Androgen receptor-immunoreactivity in the forebrain of the Eastern Fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
TL;DR: The AR distribution in the lizard brain is similar to that reported for other vertebrate classes, and sex differences in AR-immunoreactivity may contribute to sex-specific behaviors in the Eastern Fence lizard.
About: This article is published in Brain Research.The article was published on 2000-10-06. It has received 33 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Stria terminalis & Hypothalamus.
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TL;DR: The analysis suggests that the diversity of social behavior in vertebrates can be explained, in part, by variations on a theme of conserved neural and gene expression networks.
Abstract: Animals evaluate and respond to their social environment with adaptive decisions. Revealing the neural mechanisms of such decisions is a major goal in biology. We analyzed expression profiles for 10 neurochemical genes across 12 brain regions important for decision-making in 88 species representing five vertebrate lineages. We found that behaviorally relevant brain regions are remarkably conserved over 450 million years of evolution. We also find evidence that different brain regions have experienced different selection pressures, because spatial distribution of neuroendocrine ligands are more flexible than their receptors across vertebrates. Our analysis suggests that the diversity of social behavior in vertebrates can be explained, in part, by variations on a theme of conserved neural and gene expression networks.
512 citations
TL;DR: Results suggest that reactive astrocytes and reactive microglia are a direct target for estrogens and androgens, respectively.
Abstract: Estrogens and androgens can protect neurons from death caused by injury to the central nervous system. Astrocytes and microglia are major players in events triggered by neural lesions. To determine whether glia are direct targets of estrogens or androgens after neural insults, steroid receptor expression in glial cells was assessed in two different lesion models. An excitotoxic injury to the hippocampus or a stab wound to the parietal cortex and hippocampus was performed in male rats, and the resultant expression of steroid receptors in glial cells was assessed using double-label immunohistochemistry. Both lesions induced the expression of estrogen receptors (ERs) and androgen receptors (ARs) in glial cells. ERα was expressed in astrocytes immunoreactive (ERα-ir) for glial fibrillary acidic protein or vimentin. AR immunoreactivity colocalized with microglial markers, such as Griffonia simplicifolia lectin-1 or OX-6. The time course of ER and AR expression in glia was studied in the stab wound model. ERα-ir astrocytes and AR-ir microglia were observed 3 days after lesion. The number of ERα-ir and AR-ir glial cells reached a maximum 7 days after lesion and returned to low levels by 28 days postinjury. The studies of ERβ expression in glia were inconclusive; different results were obtained with different antibodies. In sum, these results suggest that reactive astrocytes and reactive microglia are a direct target for estrogens and androgens, respectively. J. Comp. Neurol. 450:256–271, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
246 citations
Cites background from "Androgen receptor-immunoreactivity ..."
...…acidic protein (GFAP) and promotes astrocyte differentiation, both in vitro and in vivo, in the hypothalamus and hippocampal formation (Garcı́aSegura et al., 1988, 1989, 1994b; Luquin et al., 1993; Chowen et al., 1995; Del Cerro et al., 1996; Stone et al., 1997, 1998; Mong and McCarthy, 1999)....
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TL;DR: New results show that lesions of the dorsal CA1 region by local administration of ibotenic acid reduce the density of androgen receptor immunoreactive axons in the cerebral cortex and the amygdala, suggesting that these axons may originate in the hippocampus.
121 citations
TL;DR: The results significantly extend the understanding of sex steroid pathways in the cichlid brain and support the important role of nuclear sex steroid hormone receptors in modulating social behaviors in teleosts and across vertebrates.
Abstract: Sex steroid hormones released from the gonads play an important role in mediating social behavior across all vertebrates. Many effects of these gonadal hormones are mediated by nuclear steroid hormone receptors, which are crucial for integration in the brain of external (e.g., social) signals with internal physiological cues to produce an appropriate behavioral output. The African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni presents an attractive model system for the study of how internal cues and external social signals are integrated in the brain as males display robust plasticity in the form of two distinct, yet reversible, behavioral and physiological phenotypes depending on the social environment. In order to better understand where sex steroid hormones act to regulate social behavior in this species, we have determined the distribution of the androgen receptor, estrogen receptor alpha, estrogen receptor beta, and progesterone receptor mRNA and protein throughout the telencephalon and diencephalon and some mesencephalic structures of A. burtoni. All steroid hormone receptors were found in key brain regions known to modulate social behavior in other vertebrates including the proposed teleost homologs of the mammalian amygdalar complex, hippocampus, striatum, preoptic area, anterior hypothalamus, ventromedial hypothalamus, and ventral tegmental area. Overall, there is high concordance of mRNA and protein labeling. Our results significantly extend our understanding of sex steroid pathways in the cichlid brain and support the important role of nuclear sex steroid hormone receptors in modulating social behaviors in teleosts and across vertebrates.
93 citations
Cites background from "Androgen receptor-immunoreactivity ..."
...Most of these brain nuclei contain steroid hormone receptors in reptiles (Young et al., 1994; Moga et al., 2000; Tang et al., 2001), amphibians (di Meglio et al., 1987; Guerriero et al., 2005), birds (Sterling et al., 1987; Balthazart et al., 1998; Foidart et al., 1999; Belle and Lea, 2001), and…...
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...These regions contain steroid hormone receptors in every vertebrate class studied including reptiles (Young et al., 1994; Moga et al., 2000; Tang et al., 2001; Rosen et al., 2002), amphibians (Meglio et al., 1987; Guerriero et al., 2005), birds (Sterling et al., 1987; Balthazart et al., 1998;…...
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TL;DR: Three separate but interrelated recent studies highlighting observations made with newer methodologies while assessing the regional, cellular or subcellular distribution of androgen receptors containing cells in the forebrain demonstrate the regional and developmental specificity of these effects on the nervous system.
87 citations
References
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Book•
15 Jan 1994
TL;DR: The gametes, fertilization and early embryogenesis the reproductive systems - the female, the male the pituitary and the hypothalmus, and the reproductive processes and their control.
Abstract: Volume 1: The gametes, fertilization and early embryogenesis the reproductive systems - the female, the male the pituitary and the hypothalmus. Volume 2: Reproductive behaviour and its control reproductive processes and their control.
7,667 citations
TL;DR: AR and ER may modulate nonolfactory sensory information as well since labeled cells were found in regions involved in the central relay of somatosensory information, including the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, the ventral thalamic nuclear group, and the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.
Abstract: The distribution of cells that express mRNA encoding the androgen (AR) and estrogen (ER) receptors was examined in adult male and female rats by using in situ hybridization. Specific labeling appeared to be largely, if not entirely, localized to neurons. AR and ER mRNA-containing neurons were widely distributed in the rat brain, with the greatest densities of cells in the hypothalamus, and in regions of the telencephalon that provide strong inputs in the medial preoptic and ventromedial nuclei, each of which is thought to play a key role in mediating the hormonal control of copulatory behavior, as well as in the lateral septal nucleus, the medial and cortical nuclei of the amygdala, the amygdalohippocampal area, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Heavily labeled ER mRNA-containing cells were found in regions known to be involved in the neural control of gonadotropin release, such as the anteroventral periventricular and the arcuate nuclei, but only a moderate density of labeling for AR mRNA was found over these nuclei. In addition, clearly labeled cells were found in regions with widespread connections throughout the brain, including the lateral hypothalamus, intralaminar thalamic nuclei, and deep layers of the cerebral cortex, suggesting that AR and ER may modulate a wide variety of neural functions. Each part of Ammon's horn contained AR mRNA-containing cells, as did both parts of the subiculum, but ER mRNA appeared to be less abundant in the hippocampal formation. Moreover, AR and ER mRNA-containing cells were also found in olfactory regions of the cortex and in both the main and accessory olfactory bulbs. AR and ER may modulate nonolfactory sensory information as well since labeled cells were found in regions involved in the central relay of somatosensory information, including the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, the ventral thalamic nuclear group, and the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Furthermore, heavily labeled AR mRNA-containing cells were found in the vestibular nuclei, the cochlear nuclei, the medial geniculate nucleus, and the nucleus of the lateral lemniscus, which suggests that androgens may alter the central relay of vestibular and auditory information as well. However, of all the regions involved in sensory processing, the heaviest labeling for AR and ER mRNA was found in areas that relay visceral sensory information such as the nucleus of the solitary tract, the area postrema, and the subfornical organ. We did not detect ER mRNA in brainstem somatic motoneurons, but clearly labeled AR mRNA-containing cells were found in motor nuclei associated with the fifth, seventh, tenth, and twelfth cranial nerves. Similarly, spinal motoneurons contained AR but not ER mRNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
2,058 citations
Book•
15 Jan 1996
TL;DR: The evolution andorganization of the central nervous system in Vertebrates and theories of Brain Evolution and Variation are summarized.
Abstract: Partial table of contents: EVOLUTION AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Evolution and Variation. Neurons and Sensory Receptors. The Vertebrate Central Nervous System. Theories of Brain Evolution. THE SPINAL CORD AND HINDBRAIN. The Spinal Cord. Sensory Cranial Nerves. Motor Cranial Nerves. The Reticular Formation. The Cerebellum. THE MIDBRAIN. Overview of the Midbrain. Isthmus. Tegmentum and Tori. Optic Tectum. THE FOREBRAIN: DIENCEPHALON. Overview of the Forebrain. Epithalamus. Dorsal Thalamus. THE FOREBRAIN: TELENCEPHALON. Striatum. Dorsal Pallium. Visual Forebrain in Amniotes. Limbic Telencephalon. CONCLUSION. Evolution of the Brain in Vertebrates. Appendix. Glossary. Index.
815 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that GH3/B6 rat pituitary tumor cells contain a membrane ER (mER), and confocal scanning laser microscopy of cells labeled live with the anti‐peptide antibody further supports a membrane localization of ER, suggesting that mER may be structurally similar to iER.
Abstract: GH3/B6 rat pituitary tumor cells exhibit rapid prolactin release (within 5 min) when treated with nanomolar amounts of estrogen. However, the putative protein mediator of this nongenomic action has not been described. Using antibodies directed against a peptide representing the hinge region of the intracellular estrogen receptor (iER), we have demonstrated that these cells contain a membrane ER (mER). We now report that confocal scanning laser microscopy of cells labeled live with the anti-peptide antibody further supports a membrane localization of ER. The monoclonal antibodies H226 and H222 and a polyclonal antibody, ER21, each recognizing a unique epitope on iER (NH2 terminal to the DNA-binding region, within the steroid binding region, and the NH2-terminal end, respectively), also immunohistochemically label membrane proteins of immuno-selected GH3/B6 cells. These cells also specifically bind a fluorescent estrogen-BSA conjugate. Coincubation of cells with anti-ER antibody and the fluorescent estrogen...
532 citations