Event Title

Effect of Estrogen on Brain Development in the Green Anole Lizard (Anolis carolinensis)

Location

CSU Ballroom

Start Date

10-4-2018 10:00 AM

End Date

10-4-2018 11:30 AM

Student's Major

Biological Sciences

Student's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Mentor's Name

Rachel Cohen

Mentor's Department

Biological Sciences

Mentor's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Description

In rodents, it is known that sexual differentiation and masculinization of the developing brain is determined by the steroid hormone estradiol (E2). In contrast, the developing brain becomes feminized by the absence of E2. It is unclear if the sexual differentiation of the brain is facilitated by E2 in reptilian species. Studies on green anole lizards have shown that treatment of testosterone (T) and E2 can play a role in the differentiation of tissues outside the brain including hemipenes. I hypothesize if E2 treatments are applied to anole lizard eggs, then there will be larger volumes in sex-specific brain regions compared to eggs treated with vehicle because E2 masculinizes the developing brain in mammalian species. Anole lizard eggs were collected from nests daily and topically treated with E2 on days 10 and 13 of development. Control eggs were treated with a vehicle. On postnatal day one, tissue was collected and stored at -80ËšC. Torsos and brains were sectioned via cryostat. Slides were stained and examined under the microscope to determine the sex of the lizard and the brain region volumes. Findings from this project will allow us to determine if this specific hormone action in the developing mammalian brain is consistent in reptiles. Future studies can be conducted on other taxa to determine if this trait is present amongst them. If E2 does not play a role in masculinizing the reptilian brain, then future research may need to be done on this species to determine how sex-specific behaviors are obtained.

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Apr 10th, 10:00 AM Apr 10th, 11:30 AM

Effect of Estrogen on Brain Development in the Green Anole Lizard (Anolis carolinensis)

CSU Ballroom

In rodents, it is known that sexual differentiation and masculinization of the developing brain is determined by the steroid hormone estradiol (E2). In contrast, the developing brain becomes feminized by the absence of E2. It is unclear if the sexual differentiation of the brain is facilitated by E2 in reptilian species. Studies on green anole lizards have shown that treatment of testosterone (T) and E2 can play a role in the differentiation of tissues outside the brain including hemipenes. I hypothesize if E2 treatments are applied to anole lizard eggs, then there will be larger volumes in sex-specific brain regions compared to eggs treated with vehicle because E2 masculinizes the developing brain in mammalian species. Anole lizard eggs were collected from nests daily and topically treated with E2 on days 10 and 13 of development. Control eggs were treated with a vehicle. On postnatal day one, tissue was collected and stored at -80ËšC. Torsos and brains were sectioned via cryostat. Slides were stained and examined under the microscope to determine the sex of the lizard and the brain region volumes. Findings from this project will allow us to determine if this specific hormone action in the developing mammalian brain is consistent in reptiles. Future studies can be conducted on other taxa to determine if this trait is present amongst them. If E2 does not play a role in masculinizing the reptilian brain, then future research may need to be done on this species to determine how sex-specific behaviors are obtained.

Recommended Citation

Baker, Erin. "Effect of Estrogen on Brain Development in the Green Anole Lizard (Anolis carolinensis)." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 10, 2018.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2018/poster-session-A/3