Villanova University, Department of Biology, 800 Lancaster Ave, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA.
Villanova University, Department of Biology, 800 Lancaster Ave, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA.
Dev Biol. 2021 Apr;472:75-84. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.01.010. Epub 2021 Jan 20.
Understanding how sex differences in innate animal behaviors arise has long fascinated biologists. As a general rule, the potential for sex differences in behavior is built by the developmental actions of sex-specific hormones or regulatory proteins that direct the sexual differentiation of the nervous system. In the last decade, studies in several animal systems have uncovered neural circuit mechanisms underlying discrete sexually dimorphic behaviors. Moreover, how certain hormones and regulatory proteins implement the sexual differentiation of these neural circuits has been illuminated in tremendous detail. Here, we discuss some of these mechanisms with three case-studies-mate recognition in flies, maturation of mating behavior in worms, and play-fighting behavior in young rodents. These studies illustrate general and unique developmental mechanisms to establish sex differences in neuroanatomy and behavior and highlight future challenges for the field.
长期以来，生物学家一直对动物先天行为的性别差异产生机制很感兴趣。一般来说，行为方面存在性别的潜在差异是由特定性别激素或调节蛋白的发育作用构建的，这些激素或蛋白指导神经系统的性分化。在过去十年中，在几个动物系统中的研究揭示了离散的性别二态性行为的神经回路机制。此外，某些激素和调节蛋白如何实施这些神经回路的性别分化，也已经得到了非常详细的阐明。在这里，我们将通过三个案例研究——果蝇的配偶识别、线虫交配行为的成熟以及幼鼠的玩耍行为，来讨论其中的一些机制。这些研究说明了建立神经解剖学和行为性别差异的一般和独特的发育机制，并为该领域提出了未来的挑战。
