Behavioral Effects of Estrogen Receptor Gene Disruption in Male Mice

Gonadal steroid hormones regulate sexually dimorphic development of brain functions and behaviors. Their nuclear receptors offer the opportunity to relate molecular events in neurons to simple instinctive mammalian behaviors. We have determined the role of estrogen receptor (ER) activation by endoge...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1997-02, Vol.94 (4), p.1476-1481
Main Authors: Ogawa, Sonoko, Lubahn, Dennis B., Korach, Kenneth S., Pfaff, Donald W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggression - physiology
Aggressiveness
Analysis of Variance
Animal aggression
Animal behavior
Animals
Antibodies
Aromatase - isolation & purification
Behavior, Animal - physiology
Biological Sciences
Brain - physiology
Ejaculation
Emotions - physiology
Estrogens
Exploratory Behavior
Genetics
Genotypes
Heterozygotes
Immunohistochemistry
Male
Male animals
Mating behavior
Mice
Mice, Mutant Strains
Mice, Transgenic
Motor Activity
Neurology
Proteins
Receptors, Androgen - isolation & purification
Receptors, Estrogen - deficiency
Receptors, Estrogen - isolation & purification
Rodents
Sex Characteristics
Sexual Behavior, Animal - physiology
Testosterone
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Summary:Gonadal steroid hormones regulate sexually dimorphic development of brain functions and behaviors. Their nuclear receptors offer the opportunity to relate molecular events in neurons to simple instinctive mammalian behaviors. We have determined the role of estrogen receptor (ER) activation by endogenous estrogen in the development of male-typical behaviors by the use of transgenic estrogen-receptor-deficient (ERKO) mice. Surprisingly, in spite of the fact that they are infertile, ERKO mice showed normal motivation to mount females but they achieved less intromissions and virtually no ejaculations. Aggressive behaviors were dramatically reduced and male-typical offensive attacks were rarely displayed by ERKO males. Moreover, ER gene disruption demasculinized open-field behaviors. In the brain, despite the evident loss of functional ER protein, the androgen-dependent system appears to be normally present in ERKO mice. Together, these findings indicate that ER gene expression during development plays a major role in the organization of male-typical aggressive and emotional behaviors in addition to simple sexual behaviors.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.94.4.1476