Role of sex chromosome complement in the regulation of aromatase expression in developing mice brain

Abstract

During the critical period of sexual differentiation there are sex differences in brain aromatase expression that are time and regionally specific. Some of these sex differences cannot be explained by organizational — actions of — gonadal hormones because they occur before exposition to testosterone in — utero. Previous results from our group using the four core genotype mouse model (FCG) demonstrate that XY neurons from amygdala express -higher levels of aromatase and Cyp19al than XX neurons of E15 mice independent of gonadal sex. The present study explores the regulation of aromatase in amygdala neurons from E15 mice brain and the role of estrogen (ERa and ERB) and androgen receptors (AR) in this regulation.