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Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors defines brain sex differences-[ATAC-Seq]

ABSTRACT: Estradiol establishes neural sex differences in many vertebrates and modulates mood, behavior, and energy balance in adulthood. In the canonical pathway, estradiol exerts its effects through the transcription factor estrogen receptor α (ERα). While ERα has been extensively characterized in breast cancer, the neuronal targets of ERα, and their involvement in brain sex differences, remain largely unknown. Here we generate a comprehensive map of genomic ERα-binding sites within a sexually dimorphic neural circuit that mediates social behaviors. We conclude that ERα orchestrates sexual differentiation of the mouse brain through two mechanisms: establishing two male-biased neuron types and activating a sustained male-biased gene expression program. Collectively, our findings reveal that sex differences in gene expression are defined by hormonal activation of neuronal steroid receptors. The molecular targets we identify may underlie the effects of estradiol on brain development, behavior, and disease.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE144706 | GEO | 2022/04/20

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Brain structure and function are sexually dimorphic. As neuroscience research has largely focused on the male brain and behavior, the female brain and, in particular, its inherent dynamics have been left underexplored. During the mammalian reproductive period, the female brain is exposed to fluctuating hormone levels over the cycles known as menstrual (in humans) or estrous (in rodents). Variation in estradiol levels has been shown to affect synaptic plasticity in the female brain, including changes in dendritic spine density systematically across the estrous cycle. Female emotionality and cognitive function vary with physiologically fluctuating sex hormone levels. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the dynamic nature of the female brain structure and function are currently unknown. Here we show that neuronal chromatin organization in the female ventral hippocampus of mouse is dynamic and fluctuates across the estrous cycle. We find changes in chromatin organization associated with the transcriptional activity of nearby genes important for neuronal function, neurotransmission, synapse formation, and behavior. We also link these chromatin dynamics to variation in anxiety-like behavior and to fluctuations in dendritic spine and synaptic density in the ventral hippocampus. In terms of chromatin structure, within-female and between-sex variation are of similar magnitudes, emphasizing the importance of accounting for fluctuating sex-hormone levels in females in the studies of the brain epigenome and behavior. These results provide critical insights into the mechanisms underlying sex-hormone and sex-dependent variation in adult brain structure and function. The study also has implications for better understanding of sex-biased disorders such as depression and anxiety which are strongly associated with sex-hormone status in females and are twice as prevalent in women than in men. This study establishes a foundation for the development of sex-specific approaches to treat sex-biased neuropsychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety disorders.

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Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors defines brain sex differences-[ATAC-Seq]

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