Dataset Information

Conditioned place preferences induced by hearing song outside the breeding season relate to neural dopamine D1 and cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene expression in female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

ABSTRACT: The affective state induced by sensory stimuli changes to adaptively modify behaviors that are critical for survival and reproduction. In European starlings, during the spring breeding season, male courtship song is rewarding to females, but only to those that possess resources that are necessary for reproduction (i.e., nesting sites). In fall, starling song is non-sexual and proposed to maintain flocks. This suggests that in fall it may be adaptive for females to be rewarded by fall rather than spring, courtship song. We used a conditioned place preference (CPP) test to evaluate song-induced affective state in fall condition females and quantitative real-time PCR to measure expression of genes that modulate affective state (CB1 endocannabinoid and D1 dopamine receptors) in brain regions that were previously implicated in song-induced reward (i.e., the medial preoptic nucleus (mPOA) and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)). Fall condition females developed an aversion to a place that had been paired with playback of both male fall and courtship song, indicating that in general male song induces a negative affective state outside the breeding season. Song-induced aversion was stronger in birds conditioned towards an initial place preference. For mPOA, CB1 receptor expression correlated positively with fall and spring song-induced CPP. D1 receptor expression correlated negatively with fall (but not spring) song-induced CPP, and the ratio of CB1 to D1 receptor expression correlated positively with fall (but not spring) song-induced CPP. These correlations suggest that interactions between D1 and CB1 receptors in mPOA may play a role in modifying affective responses to song.

SUBMITTER: Hahn AH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6579696 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Conditioned place preferences induced by hearing song outside the breeding season relate to neural dopamine D<sub>1</sub> and cannabinoid CB<sub>1</sub> receptor gene expression in female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Hahn Allison H AH Spool Jeremy A JA Angyal Caroline S CS Stevenson Sharon A SA Riters Lauren V LV

Behavioural brain research 20190522

The affective state induced by sensory stimuli changes to adaptively modify behaviors that are critical for survival and reproduction. In European starlings, during the spring breeding season, male courtship song is rewarding to females, but only to those that possess resources that are necessary for reproduction (i.e., nesting sites). In fall, starling song is non-sexual and proposed to maintain flocks. This suggests that in fall it may be adaptive for females to be rewarded by fall rather than ...[more]

PMID: 31128162

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Project description:European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) represent one of the most widespread and problematic avian invasive species in the world. Understanding their unique population history and current population dynamics can contribute to conservation efforts and clarify evolutionary processes over short timescales. European starlings were introduced to Central Park, New York in 1890, and from a founding group of about 100 birds, they have expanded across North America with a current population of approximately 200 million. There were also multiple introductions in Australia in the mid-19th century and at least one introduction in South Africa in the late 19th century. Independent introductions on these three continents provide a robust system to investigate invasion genetics. In this study, we compare mitochondrial diversity in European starlings from North America, Australia, and South Africa, and a portion of the native range in the United Kingdom. Of the three invasive ranges, the North American population shows the highest haplotype diversity and evidence of both sudden demographic and spatial expansion. Comparatively, the Australian population shows the lowest haplotype diversity, but also shows evidence for sudden demographic and spatial expansion. South Africa is intermediate to the other invasive populations in genetic diversity but does not show evidence of demographic expansion. In previous studies, population genetic structure was found in Australia, but not in South Africa. Here we find no evidence of population structure in North America. Although all invasive populations share haplotypes with the native range, only one haplotype is shared between invasive populations. This suggests these three invasive populations represent independent subsamples of the native range. The structure of the haplotype network implies that the native-range sampling does not comprehensively characterize the genetic diversity there. This study represents the most geographically widespread analysis of European starling population genetics to date.

Dataset Information

Conditioned place preferences induced by hearing song outside the breeding season relate to neural dopamine D1 and cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene expression in female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Publications

Conditioned place preferences induced by hearing song outside the breeding season relate to neural dopamine D<sub>1</sub> and cannabinoid CB<sub>1</sub> receptor gene expression in female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Similar Datasets

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