| Stress hormone masculinizes female morphology and behaviour. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 20659923 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Sex steroids play major roles in vertebrate sexual differentiation. Unexpectedly, we now find that exposure to elevated levels of the naturally occurring stress hormone cortisol can also masculinize sexually dimorphic morphological characters and behaviour in adult female mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) in a dose-dependent manner. Females masculinized by cortisol developed elongated anal fins with distal tip features similar to those of mature males. Most masculinized females also attempted to copulate when placed with normal females. Although the mechanism of masculinization is currently unknown, we propose a role for an enzyme that both inactivates cortisol and catalyzes the final step in synthesis of a major teleost androgen. This mechanism may also help explain some previously reported effects of stress on sexual development across vertebrate taxa. Our findings underscore the need to understand the full range of chemicals, both naturally occurring hormones and human-produced endocrine disruptors, that can influence sexual differentiation and reproductive function. |
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Authors:
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Rosemary Knapp; Edie Marsh-Matthews; Luanne Vo; Sarah Rosencrans |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2010-07-21 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Biology letters Volume: 7 ISSN: 1744-957X ISO Abbreviation: Biol. Lett. Publication Date: 2011 Feb |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2011-01-13 Completed Date: 2011-05-10 Revised Date: 2012-02-23 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 101247722 Medline TA: Biol Lett Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 150-2 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA. rknapp@ou.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Cyprinodontiformes / anatomy & histology*, physiology* Female Hydrocortisone / pharmacology* Male Sex Characteristics* Sexual Behavior, Animal / drug effects* |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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50-23-7/Hydrocortisone |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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