Hormone-epigenome interactions in behavioural regulation.

ABSTRACT

Interactions between hormones and epigenetic factors are key regulators of behaviour, but the mechanisms that underlie their effects are complex. Epigenetic factors can modify sensitivity to hormones by altering hormone receptor expression, and hormones can regulate epigenetic factors by recruiting epigenetic regulators to DNA. The bidirectional nature of this relationship is becoming increasingly evident and suggests that the ability of hormones to regulate certain forms of behaviour may depend on their ability to induce changes in the epigenome. Moreover, sex differences have been reported for several epigenetic modifications, and epigenetic factors are thought to regulate sexual differentiation of behaviour, although specific mechanisms remain to be understood. Indeed, hormone-epigenome interactions are highly complex and involve both canonical and non-canonical regulatory pathways that may permit for highly specific gene regulation to promote variable forms of behavioural adaptation.