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Defending the brain from estrogen

Alpha-fetoprotein binds estrogens in the developing brain. A new paper shows that inhibiting estrogen rescues the brain masculinization found in female mice lacking this gene, suggesting that alpha-fetoprotein inhibits estrogen activity in females.

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Figure 1: Sexual differentiation of the brain.

Debbie Maizels

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Puts, D., Jordan, C. & Breedlove, S. Defending the brain from estrogen. Nat Neurosci 9, 155–156 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn0206-155

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