Plasticity in the expression of the steroid receptor coactivator 1 in the Japanese quail brain: Effect of sex, testosterone, stress and time of the day

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.03.002

Neuroscience

Volume 140, Issue 4, 2006, Pages 1381-1394

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.03.002 Get rights and content

Abstract

Analysis of nuclear receptor action on the eukaryotic genome highlights the importance of coactivators on gene transcription. The steroid receptor coactivator-1 in particular is the focus of an intense research and physiological or behavioral studies have confirmed that it plays a major role in the modulation of steroid and thyroid receptors activity. However, little is known about the regulation of steroid receptor coactivator-1 expression the brain. The goal of this study was to determine the potential factors modulating steroid receptor coactivator-1 synthesis in Japanese quail by quantification of its mRNA with real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and of the corresponding protein via Western blotting. Contrary to previously published results from our laboratory [Charlier TD, Lakaye B, Ball GF, Balthazart J (2002) The steroid receptor coactivator SRC-1 exhibits high expression in steroid-sensitive brain areas regulating reproductive behaviors in the quail brain. Neuroendocrinology 76:297–315], we found here that sexually mature females had a higher concentration of steroid receptor coactivator-1 in the preoptic area/hypothalamus compared with males. Steroid receptor coactivator-1 expression in the male preoptic area/hypothalamus was up-regulated by testosterone and tended to be decreased by stress. We also identified a significant correlation between the time of the day and the expression of the coactivator in the optic lobes, hippocampus, telencephalon and hindbrain but the pattern of changes in expression as a function of the time of the day varied from one brain area to another. Together, these data support the idea that steroid receptor coactivator-1 is not constitutively expressed but rather is finely regulated by steroids, stress and possibly other unidentified factors.

Section snippets

Animals and in vivo procedures

Four separate experiments (see below for specific protocols) were carried out on Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) that were bought from a local breeder (Degros-Louppe Farm, Rechrival, Belgium) at the age of about 3 weeks. Throughout their life at the breeding colony and in the laboratory, birds were exposed to a photoperiod simulating long days (16 h light and 8 h dark per day) and had food and water available ad libitum. All experimental procedures were in agreement with the Belgian laws on

Experiment 1

We previously reported that SRC-1 is expressed at a higher level in the HPOA of M compared with F (Charlier et al., 2002). To determine the influence of adult steroid levels on the expression of the coactivator and on the sex difference affecting this expression, SRC-1 mRNA levels were quantified in quail of both sexes that were either gonadally intact (MI and FI), or MCX and FCX or MCX+T and FCX+T. Behavioral tests confirmed previously described sex differences in copulatory behavior (Adkins

Discussion

We demonstrated in the present studies that SRC-1 expression in several brain regions is not constitutive but, rather, is regulated by several endogenous and exogenous factors, including the sex of the subjects, testosterone and potentially the time of the day.

Conclusion

Together these data indicate that steroid hormones alter SRC-1 expression in a sex- and site-specific manner. SRC-1, and the SRC family in general, are shared by different receptor systems, suggesting that the regulation of the cofactor expression by one system may be important for the ability of other receptor systems to function at that time or later in life. For example, the regulation of SRC-1 by thyroid hormones or glucocorticoids during development may have important implications on sex

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Drs. Ernst Heinen and Benaïssa El Moualij for the use of the ABI prism 5700 qPCR apparatus and for technical advice regarding qPCR techniques. This research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (MH50388) to G.F.B. and J.B. and from the Belgian FRFC (2.4562.05) to J.B. T.D.C. was an FRIA grant recipient.

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¹: Present address: University of British Columbia, Department of Psychology, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.

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Systems neurosciencePlasticity in the expression of the steroid receptor coactivator 1 in the Japanese quail brain: Effect of sex, testosterone, stress and time of the day

Abstract

Section snippets

Animals and in vivo procedures

Experiment 1

Discussion

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

Gen Comp Endocrinol Suppl

Gen Comp Endocrinol

Horm Behav

J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol

Brain Res

Physiol Behav

Gen Comp Endocrinol

Gen Comp Endocrinol

Brain Res Mol Brain Res

Mol Cell Endocrinol

Mol Cell Endocrinol

Curr Biol

Cell

Brain Res

Poult Sci

Horm Behav

Physiol Behav

Horm Behav

Neuroscience

Mol Brain Res

Mediator and p300/CBP steroid receptor coactivator complexes have distinct roles, but function synergistically, during estrogen receptor α-dependent transcription with chromatine templates

Mol Cell Biol

Hormonal control of behavior in the Japanese quail

J Comp Physiol Psychol

Control of reproductive behavior by sex steroids in male quail

J Comp Physiol Psychol

Differential recruitment of nuclear receptor coactivators may determine alternative RNA splice site choice in target genes

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1) mediates the development of sex-specific brain morphology and behavior

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Differential expression of nuclear receptor co-activator in neonatal male and female rat brain

Soc Neurosci Abstr

Thyroid-β2 and the retinoid RAR-α, RXR-γ and ROR-β2 receptor mRNAs; expression profiles in the mouse retina, retinal explants and neocortex

Neuroreport

The histone acetylase PCAF is a nuclear receptor coactivator

Genes Dev

Circadian rhythm in adrenal cortical activity in the quail

J Interdiscipl Cycle Res

p300/CBP proteinsHATs for transcriptional bridges and scaffolds

J Cell Sci

Inhibition of steroid receptor coactivator-1 blocks estrogen and androgen action on male sexual behavior and associated brain plasticity

J Neurosci

The steroid receptor coactivator SRC-1 exhibits high expression in steroid-sensitive brain areas regulating reproductive behaviors in the quail brain

Neuroendocrinology

Daily variations of plasma sex hormone-binding globulin capacity, testosterone and luteinizing hormone concentrations in healthy rested adult males

Horm Res

Systems neuroscience
Plasticity in the expression of the steroid receptor coactivator 1 in the Japanese quail brain: Effect of sex, testosterone, stress and time of the day