SEXUAL-DIFFERENTIATION OF BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR - THE ZEBRA FINCH IS NOT JUST A FLYING RAT
SEXUAL-DIFFERENTIATION OF BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR - THE ZEBRA FINCH IS NOT JUST A FLYING RAT
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DOI：
10.1159/000114157
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发表时间：
1993-10-01
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
SCHLINGER, BA
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
ARNOLD, AP;SCHLINGER, BA
在大鼠和其他哺乳动物中，大脑和行为的性别差异是由于在神经发育的早期关键期性腺类固醇激素的不同分泌造成的。我们回顾了支持哺乳动物性别分化机制的现有观点的实验结果，然后将同样的实验分析应用于斑马雀(PoePhila Guttata)神经鸣路的性别分化研究，斑雀是一种雀形鸟。给年轻的雌性斑马雀注射雌激素会使雌性斑马雀发展出更阳刚的歌唱系统。以成年人的身份唱歌这种雌激素样的男性化与哺乳动物的交配行为相似。然而，在性别分化过程的其他方面出现了显著的差异。到目前为止，使用内分泌剂阻止遗传男性的男性发育的实验都失败了。此外，斑雀的大脑在端脑中有异常高表达的芳香酶(雌激素合成酶)，雌激素在端脑中合成。来自雄激素的大脑被释放到大循环中。这些结果表明，大脑是体内雌激素的主要来源。如果是这样，那么对性别分化的进一步理解需要更多关于调节大脑合成雌激素的因素的信息。
In rats and other mammals, sex differences in the brain and behavior result from differential secretions of gonadal steroid hormones during early critical periods of neural development. We review the experimental results that support current ideas about the mechanisms of sexual differentiation in mammals, and then apply the same experimental analysis to the study of sexual differentiation of the neural song circuit in the zebra finch (Poephila guttata), a passerine song bird. Administration of estrogen to young female zebra finches causes the female to develop a more masculine song system and. to sing as an adult. This estrogenic masculinization is similar to that found for copulatory behavior in mammals. However, striking differences emerge in other aspects of the sexual differentiation process. Experiments that use endocrine agents to block the masculine development in genetic males have so far failed. Moreover, the brain of zebra finches has an unusually high expression of aromatase (estrogen synthetase) in the telencephalon, and estrogen synthesized in. the brain from androgen is released into the general circulation. These results suggest that the brain is the primary source of estrogen in the body. If so, then a further understanding of sexual differentiation requires more information on the factors that regulate the cerebral synthesis of estrogen.