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EDRI Federal Project Inventory:
Estrogen Synthesis in Brain and its Functional Role
- Sponsor Organization: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
- Project Title: ESTROGEN SYNTHESIS IN BRAIN AND ITS FUNCTIONAL ROLE
- Project Focus: ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
- Description: It is widely recognized that the gonadal steroid hormones have
profound effects onthe developing brain and on the function of the
adult central nervous system.Interestingly, in both males and females
of many species, estrogens exert some of themost dramatic effects.
However, it is not always clear how estrogens reachestrogen-sensitive
brain regions nor is it clear how estrogens act to influence
neuronalgrowth or function. In the brain of some species, there is a
remarkable neural circuitthat controls the organism's ability to learn
during development and to translate thelearned information into
behavior as an adult. Estrogens are implicated in the initialgrowth
of this circuitry during early development, in the neural mechanisms
underlyinglearning, and in the activation of adult behavior. All
estrogens are derived fromandrogens, a reaction catalyzed by the
enzyme aromatase. In males, circulatingandrogens are converted to
estrogens locally in the brain. It is these estrogens that actto
masculinize the developing brain and then activate masculine adult
brain function. In some species, aromatase is present in the neural
circuitry underlying learning, whichmay be associated with the effects
of estrogen on learning. Dr. Schlinger is continuinghis
investigations into the role of aromatase and estrogen on estrogen-
dependentlearning and behavior, and will conduct cross-species
experiments to characterize theeffects of estrogen more clearly. By
clarifying properties of steroid synthesis andfunction in brain, we
will gain a better understanding of how activities of the neural
andendocrine systems are coordinated in regulating neural function.
In addition, theseinvestigations provide a mechanism to further foster
species survival in naturalenvironments and gain a better
understanding of events crucial to reproduction in thewild.
- References:
- Category: MODELS
- Subcategory: BASIC RESEARCH
- Keywords for Experimental System/Species: AVIAN, IN VIVO, IN VITRO, LABORATORY STUDIES
- Keywords for Experimental Endpoints: NEUROLOGICAL, REPRODUCTIVE, HORMONE MEASURES, SEX STEROIDS, PEPTIDE
HORMONES,PHYSIOLOGY, BREEDING BEHAVIOR, HORMONE RECEPTORS,
- Chemical Agents: Sex Steroids
- Performing Institution: University of California Los Angeles
- Contact: Barney A Schlinger, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1301
213/825-4321, schlinge@lifesci.ucla.edu
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