The Bruce Effect: Complementary Roles of Olfactory Memory and Male-Sourced Estradiol

Uterine implantation of fertilized ova is a highly sensitive transition from minimal maternal investment to increasing devotion of resources to pregnancy. It involves a finely tuned interplay in the uterus between progesterone (P4) and the powerful estrogen, 17β-estradiol (E2). P4 generally supports implantation, whereas minute elevations of E2 terminate it. Diverse maternal stressors can cause implantation to fail, usually by raising the …