ANDROGEN REGULATION OF NEUROMUSCLAR FUNCTION

发育过程中雄激素的分泌控制着 大多数脊椎动物的男性性行为。肌肉和神经 雄激素作用的靶点，因为它们含有特定的受体 蛋白质。与雄激素异常相关的临床疾病 分泌或受体表达包括假两性畸形， 睾丸女性化、神经内分泌和性心理异常 以及性别认同的改变。对基本知识的理解 雄激素的作用机制可以从动物研究中获得 模型，对于理解人类内分泌的基础是必不可少的 精神错乱。这个研究项目的目标是一种分子 雄激素如何控制性功能的认识 差异化。特别是，这项提案侧重于荷尔蒙- 大脑皮层运动神经元和肌纤维数量的定向分化 对雄激素高度敏感的实验系统，喉肌和 爪蛙的运动神经元。发声的人数 运动神经元和靶肌肉纤维在成年人中是性二态的； 性别差异是由于男性睾丸分泌的雄激素造成的。 在开发过程中。一种细胞内蛋白--雄激素的表达 在肌肉和运动神经元中，受体允许直接作用于 雄激素。拟议研究的目标是解开 这些成分之间的相互作用-雄激素的分泌和表达 它的受体，发育中的肌肉和神经-负责 通过检查发声系统的控制来实现发声系统的性别分化 雄激素敏感性、雄激素分泌和神经支配的作用 喉肌纤维数量的控制及雄激素的作用 分泌物和肌纤维在喉运动控制中的作用 神经元编号。

Androgen secretion during development controls the expression of masculine sexual behaviors in most vertebrates. Muscles and nerves are targets for androgen action because they contain specific receptor proteins. Clinical disorders associated with abnormalities in androgen secretion or receptor expression include pseudohermaphroditism, testicular feminization, neuroendocrine and psychosexual abnormalities and alterations in gender identity. An understanding of the basic mechanisms for androgen action can be obtained from studies in animal models and is essential for understanding the basis of human endocrine disorders. The goal of this research program is a molecular understanding of how androgenic steroids control sexually differentiation. In particular, this proposal focuses on hormone- directed differentiation of motor neuron and muscle fiber number in a highly androgen-sensitive experimental system, laryngeal muscles and motor neurons of the clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. The numbers of vocal motor neurons and target muscle fibers are sexually dimorphic in adults; sex differences are due to the secretion of androgen from the male testes during development. Expression of an intracellular protein, the androgen receptor, in both muscle and motor neurons permits the direct action of androgens. The goal of the proposed studies is to unravel the interactions between these components - androgen secretion and expression of its receptor, developing muscle and its innervation - responsible for sexual differentiation of the vocal system by examining the control of androgen sensitivity, the role of androgen secretion and innervation in the control of laryngeal muscle fiber number and the role of androgen secretion and muscle fiber addition in the control of laryngeal motor neuron number.