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The two thyroid hormone receptor genes have opposite effects on estrogen-stimulated sex behaviors

Nature Neuroscience volume 3, pages 472–475 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

The two genes coding for thyroid hormone receptors (TR) α 1 and β have opposite effects on female sex behaviors. Deletion of TRα 1 reduced them, whereas deletion of TRβ actually increased them. These results could not be attributed to altered levels of hormones in the blood, general alterations in estrogen responsiveness or altered general activity. Instead, they indicate a previously unknown molecular mechanism upon which the two TR genes exert opposite influences.

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Figure 1: Effects of estrogen (estradiol benzoate, EB) treatment on female sexual behaviors in TRβ and TRα1 gene-disrupted mice.
Figure 2: Differences in behavior of gene knockout female mice were not due to differential approach behaviors by the males.
Figure 3: Numbers of vasopressin- (VP) and oxytocin- (OT) immunoreactive cells in the preoptic area and hypothalamus of TRβ gene-disrupted mice (TRβKO) compared with wild-type controls.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, 10021, New York, USA

    Tammy L. Dellovade, John Chan & Donald W. Pfaff

  2. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

    Bjorn Vennstrom

  3. Department of Human Genetics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, 10029, New York, USA

    Douglas Forrest

Authors
  1. Tammy L. Dellovade
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  2. John Chan
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  3. Bjorn Vennstrom
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  4. Douglas Forrest
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  5. Donald W. Pfaff
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Correspondence to Donald W. Pfaff.

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Dellovade, T., Chan, J., Vennstrom, B. et al. The two thyroid hormone receptor genes have opposite effects on estrogen-stimulated sex behaviors. Nat Neurosci 3, 472–475 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/74846

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