Sex Differences in the Ventral Subiculum's Microcircuitry and Function.

The ventral subiculum has long been appreciated as the major output structure of the ventral hippocampus but remains greatly understudied relative to the other hippocampal subregions. Over the last decade, investigation into ventral subiculum synapses and connectivity has revealed a critical role for this brain region in context-induced drug seeking, stress integration, and psychiatric disorders. While the majority of literature has historically focused on male rodent models, recent works including sex as a biological variable uncover that the ventral subiculum may have complex cell-type-, synapse-, and sex-specific roles in its functions. In this review, we discuss the primary functions of the ventral subiculum, emphasize works that uncover sex differences, and highlight avenues for future research.