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Hormones, genes, and behavior

D W Pfaff1

  • 1The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA. pfaff@rockvax.rockefeller.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|February 7, 1998
PubMed
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Genes directly and indirectly influence mammalian social behaviors. Estrogen and progesterone receptors impact sex behavior, while genetic conditions like Kallmann syndrome show complex indirect genetic effects on libido.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Behavioral Genetics
  • Mammalian Social Behavior

Background:

  • Gene expression, specifically estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor genes, directly influences neuroendocrine mechanisms of sex behavior.
  • Complex indirect genetic effects on social behaviors are evident, particularly through sexual differentiation.
  • Understanding genetic influences on mammalian brain and behavior requires nuanced approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the direct and indirect actions of genes on mammalian social behaviors.
  • To analyze the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying hormone-sensitive behaviors.
  • To investigate the genetic underpinnings of human social behavior, using Kallmann syndrome as a model.

Main Methods:

  • Assays of hormone-sensitive behaviors.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of neuroendocrine mechanisms and neural circuits.
  • Examination of genetic influences in human conditions like Kallmann syndrome.

    • Main Results:

    • Direct gene effects (estrogen and progesterone receptors) are implicated in sex behavior via delineated neural circuits.
    • Indirect genetic effects, influenced by sexual differentiation, exhibit complex dependencies.
    • Kallmann syndrome illustrates indirect genetic influence on libido through a multi-step process involving chromosome Xp-22.3.

    Conclusions:

    • Gene expression directly impacts mammalian social and sex behaviors through specific neural pathways.
    • Indirect genetic influences on social behaviors are complex and mediated by developmental processes like sexual differentiation.
    • Simplistic extrapolations of genetic influences from lower animals to humans are not always justified, necessitating careful consideration of complex genetic interactions.