Coordinated and dissociated effects of testosterone on singing behavior and song control nuclei in canaries ()

Sartor, Jennifer J.; Balthazart, Jacques; Ball, Gregory F.

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.12.004

Cited by 65 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 51 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…To this aim, photomicrographs of Area X, HVC, and RA were taken at 2.5× magnification in the Nissl-stained sections. The area of each nucleus was determined in both hemispheres of each section where it appeared using NIH ImageJ, and volumes were determined by multiplying areas by the section thickness, summing these values, and then multiplying this value by 4, because only every fourth section was Nissl stained (62). In line with previous work on canaries, no systematic asymmetries were found between the hemispheres (62,63).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…The area of each nucleus was determined in both hemispheres of each section where it appeared using NIH ImageJ, and volumes were determined by multiplying areas by the section thickness, summing these values, and then multiplying this value by 4, because only every fourth section was Nissl stained (62). In line with previous work on canaries, no systematic asymmetries were found between the hemispheres (62,63). This would not be expected as the song nuclei in both hemispheres are active during song production (64).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Differential effects of global versus local testosterone on singing behavior and its underlying neural substrate

Alward

Balthazart

Ball

2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

119

144

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Steroid hormones regulate multiple but distinct aspects of social behaviors. Testosterone (T) has multiple effects on learned courtship song in that it regulates both the motivation to sing in a particular social context as well as the quality of song produced. The neural substrate(s) where T acts to regulate the motivation to sing as opposed to other aspects of song has not been definitively characterized. We show here that T implants in the medial preoptic nucleus (POM) of castrated male canaries (Serinus canaria) increase song rate but do not enhance acoustic features such as song stereotypy compared with birds receiving peripheral T that can act globally throughout the brain. Strikingly, T action in the POM increased song control nuclei volume, consistent with the hypothesis that singing activity induces neuroplasticity in the song control system independent of T acting in these nuclei. When presented with a female canary, POM-T birds copulated at a rate comparable to birds receiving systemic T but produced fewer calls and songs in her presence. Thus, POM is a key site where T acts to activate copulation and increase song rate, an appetitive sexual behavior in songbirds, but T action in other areas of the brain or periphery (e.g., HVC, dopaminergic cell groups, or the syrinx) is required to enhance the quality of song (i.e., stereotypy) as well as regulate context-specific vocalizations. These results have broad implications for research concerning how steroids act at multiple brain loci to regulate distinct sociosexual behaviors and the associated neuroplasticity.activity-driven plasticity | singing motivation | preoptic area S teroid hormones such as testosterone (T) can have multiple effects on physiology, morphology, and behavior (1-4). These pleiotropic effects of steroids allow coordinating suites of traits into an organized functional response (5, 6). In the case of the regulation of behavior, both motivational and performance aspects of behavior as well cognitive components are often activated by the same hormone (2, 7). The neural sites of steroid action coordinating these distinct aspects of an integrated behavioral response have not been well characterized. In this study, we investigated the site of hormone action in relation to the activation of different aspects of birdsong to illustrate how such an integrated regulation can occur.Birdsong is a species-typical, stereotypic set of usually long, learned, complex vocalizations produced in reproductive contexts (8). A discrete network of interconnected brain nuclei orchestrates song learning and production (from here on called the song control system or SCS) (3, 9-11). Areas such as HVC (acronym is proper name) and the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) regulate the production of song, whereas areas such as Area X and LMAN are involved in song learning. These forebrain nuclei can undergo remarkable plasticity in response to seasonally changing T (12, 13; see refs. 2 and 14 for review). There is also evidence that other factors such as singing ac...

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential effects of global versus local testosterone on singing behavior and its underlying neural substrate

Alward

Balthazart

Ball

2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

119

144

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Additional evidence comes from adult male canaries, where E2 promotes the survival of new neurons in HVC (Hildalgo et al, 1995). In castrated male canaries exposed to SD photoperiod for only 11 days, systemic T, but not DHT or E2 alone, increases HVC volume (Sartor et al, 2005).…”

Section: Mechanisms Of Growth Photoperiod Increases Plasma T Levelmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…In white-crowned sparrows, systemic exposure to either DHT (a nonaromatizable androgen) or E2 alone for 21 days results in substantial growth of song control nuclei (Tramontin et al, 2003), but not RA spontaneous firing rate or soma area (Park et al, 2005;Meitzen et al, 2007a). In canaries, systemic exposure to either DHT or E2 for eleven days does not increase song control nuclei volume or song rate, unlike T, which does increase HVC volume and song rate (Sartor et al, 2005). Systemic exposure to both an aromatizable androgen and an estrogen, however, produce full growth of song nuclei volumes and maximal song rate (Tramontin et al, 2003), RA soma area, and RA spontaneous firing rate (Park et al, 2005;Meitzen et al, 2007a).…”

Section: Mechanisms Of Growth Photoperiod Increases Plasma T Levelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal-like growth and regression of the avian song control system: Neural and behavioral plasticity in adult male Gambel’s white-crowned sparrows

Meitzen

Thompson

2008

General and Comparative Endocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Birdsong is regulated by a series of discrete brain nuclei known as the song control system. In seasonally-breeding male songbirds, seasonal changes in steroid sex hormones regulate the structure and electrophysiology of song control system neurons, resulting in dramatic changes in singing behavior. Male songbirds can be brought into the laboratory, where circulating levels of steroid hormone and photoperiod can be abruptly manipulated, providing controlled conditions under which rapid "seasonal-like" changes in behavior and morphology can be carefully studied. In this minireview, we will discuss the steroidal and cellular mechanisms underlying seasonal-like growth and regression of the song control system in adult male Gambel's white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii), and its impact on song behavior. Specifically, we discuss recent advances concerning: 1) the role of androgen and estrogen receptors in inducing seasonal-like growth of the song control system; 2) how photoperiod modulates the time course of testosterone-induced growth of the song control system; 3) how bilateral intracerebral infusion of androgen and estrogen receptor antagonists near the song control nucleus HVC prevents seasonal-like increases in song stereotypy but not song rate; and 4) the steroidal and cellular mechanisms that mediate rapid regression of the song control system. Throughout this mini-review we compare data collected from white-crowned sparrows to that from other songbird species. We conclude by outlining avenues of future research.

show abstract

“…Hau et al, 2000;Wingfield et al, 1987;Wingfield and Hahn, 1994; see also e.g. Soma et al, 2008 for a recent review and Sartor et al 2005 for evidence in canaries). Furthermore, aggression has been shown to be influenced by yolk testosterone, among other in our study species (Eising et al, 2006;Müller et al 2010;Partecke and Schwabl, 2008;Schwabl 1993;Strasser and Schwabl 2004; but see Müller et al, 2008;Ruuskanen and Laaksonen, 2010; Table 2).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testosterone influences song behaviour and social dominance – But independent of prenatal yolk testosterone exposure

Vergauwen

Groothuis

Eens

et al. 2014

General and Comparative Endocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

a b s t r a c tIn the last two decades, maternally derived yolk androgens have been shown to significantly alter offspring development, and a number of these effects persist into adulthood. However, little is known about their underlying mechanisms. Mechanisms that have been suggested are changes in the endogenous androgen production post-hatching or changes in the sensitivity towards circulating androgens.We tested the effects of yolk testosterone on the plasma testosterone levels and the sensitivity to testosterone in 5 months old male canaries that hatched from eggs that were either injected with testosterone (yT-males) or with a control solution (yC-males). Changes in sensitivity were investigated via the behavioural response to an experimental elevation of the plasma testosterone levels. We performed the experiment in fall (low endogenous testosterone production), focusing on testosterone dependent response traits (aggression and song).Before implantation, there was a non-significant trend that the plasma testosterone levels were lower in yT-males than in yC-males. Elevating the plasma testosterone concentrations increased aggressiveness, song bout length and similarity of repeated song elements (=consistency), with the latter likely being a consequence of testosterone-driven song crystallization. However, these effects were not different among yT-or yC-males in any of the parameters. Thus, our findings render it unlikely that changes in the sensitivity to testosterone post-hatching would form the main underlying mechanism of hormonemediated maternal effects in birds. Further experiments are urgently needed in order to understand the nature of the phenotypic effects resulting from embryonic exposure to maternal yolk testosterone.

show abstract

Coordinated and dissociated effects of testosterone on singing behavior and song control nuclei in canaries ()

Cited by 65 publications

References 51 publications

Differential effects of global versus local testosterone on singing behavior and its underlying neural substrate

Differential effects of global versus local testosterone on singing behavior and its underlying neural substrate

Seasonal-like growth and regression of the avian song control system: Neural and behavioral plasticity in adult male Gambel’s white-crowned sparrows

Testosterone influences song behaviour and social dominance – But independent of prenatal yolk testosterone exposure

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About