达所必需的。为了验证这一点，使用病毒载体来增强雄性草原田鼠（Microtus ochrogaster）的ERα，这些田鼠表现出高水平的亲社会行为和低水平的MeA ERα。成年雄性草原田鼠在MeA或尾壳核（ERα对照）或荧光素酶（MeA -位点特异性对照）中转染ERα，三周后测试自发同种异体行为和伴侣偏好。增强MeA中的ERα改变/减少男性亲社会行为。与所有对照组雄性动物相比，只有三分之一的ERα-MeA雄性动物是异源亲本。ERα-MeA雄性也表现出对新雌性的明显偏好。这是一个关键的发现，因为神经肽、催产素和加压素的操纵可以抑制伴侣偏好的形成，但不会导致对新女性的偏好的形成。研究结果支持了低水平ERα是高水平男性亲社会行为所必需的假设，并首次提供了位点特异性ERα表达在男性亲社会行为表达中起关键作用的直接证据。
Studies using estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) knockout mice indicate that ERα masculinizes male behavior. Recent studies of ERα and male prosocial behavior have shown an inverse relationship between ERα expression in regions of the brain that regulate social behavior, including the medial amygdala (MeA), and the expression of male prosocial behavior. These studies have lead to the hypothesis that low levels of ERα are necessary to “permit” the expression of high levels of male prosocial behavior. To test this, viral vectors were used to enhance ERα in male prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), which display high levels of prosocial behavior and low levels of MeA ERα. Adult male prairie voles were transfected with ERα in the MeA or the caudate putamen (ERα control) or luciferase (MeA - site-specific control), and three weeks later tested for spontaneous alloparental behavior and partner preference. Enhancing ERα in the MeA altered/reduced male prosocial behavior. Only a third of ERα-MeA males, compared to all control males, were alloparental. ERα-MeA males also displayed a significant a preference for a novel female. This is a critical finding as the manipulations of neuropeptides, oxytocin and vasopressin, can inhibit the formation of a partner preference, but do not lead to the formation of a preference for a novel female. The results support the hypothesis that low levels of ERα are necessary for high levels of male prosocial behavior, and provide the first direct evidence that site-specific ERα expression plays a critical role in the expression of male prosocial behavior.