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Organization and activation of behavior in quail: role of testosterone metabolism.
Balthazart, Jacques; Schumacher, M.
1984In Journal of Experimental Zoology, 232 (3), p. 595-604
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Keywords :
Animals; Coturnix/physiology; Dihydrotestosterone/biosynthesis; Estradiol/biosynthesis; Female; Hypothalamus/metabolism; Male; Quail/physiology; Sex Differentiation; Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology; Sexual Maturation; Testosterone/metabolism
Abstract :
[en] In quail, the hypothalamus enzymatically transforms testosterone (T) into estradiol (E2), 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5 alpha-DHT), and 5 beta-dihydrotestosterone (5 beta-DHT). During the embryonic life, the 5 beta-reductase activity is very high, which probably protects the brain of males from being behaviorally demasculinized by their endogenous T. 5 beta androstanes are inactive androgens. The decrease of 5 beta reductase with age during sexual maturation corresponds to a potentiation of the effects of T as shown by experiments that compared the effects of T and 5 alpha-DHT in adult and young quail. T metabolism is also involved in the activation of male behavior in the adult. T aromatization is probably essential for behavioral activation, but nonaromatizable androgens such as methyltrienolone, and to some extent 5 alpha-DHT, can also stimulate sexual behavior in castrates. These enzymatic activities show a clear neuroanatomical localization and are sexually dimorphic. Males produce more active metabolites (E2, 5 alpha-DHT) than females, which could explain the male's greater sensitivity to T treatments. It thus appears that T metabolism is involved in the differentiation and activation of behavior in quail.
Disciplines :
Zoology
Neurosciences & behavior
Author, co-author :
Balthazart, Jacques  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau
Schumacher, M.
Language :
English
Title :
Organization and activation of behavior in quail: role of testosterone metabolism.
Publication date :
1984
Journal title :
Journal of Experimental Zoology
ISSN :
0022-104X
eISSN :
1097-010X
Publisher :
John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, United States - New Jersey
Volume :
232
Issue :
3
Pages :
595-604
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 29 January 2014

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