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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Sep 2.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Neurosci. 2011 May 25;14(6):677–683. doi: 10.1038/nn.2834

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Genetics matter. The ability to distinguish the contributing role of genes versus gonads was markedly advanced by the development of the four core genotypes model of mice. These mice bear a Y chromosome from which the Sry gene has been deleted (denoted Y−) and carry Sry on an autosome, allowing the development of XX individuals with testes and XY individuals with ovaries. Analysis of this model supports the view that sexual differentiation of reproductive endpoints is largely driven by the testicular hormone testosterone or estradiol synthesized in the developing nervous system from this testosterone, consistent with the organizational/activational hypothesis. Conversely, many nonreproductive endpoints involve direct genetic contributions to variability between males and females.