Social and Gonadal Control of Neural Gene Expression

男性和女性大脑和行为的差异主要来自于基因表达的时间、水平和位置的差异。 即使在性别由染色体决定、性腺在分化过程中发挥核心作用的物种中，基因表达的确切性质也受到从营养到社会互动等一系列环境影响的影响。 虽然我们正在建立一个坚实的了解性腺类固醇如何影响大脑和行为的性别分化，社会互动影响这一过程的机制仍然知之甚少。 该项目开发了一种综合方法来研究大脑中的基因表达如何在性别分化过程中发生变化，在一个模型系统中，可以通过实验解剖调节行为的性腺和社会影响。 一种被充分研究的珊瑚鱼，蓝头濑鱼，表现出社会控制的功能性性别变化。 当当地占主导地位的男性被删除，一个大的女性变成男性，甚至性腺切除的女性改变男性行为表型。 挑战在于从大脑中识别出与不改变性别的女性和在自然环境中被诱导改变性别的女性之间差异表达的行为相关的神经基因。 该项目的重点是开发分子技术来成功解决这个问题，首先确定一些相关的基因，然后可以有针对性地寻找行为变化过程中的表达变化。 结果将是重要的进一步发展这一系统作为一个很好的遗传模型，以了解神经基础的性二型行为。 这项工作的影响将超越神经科学，扩展到动物行为，心理学，以及在水产养殖和鱼类养殖中的潜在用途。 此外，该项目继续在一个有趣的项目中为学生提供优秀的现场和实验室培训，该项目将动物行为学，内分泌学和分子生物学相结合。

Differences between male and female brains and behavior result primarily from differences in the timing, level and location of gene expression. Even in species where sex is determined chromosomally and the gonads play central roles in the differentiation process, the exact nature of gene expression is influenced by a host of environmental influences ranging from nutrition to social interactions. Although we are building a solid understanding of how gonadal steroids influence the sexual differentiation of brain and behavior, the mechanisms by which social interactions affect this process remain poorly understood. This project develops an integrative approach to how gene expression in the brain changes during sexual differentiation, in a model system where it is possible to experimentally dissect gonadal and social influences that regulate behavior. A well-studied reef fish species, the bluehead wrasse, exhibits socially-controlled functional sex change. When local dominant males are removed, a large female changes into a male, and even gonadectomized females change to male behavioral phenotypes. The challenge is to identify those neural genes from the brain relevant to the behavior that are differentially expressed, between females that do not change sex and those that are induced to change sex in their natural environment. This project has a focus on developing the molecular technology to successfully approach that question, to first identify some of the relevant genes that then can be targeted to look for changes in expression during the behavioral change. Results will be important for further developing this system as a good genetic model to understand the neural basis of sexually dimorphic behavior. The impact of this work will extend beyond neuroscience to animal behavior, to psychology, and to potential use in aquaculture and fish breeding. In addition, the project continues excellent field and laboratory training for students in an interesting project integrating animal behavior, endocrinology and molecular biology.