"Males and females differ in their biobehavioural response to stress, where males exhibit
a heightened sympathetic response to stress compared with females.
Specifically, Taylor et al. 1 propose that the classic “fight-or-flight” response to stress is adaptive for males,
whilst females engage in a so-called “tend-and-befriend” response to stress.
We propose that the Y-chromosome gene, SRY (sex-determining region on the Y chromosome),
provides a genetic basis for the heightened sympathetic reactivity to stress and thus predominance of “fight-flight” response in males.
Our idea is based on studies that demonstrate (i) the presence of SRY in brain regions and peripheral tissues
abundant in catecholamines, (ii) the regulation of catecholamine synthesis and breakdown by SRY,
and (iii) the role of SRY in voluntary movement and blood pressure in males"
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bies.201100159/full