Changes in nucleus accumbens gene expression accompany sex-specific suppression of spontaneous physical activity in aromatase knockout mice.

ABSTRACT: Aromatase catalyzes conversion of testosterone to estradiol and is expressed in a variety of tissues, including the brain. Suppression of aromatase adversely affects metabolism and physical activity behavior, but mechanisms remain uncertain. The hypothesis tested herein was that whole body aromatase deletion would cause gene expression changes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain regulating motivated behaviors such as physical activity, which is suppressed with loss of estradiol. Metabolic and behavioral assessments were performed in male and female wild-type (WT) and aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice. NAc-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified with RNAseq, and associations between the measured phenotypic traits were determined. Female ArKO mice had greater percent

SUBMITTER: Shay DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7387966 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature