Sex differences and effect of testosterone on the transcriptome in brain regions underlying quail sexual behavior

To understand the sex differences in brain function that underlie sex differences in behavior we measured the transcriptome of POM, VMN and TnA of adult quail of both sexes either left gonadally intact or gonadectomized and treated with testosterone. Gonadectomy and testosterone-treated groups allowed us to distinguish a suite of genes whose expression is sensitive to testosterone and a suite of genes that are not, the magnitude and pattern of which differs by sex and nucleus. differential expression analysis in POM, TnA and VMN between adult T-treated and intact male and female quail

为解析行为性别差异背后的脑功能性别差异，我们对成年雌雄鹌鹑的前内侧视前区（POM, Preoptic Medial Nucleus）、腹内侧下丘脑核（VMN, Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus）和杏仁端脑核（TnA）的转录组进行了测序。受试个体分为性腺完整保留组与性腺切除后经睾酮（testosterone）处理组。通过该实验分组策略，我们可区分两类基因：一类表达对睾酮敏感，另一类则不受睾酮调控；且两类基因的表达幅度与模式存在性别和脑核团特异性差异。本研究针对成年睾酮处理组与完整组的雌雄鹌鹑，在POM、VMN及TnA中开展了差异表达分析。