Sex chromosome complement regulates Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b gene expression in the anterior amygdala of developing mouse brain

CABRERA ZAPATA, LUCAS EZEQUIEL; CISTERNAS, CARLA DANIELA; SOSA, CAMILA; CAMBIASSO, MARÍA JULIA

Villa Carlos Paz

Congreso; XXXIV Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias; 2019

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias (SAN)

In addition to gonadal hormones, several studies have shown that sex chromosomes have gonadal-independent effects on sexually dimorphic gene expression in the mouse brain. Both, hormonal and genetic factors contribute to regulate gene expression in developing amygdala neurons before the critical period. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, have recently been proposed as mediators of sexual differentiation of the rodent brain. DNA methylation involves the addition of methyl groups by DNA methyltransferases enzymes (Dnmts) as well as the recruitment of methyl-binding proteins (such as MeCP2) and usually leads to gene repression. Recently, it has been discovered that a primary effect of gonadal steroids in the preoptic area is to reduce activity of Dnmt enzymes in males, thereby decreasing DNA methylation and releasing genes from epigenetic repression.