Effects of estradiol, sex, and season on estrogen receptor alpha mRNA expression and forebrain morphology in adult green anole lizards.

Steroid hormones, especially estradiol, facilitate reproductive behaviors in male and female rodents and birds. In green anole lizards estradiol facilitates receptivity in females but, unlike in some other species, is not the activating hormone for courtship and copulatory behavior in males. Instead, testicular androgens directly facilitate male courtship and copulation. Yet, activity of the estradiol synthesizing enzyme aromatase is higher in the brain of male than female green anoles, and it is increased during the breeding compared to the non-breeding season. The functional relevance of these differences in local estradiol production is unknown. They might prime the male forebrain to facilitate production of appropriate sexual behaviors, perhaps by modifying morphology of relevant brain regions. In addition, we recently reported increased expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) in selected brain regions in females compared to males [Beck LA, Wade J (2009b) Sexually dimorphic estrogen receptor alpha mRNA expression in the preoptic area and ventromedial hypothalamus of green anole lizards. 55:398-403]. Thus, it is possible that the hormone serves to downregulate its receptor in males to inhibit the expression of estradiol-dependent receptive behaviors. To begin to address these ideas, the present study examines the effects of estradiol treatment, sex, and season on forebrain morphology and ERalpha mRNA abundance in three regions important for anole reproductive behavior-the preoptic area, ventromedial amygdala, and ventromedial hypothalamus. While a number of effects of sex and season on forebrain morphology were detected, direct effects of estradiol treatment on these measures were minimal. ERalpha expression was greatest in the ventromedial hypothalamus, and a large female-biased sex difference was detected in this area alone; it resulted from estradiol-treated animals. These results indicate a sex- and region-specific mechanism by which estradiol can modify ERalpha expression in the green anole and could impact the expression of female-typical receptivity.