# Generating sexually differentiated motor rhythms

> **NIH NIH R15** · REED COLLEGE · 2022 · $514,078

## Abstract

Many neuronal circuits in male and female brains are functionally distinct, but the mechanisms underlying
these differences are poorly understood. The overarching goal of this work is to discover how hormone-dependent differences in gene expression during development lead to sexually differentiated activity of
neurons and neuronal circuits. Central pattern generators (CPGs) are networks that can autonomously
generate rhythmic motor patterns and are powerful study systems for discovering general principles of
nervous system function. Our research investigates the hindbrain CPG that generates vocal motor patterns
of the frog, Xenopus laevis. Because CPGs can generate motor output without sensory input, they can be
readily studied in ex vivo preparations. The X. laevis vocal CPG can be activated in isolated brains,
generating sex-specific motor patterns similar to those recorded in living animals. CPG masculinization
occurs naturally in males during a juvenile surge in androgen levels, and can also be experimentally
induced in testosterone-treated adult females. The proposal has two specific aims: 1) identify genes in the
CPG with distinct expression patterns that vary between sex, developmental stage, and/or testosterone
exposure, and 2) identify the emergence of cellular, network, and morphological properties of CPG neurons
that correlate with the appearance sex-specific motor patterns. To achieve these aims we will perform RNA
sequencing and whole-cell recordings of CPG premotor neurons in two experimental contexts: naturally
developing juveniles, and testosterone-treated adult females. The rationale for this strategy is that CPG
characteristics that correlate with masculinization in both contexts will be those that are most likely to have
a causal relation to CPG function. By identifying both genes and circuit properties associated with
masculinization, novel links between hormones, cell signaling pathways, and neuron function may be revealed.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10439380
- **Project number:** 2R15NS091977-02A1
- **Recipient organization:** REED COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Erik Zornik
- **Activity code:** R15 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $514,078
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2015-06-01 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10439380

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10439380, Generating sexually differentiated motor rhythms (2R15NS091977-02A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-02 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10439380. Licensed CC0.

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