Organization of Estrogen-Associated Circuits in the Mouse Primary Auditory Cortex.

ABSTRACT: Sex steroid hormones influence the perceptual processing of sensory signals in vertebrates. In particular, decades of research have shown that circulating levels of estrogen correlate with hearing function. The mechanisms and sites of action supporting this sensory-neuroendocrine modulation, however, remain unknown. Here we combined a molecular cloning strategy, fluorescence in-situ hybridization and unbiased quantification methods to show that estrogen-producing and -sensitive neurons heavily populate the adult mouse primary auditory cortex (AI). We also show that auditory experience in freely-behaving animals engages estrogen-producing and -sensitive neurons in AI. These estrogen-associated networks are greatly stable, and do not quantitatively change as a result of acute episodes of sen

SUBMITTER: Tremere LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3337629 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature