PMID- 23262234
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20131017
LR  - 20180313
IS  - 1873-7544 (Electronic)
IS  - 0306-4522 (Linking)
VI  - 239
DP  - 2013 Jun 3
TI  - With a little help from my friends: androgens tap BDNF signaling pathways to 
      alter neural circuits.
PG  - 124-38
LID - S0306-4522(12)01200-6 [pii]
LID - 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.12.019 [doi]
AB  - Gonadal androgens are critical for the development and maintenance of sexually 
      dimorphic regions of the male nervous system, which is critical for male-specific 
      behavior and physiological functioning. In rodents, the motoneurons of the spinal 
      nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) provide a useful example of a neural system 
      dependent on androgen. Unless rescued by perinatal androgens, the SNB motoneurons 
      will undergo apoptotic cell death. In adulthood, SNB motoneurons remain dependent 
      on androgen, as castration leads to somal atrophy and dendritic retraction. In a 
      second vertebrate model, the zebra finch, androgens are critical for the 
      development of several brain nuclei involved in song production in males. 
      Androgen deprivation during a critical period during postnatal development 
      disrupts song acquisition and dimorphic size-associated nuclei. Mechanisms by 
      which androgens exert masculinizing effects in each model system remain elusive. 
      Recent studies suggest that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may play a 
      role in androgen-dependent masculinization and maintenance of both SNB 
      motoneurons and song nuclei of birds. This review aims to summarize studies 
      demonstrating that BDNF signaling via its tyrosine receptor kinase (TrkB) 
      receptor may work cooperatively with androgens to maintain somal and dendritic 
      morphology of SNB motoneurons. We further describe studies that suggest the 
      cellular origin of BDNF is of particular importance in androgen-dependent 
      regulation of SNB motoneurons. We review evidence that androgens and BDNF may 
      synergistically influence song development and plasticity in bird species. 
      Finally, we provide hypothetical models of mechanisms that may underlie androgen- 
      and BDNF-dependent signaling pathways.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2012 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
FAU - Ottem, E N
AU  - Ottem EN
AD  - Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI 49855, USA. 
      eottem@nmu.edu
FAU - Bailey, D J
AU  - Bailey DJ
FAU - Jordan, C L
AU  - Jordan CL
FAU - Breedlove, S M
AU  - Breedlove SM
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Review
DEP - 20121220
PL  - United States
TA  - Neuroscience
JT  - Neuroscience
JID - 7605074
RN  - 0 (Androgens)
RN  - 0 (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor)
SB  - IM
MH  - Androgens/*metabolism
MH  - Animals
MH  - Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/*metabolism
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Motor Neurons/metabolism
MH  - Neural Pathways/*physiology
MH  - Signal Transduction/*physiology
MH  - Spinal Cord/cytology/*metabolism
EDAT- 2012/12/25 06:00
MHDA- 2013/10/18 06:00
CRDT- 2012/12/25 06:00
PHST- 2012/08/31 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2012/12/03 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2012/12/05 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2012/12/25 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2012/12/25 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2013/10/18 06:00 [medline]
AID - S0306-4522(12)01200-6 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.12.019 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Neuroscience. 2013 Jun 3;239:124-38. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.12.019. 
      Epub 2012 Dec 20.