Building a Sexually Dimorphic Nervous System

Sex differences often represent the most dramatic intraspecific variations seen in nature. Although males and females share the same genome and have similar nervous systems, they differ profoundly in reproductive investments and require distinct morphological, physiological, and behavioural adaptations. Animals determine sex early in development, which initiates many irreversible differentiation events that influence how the genome and environment interact to produce sex-specific behaviours. Across taxa, these events converge to regulate sexually dimorphic gene expression, which specifies sex-typical development and neural circuit function. However, the molecular programs that act during development remain largely unknown. 

We aim to understand the gene regulatory networks underlying sexually dimorphic neuronal development in the brain of the genetically tractable vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. We are using single-cell technologies to compare the molecular profiles of both males and females in the developing central brain to understand the mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in the nervous system. The fly's central brain is a remarkably complex tissue composed of approximately 100,000 interconnected neurons, forming the intricate networks necessary to coordinate complex cognitive and motor functions. Tightly regulated molecular programs act over a broad developmental window leading to the diversity of cell types found in the brain. The proposed experiments will paint a detailed picture of cellular and molecular diversity in a developing central nervous system. Our data will answer the longstanding question: How are neuron types associated with sexual behaviours born and wired?

Lab website: 
http://www.oxfordcircuits.com/

Contact: Stephen F. Goodwin stephen.goodwin@cncb.ox.ac.uk