Male specific impact of parental care on gene expression in nucleus accumbens. Male specific impact of parental care on gene expression in nucleus accumbens

Mammalian infants depend on parental care for survival, with numerous consequences for their behavioral development. We investigated the epigenetic and neurodevelopmental mechanisms mediating the impact of early parental care on social behavior development in prairie voles. We find widespread male specific differential expression of genes related to synaptic transmission and autism in the nucleus accumbens. Overall design: RNA-sequencing analysis of gene expression in bulk tissue nucleus accumbens of prairie voles raised in different early life environments