Development and expression of hormonal systems regulating aggression

There are multiple pathways involved in the regulation of male typical aggression by T, and the functional pathway is determined by genotype. Target-tissue sensitivity to the aggression-promoting properties of T and its estrogenic and androgenic metabolites is determined by a complex sequence of events in which steroid receptors play a critical role. To date, it appears that the relative density of AR may be an important factor in the biobehavioral effects of androgens. Regarding sensitivity to estrogens, characterization of ER-NM interactions, and understanding of the contribution of the two activating functions within ER, appears to be necessary to comprehensively describe the cellular basis for responsiveness to the aggression-promoting effect of this T metabolite. In broader terms, these observations indicate that understanding the relationship between T and the expression of aggression in humans will require models that incorporate cellular aspects of steroid hormone action, including metabolism, receptor function, and gene regulation.