Genomic and neural analysis of the estradiol-synthetic pathway in the zebra finch.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Steroids are small molecule hormones derived from cholesterol. Steroids affect many tissues, including the brain. In the zebra finch, estrogenic steroids are particularly interesting because they masculinize the neural circuit that controls singing and their synthesis in the brain is modulated by experience. Here, we analyzed the zebra finch genome assembly to assess the content, conservation, and organization of genes that code for components of the estrogen-synthetic pathway and steroid nuclear receptors. Based on these analyses, we also investigated neural expression of a cholesterol transport protein gene in the context of song neurobiology.

Results

We present sequence-based analysis of twenty steroid-related genes using the genome assembly and other resources

SUBMITTER: London SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2865489 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature