Dataset Information

Estrogen-inducible, sex-specific expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA in a forebrain song control nucleus of the juvenile zebra finch.

ABSTRACT: The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA is increased significantly within the high vocal center (HVc) of male but not female zebra finches from posthatching day 30-35 on. The population of HVc cells expressing BDNF mRNA included 35% of the neurons projecting to the nucleus robustus of the archistriatum (RA). In the RA and in RA-projecting neurons of the lateral portion of the magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum, BDNF mRNA was expressed at very low levels in both sexes. The BDNF-receptor trkB mRNA was expressed in the RA, in RA-projecting neurons of lateral portion of the magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum, and in the HVc, except in most of its RA-projecting neurons. Premature stimulation and an inhibitory effect on the normal increase of the BDNF mRNA expression in juvenile males occurred after treatments with 17beta-estradiol and the aromatase inhibitor fadrozole, respectively. The up-regulation of the BDNF expression in the HVc could be a mechanism by which estrogen triggers the differentiation of cells within and connected to the HVc of male zebra finches.

SUBMITTER: Dittrich F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC22219 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Estrogen-inducible, sex-specific expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA in a forebrain song control nucleus of the juvenile zebra finch.

Dittrich F F Feng Y Y Metzdorf R R Gahr M M

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 19990701 14

The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA is increased significantly within the high vocal center (HVc) of male but not female zebra finches from posthatching day 30-35 on. The population of HVc cells expressing BDNF mRNA included 35% of the neurons projecting to the nucleus robustus of the archistriatum (RA). In the RA and in RA-projecting neurons of the lateral portion of the magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum, BDNF mRNA was expressed at very low levels in ...[more]

PMID: 10393979

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Project description:The human capacity for speech and vocal music depends on vocal imitation. Songbirds, in contrast to non-human primates, share this vocal production learning with humans. The process through which birds and humans learn many of their vocalizations as well as the underlying neural system exhibit a number of striking parallels and have been widely researched. In contrast, rhythm, a key feature of language, and music, has received surprisingly little attention in songbirds. Investigating temporal periodicity in bird song has the potential to inform the relationship between neural mechanisms and behavioral output and can also provide insight into the biology and evolution of musicality. Here we present a method to analyze birdsong for an underlying rhythmic regularity. Using the intervals from one note onset to the next as input, we found for each bird an isochronous sequence of time stamps, a "signal-derived pulse," or pulse(S), of which a subset aligned with all note onsets of the bird's song. Fourier analysis corroborated these results. To determine whether this finding was just a byproduct of the duration of notes and intervals typical for zebra finches but not dependent on the individual duration of elements and the sequence in which they are sung, we compared natural songs to models of artificial songs. Note onsets of natural song deviated from the pulse(S) significantly less than those of artificial songs with randomized note and gap durations. Thus, male zebra finch song has the regularity required for a listener to extract a perceived pulse (pulse(P)), as yet untested. Strikingly, in our study, pulses(S) that best fit note onsets often also coincided with the transitions between sub-note elements within complex notes, corresponding to neuromuscular gestures. Gesture durations often equaled one or more pulse(S) periods. This suggests that gesture duration constitutes the basic element of the temporal hierarchy of zebra finch song rhythm, an interesting parallel to the hierarchically structured components of regular rhythms in human music.

Dataset Information

Estrogen-inducible, sex-specific expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA in a forebrain song control nucleus of the juvenile zebra finch.

Publications

Estrogen-inducible, sex-specific expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA in a forebrain song control nucleus of the juvenile zebra finch.

Similar Datasets

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