Comparative studies of sex differences in the song-control system of songbirds

The song-control system, a neural circuit that controls the learning and production of birdsong, provided the first example in vertebrates of prominent macro-morphological sex differences in the brain. Forebrain nuclei HVC, robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) and area X all exhibit prominent male-biased sex differences in volume in zebra finches and canaries. Subsequent studies compared species that exhibited different degrees of a sex difference in song behaviour and revealed an overall positive correlation between male biases in song behaviour and male biases in the volume of the song nuclei. However, several exceptions have been described in which male biases in HVC and RA are observed even though song behaviour is equal or even female-biased. Other phenotypic measures exhibit lability in both sexes. In the duetting plain-tailed wren ( Pheugopedius euophrys ), males and females have auditory cells in the song system that are tuned to the joint song the two sexes produce rather than just male or female components. These findings suggest that there may be constraints on the adaptive response of the song system to ecological conditions as assessed by nucleus volume but that other critical variables regulating song can respond so that each sex can modify its song behaviour as needed.

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Corticosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone have opposing effects on adult neuroplasticity in the avian song control system

The Journal of Comparative Neurology ◽

10.1002/cne.22395 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 518 (18) ◽

pp. 3662-3678 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

Amy E.M. Newman ◽

Scott A. MacDougall-Shackleton ◽

Yong-Seok An ◽

Buddhamas Kriengwatana ◽

Kiran K. Soma

Keyword(s):

Control System ◽

Song Control System ◽

Song Control ◽

Opposing Effects ◽

Avian Song

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Postsynaptic neural activity regulates neuronal addition in the adult avian song control system

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1310237110 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 110 (41) ◽

pp. 16640-16644 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

T. A. Larson ◽

T.-W. Wang ◽

S. D. Gale ◽

K. E. Miller ◽

N. M. Thatra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Control System ◽

Neural Activity ◽

Song Control System ◽

Song Control ◽

Avian Song

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Timing of perineuronal net development in the zebra finch song control system correlates with developmental song learning

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2018.0849 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 285 (1883) ◽

pp. 20180849 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Gilles Cornez ◽

Elisabeth Jonckers ◽

Sita M. ter Haar ◽

Annemie Van der Linden ◽

Charlotte A. Cornil ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Control System ◽

Neural Plasticity ◽

Ocular Dominance ◽

Song Learning ◽

Dominance Model ◽

Perineuronal Net ◽

Acoustic Environment ◽

Auditory Forebrain ◽

Song Control System ◽

Song Control

The appearance of perineuronal nets (PNNs) represents one of the mechanisms that contribute to the closing of sensitive periods for neural plasticity. This relationship has mostly been studied in the ocular dominance model in rodents. Previous studies also indicated that PNN might control neural plasticity in the song control system of songbirds. To further elucidate this relationship, we quantified PNN expression and their localization around parvalbumin interneurons at key time-points during ontogeny in both male and female zebra finches, and correlated these data with the well-described development of song in this species. We also extended these analyses to the auditory system. The development of PNN during ontogeny correlated with song crystallization although the timing of PNN appearance in the four main telencephalic song control nuclei slightly varied between nuclei in agreement with the established role these nuclei play during song learning. Our data also indicate that very few PNN develop in the secondary auditory forebrain areas even in adult birds, which may allow constant adaptation to a changing acoustic environment by allowing synaptic reorganization during adulthood.

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