Influences of non-canonical neurosteroid signaling on developing neural circuits

- There is growing appreciation for flexible mechanisms to influence development of neural circuits.
- Neurosteroids can be modulated by the environment and provisioned specially to neural circuits.
- Recent studies demonstrate how neurosteroids influence neurites and synaptic function, key factors in circuit organization.
- The diversity of neurosteroids suggests high potential for nuanced modulation of many developmental processes.

Developing neural circuits are especially susceptible to environmental perturbation. Endocrine signaling systems such as steroids provide a mechanism to encode physiological changes and integrate function across various biological systems including the brain. 'Neurosteroids' are synthesized and act within the brain across development. There is a long history of steroids sculpting developing neural circuits; more recently, evidence has demonstrated how neurosteroids influence the early potential for neural circuits to organize and transmit precise information via non-canonical receptor types.