Dopaminergic activation of estrogen receptors in neonatal brain alters progestin receptor expression and juvenile social play behavior.
Abstract
Steroid receptor activation in developing brain influences a variety of cellular processes that endure into adulthood, altering both behavior and physiology. We report that estrogen receptors can be activated in a ligand-independent manner within developing brain by membrane dopamine receptors. Neonatal treatment with either estradiol or a dopamine D1 receptor agonist can increase the expression of an estrogen receptor-regulated gene (i.e. progestin receptors) and later juvenile social play. More importantly, increases in social play behavior induced by neonatal treatment with estradiol or a dopamine D1 receptor agonist can be prevented by prior treatment with an estrogen receptor antagonist. This suggests that changes in dopamine transmission in developing brain can activate estrogen receptors in a ligand-independent manner to influence gene expression and have lasting consequences on social behavior.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Estrogens play a role in the differentiation of play, including a convergence of dopamine signaling and the estrogen receptor.
“The Auger laboratory has consistently found a role for estrogens in the differentiation of play, including a convergence of dopamine signaling and the estrogen receptor (Olesen et al., 2005).”
From Developmental origins of sex differences in the neural circuitry of play (2020) · cites this paper as Olesen et al., 2005
Males are consistently found to play more than females when tested in mixed-sex groups.
“While males are consistently found to play more than females when tested in mix-sex groups (Meaney and Stewart, 1981b; Olesen et al., 2005; Parent and Meaney, 2008)”
From Sexually dimorphic role for vasopressin in the development of social play (2014) · cites this paper as Olesen et al., 2005
Juvenile social play behavior is influenced by neonatal estradiol and testosterone exposure.
“This difference is known to be influenced by neonatal estradiol and testosterone exposure, because manipulating these hormone levels can sex reverse differences in juvenile social play behavior in rats (6 -8) and nonhuman primates (9,10).”
From The Nuclear Receptor Corepressor Has Organizational Effects within the Developing Amygdala on Juvenile Social Play and Anxiety-Like Behavior (2010) · cites this paper as [8]
Juvenile social play behavior is classically thought to be due to activation of androgen receptors, with some data suggesting a possible involvement of estrogen receptors.
“Juvenile social play behavior is classically thought to be due to activation of androgen receptors (6,32), with some data suggesting a possible involvement of estrogen receptors (8).”
From The Nuclear Receptor Corepressor Has Organizational Effects within the Developing Amygdala on Juvenile Social Play and Anxiety-Like Behavior (2010) · cites this paper as [8]
When neonatal females are treated with high doses of estradiol, they exhibit, as juveniles, male-typical levels of social behavior.
“when neonatal females are treated with high doses of estradiol, they exhibit, as juveniles, male-typical levels of social behavior (Olesen, Jessen, Auger, & Auger, 2005).”
From Play fighting in androgen-insensitivetfm rats: Evidence that androgen receptors are necessary for the development of adult playful attack and defense (2006) · cites this paper as Olesen, Jessen, Auger, & Auger, 2005
Neonatal estradiol treatment of female rats at doses approximating male-typical levels can cause increased play behavior, but the increase is more related to wrestling/boxing and pouncing than to pinning.
“A more recent study, however, has demonstrated that neonatal estradiol treatment of females at doses which approximate male-typical levels can cause increased play behavior, although that increase was more related to wrestling/boxing and pouncing behaviors than to pinning behavior (Olesen et al., 2005).”
From Developmental Treatment with Ethinyl Estradiol, but Not Bisphenol A, Causes Alterations in Sexually Dimorphic Behaviors in Male and Female Sprague Dawley Rats (2014) · cites this paper as Olesen et al., 2005
Estrogens or estrogenic EDCs are involved in the development of play behavior in rats.
“However, recent research showed that estrogens or estrogenic EDCs are also involved in the development of play behavior in rats [15–19].”
From Developmental exposure to low levels of ethinylestradiol affects social play in juvenile male rats (2020) · cites this paper as [17]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
The citation lists haven’t been fetched yet
References 61 · Cited by 89
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Paxinos G, Watson C 1997 The rat brain in stereotaxic coordinates. Compact ed. 3rd ed. Sydney, Australia: Academic Press
- De Vries GJ, Simerly RB 2002 Anatomy, development, and function of sex- ually dimorphic neural circuits in the mammalian brain. In: Pfaff DW, Arnold AP, Etgen AM, Fahrbach SE, Rubin RT, eds. Hormones, brain and behavior. San Diego: Academic Press; 137-191
- Authors
- Olesen, K. M., Jessen, H. M., Auger, C. J., & Auger, A. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin System (US)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Corresponding author
- Auger, Anthony P.
- ORCID
- Auger, Anthony P.
- Venue
- Endocrinology
- Publisher
- The Endocrine Society
- Published
- 2005-09-01
- Volume
- 146
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 3705-3712
- ISSN
- 0013-7227 (ISSN-L)
- 1945-7170
- OpenAlex
- W2000896564
- Cited by
- 89
- References
- 61
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Endocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Mental Health (K01MH002035)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Estrogen and related hormone effects
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Keywords
- estrogen receptor, progestin receptor, dopamine D1 receptor, neonatal brain development, estradiol, ligand-independent receptor activation, social play, antiestrogens, dopamine signaling, social behavior development
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Animals, Newborn, Behavior, Animal, Brain, Dopamine, Estradiol, Estrogen Antagonists, Female, Male, Play and Playthings, Pregnancy, Receptors, Progesterone, Social Behavior, Tamoxifen, 2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepine, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Receptors, Dopamine D1, Dopamine Agonists, Estrogen Receptor alpha, Rats
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
