title: Sex steroid profiles and pair-maintenance behavior of captive wild-caught zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata).
abstract: Here, we studied the life-long monogamous zebra finch, to examine the relationship between circulating sex steroid profiles and pair-maintenance behavior in pairs of wild-caught zebra finches (paired in the laboratory for >1 month). We used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to examine a total of eight androgens and progestins [pregnenolone, progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenediol, pregnan-3,17-diol-20-one, androsterone, androstanediol, and testosterone]. In the plasma, only pregnenolone, progesterone, DHEA, and testosterone were above the limit of quantification. Sex steroid profiles were similar between males and females, with only circulating progesterone levels significantly different between the sexes (female > male). Circulating pregnenolone levels were high in both sexes, suggesting that pregnenolone might serve as a circulating prohormone for local steroid synthesis in zebra finches. Furthermore, circulating testosterone levels were extremely low in both sexes. Additionally, we found no correlations between circulating steroid levels and pair-maintenance behavior. Taken together, our data raise several interesting questions about the neuroendocrinology of zebra finches.
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. nhprior@zoology.ubc.ca.|Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Neuro-PSI/ENES CNRS UMR 9197, Saint-Etienne, France. nhprior@zoology.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Nora H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Kang Nian
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.affiliation: The Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Hans H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Adomat
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mainwaring
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.|The Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.|Department of Biology, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL, USA.
authors.forename: H Bobby
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Fokidis
authors.affiliation: The Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Emma S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Guns
authors.affiliation: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.|Zoology Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.|Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.|Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Kiran K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Soma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005260:Female; D046369:Finches / Q000502:physiology*; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010152:Pair Bond; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones
keywords: Affiliation; Opportunistic breeder; Pair bond; Songbird; Steroid profiling