Estrogens are traditionally thought to act through a nuclear receptor-mediated mechanism to regulate gene transcription in target tissues. The hippocampus has been shown to be sensitive to estrogen; estrogen regulates GABAergic inhibition and spine density of dorsal CA1 pyramidal cells. However, very few neurons expressing nuclear estrogen receptors (ERs) have...
In male mammals, testosterone (T) is critical for sexual differentiation during development and reproductive success in adulthood. This thesis examines the cellular and molecular processes that mediate T's actions in the male brain and reproductive axis. Although T is clearly necessary for sexual behavior, the cellular mechanisms by which it...