Social behavior modulates songbird interpeduncular nucleus function.
Male zebra finches produce the same song while alone and during courtship of a female. However, singing-related activity in the anterior forebrain nuclei lateral magnocellular anterior nidopallium and Area X markedly depends on the social context. Thus, the anterior forebrain should receive a signal of social context from outside the song system. Here we investigated a possible source of such modulation, the midbrain interpeduncular nucleus, by monitoring immediate early genes and synaptic activity. The level of immunoreactivity for egr1 was high and calretinin was low following courtship directed singing, but the opposite pattern was seen after solo undirected singing. Further, pairs of stimulation caused depression of synaptic responses after directed singing, but facilitation after undirected singing.
Koshiba
Mamiko
M
Lab for Vocal Behavior Mechanisms, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN 2-1, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
George
Isabelle
I
Hara
Erina
E
Hessler
Neal A
NA
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D064032:Calbindin 2; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D046369:Finches; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000378:metabolism; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012919:Social Behavior; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
D064032:Calbindin 2; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G