Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2010 Dec;20(6):776-83. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2010.09.006. Epub 2010 Oct 8.
Sex differences in the nervous system are found throughout the animal kingdom. Here, we discuss three prominent genetic models: nematodes, fruit flies, and mice. In all three, differential cell death is central to sexual differentiation and shared molecular mechanisms have been identified. Our knowledge of the precise function of neural sex differences lags behind. One fruitful approach to the 'function' question is to contrast sexual differentiation in standard laboratory animals with differentiation in species exhibiting unique social and reproductive organizations. Advanced genetic strategies are also addressing this question in worms and flies, and may soon be applicable to vertebrates.
在整个动物王国中都存在神经系统的性别差异。在这里，我们讨论了三个突出的遗传模型：线虫、果蝇和老鼠。在这三种模型中，细胞死亡的差异是性分化的核心，已确定存在共享的分子机制。我们对神经性别差异的确切功能的了解还远远落后。解决“功能”问题的一个富有成效的方法是将标准实验室动物的性分化与具有独特社会和生殖组织的物种的分化进行对比。先进的遗传策略也在解决线虫和果蝇中的这个问题，并且可能很快适用于脊椎动物。
