University of Virginia Health System

Mammalian social behavior is complex, yet a systematic genetic approach can reveal the major genes that regulate behavior. Because many social behaviors are activated only when gonadal steroid hormones are present the genes for steroid hormone receptors are currently under study in our laboratory. We have found that androgen receptor (AR) is required for normal social affiliative behavior in male mice. In addition our work shows that several social behaviors are sexually dimorphic, in part, because of differences in sex chromosome genes. One of our long term goals is to better elucidate the relationship between hormones and sex chromosome genes. In addition we are also interested in the roles that experience play on behavior and how epigenetic mechanisms regulate these changes. Our mouse work is relevant to several sexually dimorphic neurobehavioral diseases including autism spectrum disorder.

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