| First Author | Knoedler JR | Year | 2022 |
| Journal | Cell | Volume | 185 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 654-671.e22 |
| PubMed ID | 35065713 | Mgi Jnum | J:321365 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6874731 | Doi | 10.1016/j.cell.2021.12.031 |
| Citation | Knoedler JR, et al. (2022) A functional cellular framework for sex and estrous cycle-dependent gene expression and behavior. Cell 185(4):654-671.e22 |
| abstractText | Sex hormones exert a profound influence on gendered behaviors. How individual sex hormone-responsive neuronal populations regulate diverse sex-typical behaviors is unclear. We performed orthogonal, genetically targeted sequencing of four estrogen receptor 1-expressing (Esr1(+)) populations and identified 1,415 genes expressed differentially between sexes or estrous states. Unique subsets of these genes were distributed across all 137 transcriptomically defined Esr1(+) cell types, including estrous stage-specific ones, that comprise the four populations. We used differentially expressed genes labeling single Esr1(+) cell types as entry points to functionally characterize two such cell types, BNSTpr(Tac1/Esr1) and VMHvl(Cckar/Esr1). We observed that these two cell types, but not the other Esr1(+) cell types in these populations, are essential for sex recognition in males and mating in females, respectively. Furthermore, VMHvl(Cckar/Esr1) cell type projections are distinct from those of other VMHvl(Esr1) cell types. Together, projection and functional specialization of dimorphic cell types enables sex hormone-responsive populations to regulate diverse social behaviors. |
