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Behavioral Neuroendocrinology |
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Jessi Gatewood |
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Dept. of Biochemistry and Molec. Genetics 1229 Jordan Hall 1300 Jefferson Park Ave Charlottesville, VA 22908 Phone Number: 434-982-4742 Fax Number: 434-243-8433 Email: jdg9g@virginia.edu |
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Research Description: It is well established that diverse and pronounced sex differences exist both in cognition and behavior across species. While it is clearly established that sexually dimorphic behaviors exist, what has not been established is whether these dimorphisms exist as a result of sex chromosomes or hormonal differences. In most of the research exploring these sex differences, it is an assumption that the mechanism of the sex differences is hormonal. However there is little research exploring an alternate mechanism, that of sex chromosome. The purpose of my current study is to behaviorally phenotype XX females, XY-females, XXsry males and XY-sry male mice. XY- animals are males lacking the sry transgene, and thus develop no testes and are phenotypically females. XXsry are genetic females with the sry transgene and thus develop testes. XY- sry are genetic males without endogenous sry but the sry transgene compensates. The use of these animals provides a powerful model in order to explore the direct effects of genes on sex chromosomes versus effects caused by differences in hormone levels on aggression, and various cognitive abilities.
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