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Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
Sex Differences In Estradiol Signaling In The Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Gutatta) Auditory Cortex, Amanda Krentzel
Sex Differences In Estradiol Signaling In The Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Gutatta) Auditory Cortex, Amanda Krentzel
Doctoral Dissertations
Although several sex differences have been described in brain structure, function, and development, sex as a biological factor is underrepresented in neuroscience studies. In the mammalian brain, there are sex differences in the mechanism of rapid estradiol actions on neuronal physiology. In the songbird, the brain is a major source of estradiol production, and estradiol rapidly modulates auditory responsiveness through dynamic changes and an unknown receptor mechanism. I set out to determine if there are sex differences in rapid estradiol modulation of auditory cortical activity, as has been shown in other systems. I tested this hypothesis through three aims: 1) …
The Cellular Context Of Estradiol Regulation In The Zebra Finch Auditory Forebrain, Maaya Ikeda
The Cellular Context Of Estradiol Regulation In The Zebra Finch Auditory Forebrain, Maaya Ikeda
Doctoral Dissertations
Estradiol, traditionally known as a hormone that communicates with distant cells in the body, is also synthesized locally in the brain to act as a neuromodulator. Neuromodulators differ from neurotransmitters in that they simultaneously affect a population of neurons and their actions are not limited to the synapse. One of the many effects of estradiol signaling is rapid modulation of auditory processing in response to external stimuli. The enzyme required for estradiol synthesis, aromatase, is highly expressed in the regions that are involved in higher-order processing of sounds in humans and songbirds. Since zebra finches, a type of songbird, are …